Unisaw: Deal or Not?

[jackellis]

I have a chance to buy one of these:

http://www.amazon.com/Delta-36-L31X-...5983965&sr=8-1

for $800 used. Condition is unknown. Apparently it comes with the fence, extension wings, mobile base, extension table. The owner's ex-father-in-law claims he used it to help build cabinets and it's probably in decent shape but I'd want to see it and run it.

Does anyone have any experience with this saw and can they tell me whether it's worth getting at any price, much less the offer price?

Of course, I then have to move it and run 220 from the panel into my garage and I'm trying to figure out whether it's worth the trouble.

[RayintheUK]

Jack, it's a Left Tilt 3 Horsepower Cabinet Saw - HELLO! Anyone in?

I'd have it in a heartbeat if it's in good condition and I'd think the pain of moving it and running a 220 line was my penance for having such an opportunity to get a great saw.

I know that your BT3100 is also a great saw, but this is a different league altogether. If you've got the space, it's a no-brainer IMO.

Caveat: I don't live in your country, therefore I have no chance to buy this saw myself. I would love it, but do not seek to live my life vicariously through persuading you to buy this one. You suck, BTW!

It's probably beat to **** and not worth having. Stick to what you know - what do I know anyway? Has that helped at all?

Happy Easter, BTW!

Ray.

[Ken Massingale]

Oh yeah! If it's in anywhere near good condition, that's a deal.

[jackellis]

Ray, if there was some way I could arrange to get it to you, it would be yours for purchase. Air freight would be pretty pricey, as would putting it on a ship. But if I buy it and you get out this way on one of your visits, I'll certainly be happy to let you make a few cuts on it.

[SARGE..g-47]

Gitty up.. little Uni-saw. Whoa..... hold on, this turned out to be a real hoss!

Regards...

[jackellis]

Sarge, how did you move it? One of the things I'm really worried about is the shipping weight (Amazon) is over 400 pounds. I can rent a pickup truck but I'm not sure I can find enough strong backs. I suppose I could hire a mover but even so, I want to make sure it's not damaged in the process.

[JoeyGee]

I've never moved a Uni, but I moved a Grizzly 1023 (cabinet saw) with myself and one other person to my basement shop. Just take the top, rails, tables, etc off--basically everything that will unbolt, and two guys should be able to move it fairly easily, and I am no Mr. Atlas, for sure.

As everyone else has said, BUY IT NOW, or at least provide us with the address of its current location...

[p8ntblr]

Sarge, how did you move it? One of the things I'm really worried about is the shipping weight (Amazon) is over 400 pounds. I can rent a pickup truck but I'm not sure I can find enough strong backs. I suppose I could hire a mover but even so, I want to make sure it's not damaged in the process.

If you take off the wings you should be able to move it. I recently got a used 22114 which weighs (according to sears website) 385 lbs. One suggestion is to make a small (solid) platform slightly longer than the footprint of the saw. That way you can put it on the platform then put it on your truck. And use it also to take it off your truck as well. That worked for me anyway and there was only 2 of us.

[jackellis]

He who snoozes...loses. But there are others and now I'm ready to pounce!

[SARGE..g-47]

The other guys have given you a few tricks already, Jack. Mine was purchased from Redmond & Son machinery several months ago along with a Steel City 8" jointer. Went for the jointer and came home with both in the back of the pick-up. Mine is a Factory Re-Conditioned that had a new motor, new trunions, a freshly re-ground table top, switch, etc. with a Biesemeyer fence. Redmond had bought quite a few re-co's and were selling them for $1100. A good deal indeed. But.... I got mine for $999 as I had worked the Atlanta Wood-Working Show for them and Steel City demo-ing the SC band-saw several weeks before.

I had my 20 year old son and a friend of his help tip and slide off the back of my pick-up to the ground onto two side by side furniture dollys. We lift it off onto the Delta mobile base made for that saw once inside. They assisted with the 8" jointer als.

When I got my Steel City 18" BS, I got it off the truck by myself by backing intp the shop. Then I slid it back on the tail-gate and tipped it up-right. A 2 1/2 ton hydrualic floor jack and oak levers got the pallet out from underneath it.

I got a 20" York-craft planer recently that weighs 770 pounds. I slipped the delivery driver a $20 and he rolled it into my shop with his pallet jack. I jacked the top 2" pallet up with the hydrualic and got the bottom 5" pallet from underneath. Once the 2" pallet was grounded, I attached the front mobile kick-up lever and rolled it gently off the secondary 2" pallet it was bolted to. Even though 770 pounds, it was easier than the TS, jointer or BS because of the built on mobile base.

Now.. last but not least!!!!!!..... be careful with dropping or hard jolting the Uni-saw. They have 5 component trunnions and they are somewhat fragile if dropped. That's the main reason there are so many Uni-saw re-conditions for sale at a decent price. You can thank the Motor Carriers (trucking companies) for that.

Once you have it in the shop in position.. that problem becomes a non problem. This and the fact that you cannot check major components before you see it is what would make me a little leary of a sight un-seen purchase. Once you paid for it.. you are stuck with what arrives regardless of what condition and you won't know exactly till it arrives.

Good luck if you pursure and hopefully the saw is in tip-top condition.

Regards...

[drumpriest]

At first glance I was going to say NO because at 2200$, I wouldn't buy a uni (amazon price), I'd buy what I've already bought, the pm2000. But at 800 some $, I say YES. If it's in reasonable shape, that's a great deal. Too bad you missed it, but now you know.

I got my 700lb powermatic in via a fridge dolly and 6 strong friends. The hard part was getting it off of my buddy's truck, as it didn't have a lift gate. We removed his tail gate, and leveraged it down to the ground. My shop is ground floor, so it wasn't too bad from there.

I have a Jet 8" jointer on the way, and it'll be 400lbs, but that's not too bad compared to 700!