Delta Table Saws: An introduction to table saws made by Delta

The year was 1919 and the place was Milwaukee, Wisconsin where an American Legend was born. Working out of a single car garage, a man named Herbert Tautz founded the Delta Specialty Company to create tools for woodworkers. In 1923 his first groundbreaking innovation was introduced. Called the “American Boy” it was the first electric powered scroll saw the world had ever seen.

Building on the success of the American Boy, the Delta Handi-Shop was introduced in 1928, which added a lathe and a disc sander to create a multi-use tool. But the best was yet to come when in 1938 Delta followed its successful launches of band saws with the introduction of the “unisaw” the world’s first cabinet style table saw. In later years Delta introduced the first power miter saw, cementing their reputation as the premier provider of woodworking equipment in the world.

Old timers will remember early craft magazines featuring pictures of Delta products on their covers. And before woodworking magazines became popular, Delta published its own – the Deltagram. Owning a Delta has long been the dream of any true woodworking expert or “want to-be”.

Delta engineers and designers spent three years gathering feedback and suggestions from woodworkers to come out with the latest version of the fabled unisaw in 2009. But with a price tag of around $3500 for the 5 horsepower model and $3100 for the 3 horsepower model, it remains a dream to all but the serious commercial craft house or professional contractor.

If you want Delta quality there are options for the serious amateur woodworker. Let’s look at three of them, beginning with their lowest priced bench top saw.

The Delta SM200L Shopmaster Bench Top Table Saw

At only 51 pounds this table saw is light enough to let you take it to the wood instead of bringing the wood to it as you have to do with heavier contractor or cabinet saws. It comes with a steel stand that is a lot sturdier than those you’ll find in most bench top table saws on the market today. It also features a self aligning rip fence and built in T slots for the included miter gauge – features frequently absent from other models. And with a price tag under $150 it is well within the reach of the average homeowner and amateur woodworker.

The Delta TS350 Contractor Table Saw

This model goes for under $500 and has features found only in much higher priced table saws. Most importantly, it has an induction motor which will last longer and provide greater stability and safety than universal motors found in many other competitive offerings. Most contractor saws work fine with smaller, softer woods. But with larger pieces of hardwoods like maple and oak the table can begin to vibrate and dance around a bit. Dancing around can be a real safety issue as a saw is more likely to kickback if you attempt to force the piece through the blade to speed things up a bit. This Delta model won’t do that. In addition to the induction motor, the table itself and the adjustable wings are made of cast iron, increasing the stability of the saw. Finally, the included rip fence attaches to guide rails on the saw’s body, not just to the table edge as is the case in many other models.

The Delta 36-715 Hybrid Table Saw

Hybrid table saws combine some features of cabinet saws with features of contractor saws to offer models that are a bit heftier than standard contractor saws but not as pricey as full featured contractor saws. The major inclusion in hybrid table saws is the enclosed cabinet, which makes for much better dust control than what is available with any contractor saw. At under $950 the Delta 36-715 is an attractive alternative for those for whom dust control and a heavier saw are desirable features. This model comes with a 5 year limited warranty and since they are such a popular brand, Delta authorized service centers are never very far away. However, if you read the reviews of their products, you probably won’t have much need for their service centers anyway!