Customer Reviews

DELTA 37-195 Professional 6-Inch 1-Horsepower Jointer, 120/240-Volt 1-Phase

5 star:		(18)
4 star:		(14)
3 star:		(3)
2 star:		(4)
1 star:		(2)

 

 

I just returned my 37-195 to Delta today. I bought it in November at the Ft. Wash PA Woodworking show. Delta was offering a great show price plus a ... rebate so I bought one.

I liked the beefy fence and high mount paddle switch. But when I got it home and assembled it, the feature that made me decide to buy this tool was also the feature that made me ultimately return it.

First off, the manual was missing so I had to have Delta send me a new manual. The design of the fence (as well as the quality control - more on that in a minute) is poor. There is some little tab or something on the bottom of the fence on the outfeed side that "drags" along the table and scratches it.

Now to the fence. My first fence was cupped along the width. When I put a square up to it I could see a "D" shaped light with the straight side of the "D" being my Starret square and the curved part of the "D" being the fence.

I contacted technical support and had them order me a new fence. The Willow Grove PA Delta service center is near where I work so I picked the fence up a week later.

This fence was flat but it was twisted/warped along its length. If I squared the infeed side of the fence to the table, the outfeed side was not square and if I squared the out feed side the infeed side was not square.

I oredered a 3rd fence and that one came in 2 weeks later and was just cupped just like the first one.

I'm a glutton for punishment so I had them order a 4th fence. I have been waiting a month for this one already and I got fed up.

I made arrangements to return it. Delta gave me the choice of shipping it back to them in Tennessee (I don't have the original cartons anymore) or returning it to the dealer. As I mentioned earlier, I got it at the woodworking show and the dealer was in Ridgefield, NJ just a few miles from the GW bridge. I live in the northern Philly suburbs so this morning I basically drove from Philly to NYC to return the unit.

I think I'll buy the Jet. I also think I will make sure I buy local now, no matter how good a deal I find at the woodworking show

I was originally going to purchase the Jet 6" jointer due to it's excellent reputation. When I was looking at it, my 2-1/2 year old son thought the red and green buttons on the base were the greatest things in the world. I became very concerned and ended up purchasing this machine due to the high mounted switch and a local retailer offered me a great deal. Also, I have always received excellent service from Delta on my other machines.

Upon Unpacking this machine I immediately noticed two items that disturbed me. The top of the machine was made in China, and the base was badly beat up. I was able to get the base in decent shape and proceded to assemble the machine.

After final assembly, I proceeded to true up the fence and noticed that it was slightly cupped.

I called the Delta 1-800 number and was routed to the Porter Cable service center in Columbus OH. They wanted me to send them the base and fence at my expense and they would order new parts which would take at least 2 weeks. After throwing a small temper fit, and they found out I lived in the Columbus area, they agreed to order the parts provided I furnished the part numbers and would exchange parts. I must also add that the Technical Support person had absolutely no knowledge of the product.

After a little more research on a wood working bulliten board, I found out that the fence I received was far superior to what most people have. Some people complained about fences that looked like a bananna. I also discovered that Delta now has a terrible reputation with both products and service.

I am going to keep my current fence and take it to a machine shop to get it straightended. I also straightened the base to the point it is 98% perfect.

I am very dissapointed with the service at the Columbus service facility and will stay away from there. If any of my Porter Cable tools need service, I will probably send them off the Bosch for repairs.

In October of 2000, I bought the 6" Professional Jointer from Delta, Model #37-195. Assembly was a breeze until some of the screws, washers, and bolts turned up missing. So I went to my local hardware store and picked up what I needed and finished the assembly. First, the Dust chute and screws were missing. The dust chute was supposed to be inside the cabinet, it wasn't there.

Secondly, the lock lever assembly that holds the infeed table from moving was bent. Including screws washers and bolts there were a total of 8 items missing, and one that was damaged. I called Delta and told them what I needed. Some of the parts they sent had the right part number on the bag, but they were not the parts I needed, nor did they even look close. Must have been a Monday.

Thirdly, the knives were not set right at the factory. Two of the knives were set below the height of the outfeed table and the third was set at an angle. I had to reset all three and now they work fine.

Last, but certainly not least the fence was way out of square. I received a replacement, but that was also out of square. Finally I recieved one that had been re-ground at the factory. That one is ever so slightly out of square but will work just fine.

The jointer works great with no noticeable vibration and cuts like a dream. However, at this time I will be very careful buying anything else from Delta until they get their act together. If I have to wait over two months for replacement parts, it's time to look elsewhere.

My next purchase is going to be a contractors table saw, but it will not be from Delta. I will be purchasing a Jet from Amazon. If this is Delta's example of customer service, I don't want any part of it!

To date, January 21, 2001 I still have not received the dust chute or a new lock lever assembly for the infeed table. I have written a letter that was e-mailed, faxed, and mailed, but I have not received any response. I'm begining to wonder if Delta really cares about the people who keep them in business.

This jointer is well-thought-out. But... when it came time to manufacture the unit, Delta obviously forgot the Quality Control part of the equation. My unit has a twisted fence that's also cupped from top to bottom. I'd recommend not ordering this machine unless you can actually see the one you're going to receive and spend some time on the fence with a good straight-edge.

I went through 4 separate fences and kept the "straightest of the lot." It's still not straight, and I finally got tired of dealing with Delta on this matter.

Having said that, the rest of the machine is great. The tables are flat and coplanar, and the motor, stand, and switch are all great. The overall finish of the unit is good.

Having the fence ground flat at a machine shop makes this a worthwhile option in the jointer market... but c'mon... how hard can it be to get 'em right to start with? Apparently very hard, 'cause Delta's sure let a lot of warped fences hit the streets.

Bottom line? If I were buying another 6" jointer, I'd consider another model... In fact, my advice to you is to avoid this unit until it earns the reputation for quality.

I just received my jointer, and have never received any tool with as terrible of a finish as this Delta tool. I have had problems with my Platinum Pro bandsaw as well, with all pulleys being covered in rust, and the case beat to hell. The jointer is missing paint in several spots, there are scratches all over the stand, and the pulley guard was cracked in half. I can't believe this tool was shipped out. Delta tells me that when they merged with PC, several Delta employees lost their jobs, and they purposely damaged tools. Do yourself a favor and buy the Jet, as it gets great reviews on its fit and finish...

I got the delta 37-195 as a x-mas present to myself. I got it a couple of weeks before x-mas, set it up and could not get the fence square to the table. I called amazon got return postage and ordered another. I got my second one set it up and if the fence was square by the blade it was not square at the ends. I called amazon again and they are going to send me return postage on the second one and I am going to get the jet. Amazon customer service is great delta jointer is not.

After doing my homework (reading many reviews of 6" jointers in woodworking publications as well this forum), I settled on the Delta. The Jet had caught my eye (I have 3 other Jet machines, and have been impressed with their Quality Control), but in the end I opted for the Delta.

There is no question this is a great 6" jointer, as other reviewers have said. However, there is a design flaw (are you listening, Delta?) mentioned by other reviewers.

Why should I have to reverse the pulleys to get the belt properly aligned? ESPECIALLY SINCE SETUP INSTRUCTIONS EMPHASIZE THE NEED FOR PROPER ALIGNMENT! There, I feel better.

I also have another minor complaint with setup. The third bolt that attaches to the base through the dust chute could be a challenge for big armed, big handed guys. I managed, with very little wiggle room.

Overall, results with this jointer are impressive. Out of the box, the Delta performed flawlessly. No question, I'd give this product 5 stars, if not for the above-mentioned gripes.

I highly recommend purchasing a Delta 22-580K 13" planer to complement the jointer. I did, with no regrets. Now that's a fine product, worthy of 5 stars.

At the end of the day, the jointer and planer make a fine team.
Get past the setup, and this jointer will perform very well for you. No question.

I bought my 37-195 from 7 corners hardware (replaced my 37-285, which was useless) and so far have found it to be a good machine for the money. The fence is slightly cupped in length, but I don't think it's bad enough to cause too much trouble. If necessary, I will have a machine shop flatten it, rather than wait for a warranty repair. The plus side is that it arrived in good condition, with no parts damaged or missing. The tables are pretty flat and well aligned, I like the rack-and-pinion fence adjustment and the overall design and solidity. This is really an inexpensive jointer as they go, so I don't have the very highest expectations as I would for a DJ-15($1500). I see from the other reviews that there have been big differences in quality in this model, but believe me, the 37-285 ($300) I replaced with this one was horrendous! The 37-195 I have seems like it will be very useful for me for many years, and I recommend it. Considering the price, I could have given it 5 stars, but the tables and fence could have been just a little bit flatter.

I needed to replace an existing 6" jointer because it broke during the building of a China Cabinet. I thought that it would be a big ordeal, but actually one of my local suppliers had one of these jointers in stock so I was in luck. I have been reading reviews on jointers for about a year and I have come to the conclusion that every manufacturer has it's own benefits, but the reviews always come to the two main models- the Jet and the Delta. Sometimes the Jet is the pick and sometimes the Delta is, it just depends on the publication. I went with the delta simply because they have a good reputation adn I love my table saw. I also picked delta because one of the reviews mentioned the Jet's table was the worst of the bunch when it came to flatness. This is kind of scary, since the jointer is supposed to flatten boards and edges. How can this be done if the jointer table is not flat itself. The reviews of the delta also were great when it came to the fence height and operation. The rack and pinion fence is wonderful and smooth. The height is extra nice. I love it. The settings right out of the box were almost perfect. I have only had to change the positive stop on the fence to 90 degrees, but that is know big deal. The cut is soo smooth that I will not even put my carbide knives on the jointer until the steel blades need to be sharpened.

My only complaint is for delta to come up with some protection for the base when they package it. The base had cardboard wrapped around it, but no other protection. Mine was a little racked when I got it, so I had to tweak it a little. It took all but a few seconds, but I think it could have been worse. Check the base when you but it at the store for problems, it may save you a trip back to the store.

I just received my jointer, purchased it locally from a private party (only 3 months old). I am very impressed with the quality of the over all machine. I found it was very easy to make all of the proper adjustments per the owners manual, with the exception of the cutting knives. Every time I tighten the nut the blade would raise. I think I am going to purchase the Magna-Set Jointer knife set jig. I have to say this jointer cuts oak and maple like a dream with the 1hp motor. I'm going to take the 4" dust chute off, it allows the chips to back up into the jointer. I do not have a dust collection system. I like the lever on Delta's jointer verses Jet's knobs. What kills me is I was so excited about the price and the fact my wife was letting me get another tool that I for got to check the fence for cupping. Sure enough the fence was slightly cupped. I reduced the jointer's rating by one star due to the cupping on the fence. Delta I hope you are reading this review...you have poor quality control when it comes to your fences! I think I am going to have it ground at a local shop (I've read the reviews and do want to wait 2+ months). Overall, I am very happy with the machine and I really like the top mounted on/off switch. I would recommend the jointer, just make sure you check the fence with a straight edge.