Customer Reviews

Biesemeyer 78-961 T-Square Anti-Kickback Snap-In Spreader for Delta Unisaw-Right Tilt Table Saw

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

 

 

Indeed the spreader is somewhat over priced but really does the job it was intended to do. Being heavy duty makes is one of the reasons it's wide at the base. Although never mentioned in any descriptions, this safety device cannot be intended for thin kerf blades. It's just too wide at the base. There are other spreaders out there that are made for a thin kerf blades but much easier to bend as well. The one I bought needed some "thining" to get it to work with a standard blade kerf. A few moments on the sander and it was ready to use and works just great. When it's time to remove the unit it only takes a few seconds and I'm ready to go back to work. I did't rate it 5 stars because I had to rework it some to make it work as it should. Considering it's cost, reworking, should not be in the formula. (This is the second one I purchased, the first one did not need any rework, must be a QC problem). Once installed and working properly it's a great heavy duty safety device.

I bought it because I thought it would fix my safety concerns when it comes to kick back. I installed it and it was pretty simple, the problem is it has a bit of slop when it is installed and sometimes catches on the wood being cut, really throws you off when you have to stop or it bumps the wood away from the fence OUCH! the springs are way toooooo loose that they rarely keep things from moving back at you, the teeth are not sharp enough. I say this product should retail at about 50% to 75% cheaper, clearly taking advantage of people safety concerns.

The spreader bolted on with litte trouble and aligned with the stadard 10" blade on my Unisaw with no trouble. When used by shop professionals, it worked fine. Students are more rough on the equipment and in no time it was bent out of adjusment. It has now been straightened enough times to be in need of replacement.

It is a fine tool for those who care about their equipment, but does not stand up to the rougher threatmet of students learning these tools for the first time.

This has already proved itself to be a timesaver. Installation was a little tricky, but all installations are tricky for this old guy. And it is only because of my lack of confidence. I only wish I could afford the rest of this item which would include the balanced blade cover with dust collection.

I bought this with an Amazon gift certificate, and figured my fingers were worth the investment. This one is so easy to put back after removing it for a dado or the crosscut sled, I actually use it always when ripping.

Yes, it doesn't work with thin-kerf blades, but if it did, it wouldn't do a very good job of protecting against kickback with standard blades. Besides, I fail to understand the need to desire to use thin-kerf blades on 3-5 HP Unisaws. They have plenty of power for standard-kerf blades, which are available in more varieties, overheat and vibrate less, and produce better cuts than their thiin-kerf cousins.

I gave it four stars because the price is kinda high, even knowing that, as a safety item, alot of the purchase price probably goes toward liability insurance premiums.

Purchased this splitter in conjunction with the Biesemeyer blade guard. Much higher quality than the one that comes with the Biesemeyer guard.

Was just a teensy bit disappointed in the way it mounted but after looking it over they didn't have a lot of options. Suffice to say that if you install it according to the instructions and snug it all down (after aligning it) it stays in place nicely and does the job it is supposed to do.

Yes, it isn't cheap. But when you consider how easy it is to take on and off the average woodworker will actually use the thing! If you've ever see a piece of hardwood protruding from a hollow block wall you'll agree that anything that can prevent those dangerous kickbacks is well worth the price.

I've only had it for a few weeks so I don't know how it will hold up over time..can only assume from the obvious good construction that it will last as long as I and the Unisaw will!

Skip a few carry out pizzas and buy yourself a safety device that could save you some grief!

I've had this splitter for about 6 years. It works as advertised but it's absurdly overpriced. I'm surprised another company has not offered a similar proiduct at half the cost.

As was stated earlier - not for use with thin kerf blades. Also, be careful when inserting and removing it - it's very easy to bend laterally which then requires that you bend it back so it's straight up and down. Mine's been bent a few times and it's now pretty tough to get straight...

Prior to this, I used the Delta removable splitter (part # 1349941) that comes with the Delta Uniguard. It costs about $40 when purchased separately.
Since the Delta Biesemeyer costs 3 times as much, I was expecting great things. Here's what I found:

Installation and alignment was easy. The splitter bolted on to my Delta Unisaw without a problem.

This splitter is solid and well made and it snaps in and out in seconds.

When in use, it is not held absolutely tight in the mounting bracket so it has the ability to move, ever so slightly, left and right. Maybe 1/32 of an inch. This means that it's a little bit more forgiving of tiny mis-alignments or irregular workpieces than my old splitter was.

It's nearly 1/8 inch thick, so I don't think it will work with thin-kerf blades. I don't own any so I can't test it.

The sharp spring-loaded anti-kickback pawls are a bit too long, in my opinion. The last tooth contacts the saw's table top and digs in. I can feel it resist, and then release, as i push the workpiece through. I'll probably grind the tooth back a bit to fix this problem.

I'm glad I made the switch to the Biesemeyer splitter. I like it a lot. I gave it 4 stars instead of 5 because the price seems too high.

Note:
I believe that this splitter covers up the hole that the factory basket-style blade guard bolts to, making it impossible to use them both on the same machine. I can't verify this for sure because I gave my guard away years ago in favor of an overhead guard.

Being as the product is made by Biesemeyer who is subsidiary of Delta you would think that they could manufacture the product to fit their saws. I had to remove over an 1/8 inch of material from the spreader to allow the standard Delta insert to fit in the tabletop. For that price wouldn't you think that they could get it right.

Let me first say that the splitter is an ingenious design and it works. That having been said, I am appalled at an American company that would offer a safety product at what can only be described as 10 times too much money. (read "highway robbery") When I opened the box (which was about four times bigger than was necessary, presumably to make me think I got my moneys worth) I could see I had some work ahead of me. The splitter was very rough on the edges and would surly catch or at least scratch any wood going past it. I spent about ten minutes using a file and silicon carbide sandpaper making it smooth. I noticed that when I filed down the taper (which slides into the main block attached to the saw) it was a soft metal. This means that if you do have a kick back with a large piece of wood, when it slams into the splitter it is going to bend. So keep the extra sharp kick back pawls attached. So if it works why would I give it only two stars? Well let me turn that around. If it cost about $3.00 to make why would they charge $130.00 (and more). This thing is worth about $19.00 but since it's the only design out there they can get away with corporate greed on a massive scale. For me to have to file down sharp pieces of metal was unforgivable. I own a Delta Unisaw but I won't forget this. If I ever buy another saw it won't be Delta. Don't believe me? Try calling customer service.