DELTA 36-L51X-BC50 10-Inch Left Tilt 5-Horsepower Cabinet Saw with 50-Inch Biesemeyer Fence, 2 Cast Iron Extension Wings, Table Board, and Legs, 230-Volt 1-Phase

by DELTA

Product Description

Amazon.com Product Description

Enjoy user-friendly operation and precise results with the Delta 36-L51X-BC50 10-Inch, Five-Horsepower Cabinet Saw with Biesemeyer Commercial Fence System. Offering two depths of cut, this saw works cleanly and can handle just about any job you throw at it. For further versatility, it includes a fence system that provides left-of-blade cutting capability.

The Delta 36-L51X-BC50 Cabinet Saw At a Glance: 5-HP motor with full voltage starter (GPE) 50-inch Biesemeyer fence system Single-cast trunnion system Two 10-inch cast-iron extension wings

Left-tilt version of the famous Delta Unisaw features the largest blade opening in its class.

Biesemeyer Fence System for Remarkable Precision
Ideal for a high-performance shop, this left-tilt version of the famous Delta Unisaw has a computer-designed motor cover, a miter gauge, standard insert, and a four-inch dust connector that will fit most common vacuums.

Its greatest asset, however, is the included Biesemeyer Fence System with hairline pointer and built-in tape, which allows you to make precise setups cut after cut. Additionally, nine-ply fence faces deliver tolerance that is unmatched by other models. An added bonus, a cam front lock lever provides overlock with a curved edge.

Robust 5.0-Horsepower Motor
The 36-L51X-BC50 never skimps on power or precision. The 5.0-horsepower, 230-volt, one-phase True American Marathon TEFC motor with full-voltage starter (GPE) provides robust performance cut after cut. A single-cast trunnion system controls vibration to provide continuous, smooth operation and dependable accuracy.

Easy Blade Adjustments and Changes
To ensure that you get the results you want, dual front cranks make fine-tuning the blade height quick and easy. At the same time, a bevel dial allows for adjustment within one quarter of a degree.

The 36-L51X-BC50 also boasts the largest blade opening in its class, which means fine tuning your riving knife and changing blades is a snap. A push-button arbor lock further simplifies blade changes--you only need one wrench, and you won't scrape your knuckles during changes.

Large, Stable Work Table
And because the quality of your finished piece depends on the stability of your work surface, this cabinet saw provides enough surface area to stabilize the entire machine for fast, easy cuts. The table measures 27 x 76 inches to give you plenty of room to work, two 10-inch wings allow for table expansion, and a cast-iron base ensures stability.

Dust-Extraction System Keeps Your Work Area Clean
To make operation as user-friendly as can be, a bi-level dust extraction system collects sawdust for a clean work area and maximum visibility. The system needs only a collector hose coupled with a sloping bottom cabinet to navigate dust. A closed bevel gauge provides a sealed interior.

User-Friendly Features for Dependable Performance
For added convenience, a large, easy-to-access on/off switch can be activated from any angle--the mounting bracket is solid and sturdy enough for those times when it's necessary to turn the saw off with your knee or foot.

And to help keep your tools and accessories organized, onboard Smart Storage provides space for five saw blades, two riving knives, an arbor nut flange, and the entire rise-and-fall split guard assembly. There's also ample room for a push stick, arbor wrench with extra-long handle, and standard throat plate.

The 36-L51X-BC50 is easy to assemble.

What's in the Box
50-inch Biesemeyer commercial fence system; carbide-tipped 50 tooth ATB&R saw blade; right extension table; adjustable steel support legs; two 10-inch cast-iron extension wings; standard insert; miter gauge; motor cover; four-inch dust connector; blade guard; and manual.

From the Manufacturer

DELTA 36-L51X-BC50 10-inch left tilt 5-horsepower cabinet saw is 230-volt 1-phase with 50-inch biesemeyer fence, 2 cast iron extension wings, table board, and legs.

Product Details

• Shipping Weight: 594.6 pounds
• Shipping: This item can only be shipped to the 48 contiguous states. We regret it cannot be shipped to APO/FPO, Hawaii, Alaska, or Puerto Rico.
• Shipping Advisory: This item must be shipped separately from other items in your order. Additional shipping charges will not apply.
• ASIN: B0000A25YU
• California residents: Click here for Proposition 65 warning.
• Item model number: 36-L51X-BC50
• Average Customer Review: 4.4 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (11 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #218,404 in Home Improvement (See Top 100 in Home Improvement)
  • #92 in Home Improvement > Power & Hand Tools > Power Tools > Saws > Table Saws

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

61 of 62 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Fantastic Saw, September 10, 2005

By 

Richard N (United States) - See all my reviews

Amazon Verified Purchase

This review is from: DELTA 36-L51X-BC50 10-Inch Left Tilt 5-Horsepower Cabinet Saw with 50-Inch Biesemeyer Fence, 2 Cast Iron Extension Wings, Table Board, and Legs, 230-Volt 1-Phase (Tools & Home Improvement)

I recently purchased a Delta L51X Left Tilt 5 horse power Unisaw with the 52 inch Biesemeyer fence and the side extension table. Since I like to move my equipment around the shop either for cleaning or for re-arranging I also purchased the Delta 50-289 Mobile Machine Base for the Unisaw with a 52 inch Biesemeyer fence. To my dismay shortly after I ordered the saw and mobile base, Delta began offering the base as part of the total saw package at the same price. In this case you might say the early bird got the shaft.

I would like this review to be helpful to those who read it so I have divided my comments into four specific paragraphs 1.) My motivation and incentive for purchasing the Delta Table Saw, 2.) My thoughts on the packing, shipping and delivery of the saw, 3.) My thoughts and experience on the assembly of the saw, and 4.) my experience in using the saw.

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Motivation and incentive for purchasing the Delta Unisaw
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I had been looking for a saw of this type for over a year. I finally decided on purchasing the Unisaw from Delta through Amazon.com because the price of the saw was down by more than $200 from its price a year ago, and because Amazon.com was offering free shipping for this heavy machine. I also was interested in the free tool and the $500 tool accessory coupon book that Delta was offering in its promotion to sell this saw.

When the saw arrived, inside the carton was a mail in post card that allowed me to select one of four items as my free tool. The four items were: 1.) a mobile base for any one of several tools from drill presses to lathes, 2.) a Delta cordless drill, 3.) a Porter Cable nail gun and 4.) a Porter Cable Router. I didn't need a mobile base so I checked out the remaining tools on the Amazon.com website. The Delta cordless drill is no longer being manufactured. The user reviews on the Amazon site for this drill were mostly negative. The reviews for the Porter Cable nail gun and the Porter Cable router were for the most part very positive. I didn't need any of these tools but I selected the router. Perhaps it might be useful as a Christmas present for some young wood worker who is just getting his repertoire of tools established.

The bad news is you have to make your selection on the post card and then wait 6 to 8 weeks to get your tool and the $500 coupon book. It would have been to Delta's advantage to ship the coupon book with the saw so the excited new saw owner could make a few more purchases of saw accessories before the warm glow of a new purchase wore off. Looks like the Delta marketing people weren't thinking too clearly. Perhaps the people who do the marketing for Delta are descendents of the flower power generation.

Overall grade B. My grade would have been an A if the coupon book had been shipped with the saw.


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Packing, Shipping and Delivery
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The saw was shipped in four heavy cardboard cartons. The saw itself was in one large carton weighing in a little less than 500 pounds. The Biesemeyer fence was shipped in two cartons and the side extension table was shipped in a separate carton. The packing was excellent, and of much higher quality than what I have previously experienced with shipments of heavy equipment from Grizzly. All items were packed well and reached my doorstep in good condition.

The method of shipping was poor as usual. The shipment arrived on a large delivery truck with no lift gate, and with a woman driver. Nothing against women but how in the heck is a woman even with my help going to lift a 500 pound carton to the ground from the back end of a trailer whose floor height was above her shoulders. I asked her why not take the shipment back to their dock and re-load it on a truck with a lift gate. She said that was possible but her shipping companies dock was in Blythe California and my shipment would have to be shipped all the way back to Blythe in order to make the transfer. Since I live in Prescott Arizona this was not an option for me.

Fortunately there is a house under construction a block away from mine. I called two friends, we borrowed two 2x6 x 8 foot scaffold planks from the house under construction and laid them on the trailer floor spaced about 2 foot apart. We then placed the 500 pound carton on its side on the two planks with the bottom pallet side of the carton facing out the trailer door. Then we pulled the planks out of the trailer along with the carton until it began to teeter on the trailer edge. We then lowered the ends of the planks to the ground and let the saw slide down the incline of about 30 degrees to the ground where we used a dolly to move it to my shop. The lady truck driver was very patient as she watched all this. I think she was a little surprised that ordinary non truck driving males could be so resourceful.

I give this task an overall Grade of B. I would have given the trucking company a grade of D but the woman truck driver was kind enough to wait until my friends arrived from across town to help unload the saw and because there was no visible damage like fork lift holes or crushed corners on any of the cartons when I received them. It's also nice to have friends who can help turn a bad situation into a good one.

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Assembly of the Saw
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The Unisaw is heavy. If you add the 52 inch Biesemeyer fence, guide tube, angle iron mounts and side extension table, it gets a whole lot heavier.

I bought the mobile base and I would strongly recommend you buy it too if you decide to purchase the saw. Although the directions are poor, the base assembles quickly and easily, and it works great. A simple foot pedal that locks into place raises the base up onto three wheels and the Unisaw can be easily moved by a single person. A simple hand lever releases the lock and the stand lowers back to the floor where it sits on rubber feet that are individually adjustable to compensate for floors that are out of level.

Assembly of the Unisaw itself is time consuming. In order to assemble the Unisaw, Biesemeyer Fence, and side extension table you will need the help of at least one other person. You will also need at least one 8 foot pipe clamp, four Quik clamps, two 2x4's at least 4 foot long, several wood shims, a drill with a 1/4 inch bit, a 3/16 inch allen wrench, a socket set, a large Phillips screw driver, a small crescent wrench, a 9/16 inch open end wrench, some red rags and a can of solvent to clean the packing grease off the machined cast iron parts.

The Unisaw comes attached to a wooden pallet with bolts that have 3/16 inch allen wrench heads of all things. It would have been more practical to use ½ inch hex head bolts but perhaps the packaging people at Delta like to pull practical jokes on unsuspecting new saw owners.

The Unisaw comes with the two detached cast iron wings. They are very heavy. They need to be cleaned with solvent on all edges so they mate well with the saw table bed.
The wings need to be aligned with the top of the saw table so they are in the same horizontal plane and so there is no noticeable discontinuity along the edge where the wings and the table join. This is not easy because the wings are so heavy. It's difficult to hold the wings and tighten the mounting bolts at the same time. Better to have a second person hold the heavy wings, tighten the bolts just enough to hold them in place then use the palm of your hand as a mallet to move the wings up or down to align the tops to the plane of the saw table. All other items in the assembly of the saw itself are reasonably simple.

Assembly of the side extension table and the Biesemeyer Fence system is labor intensive and is a good candidate for requiring the help of a second person. I strongly recommend that you read the entire instruction manual before starting this task because as a previous reviewer has stated some of the numbered steps in the assembly procedure seem to be out of order. If you don't want to undo and then redo some of the assembly then read the assembly steps ahead of time so you can move some of the later steps ahead of some of the earlier ones.

The Biesemeyer fence has two pieces of very heavy 6 foot long x 3 inch x 2 inch angle iron rails that need to be bolted to the Unisaw table, one rail bolts on the front of the saw and one rail on the back. The horizontal portion of the front angle iron rail has to be exactly 2 and 27/32 inch below the saw table surface. The bolting part can be done by one person but setting the correct height alignment on the front rail will require two people. Although an alignment template is supplied, the angle iron rail is so heavy that one person cannot hold it in alignment and at the same time tighten the bolts that hold it to the saw bed. Once again this is a two person task.

Now comes the interesting part, the assembly and installation of the side extension table. The extension table is made from hardwood with a laminate top. The directions tell you exactly how to attach the table outboard legs, unless of course you happen to have a mobile base, then the directions tell you that "the position of the legs will have to be changed to fit the mobile base extension". So it's up to you to figure out how to attach the legs in this case. In my case it wasn't difficult.

The extension table fits between the two angle iron rails that extend beyond the right side of the Unisaw table. The directions tell you to place the table between the rails and... Read more ›

43 of 45 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Best Cabinet Saw, August 23, 2003

By 

Billy J. Jordan (Andalusia, AL United States) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: DELTA 36-L51X-BC50 10-Inch Left Tilt 5-Horsepower Cabinet Saw with 50-Inch Biesemeyer Fence, 2 Cast Iron Extension Wings, Table Board, and Legs, 230-Volt 1-Phase (Tools & Home Improvement)

This saw is awesome. Cuts 2" pecan, hard maple, oak, etc, effortlessly. The Biesemeyer fence system is the most accurate and sturdy I have found. I cann measiure NO deflection of the fence even with heavy hand pressure laterally. Infeed and outfeed tables are high quality and relatively easy to assemble. The addition of a Forrest Woodworker II blade makes it just about the "perfect" tablesaw. Produces mirror smooth rips and crosscuts in all wood types used so far. The miter gage is "acceptable" but one would think that Delta would come up with a better one for use with a saw of this quality. Settings on the accompanying gage cannot be relied upon without several test cuts.

19 of 20 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Here's the Skinny on this Fantastic Saw - The Best Cabinet Saw on the Market., July 14, 2005

By 

Tim Mann - See all my reviews

This review is from: DELTA 36-L51X-BC50 10-Inch Left Tilt 5-Horsepower Cabinet Saw with 50-Inch Biesemeyer Fence, 2 Cast Iron Extension Wings, Table Board, and Legs, 230-Volt 1-Phase (Tools & Home Improvement)

I took my time researching which cabinet saw to purchase and after talking to cabinet saw owners and actually used the different cabinet saws, I decided to purchase the Delta 5HP Unisaw. I have owned contractors saw for 15 years but want a cabinet saw for cabinets I am building.

I purchased the Delta 36-L51X-BC5 5HP Unisaw with Biesemeyer fence, mobile base and the Delta 34-976 Deluxe Uniguard Blade Guard. This is the best purchase I have ever made. The saw cuts with no effort and every cut is clean and perfect. I do not even have to sand the edges. I have it connected to dust collection and there is no visible dust when cutting with the system on. It is so quite that you cannot hear me cutting plywood inside the house anymore. It is a joy to use and makes cutting sheet good easy and safe.

Electric requirements:
The manual does not correctly inform you of the electrical requirements. Call Delta if you have any questions about these requirements. The 5HP saw comes with a 21 AMP motor; the switch has 12 gauge power cord with a 20 AMP plug. You must replace the plug and power cord because it is not meant to work on the 5HP saw, just the 3HP saw. The manual states that it will not come with a plug but it does.

The manual said to install 12 gauge wire and a 20 amp slow burn fuse. Since the saw now comes with a new 21 amp motor, I called Delta and the tech said that the manual is wrong about the cabling and you should install 10 gauge wire with a 30 amp breaker. There is no need to install a slow burn fuse; a 30 amp breaker can handle the motor's start up amperage spike without tripping. I directly wired it to the breaker using flex conduit from a J-box in the wall to the saw's power switch. I left about 8 feet of flex rolled up next to the saw so I move it if I never need to.

Manual and Installation
The manual sucks but with a little thought about how it should be put together you can get it done. The things what would be nice to know before hand are as follows:

1. The case iron table extension wings have holes on each side, one side has threaded holes and the other side has non-threaded holes. Use the NON-threaded hole side to attaché to the saw's table top. The threaded holes need to be on the outside of the saw when you have it put together.

Make sure you blow out the threaded holes on the main table or extension wings before using them, they are filled with gunk.

2. The Uniguard manual was unclear as to how to install the splitter behind the saw blade. If you did not purchase this accessory, you will not have this issue. Do not install the splitter/dust cover that comes with the saw if you are installing the Uniguard. There is a angled piece of metal with a large washer that is attached with one screw directly behind the arbor near the back of the saw. This must be removed to install the Uniguard splitter. There are two screws that hole this piece of metal in place. The top screw is around 2-2 1/2" long and the bottom screw is about 1" long, These are the hold where you will attached the splitter bracket the manual had you put together in the first few steps.

Uniguard Blade Guard
I am so glade that I purchased the Uniguard blade guard. It works great and makes using the Unisaw safe. It flips up if you don't want the gauge, which I have not done. It keeps all the saw dust from going into the air and stops you from cutting off your fingers. What could be better?

You need to cut notches out of the rails to make room for the Uniguard brackets or you can buy the Biesemeyer 78-953 Uniguard Adapter Kit for Biesemeyer Fence Systems for $35.

General Tips:
Wax the top of the table ASAP. I did not do this with my last saw and it rusted very quickly. My Unisaw top looks like a mirror after two coats of wax. I waxed it as soon as I put the wings on, and then gave it a couple more coats after I was finished putting everything together.

Add additional support to the extension table. The end that attaches to the Unisaw has a support beam about 5 inches from the end. You need one at the end so that you can take the cup out of the extension table. I ended up bolting the new support beam to the end of the Unisaw's extension wing.

My Unisaw is in the middle of the garage and on an angle so that I have at lease 8 feet in front and behind it. I ripped a ½ sheet of plywood in half, the long way, and put it on the floor so that the front of the Unisaw rests on the plywood. This leveled the saw on the mobile base. I could not get it level without propping up the front of the saw.

I made an outfitted table that is 8 feet wide and 4 feet deep in front of the Unisaw. I cut the out feed table so that it is only 2 feet deep in front of the extension table. I don't want to take up too much garage space and you only need 2 feet on the side that extension table is on anyway. I used a 4' wide and 7 foot high metal gorilla shelf I had in the garage for the base. The shelf separates into two 3 ½ foot high shelves. I had to cut an inch or so off the legs. I put one shelf behind the left side of the Unisaw so that it is extends 4 feet out from the back of the saw. I put shelf was placed directly behind the extension table so that it extends 2 feet behind the extension table. I put a sheet of MDF over the top and used a jig saw to cut the out feed table into an l shape and to round corners. I did not want a rectangle shaped out feed table that takes up too much room.