Customer Reviews

DELTA TS300 Shopmaster 10-Inch Stationary Table Saw

5 star:		(2)
4 star:		(8)
3 star:		(3)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

I've had this tablesaw for approximately one year. I use it at least once per week for home improvement/repair and furniture making. The two main factors that brought me to my ultimate purchase of this saw was that it had a T-slot for the mitre gauge and the price (a local home center sells it for less than Amazon).
Here what I've found;
Table
The table is flat, although I spent several hours sanding the top to remove the machining grooves.
Blade Adjustments
The blade was parallel with the mitre slots right out of the box.
Tilt stop at 90 deg was out of calibration but easily fixed.
Tilt stop at 45 deg was right on.
Fence
The supplied fence is in two parts (to allow it to fit in the box) At first I was dissapointed, but the guide rail is continuous to the right side of the blade. Most of my use of the fence is to the right of the blade so the two piece fence has not been a concern. Calibration of the fence was fairly easy, about ten minutes. Fence design has a tray that collects dust. The dust and shavings that sit in the tray can alter the calibration of the fence. I have to clean the fence tray before every adjustment.
Table Wings
The table wings are made of stamped steel and impossible to adjust the whole wing to be on the same plane as the cast iron table top. I opted to align the bolted edge level with the table and the opposing sides taper down slightly.
Blade Guard
This safety items is very hard to install in the same plane as the blade. It needs frequent adjustment to stay aligned. When mis-aligned, it actually becomes a safety issue. I have uninstalled my guard.
Motor
The universal 15 amp motor is approximately the same size as found in a standard quality circular saw. The main tasks that circular saws perform are cutting 2 by X pine material and 3/4 in plywood. This motor, with a professional quality blade (Freud), is at it's max limit doing these tasks. In fact, just crosscutting a 2x4 with a brand new professional crosscut blade slows the motor considerably. Univeral motors are very loud making this saw a noise disturbance in the house. I might be able to get away with some later night woodworking with a quieter saw. You will definitely need hearing protection as you would with any tablesaw.
Throat plate
The throat plate on this saw is of thin steel with two rubber washers to "adjust" height. It is impossible to get the throat plate on the same plane front and back with the table. To make my own zero clearance throat plate, I have the rout a 1/2 MDF board to 3/32 around the rim and then rout two "shelves" 11/32 from the surface for the mounting screws. I wish Delta would have made the initial lip depth 1/4 in to accept a home-made hardboard insert.
Blade
The supplied blade is a general purpose blade that is OK for rough cuts. I suggest you purchase a new blade that will easy the burden on the motor and give a cleaner cut.
Stand
The stand is very sturdy and sits level on the floor.

My conclusions
For the price, this tablesaw can be of use to the homeowner who will use it infrequently to accurately cut 2 by stock and plywood. If you will be using this saw to do frequent work or , like me, intend to cut stock of a higher density than pine (like oak, maple, cherry, etc) I suggest you look for a saw that has much more horsepower.

I bought this saw about a month ago and I love it. It is just the right combination of heftyness (almost no vibration) and versatility in an affordable table saw. Only the true contractor's saws are better because of additional motor power. But for us weekend woodworkers who are building furniture and cabinets, it's just right. Unless you are building a house from the ground up, this saw should fit your needs.

I've had this table saw for over 2 years now and have cut stuff on a regular basis. It keeps on going and never quits. I paid $200 at Home Depot for a floor model. I've definately got my money out of it. It doesn't look fancy like a Dewalt or Bosch but it gets the job done.

Pros - Saftey breaker trips when motor starts to overheat. This feature is great when your boards bind and the moter starts to work too hard. It resets itself after about 30 seconds. The fence and ruler are very accurate. The blade it comes with is carbide tipped and lasts for a long time. The blade is a good compromise between a fast ripping blade and fine cutting blade. I've cut plywood with it and ripped 4x4 boards at a reasonable feed speed. It does require 2 passes since the depth of the blade is 2 1/2". I've finally after 2 years need to replace it.
The saw with stand is heavy duty and stable.

Cons - The rubber leg inserts that fit on the bottom of the legs to protect your floor and absorb vibration will fall off if you move the saw. They are cheap and don't fit tight after a while. I advise to use liquid nails when putting them on right away or they will get lost. The safty shield with anti-kickback easily comes out of alignement if bumbed too hard and requires adjustment often. I took mine off after 2 weeks and have been happy ever since. This saw is far too heavy and bulky with the stand to use as a portable unit unless you are Arnold Schwarzenegger. No side bins or adequate mounting holes to mount a bin to keep the manual and arbor wrenches on the saw. I lost one of my arbor wrenches already.

Warning: Make sure your fence tension lock handle is adjusted with enough tension or else your fence will move when running big pieces resulting in a miss cut. I found this out the hard way. Once the proper tension is found it will stay put.

After purchasing this saw I quickly realized the machine was not powerful enough for my needs. I used the saw three months prior to motor failure. I spoke with Delta and they informed me that the motor was a unique design for the saw and may be overloaded despite using the proper feed rate and without apparent strain during cutting. Using the correct type of blade for the cut you are making is essential, but it is an absolute must if you want this saw to continually work. The table top is small and the lighter weight does not provide the best stability. This saw would be ideal for small projects or hobbies, but falls short for most moderate to large woodworking projects. I returned the saw and bought a Delta contractors saw, which will provide the power and stability I need. I highly recommend Delta tools-just not this saw.

This is the first table saw I have owned. The reason I choose it was because it had the best fence and table for the price. I am still happy with my choice, however I would like to step up to a nicer saw sometime.
At first I had problems with power and the blade burning the wood, but after I threw away the orignal blade and put on a nice Oldham 8" I think its cuts wonderfully. Also the dado that I purchased is smaller 6" i think. After all the 8" blade removes only an inch from its original cutting depth, leaving a 2.5" cutting ability. The smaller blades also effectively increase the motors torque.
Some reviews complain about the motor bogging down. It is a universal motor, same design as most drill motors, its unloaded rpms will obviously be higher than its loaded rpms. I can hear the motor slow down some but it doesnt seem to be stalling to me. The motor is definately louder than an induction motor.
I choose not to put on the blade guard, if its not on perfect it would be a hazard. The most important safety equipment is on top of your neck! If you dont use your head you will get hurt.

I purchased this saw as an emergency replacement one night. Paid $271 at Lowes. I feel I got my moneys worth from this purchase. Many saws I looked at were much cheaper feeling for more money. I rate this saw as a homeowner model, its really too weak for every day use. It will just pull my 8" dado, you have to go slow. It rips 1x4"s well and thats what I cut the most. Overall its a great saw for what you get if its $300 or less. It did better than expected. I actually got the fence to square up on the first try. The best low priced saw I've seen.

I have had fairly good success with this saw. It fills a gap between lightweight tabletop saws and the larger, more powerful contractor and cabinet saws. It seems like this saw was designed especially for the home shop - it fits just right into a two car garage (with the two cars in the garage too). I did the assembly alone. It was not complicated, but almost the entire saw is in pieces and has to be put together. It comes packed in one box. The instruction manual is very good, with detailed, clear photos and text. My only complaint is not a serious one. The saw has a 15 amp motor which is a little underpowered, so it does burn wood on some rip cuts in thick wood and hardwoods. I realized this after buying different thin kerf and combination blades, after talking to blade manufacturers and magazine editors, and still having the burning problem. A 24 tooth rip blade seems to work the best. The blade turns really fast compared to larger saws, consequently the burning and it is also a little loud. All in all I am happy with the performance of this saw. ...

Buying my first table saw was an agonizing experience. I had limited room in my garage. I had limited... well, actually, I had NO experience. And most importantly, I had a limited budget. I just knew I wanted to start learning to woodwork and realized one of those bench top models wasn't gonna cut it. After researching all the models in my price range (@$300) I settled on the TS-300.

That was two and half years ago, and I don't regret my decision a bit. I've cut thousands of feet of board with this saw and have very little to gripe about. I've constructed everything from built-in bookshelves to simple planters. As an entry level saw, the TS-300 rocks.

It's rock solid, dependable, and has an accurate, adjustable fence (up to @ 30?). Yes, it's a bit loud (get some earplugs!), the power switch is sort of small and awkward, and the factory insert design is just downright STUPID, but this saw really gets the job done.

You can radically expand the capability of this saw. I've added a mobile base, an out-feed table, a sacrificial fence, shop made zero clearance inserts, and a dust collection port on the bottom. (The latter two REALLY helped with the sound issue). I've bought several nice blades (including a dado stack), and several standard jigs which work well with the TS-300. If you're new to woodworking and limited on space and funds, this saw will serve you very well.

The best advice I can give you is no matter what saw you get, BE CAREFUL! I got pretty haphazard regarding safety after a few months. That was until I nicked the tip of my thumb with the blade. Thankfully, it healed up perfectly, but it could have been really bad. Don't be stupid like me. Always take your time and use safety devices. Never view push sticks, feather boards, and splitters as a hassle. Your fingers will thank you!

New model replacing the 36-600. Has the same quirks with new stickers. This is my first table saw so comparison is limited. I wanted something inexpensive yet floorstanding, fits the bill so far. Set up was easy... Power is fairly strong, table is flat, fence is square. It's LOUD due to the open base...Still a good saw for the money.

Bought this saw 1 year ago. I operate a small woodworking business on the side, making smaller pieces of furniture, coffe tables, chests, etc.. Find the saw to be worth the money I paid ($399 cdn). The power is sufficient for the work that I do although it tends to drain a little with thick pieces of hardwood. The only problem I really have with the saw is the throat plate. It is not a typical thickness for a stationary saw throatplate and it is difficult to make your own zero-clearance plate. Only other concern is the blade guard, poor design but that is the norm with any small shop saw I guess. I would reccommend it for any small/home shop.