Customer Reviews

Delta 36-550 Deluxe Table Saw

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3 star:		(5)
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If you're considering this table saw, be certain it's what you want. Consider what you'll be using it for. If you need portability, this is great. I carry it around with one hand. I used it to install a laminate floor in my rental property. It was nice to take it out to the garage on site. I've since upgraded to a delta platinum contractor's saw. I bought the table saw to make furniture. That's a bit amitious for this saw. Here's a list of my pros and cons:

Pro:
Light weight - You can carry it anywhere. If that's a requirement, great. Contractor's saws can require two people to move.

Inexpensive - You can get into woodworking for not much money. This can be a good first saw depending on what you're planning to make. Make small stuff. I built a table for my son. 2.5"x2.5" poplar table legs were just beyond the ability of the saw. I was able to make it work though.

Alignment was good out of the box.

Con:
Light weight - You'll need to bolt it down. The lower the weight, the higher the vibration. This translates into less accuracy.

Underpowered motor - For the price, it's fine. But it's easy to bog down. Stick to 3/4" boards or plywood. Anything thicker is too much for the saw.

Loud - Wear earplugs. It sounds like 1,000 evicerated cats. It's even louder than my router. Positivly ear-splitting.

Sloppy miter gauge - The gauge wiggles in the track. That translates to poor accuracy. Chuck the miter gauge and make a panel cutting jig, use it for everything.

Lousy fence - The fence is laughable. You could use it for small stuff, but it may get in the way more often.

Small table - The table size will be an issue for making furniture. Should be ok for small stuff.

Not so good blade - Measure the blade for runout, it may be unusable. The one that came with my delta contractor's saw had a runout of 1/4"! So I had effectively a wobble-type dado blade that cut 1/4" dados. The one that came with this saw was a little better.

Recommendations:

Make a panel cutting jig and toss the miter gauge.

Integrate the saw into a larger table. Norm (new yankee workshop) has plans for such a thing with an auxiliary fence.

Keep the projects small.

Replace the blade. Plan on spending $80 and up for a good blade.

Save your money and consider getting a less expensive contractor's saw.

I just finished running several tests on this saw. The fence is adequate and better then other saws in this price range. I however mounted my saw in a Porta Max table by Rousseau. That fence is great! I ripped 5/4 oak, 8/4 basswood, and a 1.5" thick maple and a plywood board (3/4 maple and 3/4 plywood glued together). The lengths ranged from two to four feet. The saw ripped each of them at a good feed rate without ever bogging down. The miter gauge while a little small can be adjusted quite accurately. The saw does a good job crosscutting and mitering.The supplied blade is good for construction. A better blade will be needed for woodworking projects. The arbor slides to set bevels and has a good lock nut. This method is adequate, but not as easy to fine tune as a crank wheel. While the body is plastic so is the Dewalt body. In summary this is a great saw for the price and Delta backs it with a 2 year warranty.

Now keep in mind the price here. It's nice to have a table saw, and if you only have about $200 to spend, its worth having. The largest problem I have with it is the fence. Every time I move the fence I have to check to make sure that it is parallel to the blade. Once parallel, it works fine, but having to check each time can become a pain. If you decide to go for this, I would recommend setting it in a larger surface work space with a better fence (which another reviewer has apparently done).

The 36-550 has plenty of power. What it lacks is the an extension wing that comes standard on the 36-560. Nobody appears to carry it. The 36-541 recommended here does not even come close to fitting. I would also like an outfeed table for this saw. The other major problem is the fence. Very poorly manufactured. Even after clamping it in I must screw it down or it will wander. However, I still recommend this little beauty because of the power.

I have used this saw for about 3 months now for general projects just needing the use of a fair table saw. With the exception of a poor fence, this saw does a good job. The motor has fair power for larger pieces of wood. 1/2" - 3/4" plywood is not a problem.

Just recently I attempted to use a Molding Blade that was supposed to fit a "Standard" 10" Table Saw. Well I quickly found that the 5/8" Arbor is too short to fit a Molding blade, and will only fit a Dado Blade up to 1/2". I found a way to mount the blade (used a smaller washer instead of the thick spacer)and it had plenty of power to handle the task.

Overall this is not a bad saw for around [price]. The fence is quite "rickety" and is not a precision piece of equipment by any means.

My son in law has the Delta 36-550 Deluxe table saw and i use it alot it is Great,i move it all around were i am working it is lite and easy to operate i hope that santa brings me one.