33 of 34 people found the following review helpful:
4.0 out of 5 stars
Good cross between price and performance, November 16, 2004
This review is from: DELTA TS350 10-Inch Left Tilt 1-Horsepower Contractor Saw with 27-Inch DELTA Fence and 2 Cast Iron Extension Wings,120-Volt 1-Phase (Tools & Home Improvement)
Faced with the task of building a workshop from scratch, I compared various saws for hours. I couldn't justify spending the extra $$ to jump up to one of the delta contractor saws, and the TS350 seemed like a good compromise. It's a very solid machine. The instructions for putting it together are poor. There were a couple bolts and washers missing... very annoying when you're in the middle of putting it together. One last note -- if you're going to buy a dado set, get the 34-672 table insert. It took me an HOUR to find that info (Delta even has the wrong insert pictured in the manual)... it sure would be nice if AMAZON had a link to the correct insert from the TS350 page (hint, hint...)
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14 of 14 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
Value, value, value..., January 17, 2007
This review is from: DELTA TS350 10-Inch Left Tilt 1-Horsepower Contractor Saw with 27-Inch DELTA Fence and 2 Cast Iron Extension Wings,120-Volt 1-Phase (Tools & Home Improvement)
The Delta TS350 is all about getting your money's worth. It is very well-machined, stable and durable. Although it is not a professional woodworker's tool, it is so well-made, it "feels" professional. It was an excellent purchase choice. For the money, it is all business and there is no doubt, it's a Delta.
This saw is very sturdy and substantial, weighing over two hundred pounds. The cast iron table accounts for most of this weight, but nearly everything else is made of steel, except for the handles. Both adjustment wheels and the rip fence lock handle are made of plastic. The wheels are a bit flimsy and do not provide a feeling of positive control. The plastic fence handle poses no problems.
The rip fence itself is made of rugged, heavy steel. It doesn't glide quite as effortlessly as Delta's big saws, but it is still smooth. Once the lock is set, it is rock solid -- as is the entire saw.
The motor takes a while to spool down and it is one of the compromises that will remove this saw from the world of the professional. For the sake of job-site speed and efficiency, a carpenter or cabinet-maker would need an electric brake. For the hobbyist or home handyman, the wait-to-stop time is not unreasonable.
All the metal work is top-notch. The mitering guide is very tight and well-machined. The steel base stand, combined with the heavy cast-iron table top provide excellent material control and extremely low vibration. This is a direct-drive saw, not belt-driven. But its heavy, solid, low-vibration design delivers amazing stability.
Assembly: the part count was perfect down to the last washer, but the directions were poorly written and failed to reflect an apparent improvement in the rear guide rail. The directions called for bolt and nut assembly but in fact, the rear of the table was drilled and threaded. It took a while to figure out why Delta didn't supply the nuts. Obviously, it was because the units no longer require them. The directions also fail to provide actual size illustrations to identify the various carriage bolts, hex bolts, flat washers, split washers and nuts. You will need to be able to identify and M8 from an M6 bolt, and measure both millimeters and fractions of inches with no help from Delta!
A niggling detail: the black paint around the edges of the table-top is not well-executed. Truly, it is not really needed. The factory-shipped protective wax/grease on the table top seems to degrade this black paint around the edges; it becomes quite soft and somewhat gooey. You may find it coming off and sticking to your hands before you even attempt to remove the factory table top coating.
Removing the factory-shipped wax/grease protective coating from the cast iron table top sections takes a little time and elbow grease. Acetone and a large pile of towel rags are very helpful. Be sure to remove the factory protective coating, then coat each exposed section with car wax before assembly. This will ensure that the wax will get down into the seams. Once the entire saw is assembled, shoot it one more time with Pledge and rub it out well. Your table top will be very smooth and wood will slide over it easily.
The insert plate has two thick rubber washers underneath that are crucial to proper adjustment. BE VERY CAREFUL not to lose these! Delta really should provide a bag of spares for this but they don't. All they do is warn you not to lose them. Not so great. You may want to order a couple packs of spares, or find some alternative rubber washers and keep them on hand.
In summary: Value, value, value. This saw looks and feels like it's big brothers in Delta's line. There are small faults, such as the plastic adjustment wheels and paint imperfections but the overall design is very professional. It's the kind of saw that could quite possibly last 3-4 generations in a family of home woodworkers.
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11 of 11 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
Its not a contractor saw or a cabinet saw - it's both, December 4, 2004
This review is from: DELTA TS350 10-Inch Left Tilt 1-Horsepower Contractor Saw with 27-Inch DELTA Fence and 2 Cast Iron Extension Wings,120-Volt 1-Phase (Tools & Home Improvement)
I have a small shop and was looking for a really nice saw I can put on a mobile base to scoot next to the wall when not in use. Cabinet saws were too big with the motor hanging off the back and I was not impressed with any of the portable saws - too much plastic, too much noise/vibration, poor fences and the tables were all too small. Tried out a craftsman portable. What an absolute piece of junk! Then a dewalt portable which was a good saw with a good fence, but it was noisy and the table was way too small.
I took a gamble buying this saw as no retailers carry it in my area. It is a new model from Delta and seemed to have all the attributes I was looking for. I was right!! Could not be happier. Very solid saw. Cast iron top is great with plenty of room. The blade is set back so you can miter cut big pieces. Fence looks cheap but does an outstanding job. Very smooth operation and it's as quiet as my fathers unisaw. Best of all - it will fit up against the wall and out of the way when not in use. My only beef is there is no brake on the motor. Takes about 30 seconds to stop. So....If you want a precision saw and don't have alot of room - this is the saw for you.
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