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Orignal SD post with 200+ responses from year back
https://slickdeals.net/f/15541405-table-saw-delta-36-725t2-still-alive-339-50-at-lowe-s?v=1&src=SiteS
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There's a whole FB group for this (Delta 36-725 Table Saw Owners Group), and a lot of people do mods for this table saw.
If you ever see reviews about the motor going bad due to capacitors, that's old news now. But check for these two major things:
- Cast Iron bowing. Make sure it's perfectly flat
- Make sure the blades are not binding in towards the back. If it is, that means the stock of wood you put through it will have a high chance of kickback. It's pretty tough to fix this, but it's not impossible.
Upgrades you can have:
- Adding a router table to either side of the saw. There are people who install ready-made tables (like a Bosch RA1181 tabletop mounted to the right-side wing)
- Upgrading the fence to be extruded aluminum T-Track (I'm using a POWERTEC 71223 Multi T-Tracks | 36" Long - 3" High)
- Extending the rip capacity (aka width) by buying the rails for the larger delta table saws.
- Adding a woodworking bench to a wing of the table saw
- Hide pencils and stuff inside the rails with a 3d printed drawer
Things i wish they could do better:
- Better dust collection - Unless you have a cabinet build underneath it, it will just be everywhere. Make an enclosure for yourself so it doesn't go everywhere.
- Power is fine for me, but i've heard some people desiring some more power.
- Adjustibility of the blade binding (as mentioned above). this thing SUCKS in this regard.
- A bit too tall. Consider building a base for it.
Can't think of anything else but man does this thing feel a lot better than the crap craftsman i was using.
additionally: try to wire a 20a for it. you CAN use 15a, but it will bog down the motor. On 15a, I couldn't cut through a large stock of hardwood. But it does okay for plywood.
edit #2: Clarification on Blade Binding Issue:
I mentioned the binding of the blade in the back. I misspoke. The bigger issue you need to check is if the FRONT OF BLADE is pushing AWAY from the fence.
This guy goes through and explains how to fix it here:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NWeIK1l
At the beginning of the video (0:13) he is showing the back of the blade moving away from the fence, which is not AS bad to fix. it's actually described in the documentation on how to move the back of the blade. but... if you have the FRONT of the blade pushing away from the fence, then THAT one is tough to fix. And this video describes how to fix it.
Edit #3: the larger saws, imo not worth it. unless you're too lazy to build extensions for it. I think the only benefit to the larger ones is cast iron wings vs stamped steel. imo, build yourself a larger table with the base 725t2 when you need it, or just save up for a bigger better cabinet saw. f it, go get yourself a sawstop
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112 Comments
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https://www.lumberjocks
Thanks OP!
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Edit: couldn't pass it up... Dang you slickdeals. Just bought two, trying my luck again, we'll see if they are ok or not.
One left, Layton Utah
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Cliff Notes version: They both do pretty much the same thing. If space is not a concern, the Delta is more enjoyable to use due to lower noise and much bigger table space.
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