Delta 34-670 any good?
Chris Lewis
>I'm in the process of upgrading from a Delta benchtop TS to something
>heftier. I mainly do bookcases, handyman, wall-unit type work in plywood.
>For my use is the 34-670 any good? I've also had the XL-10 recommended
>and would like opinions on it as well. Or if anyone has general comments
>on good saws in the $300 to $450 range, I'd like to hear them.
Reviews are mixed. A couple people have reported problems with the
motor (including burnout) and the rails. I have one, and it's been
quite good to me - no problems at all. There appears to have been a
model revision several years ago that seems to have eliminated the
problems others have had. But it ain't a Delta contractor's saw.
As it's a universal motor (with brushes) it is very loud. Not nearly as
bad as a router or a shopvac, but a lot louder than I'd prefer. I wear
hearing protection when using it for more than a minute or two.
I don't regret buying mine. But look around for a used contractor's saw.
--
Chris Lewis: _Una confibula non sat est_
Phone: Canada 613 832-0541
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Andy Weilert
heftier. I mainly do bookcases, handyman, wall-unit type work in plywood.
For my use is the 34-670 any good? I've also had the XL-10 recommended
and would like opinions on it as well. Or if anyone has general comments
on good saws in the $300 to $450 range, I'd like to hear them.
Andy Weilert
a...@fc.hp.com
David Gardner
>Andy Weilert
>a...@fc.hp.com
I bought one about four years ago and it was an alright saw for me to
learn on as I was just starting out. At the time, I was making
chessboards for resale out of wenge and maple. It often got bogged
down ripping 4/4 wenge leaving me with burn marks to deal with. I was
pretty good about keeping the blade clean, so I hypothesize that the
trouble I was having was from the blade alignment. Unfortunately,
there is not alot that can be done about that with the mechanisms that
are on the saw. I always have to be concerned with the alignment of
the rip fence when I am setting up a cut.
With the dense nature of the woods that I was cutting, I went through
many rubber drive belts (which make an awfully nasty sound when they
start going). Replacing the belts involved taking the motor out.
This was a bit of a chore as the bolts were not easy to get to. Also,
I was never sure that this task didn't knock the motor out of
alignment with the undercarriage. It is a direct drive, so the motor
alignment affects the blade alignment.
A suggestion I have if you purchase this saw is to add weight to the
stand as it top heavy. I have rocked the saw a few times due to a
lack of outfeed tables and a cut off sled that stuck in the guide
channels when the humidity was high. This can be a pretty scary site
looking at a 60 tooth carbide blade spinning at 5,000 rpm and pointing
at your torso.
I've also had to replace the switch on it. The blade adjustments have
gotten sticky over the years due to dust build up. I've cleaned them
but they don't seem to operate like they did originally.
There have been articles in woodworking magazines that have been
pretty good about describing what to look for in a tablesaw and also
how to adjust them. If you would like to read these, drop me an email
and I will look up the references for you.
I have used a Unisaw and it was such a pleasure. The next time I have
a few spare thousand dollars in my change pocket I'm going to pick one
of those up. Until then, I have to put up with the noise and burning
of drive belts. It may be a good saw for your purposes, you just have
to think about whether you will continue to use it for the same
purposes in the future.