THINKING OF GETTING THE DELTA 36-725? MUST WATCH// things I love & hate about this saw

[@davidbondi]

I feel compelled to provide a different viewpoint of this saw. I have the exact saw and have had it for almost 2 years. Purchasing it was a great decision. A few things first, and my apologies if I seem direct and abrupt, I am not trying to be confrontational, only to provide information. These are important and I think anyone considering this saw deserves this information and a different opinion. 1. This is a contractor saw, not a cabinet saw. The trunnions (support the motor/blade assembly) are attached to the cast iron top, that makes it a contractor saw. Cabinet saws have the trunnions connected to the base and the cast iron top sits on top of the base and is adjustable. This has bearing on several things mentioned, both alignment (method is totally different) and dust collection (look inside a cabinet saw, there will be saw dust). 2. Dust collection. I don't have the issue with saw dust piling up under my saw. None at all. My dust collect woes are from the top of the saw and partially because I have opted to use a zero clearance throatplate and when crosscutting a crosscut sled. Over blade dust collection would resolve that issue, but I haven't tackled that as of yet. It looked like you are using 2 1/2" flex tubing to your saw. Try going 4" all the way to the saw and then stepping it down. There were a few places on the bottom where the blue plastic contacts the black metal part of the dust collection shroud that I saw gaps and covered with blue painters tape. 3. I saw the comment about the one swiveling wheel annoying you. I would be more annoyed by a saw I could only roll in a straight line (sorry, I couldn't resist that one). 4. Alignment. You noted that you align your blade to your fence to your table. You should always align/register the blade (and riving knife) to the miter slot and then the fence to the same miter slot. Any saw will require periodic alignment, it is a fact. Incorrect alignment will absolutely increase the possibility of kick-back when the distance between the back of the blade and fence is shorter than the distance between the front of the blade and the fence. 5. On the motor/kit issue. I have no issues here, but as noted by other commenters, I always use a properly sized extension cord (14AWG under 25 feet, 12AWG over 25 feet straight out of the saw user manual). Also, nothing else in the shop is on the same circuit (at least not running at the same time), so I'm not risking low voltage to the saw motor. 6. Kickback. Where is your riving knife? I read in a comment/response that it broke. Get replacement, get a throat plate with a splitter, get a new saw, or stop using this one. It is just too dangerous to use a table saw with out a riving knife for any through cut. On this saw, without the riving knife, you cannot use the blade guard. When you had the kickback that caused the issue, were you using the blade guard including the anti-kickback pawls? They are provided with the saw for a reason. See also #4 Alignment from above. The other thing that can cause kick-back is unsafe use of the saw, such as using the miter gauge and fence at the same time, or trying to crosscut between the blade and fence where the width is larger than the length. I did extensive research before purchasing my Delta 36-725T2 and I am confident that you will not find a better saw for under $1000. If you have more than $1000 buy a better saw. If you do not, this is the contender. I personally did look into the Rigid and decided against it (more expensive and the Delta fence is absolutely superior). The other serious contender for me was the DEWALT portable jobsite saw. I decided against it because I didn't need the portability and I wanted the larger table top, the cast iron main section, and the superior fence. Thanks for reading my rambling and be safe everyone!

[@pemtax557]

Amen David ... I too have this saw and to be honest, I agree with just about everything you have noted. I'm truly sad that the Boardroom Craftsman has had the problems with his saw, but like you, I've had a completely different experience with mine. The biggest problem that he had was the motor issue that, quite frankly, has been well documented on several sources. In almost every instance, the saws motor was starved for power. That can be caused by a circuit that has several other items competing with the saw for available power, undersized extension cords, undersized circuits, circuits that are extreme distances from the main box, etc. I purposely ran a dedicated 20 amp circuit that the saw, and only the saw is on. I'm using an oversized 14 awg 15 ft. extension cord and my saw hasn't hiccuped in countless hours of use. Running the saw without some form of anti-kickback is crazy at the very least. Not good for the saw, you project or your body ... period. For the price asked for this saw, I challenge anyone to show me a better value in any table saw ... again, period!! Cheers to you my friend ... Dave

[@davidbondi]

@@pemtax557 Thanks for the comment Dave. It is always good to hear of another woodworker that has had similar good experiences with this saw. Stay Safe!

[@tomholley6904]

Thank you for taking the time to give your side/experience. I will be buying this saw for my shop and have watched many videos. I also read comments which are usually better for information than the video provides. With that said, in my opinion, it isn't the saw or its manufacturer that has problems, it is the people that have expectations outside of what a 700 dollar saw offers but aren't willing to pay for it.

[@davidbondi]

@@tomholley6904 You are welcome. That is what I love about KZbin. I have heard of folks simply getting a saw with issues, so I'd recommend not waiting to unbox and set up so you know if there is an issue right away. At least that way you will have options with Lowes. If you need to know anything else, I'll help if I can.

[@rdr4b]

@@davidbondi Thanks for taking the time to comment so thoroughly. I also bought this saw and I was so glad that I didn't let all the negative and emotional comments scared me away. There is nothing comparable in its price range other than the identical unit offered by Ridgid. I have two independent circuitry in my garage and I ran this saw on one dedicated circuitry and connect nothing else to it. A12Ga extension cable seemed to help as well. In the two years since I have had it, I have occasionally bogged down the saw due to over aggressive cuts but never tripped the motor. And no, I don't have the Frank's kit. The only thing I can gripe about this saw is its dust collection. There are simply too many openings for the saw dust to escape even when connected to a 1 1/2 HP dust collection system. Nevertheless, this saw is a work horse and those who bad mouthing it were either not reading the manual or not having a realistic expectation (such as super tight tolerance for cast iron flatness) for a contractor saw.

[@robertivey3268]

After watching many KZbin video's about this saw, both good and bad, I bought one and am happy with it. The issue with the motor is because people are using the wrong extension cord with the saw. Per the manufacturer and just common sense, when you are using anything that wants to pull about 13 to 15 amps on 110volts, you need to use at least a 12 gauge extension cord. If you use the homeowners standard 16 gauge cord, the motor will eventually burn out. That is not the fault of the saw but of the user that is not doing his homework. As for the upgrade you spoke about, that is not needed. You just have to use the right extension cord. As for dust control, there are many ways to improve it and will do so on mine in a few months.

[@BluelightGaming1]

This video is so dumb. The biggest issue you talked about is fixed now and what you said didn't even make sense. You said it's happened to ppl after the warranty ran out, which is 5 years, but then said if you use this kit it voids your warranty. Probably true if you do it within warranty but if it's within the 5 years delta should, and to my knowledge have, fixed it. You also called it a cabinet saw or compared it to cabinet saws when talking about dust... It's not a cabinet saw dude.

[@joek511]

I heard kickback, , . where is the riving knife? Where are the kickback paws? You caused your own problem. Leave them off and you might just be in the hospital. As far as the wheel, The stand is square, 4 bolts and you can put that lift pedal on the other side

[@Queesinbean]

I don't comment often but I was looking through videos for this saw (I've had one for a couple years now) and wanted to correct a few things - you mentioned that it's just a 110/120v saw but it actually has the ability to move to single phase and support 220v. And it's not some hack/warranty voiding thing, it's right in the manual. There's a switch you can flick to set it to 240v and you can rewire the plug. Thought that was really cool since I plan to get a 240 installed in my garage. Secondly, you showed a peek up under the saw and talked about dust but i'm confused - mine definitely has a black sheet metal dust enclosure with a dust extraction port and everything. Dust doesn't fall directly onto the ground as the blade is completely enclosed. Mine is a 36-725T2 so maybe that's the difference? If yours is a T1 and mine is a T2? Either way, that's a pretty huge difference so I wanted to mention it for any buyers out there - this one might be the older model, the new one doesn't have that problem. I actually really love this saw and think it's amazing! My only complaint is aligning the blade to the miters is a miserable experience and hard to do.

[@DownloaderVideo]

Totally incorrect, the one that is capable to be converted to 220v is the Generation 1 or T1 which is a different color housing. This T2 (Black) is only able to operate on 110v.

[@davidbondi]

T1 can be easily converted to 220V. T2 cannot (not easily anyway). The magnetic on/off safety switch will only operate on 120V.

[@Ilikecoolmovies]

I have this saw 36-725T2 and I think the burn up motor issue stems from DIYers plugging their saw in to a 15 amp wall plug, should be a 20 amp, and the extension cord has to also be rated for 20 amps. If you do those 2 things you may avoid the motor burn up. I have this setup and no issues for over 1+ years.

[@thomasweaver905]

I own a 36-725 original not a T2. Had it for over 7 years with no problems. Cleaned it thoroughly every 6 months. Run a Diablo 80 tooth blade. Checked blade distance and miter slot to fence multiple times with no variances. Lots of people having self made problems.

[@Cam-wi3tp]

do your self a favor and cover up that insulation. We built a log home and the insulation was expoed along where the logs met. I didn't believe it at first but you wouldn't believe the amount of fiberglass fibers in the air. Any wind infiltration or fan makes it worse. We lived there 10 years, my wife died of thyroid cancer and 3 years later I was diagnosed with the same. Both of our cancers were the very rare type but hers was the rarest and untreatable. Be safe, thanks for the video

[@davidcotney-m5r]

Man ! Have you ever had a different experience than I have. I had a rigid job site saw and was looking to upgrade to something in the $1000- $1500 range. Was in Lowe’s about 6 months ago and saw this Delta for 349. Could not pass it up and I have been very pleased. The dust collection is not so sporty but that’s my only complaint. I just vacuum up as I go and it’s not so bad. I still may get something nicer later on but this saw is performing so well I may not

[@kenday7942]

This is a fantastic table saw… EXCEPT for the motor. The motor is underrated and it will eventually quit on you. I did try a new starter capacitor, but it didn’t help. Were it not for the motor, I would recommend this saw to anybody. The lowest price replacement motor I could find was over $800. I also found one from eReplacements for over $1000! I loved this saw until the motor went out. Also Delta customer service is virtually nonexistent. I could not get customer service or tech-support on the phone after multiple calls and long waits. DO NOT BUY THIS SAW - or the Ridgid version at HD - is also Delta.

[@robertswank164]

Yeah Brandyn I think your video statements about the motor are a bit too harsh and overstated. First, motor failures are reported at about 6% of total units, which is not out of normal industry failure rates. Second, there is a 5 year warranty, and I'm pretty sure the T2 hasn't been out for that long. Yes the T1 also has some motor problems, but the T2 went through a bad run of motors initially, and most of the failures reported in this group are T2. Third, Delta's customer service was terrible over the last year due to Covid, but so was everyone else. Previously I contacted Delta by phone and got an immediate response, and recently others have experienced reasonable serice. Fourth, You do NOT have to buy Frank's kit. (Facebook group "Delta 36-725 Table Saw Owners Group" for info on "Frank's Kit") It does provide insurance against failure, but while under warranty a motor failure is covered, and repaired or replaced at a Delta service center at no cost to the customer. You can also have the Delta service center install Frank's kit and maintain the warranty. Like others who bought used saws without a warranty, I elected to install the kit to limit possibility of failure. Yes it is expensive to repair a failed motor out of warranty, but would be for any saw. Fifth, the only other similar saw close to the price of the 36-725 is the Rigid R4520, which costs at least $100 more, and I have heard it has as many or more problems, including with the motor. Plus its fence is not as good. More expensive saws have problems too - spending an additional $1000 doesn't guarantee trouble free operation, and I have heard a lot of complaints about their service too. Sixth, many are upgrading to the Sawstop at about $1800 or more. Nice saws. Trouble there is, every time you forget to disable the safety brake before cutting pressure treated or green wood, the brake will likely lock up and cost you $100 plus a new saw blade. My use of a table saw includes frequent cutting of both pressure treated and green woods. The 36-725 does just fine for me.

[@boardroomcraftsman5251]

Man, what a comment. Thanks haha. But yes out of my 3 friends who have this saw have had to buy his kit due to their saws no longer working. Sorry, you feel this way

[@williemurray2523]

Why did your 3 friends not get a repair under warranty?

[@boardroomcraftsman5251]

@@williemurray2523 delta won’t do anything about it

[@robertswank164]

@@boardroomcraftsman5251 not true, as long as it's in the warranty period. You do have to take or send it to an authorized service center. Or possibly return it to Lowes.

[@boardroomcraftsman5251]

@@robertswank164 you sure love defending this saw so much. Lol

[@fedx2185]

You complained about your saw losing alignment often, weird mine is reliable but then you mentioned you had I guess a severe kick back and I assume you wrenched or binded the saw itself. Maybe you have mechanical issues not repaired from your accident.. I very impressed with my saw and how reliable it is for the price but I always learned my tools for there good points and poor points to better performance on my projects. This is not a $5000 saw but for the money I would buy it again

[@boardroomcraftsman5251]

I wouldn’t!

[@FunAmbassador]

I bought my Delta in 2018. It was a big upgrade for me. This saw has been nothing but amazing. I have never had to adjust my table. I moved half way across the country. I expected to have to make some adjustments. But it was fine. My guess is you need to buy a Saw Stop and spend $1500-$2000. But it won’t make you happy either. Especially when you have a kickback and have to buy a new cartridge.

[@stevenwright3729]

Ive had my 36-725T2 for almost a year now and not experienced any of these issues. Perhaps you should set up some dust collection. Any contractor or cabinet saw should have proper dust collection regardless. Never had kickback either with proper table saw technique. Nor has anything ever gotten out of alignment. Based on this video, you’d struggle just as much with a $4k sawstop.

[@boardroomcraftsman5251]

Lucky! I think I got a bad one haha. And I do run dust collection on it. A 3hp powermatic gets hooked up to it when I use it

[@paulbordewyk2089]

I thought the same. Also he’s complaining about dust and the whole table top and fence setup has a half inch of sawdust.

[@trep53]

Remember this is a budget table saw that is priced about the same as some job site saws but it provide a quieter big-boy-saw belt drive induction motor and work surface. BTW the motor capacitor start/ run switch kit you mentioned from the Facebook page is a good thing. Yeah it sucks when it needs to be replaced but it’s not a terrible DIY fix. It’s an upgrade too so it’s a one and done fix. I bought the kit even though my saw hasn’t failed yet just to keep it on the shelf. Unlike a job site saw’s direct drive motor failure that is virtually unrepairable. Kickback is totally avoidable by using the riving knife for though cuts. Fortunately my experience with my Delta saw blade alignment is more stable, I don’t know why. You got me on the dust collection it’s not good enough but I’m able to keep up with the dust my extractor doesn’t catch. I would suggest putting a bin under the motor and see if that helps. Sadly the alternatives to this table saw that really start to add real improvements are in the $1500 range and still run on household current. I don’t think they are worth it considering they are the cheapest of the companies product line. Good luck with your saw.

[@ivanscountrymusicandcars2357]

At that price point if the fence is good it’s a good saw.

[@boardroomcraftsman5251]

The fence is great, everything else not soooo much

[@rexseven6907]

For the area you have yours in, like mine, I wanted the swivel wheel on the left side instead of the right. You can assemble it with the wheels reversed. No problems and it's easy to do.

[@boardroomcraftsman5251]

I have thought about doing this

[@rdr4b]

It is easier to push and pull this saw on the rail side and use the rail and the back rack just like when you are pushing a wheel barrel. Thus the wheel needs to be on the right, It is much more awkward push or pulling the opposite way. I know since I tried both methods.

[@jonathaneglinton5378]

You had a kickback? Where's your riving knife??

[@boardroomcraftsman5251]

Yea had kickback and it snapped the riving knife off. (I hate beating this saw up with the negative, but it’s not a very good saw.) but it’s also very user friendly on price..

[@robertswank164]

@@boardroomcraftsman5251 how did it "snap off"? And if it did, sounds doubtful, why didn't you get it repaired under warranty? Too much trouble for you to handle?

[@boardroomcraftsman5251]

@@robertswank164 lol dude why are you so mad lol

[@robertswank164]

@@boardroomcraftsman5251 because you are being a jerk, and spreading negative misinformation.

[@jordandenk563]

Bought this saw brand new from Lowe’s for $339 so I’m chillin

[@boardroomcraftsman5251]

Nice!! How did you land this deal? Lol

[@jordandenk563]

@@boardroomcraftsman5251 Aparently was a corporate mistake so the deal only lasted for a day or two at a select number of stores

[@The.Home.Cinema.Engineer]

is this the T2 model?

[@patrickploenzke489]

Which one should I get then?

[@anthonymccoy4460]

What about some of the locktight that isn’t permanent?

[@boardroomcraftsman5251]

Haven’t tried it yet! But not a bad idea!

[@jameswebb9738]

I'm in a 13X13 space. I feel your pain

[@boardroomcraftsman5251]

Nice! Got any pics/videos of it??

[@Clayterrr]

Now I know 😬

[@boardroomcraftsman5251]

I hope you don’t have this saw, do you?

[@stevesiefken6432]

Wow! Had no idea the adjustment needed to be done so much. I agree, it would annoy me too! Oh, you have to buy a kit to keep the motor from failing? I’m out!🙄 Thanks for the very informative video👍🏻

[@boardroomcraftsman5251]

So many people wanna up saying this sad is good. But at over 600$ now. I’d rather saw up a little more and get a cheaper entry level pro TS!

[@jamieniedermann7625]

I watched a video on you tube and the guy said that he thinks it cuz of Amp drops and wrong size drop cords is the biggest problem with the motors going bad

[@joek511]

You missed the part about kickback causing the problem. . They have things called riving knives and kickback paws, they come with the saw. He took them off. In short, it's not the saw, it's the guy behind it. Failure to follow instructions, intentional removal of safety features. All he had to do was put them on and he never would have had the problem.

[@mitchblackmore5230]

I feel your pain on shop size. I'm in a 9'X17' detached garage that I'm in the middle of insulating and replacing the drywall (yes, they put up drywall with no insulation behind it) with 3/4" plywood.

[@themeat5053]

That's a T2 model. The older 36-725, in my opinion, is superior to the T2 which can be upgraded to 220v and 20 amp, with the flip of a switch and change of plug.

[@birdieerdie2349]

😢😢

[@russellschonmeier9437]

can you please tell me the total overall length of the top? From one edge of the top all the way to the fully extended/open fence.

[@frankrodriguez6424]

I have the T1 and never have had to adjust the blade to fence or miters, 8 yrs

[@PYRO-gj9sw]

What’s the rip capacity?

[@boardroomcraftsman5251]

30” but you can also upgrade to a large fence, and get a 52” I do believe!

[@darrellwhite9808]

Thanks, (not buying one)

[@the-bu3lb]

The motor isn’t strong enough to run a datto stack unless you run it at a snails pace

[@rexseven6907]

I run a dado stack on mine occasionally. Usually only 1/4" to 3/8" wide and deep. In plywood or hardwood I've had no trouble. I do have a good dado set. Not saying you haven't had trouble, but I haven't. I would recommend a 6" stack instead of an 8" because of the lower power motor.

[@williemurray2523]

Seriously though, like what Robert Swank posted, what other saw would you recommend in the Contractor category? The Ridgid 4520 is 13amp for about 100 bucks More and you'd still not have as good a fence? I'm not an owner yet, but have been eyeing it and the Ridgid for awhile now. Even with the possible problems, it seems like the best bang for the bucks at sub $800 tablesaws. :-/

[@boardroomcraftsman5251]

If I had to redo it. Buy a older used delta cabinet saw. Or get a grizzly heavier duty saw. But you get what you pay for. The saw is good, but I am just not gonna support them because they won’t fix this issue

[@anthonycaldi7056]

Where did you buy it? Can’t seem to find one anywhere.

[@iteach0121]

Lowes, but, Contrary to the tool reviews the Delta 35-725T2 is junk. The motor is garbage and the capacitors don't work. Out if the box if didn't work so I had to take it to a service center to be repaired. Would not recommended purchasing the saw unless you plan on having it in the shop for repairs. Out of the box it didn't work.

[@anthonycaldi7056]

@@iteach0121 I appreciate the feedback. I am aware that there was issues with the motors initially. I also heard it was worked out, but looks like that might now be the case as they are no longer carrying this model in Lowes, and no other big retailers seem to be carrying it either.

[@boardroomcraftsman5251]

Yea you can buy it at Lowe’s. It used to be 599$ now I am seeing it listed at my local Lowe’s for 700$ or more…

[@iteach0121]

Contrary to the tool reviews the Delta 35-725T2 is junk. The motor is garbage and the capacitors don't work. Out if the box if didn't work so I had to take it to a service center to be repaired. Would not recommended purchasing the saw unless you plan on having it in the shop for repairs. Out of the box it didn't work.

[@boardroomcraftsman5251]

Thanks for agreeing with me!! I have had problems with it since day 1!