Hunter Creek Posted April 13, 2015 Report Share Posted April 13, 2015 Hi All, I’m a young, aspiring fine woodworker who’s looking to move up in the world. As I take on more projects, I’m realizing that I need a table saw that I don’t despise with most of the bones in my body. I currently have an aging Sears Craftsman 10” direct drive saw. It runs fine, but everything is just about terminally misaligned, and the direct drive developed some blade wobble that certainly doesn’t do wonders for the cut quality. I had been looking at less expensive cabinet saws like the G0715p, but a friend of mine turned me onto vintage tool hunting. I found a beautiful Powermatic Model 62 listed near me. It has a newer 1.5hp Dayton motor, link belt, new bearings, new arbor pulley, and a trued arbor flange. It comes with the original throat plate as well as two zero clearance inserts and a couple of miter jigs. It’s listed for $500 with no included blades. I’d love any feedback on what people think of the Model 62, and how the price seems for that saw. Also, I’m opening up the conversation to whether I should look at new or old saws. A couple of things to consider are that I can’t fit a saw any wider than 48” into my shop, and that I won’t be in my current basement shop for more than a few years if I continue down the fww path. I’m looking for a good saw, but not a forever saw, so resale value is a consideration. Thanks so much for any input, thoughts, and pushes in the right direction! Cheers, Hunter Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RichardA Posted April 14, 2015 Report Share Posted April 14, 2015 I just got a flyer from Grizzly today.... The G 0771 is going on sale on April 15th for $625.... New with warranty, makes more sense that an old saw that may show problems that the present owner hasn't fixed or even knew about. That's the same price as G 0715 now. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
knotscott Posted April 14, 2015 Report Share Posted April 14, 2015 $500 seems pretty high for that saw. Is it even full size? Looks shallower than most full size contractor saws. Some of the older saws were well made, but can give up some design benefits. I'm sure it's fine, but with that fence, no riving knife, and no warranty, it's just not worth that much IMO. The G0771 looks to be a better bet than the G0715P to me. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Hunter Creek Posted April 14, 2015 Author Report Share Posted April 14, 2015 I agree that the price seems high. I was counting on some bargaining room because it's been posted for a while, but the owner may think very highly of his saw... What do you think a fair resale price on that saw would be? For only $225 more the Grizz is better bang for the buck. I guess I could only make an argument for the old saw if it was significantly less expensive. That being said, if it's been working for this long, it probably doesn't need a warranty. On the other hand, tomorrow could be its last day spinning. IDK really. I was looking at 715 because the fence system is more solid and because I couldn't find a review of the 771. I just found a review, and it was what I was expecting: a few fit and finish issues but overall a good saw. That and the even cheaper sale tip the scales in the 771's favor. I think I just have to decide if I want to keep watching used listings, or if I should pull the trigger on a new saw. I don't have a definite budget, but anything I save goes to more shop upgrades and project wood. Am I correct in saying that the major benefits of a new saw would be increased accuracy and adjustability, a riving knife, a warranty, less noise, better dust collection? Sorry if I'm a bit long winded. I sometimes think by writing. Thanks, Hunter Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RichardA Posted April 14, 2015 Report Share Posted April 14, 2015 You are thinking correctly... Look at the saws for sale... but understand that you will get no refund, no warranty, and there's always the chance that it wasn't his to sell. When you buy new, in the same price range, you will get the chance for a refund if you have a legal claim, you will get a warranty, and you know that the person selling it has the legal right to sell it to you. Grizzly has an extremely good customer service group, and they will take care of your problems... The service Dept will guide you through anything you don't understand... Show me one person selling on Craigslist that will try to do that for you! They want the money and don't care if it works 5 minutes later.... Grizzly wants customers, that will buy again from them! You choose!... Remember, a good saw will last you for many years, an old saw could die with the first cut. But you have to determine what's important to you. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Coop Posted April 14, 2015 Report Share Posted April 14, 2015 The pictured Powermatic is in pretty good condition but$500 is pretty steep. If the seller does go down to a price you like, be sure to take your own blades with you and some wood and try it out. I wouldn't buy a used car by just listening to it run and not drive it. Good luck on your decision and welcome to the forum. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
minorhero Posted April 14, 2015 Report Share Posted April 14, 2015 I buy a lot of used tools. I have done 15 restores and I am currently doing my 16th. I am a HUGE fan of vintage cast iron tools and the saw pictured is pretty decent for what we would today call a contractor saw but at the time was probably considered more of a hobbyist saw. Certainly the internals on that saw will be better then any other contractor saw on the market today by a WIDE margin. That said, 500 is crazy high for that saw. I wouldn't consider paying more then 250 for it. Consider that the fence on that saw is the original tube style fence, which means it will almost never setup square the first time. Instead you will need to get out your square and adjust every time you move it. Since most woodworkers today consider this ridiculous you will need to put on a new fence. That alone will run you another 250 dollars. If you were to pay the sellers price for this saw you would be at 750 for a used saw. You can buy a used unisaw for that price. Heck there are more then a few used unisaws around for 500 or less. If you really want to buy a used saw go to owwm.org, register, and post a Wanting To Buy ad in their BOYD section of the forum. Say you are looking for a cheap cabinet saw for 500 or less and see what pops. I guarantee you will get some responses in your area (unless you live somewhere far off in the middle of nowhere like the arctic circle) New saws are a whole different ball game. The 2 most important features a new saw will have that old iron will almost certainly not have is 1) dust collection, and 2) a riving knife. The first can sometimes be gotten around by making baffles etc, the second is almost impossible to do right. If you have 800 dollars to spend and you don't have the time to restore an old saw or even just clean one up a bit and install bearings then a new saw is a good way to go. If you want to be sub 500 and you can install some bearings then a used old iron saw is a pretty appealing option. Good luck!! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
knotscott Posted April 14, 2015 Report Share Posted April 14, 2015 In addition to being overpriced, having an undersized table would be a significant drawback on the PM62 if that turns out to be the case. Ask for a measurement, or measure the depth of the table top from front to back.....a standard full size table is 27" deep, much of that in front of the blade. The distance in front of the blade is critical for getting a workpiece settled prior to being cut. Lack of space in front of the blade is one of the biggest drawbacks of portable saws, and it'd be a drawback for this one if my suspicions turn out to be true. My other significant concern is the fence.....that can be replaced, but that sort of defeats some of the purpose of owning a vintage saw like this one. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
minorhero Posted April 14, 2015 Report Share Posted April 14, 2015 Here is the manual, it doesn't tell you table dimensions, but you can see what the internals should look like if you decide to go look at it. http://vintagemachinery.org/pubs/detail.aspx?id=4326 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Hunter Creek Posted April 14, 2015 Author Report Share Posted April 14, 2015 Alright, I'm definitely getting valuable information here, but as I'm finding with much of life, my path is anything but clear. I think the biggest deal for me is having a square fence and a riving knife. I recall finding some biesemeyer fence parts in a building my family owns. I'm not sure if there was a full kit, but I'm 90% that I had the front rail and fence. There is no true replacement for a riving knife. I have put in some good time on a saw w/o a knife with no trouble, but I've also seen it go a bit wrong with shorter pieces. If I go with the 62, I'll make some zero clearance inserts with micro splitters. The top size is another good thing to look at. The Craptsman I have only has a 20" table which really hurts in a lot of places. I checked with the seller and he says that the top is 28". If he measured correctly, that may almost make it difficult to get a new fence on... I think I'll see if I can bargain the seller down to somewhere in the $200s if I have the necessary Biesemeyer parts on hand. Putting on a newer fence would hurt the vintage beauty that the saw has, but practicality does come first. If the seller won't play ball, I'll see what OWWM can get me, but I'll probably be leaning towards the G0771 at that point. Thanks for the input, and any other thoughts are welcome! ~Hunter Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
wtnhighlander Posted April 15, 2015 Report Share Posted April 15, 2015 Wow! I just looked at the GO-771 out of curiosity...that is a great deal at $625! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bgreenb Posted April 16, 2015 Report Share Posted April 16, 2015 The vintage saws are nice if you can find a good deal, but honestly I think you're gonna end up frustrated and chasing your tail trying to get one tuned up correctly, especially if you're a beginner. I'd go with the GO771 if I were you. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dwacker Posted April 16, 2015 Report Share Posted April 16, 2015 .a standard full size table is 27" deep, much of that in front of the blade. A contractors saw is usually 27" deep a full sized tablesaw is 30.5 and up. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ponderingturtle Posted April 16, 2015 Report Share Posted April 16, 2015 Wow! I just looked at the GO-771 out of curiosity...that is a great deal at $625! Looking at reviews that looks like a tempting alternative to the delta 36-725. It sounds like it has a more solid trunion design Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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