DEFT 10" tablesaw

[Bluekingfisher]

I have had the DEFT 10" tablesaw for a year now and very pleased with it. It is only for hobby use but wondered if anyone has one and how they rate it.

I know it is a badged Laguna/Grizzly/Shopfox but would appreciate if any owner has found any short falls or failings with it?

As much as I like it I am thinking of having the Powermatic PM 2000 shipped over from the States but not sure I would get a greatly improved saw.

I would appreciate your thoughts.

David

 

[marcros]

David,

Watching this thread with interest- I have a Kity but a secondhand Deft would be high on my list of replacements if I were to upgrade. Let me know if you do import your replacement? Will it take a dado set?

Mark

 

[Harbo]

I have had a Deft for a few years now and cannot really fault it?

Excellent value!

Rod

 

[Bluekingfisher]

Thanks for responding fellahs.

Mark - Yes the deft takes a full dado, I know this has been a topic of much debate in the past but personally I cannot see why if an individual should want the the facility it should be denied them by EU legislation. I am a big fan of the dado. I have a couple of sets shipped from the US. I find them very usefull

I must say having had the saw for about a year or a tad less I have been very impressed with it so far. It is a very substantial machine all round, well made and put together. The guy that sells them seems to come and go, selling them on Ebay for a time then disappears. I actually bought one from him about 3/4 years ago and asked that he hold it for me until I had my shop built. When I got around to collecting the saw he had gone out of business. When I caught up with him he told me that people were just not buying them, and so he went under, despite the prices he was selling them for. Luckily I paid by credit card and the money was refunded. When I bought the one I have now I made sureI had it delivered right away. The only problem I could envisage is, the after sales service, which to be honest would be minimal or non existent. If parts were needed I think they would have to come from Laguna.

It may be a year or two before I sell the one I have Mark. I am after the PM 2000 but this will be dependant on the cost of shipping such a large item as a table saw from the US of course. If I sell the DEFT then I'll offer it up on the UKWS forum.

Harbo - Just as a matter of interest, do you have the table with the normal grey cast iron top or with the "titanium" gold coloured coating? Also I believe some of the earlier models have right tilting blades. Is that the case with yours?

 

[Steve Maskery]

personally I cannot see why if an individual should want the the facility it should be denied them by EU legislation.

It's not. It's perfectly legal to use a dado set in the UK, I've had the OK from the HSE about this.

This issue is not about dado sets per se, but in braking times and guarding. It's often the latter that puts the use of dado sets outside the H&S regs. If the blade still stops within 10 seconds (despite its considerably greater momentum) AND you use appropriate guarding, such as the SUVA guard or magnetic stand-alone guards that I use, or use jigs with built-in guarding like my UTTJ, then the use of a dado stack is perfectly OK.

S

PS Dead Jealous about the Powermatic!

 

[Bluekingfisher]

Thanks for the update on the regs for the dado use Steve. I have to admit my failings with regards to guarding. Having bought the overhead standalone boom with guard (from Axminster) about the same time as I bought the Deft, it still resides in the box. In my defrence thoughg, I took it out thinking it would be a quick assembly but the instructions seem a tad scant. I was hoping to use it in an overhead capacity, i.e not afixed to the boom. That way I will be able to use it for all my sawing needs, including when using a dado set.

I have a pal in the States, he keeps reminding me of the Jet/Powermatic sales usually at the end of October each year. I have my pocket money set aside for the saw but I'm too scared to enquire about the freight costs. I'll just need to take the plunge at some point though.

David

 

[9fingers]

Never mind the freight costs, be aware of the import duty (not too bad in itself), the carriers admin charge of handling the duty and 20% vat on the whole lot.

Powermatic are only another importer of Chinese made machinery and part of Walter Mieir who in turn are allied to JET in the US. http://www.waltermeier.com/ch/group/en/ ... offer.html
You could well find essentially the same machine in a different livery offered somewhere in EU where the surcharges should not be so much. You could even buy some yellow paint with the savings :lol:

Bob

 

[tomatwark]

The other option is to buy a second hand Wadkin AGS and convert it to single phase, it will take a dado and you are getting a machine that the spares are available for.

Tom

 

[Bluekingfisher]

Both very valid points. The PM has had rave reviews in the US although I am not sure what they compare it against. The old Delta Unisaw or PM 66 seems to set the bench mark for what Americans gauge as being a good saw.

I've never seen one of the older US saws, as mentioned in the flesh so don't know how they would compare against a Wadkin AGS. I do however prefer the US style Beiesmeyer T bar type fence systems though.

 

[Harbo]

Blue - mine is the plain grey version and only tilts left.
Didn't fancy the gold colour?

Rod

 

[Noel]

Never mind the freight costs, be aware of the import duty (not too bad in itself), the carriers admin charge of handling the duty and 20% vat on the whole lot.

Powermatic are only another importer of Chinese made machinery and part of Walter Mieir who in turn are allied to JET in the US. http://www.waltermeier.com/ch/group/en/ ... offer.html
You could well find essentially the same machine in a different livery offered somewhere in EU where the surcharges should not be so much. You could even buy some yellow paint with the savings :lol:

Bob

Wow it there Bob

Powermatic are manufacturers as opposed to importers. Not quite Chinese, the PM2000 range are made in Taiwan and, as you mention, are part of the WMH group. The saw itself is unique on the North American market (it's not exported elsewhere I don't think) as it has many modern/european features that are were not present on similar US saws when it was introduced (the new model Unisaw has some similar features) such as a riving knife that moves with the blade, arbour lock, build-in mobile base, micro-adjuster on fence, dust shroud surrounding bottom of blade etc, etc.
I wouldn't kick one outta my workshop....

The standard 60 Hz motor may eventually burn out David so factor in a 50 Hz if you ever buy one (or get a 50 Hz motor imported with the saw).

 

[Bluekingfisher]

Thanks for the note Noel. Yes, I have been looking at one for quite some time, lots of feastures which I believe make this an excellent saw. There are of course a few stumbling blocks, namely having it shipped to the UK and of course the issues with the motor and switch gear. That of course could be rectified at a cost.

I figure if I bought this saw it would outlast me and in a few years time the financial outlay would be long forgotten.

I was planning on a trip to the US next year so an ideal time to have a good look at one up close. If I like what i see the temptation may be too much. As I have a friend out there it may make the logistical operation a little smoother too.

Thanks for the input folks

David