Use Dewalt question...

[lew]

I found a used Dewalt at a "local" used shop that seems to sell most anything.....They want $250 for it. The unit looks pretty clean on the pics...comes with a stand. The table looks clean, no rust....

I can't tell if it's a type 1 or 2...no closeup of the motor. I am going to go look at it later in the week. Other then firing it up and cutting a piece of wood with it, is there anything else I should be looking for?

I will be bring my blades and some wood for testing.

Thanks

Lew

[edward]

Should tell what type  it is on the motor, unless it is worn off..  edward

[Bill WIlson]

The type is stamped on the plate plate that is on the motor.  I know type 1's are regarded as the better of the two, since they were made in North America, but they will be getting pretty long in the tooth these days.  I don't recall exactly when they switched, but it must be 15+ years ago by now.  An aging type 1 may not necessarily be a better saw than a newer type 2.

Type 2's had some quality issues during the early production runs, but I think those got resolved.  One that seemed to be a chronic problem was that the blade would under or over cut, front to back.  This was due to some slight mis-alignment of the blade arms or the table.  There are some fixes for it on the internet.  One involves shimming the front or the back of the table, where it mounts to the frame.  The way to tell if this is a problem with this particular saw, is to take a thick piece of wood, the thicker the better.  Gently feed it into the blade, just enough to nick the edge.  Carefully examine the kerf.  If it is deeper on the top or the bottom of the cut, then that saw may have the problem.  It isn't necessarily a deal breaker, but will take some tweaking to correct.  You can use this in negotiating the price.

I sold my DeWalt a couple years ago for $200.  It was a type 2 and was over 10 years old, but ran great and never gave me any problems.  I felt the $200 was a fair price and would have kept it rather than sell it for less.  I would start out offering $175, work you way up to $200, if need be, but stand pat on that number, unless this thing is pristine.

[Dan]

If I recall, one of the types had an issue with the table being warped on some. I'd bring a straight edge to check it out. 

[OCtoolguy]

I would also be looking for excess vibration. Mine had some vibration problems that were corrected by disassembling it and checking for loose screws or bolts. It turned out that mine had the main drive bolt coming loose. I tightened that up and cured most of my vibration. The rest was just in cleaning and repacking the bearings in all joints. If it runs smoothly and cuts as it should, $250 is not a bad price. I paid that same amount for mine and it came with the factory stand and light. I use neither of them anymore though. I built my own stand and I bought a H/F magnifier lamp. Good luck with your negotiations but try to get it for less than the asking price.

R