DELTA 28-206 Professional 14-Inch 1-Horsepower Woodworking Band Saw, 120-Volt 1-Phase

I purchased this saw vs other saws because I thought this saw was the best value for the money. I could not justify the additional $300-$400 for the X5 version. I knew this saw had some issues, but I figured if I was patient, I would have a great saw for a good price. Out of the box my saw had several problems: The table was not flat. I was able to slide a .035" feeler gauge under the worst spot. The table was so un-flat that the work piece would rock. No problem, though. I called Delta and they sent me a new table. Problem solved. The lower wheel had a lot of wobble. This caused the blade to move forward and back when cutting. This made it difficult to stop the cut where you want it. No wobble was visible on the upper wheel, just the lower one. Once again, I called Delta and they sent me a new lower wheel. Problem solved. The lower blade guide was very loose and sloppy. I thought about shimming it somehow, but then realized you can shorten the wedges that slide on the guide bar. Don't grind off too much material or you will have to stretch the spring that spreads the two wedges. Now the lower blade guide is rock solid. Problem solved. I thought the saw had a lot of vibration. After all, it failed the nickel test. The nickel test is a simple test you can conduct to evaluate vibration. Simply place a nickel on its edge on the table while the machine is running. If it falls over, it fails the nickel test. Also, the upper blade guide seemed to shake a lot relative to the table. To be fair, I must point out that I have the saw mounted on the Delta mobile base. Mobile bases are not known for their stability. Also, I have the 6" height attachment installed. This makes the unit more top heavy than without it. After some investigating, I came up with several possible contributors to the vibration problem. First of all, I noticed the table sometimes vibrated against the table angle adjustment bolt. The table angle adjustment bolt had raised lettering on it. I decided to grind this lettering off so the table would make better contact with the table angle adjustment bolt. This eliminated the table rattle. Next, I realized the entire saw would sway forward and back on the stand due to the thin cabinet. I read another reviewers suggestion to add some angle iron to reinforce to top of the stand. I bolted on two pieces of 2"x2" angle iron. I can't believe how much of a difference this has made. Also, I noticed the saw rocked on the mobile base. I decided to bolt the stand to the mobile base. This made the whole unit more stable. Finally, I noticed the motor sometimes made contact with the top portion of the cabinet on the door lip. I solved this problem by installing a link belt. I made the link belt a bit larger, and now the motor clears the top portion of the stand. After all of this, the saw passes the nickel test easily. I am very pleased how smoothly the saw runs. I am glad I spent the time to make it right. With these problems resolved, I am very pleased with this saw. I really like the 16" x 16" table. I have used older versions of this saw with the 14" x 14" table. Two inches makes a big difference. I also like the blade guide setup. I did replace the steel blocks with some cool blocks. The blade is held very securely with no side to side motion. When I change the height of the blade guide, the guides do not require additional adjustment. The quick release blade tensioner is a nice feature as well. You will appreciate this if you have ever had to turn the little tiny knob on the top of older model saws until your wrist cramps up. I must also give credit to Delta's customer service. They were very friendly and helpful. I hope this review helps.

I had both the American version and the Chinese version side by side at Woodworker Machine Sales outlet. They are identical except for price. I have had my machine for ten years and don't remember the price , but it was substantial enough that I bought the Chinese saw. What a piece of JUNK. I have had to go through the saw several times to get it tuned to a point it can be used. Rattles uncontrollably, under powered, constantly adjusting the blade. Do yourselves a favor save up the money and a good saw. Powermatic is what I see in other cabinet shops, Jet is another popular Brand. Delta is now owned by Black & Decker and all their equipment has become junk. Sad to see such an iconic name get destroyed.

I am returning this item today (thanks Amazon). When I started to unpack the saw I noticed several problems with the finish. Most of the cuts and scratches went through to the metal and needed to be covered. Someone tried to spray over one of the finish blemishes and the paint had dripped. I called Delta and they sent a can of spray touchup paint and had promised to send a replacement part where the dripped paint is, but did not. Also, this saw vibrated so badly that I could set a piece of wood on the table and it would walk off the edge. I tried everything I could to dampen the vibration but could not. I called Delta and they scheduled a local repair group to come out. I was told that they would call me but I never heard from them. Probably just as well, even if they had come out and fixed the vibration, I may not have kept the saw anyway. Many of the parts for the stand are impossible to square up so the doors can open and close without binding. I felt like for the money they could have done a little better. I'm really hoping that for some reason I got a lemon and that Delta is not really building tools with such poor quality. I'm ordering the Jet band saw and hoping for a little better quality.

I purchased this tool in February and have been happy with my choice. I have added the usual items I see suggested in the online reviews and elsewhere (riser, Kreg fence, Woodslicer blade). I also replaced the stock drive belt with the link belt. I was pleased with what it did for my aging Craftsman table saw and had to have it on this tool as well. I have not used a band saw for 30 years and when I made my first cut on the saw it worked perfectly and my cuts come out better than they should have. I was able to take advantage of the Amazon free shipping and am very pleased. It arrived on time and in great condition. I tracked it online, received a call from the freight forwarder to confirm a delivery time and date and all went well. I live 20 miles up in the Sierra Nevada foothills and it made no difference to the delivery driver and there was no extra charge. Assembly of the saw went well, no missing parts, instructions easy to follow and I was able to put it together by myself (not easy but I was able to do it) but I suggest a helper in the final stages. You will need a litle kerosene to clean off some protective packing grease on a couple of items. The only minor problem I had was the upper drive belt pully housing was not completely painted. I called Delta and had a new housing in a few days, no questions asked and no charges. When you start up the saw you might notice a vibration from the drive belt/pully housing on the body of the saw. I placed a rubber washer between the housing and the saw which solved the problem.