Continuing our search for the best table saw, today we have the Delta 36-6023 10-inch table saw review. I’ll be looking at it on a stand-alone basis to understand build quality, price, and performance. Then, I’ll look at alternative table saws for comparison.
Regular readers know that I’ve had a love-hate relationship with table saws in my 40 years of woodworking. I love them for what they do, but I’ve never found one that does everything I need. My drive is to give you the information you need to ensure you purchase the table saw that best fits your requirements.
My first impression of this saw was that it was high-priced and appeared to be a clone of many other table saws on the market. Yet, the saw acquitted itself well on most points, although I don’t feel the price is justified. I’d like to see a 10 to 15% reduction to make it attractive for my wallet.
Let’s dive into the good and not-so-good of the Delta 36-6023 table saw to better guide you on your purchase decisions.
Introducing Delta 36-6023
- Powerful 15 Amp Contractor Grade motor easily handles treated lumber and hardwoods
- 32. 5 Inch Rip Capacity handles large stock and 13/16 in. X 8 in. STACKED DADO CAPACITY
- Durable rack and pinion fence rails make fence adjustments fast, smooth, and accurate
Tool Specifications
- 10-inch carbide-tipped blade
- 15 amp motor, turning the blade at 3,450 RPM
- Bevel capability from -2 degrees to 47 degrees
- Cuts 3-1/2 inch at 90 degrees and 2-1/2 inches at 45 degrees
- 32-1/2 inch rip capacity
- Corded electric
- Includes a rollable, folding table stand
Included In The Package
- Rip fence
- Miter gauge
- Push stick
- Anti-kickback pawl
- Blade guard
- Foldable stand with wheels
- Carbide blade
The Delta 36-6023 is another table saw that fits into the ‘prosumer’ category, aimed at hobbyists and jobbing contractors or builders. Its primary use is the cross-cutting and rip-sawing of most timbers, plywood, hardwood, and composite materials.
Overall, the Delta table saw largely does what it says on the box. It’s a 10-inch saw on a foldable stand sporting a rack and pinion rip fence with good rip capacity. The rack and pinion uses metal gears, which is good, and a hard plastic knob to adjust the fence.
The fence also has a flip-down auxiliary fence that doubles as material support when extended beyond the tabletop and allows thin cuts when the fence is close to the blade. A big plus for the Delta 36-6023 is its capacity to use 13/16 inch X 8 inch stacked Dado blades.
I have a couple of gripes regarding the miter gauge and the foldable stand. Owners of the Delta suggest that the miter gauge is only marginally better than cross-cutting by hand, given the amount of slop in the T-slot. If you buy the Delta 36-6023, the first thing to do is make a cross-cut sled or purchase a better-fitting aftermarket gauge.
The other minor gripe is the foldable stand. Most table saws in this price and size bracket design their stands to provide support to the left of the table when cutting sheets, and the Delta table saw doesn’t. However, owners seem to like the fact that the stand is sturdy.
The price of this model is the most expensive of the saws looked at today, with similar table saws hovering between US$500 and US$650 at the time of writing. The Delta 36-6023 has a couple of nice touches and one flaw, and if it were $150 cheaper, I could forgive a lot.
PROS
CONS
Delta 36-6023 Review
Fence Extension
The fence on the Delta 36-6023 is a nice design feature of the saw. It extends out to allow a good rip-cut capability of 32-1/2 inches, and it provides a flip-down auxiliary fence to support the edge of a sheet when operating beyond the tabletop.
The same auxiliary fence is useful when cutting thin strips where the fence comes very close to the blade. The flip-down component allows push stick use while providing clearance for the offcut.
Cut-Depth
The cut depth on the Delta table saw is good when compared to most others. Some saws do beat it, but that’s down to a different design and drive system. At 3-1/2 inches for a 90-degree cut, you get a full 3/8-inch more than many competitors, so a big plus for the Delta.
Dado Capacity
For those who aren’t clear on what a dado is, it’s a slot cut across the grain on the face of a plank or sheet, and it’s often used for making drawer runners. To cut a dado, you stack dado cutters together to achieve the width slot that you need.
Most larger saws, such as the Delta 36-6023, have a dado capacity, although not all. It’s good to see the capability included and the ability to buy the throat plate that sits in the tabletop to accept the wider blades. Full marks to Delta on this feature.
Alternatives To Delta 36-6023
DEWALT DWE7491RS 10-Inch Table Saw
- Your purchase includes one Dewalt table saw, 10inch 24-tooth carbide blade, rolling stand, push stick, miter gauge, rip fence, 2x blade wrenches, blade guard assembly manual
- Other Specs: Max rip to left of blade – 22inch | Max rip to right of blade – 32-1/2inch | Max width of Dado – 13/16inch | Arbor size – 5/8inch | Amps – 15 | Depth of cut at 45inch –...
- Rolling stand designed for easy set up and breakdown with excellent stability
On paper, there’s not much to distinguish the Dewalt DWE7491RS from the Delta 36-6023, which is unsurprising as they both originally hailed from Black and Decker ownership. They both have a 32-1/2 inch rip capacity, and they share a similar rack and pinion drive for the fence. The dado capacity on both is the same width, and they both come with anti-kickback pawls as standard.
However, there are small differences, with the Delta giving a deeper cut depth at 90 degrees, being 3-1/2 inches to DEWALT’s 3-1/8. The foldable stand appears stronger on the DEWALT to my eyes, although the Delta wins on wheel size. Concerning the miter gauge, rather than DEWALT winning that battle, Delta loses it for manufacturing a sloppy fitting T-slot.
Interestingly, from reading the specs, the DEWALT weighs 40% higher than the Delta, at just over 100 pounds versus the Delta’s 77 pounds. I have no idea what accounts for that difference, given the similarity in the specifications. It’s not a big deal, given both use a rolling stand, but it’s interesting to ponder.
All told the differences are minor, which brings us back to price. With the DEWALT currently retailing over US$100 cheaper than the Delta 36-6023, I do not see features on the Delta justifying the premium when compared to the DEWALT.
SKILSAW SPT99-11 10 Inch Worm Drive Table Saw
- Legendary worm drive gearing with 3-5/8 inch depth of cut and 30-1/2 inch rip capacity
- Precision rack and pinion fence system makes fence adjustments quickly and smoothly for accurate cuts
- Rugged rolling stand with 16 inch Wheels and easy-load handles delivers unsurpassed mobility
Compared to the SKILSAW SPT99-11, the Delta 36-6023 wins with its huge rip-cut width, offering 35-inches to the SKILSAW’s 30-½ inches. However, the SPT99-11 takes the prize for a whopping 3-5/8 inch cut depth at 90 degrees, 1/8 inch deeper than the Delta’s already impressive 3-1/2 inches.
I’m impressed with the SKILSAW’s worm drive motor, which provides great torque to the cut, while the Delta has a direct drive like many of its peers. I also prefer the SKILSAW’s foldable stand with its large wheels and a handle that provides left-of-cut support to wider sheets.
Price-wise, the SKILSAW is about $50 to $60 cheaper than the Delta, so if you’re choosing between the two, it comes down to greater cut depth versus greater cut rip width and whether you need all the extra torque provided by the SPT99-11.
Metabo HPT Table Saw, 10-Inch, C10RJS
- BEST IN CLASS RIP CAPACITY: 3" to the right x 22" to the left .Table Material : Aluminum
- OVERSIZED TABLE: 28 3/4" x 22" for easy and safer material support
- PRO LEVEL MOTOR: Cooper wound, soft start, electric brake, overload protection, 15 amp, 4,500 RPM
There are a few differences between the Metabo C10RJS and the Delta 36-6023. The Metabo has a greater rip capacity at 35 inches compared to the 32-1/2 inch capacity of the Delta. It also has outfeed support at the back of the saw to support the timber following the cut.
Once again, the Delta wins on cut depth, with the Metabo cutting 3-1/8 inches at 90 degrees, compared to the Delta 36-6023, which manages 3-1/2 inches.
The Metabo wins when we look at the motor design, as the C10RJS sports a soft starter and a blade brake, while the Delta has neither feature. Those differences aside, both offer anti-kickback pawls and dado capability.
The Metabo wins again when we consider the price. The C10RJS retailed at sub-$600 prices at writing, while the Delta 36-6023 was north of $700. With the Metabo giving a wider rip capacity, soft start, a blade brake, plus outfeed support, it’s a compelling buy.
BOSCH 4100 XC-10 10 Inch Worksite Table Saw
- NEW VERSION AVAILABLE: GTS15-10
- POWERFUL TABLE SAW: Has 15-Amp saw with 4.0 max HP and 3,650 rpm, for rip-cutting and cross-cutting of fine and rough materials
- LARGE CAST ALUMINUM TOP: Provides increased work space and material support with a 30 In. ripping capacity
The Bosch 4100XC-10 has a lot in common with the Metabo CJ10RS mentioned above, and it offers the same benefits. These are a blade brake, a soft start motor, and a rear outfeed extension.
The Delta wins against the Bosch with that nice cut depth at 90 degrees, which is 3/8-inch deeper than the 4100CX-10. It also wins with a full 5-inch wider rip cut capacity. I also prefer the auxiliary fence design on the Delta, which uses a quick flip-over action to deploy it, rather than the cumbersome screw-on extrusion of the Bosch.
I prefer the foldable stand on the Bosch, which seems sturdier and offers better quality wheels and tires, whereas the Delta uses plastic wheels and tread.
Once again, Delta struggles with price. The Bosch was a full US$120 cheaper than the Delta 36-6023 at the time of writing this article. My take is that if the cut width or depth is critical to your work, you pay the premium and buy the Delta. If not, the Bosch offers a lot of nice extras at a greatly reduced price.
Summary
Here’s a comparison table to summarise the differences in the table saws discussed.
The Delta 36-6023 is a good table saw, providing good build quality coupled with a great cut depth and rip-cut width. Other saws may beat it on one feature, but not both. In common with its competition, it provides anti-kickback pawls, a foldable stand, and dado capacity. It gets a black mark for that sloppy miter slot, though, as that’s simply poor design.
Where I struggle is paying such a huge price premium. Even if the Delta had outfeed support, a soft start, and a blade brake, the price difference is over $100, which is a lot to swallow.
As always, you need to decide how badly you want the extra cut width and depth. Is it worth the premium? If you decide it is, or by the time you read this article, the price has become sensible, then, by all means, buy the Delta 36-6023. There are no fatal flaws.
Further Reading: Delta 36-725T2 Contractor Table Saw Review
