Keith,
I can't offer you any valuable advice but from my experience seeing
older Unisaws it would take a cracked table top or trunion to keep me
from buying one for $100 (or if the blade tilt and height mechanisms
have perished.

Even if the motor is bad or 3 phase you could obtain a modern working
3hp motor cheap enough to justify your purchase. Although I have a new
Uni, I was very tempted to buy a 40 year old model last month for $300
just to use it in my garage as a rough lumber cutting tool. That old
unit looked older than me but it ran (single phase, 230volt)
nicely.
I have never disassembled a Uni but it looks straighforward. Borrow,
rent, or buy (they always come in handy) a heavy duty refrigerator
mover with a strap function and you could probably move it your self -
except getting into the bed of a pick-up. They weight over 350 pounds
(I think the quoted weights of 400 plus include the cast iron wings
which are removable).
Good luck with this, I hope it's a gloat!
Marc


Keith Carlson wrote:
Found a used Unisaw for sale locally - they're asking $100. I cruise through
the ads once in a while hoping I might find a well-made old machine at a
good price. This saw is older - not as old as Keith Bohn's A-100 Unisaw
shown on owwm.com - but as described seems to be in good shape, and it would
have to have some major problems to be worth less than $100, right?

I'm hoping to get ahold of the seller tomorrow and check it out. What I'm
wondering is - what are the critical things to check to know if I should
walk away from it. I know I can't use it if it has a 3-phase motor. Should
bring a straightedge to check the flatness of the table. What else? I think
I've read trunnion bearings, but I'm not sure how to check those.

Also, in case this thing is for real, I want to be ready to cash & carry,
what's the best way to move this? About how much do they weigh? How
difficult is it to remove the top and move the cabinet and top separately?

Thanks so much for any advice.