You are asking the right question!!

The name on any product means nothing, it's whats under the name that
counts. I bought a Craftsman some time ago ago and it has served me
well. I do a lot of woodworking, so this has not been a "hanager queen"
if you are familiar with the term. I bought it because it was
inexpensive. It had a cast iron table that was very flat and cast iron
wings that, once installed level, have stayed that way. I spent a lot
of time setting the saw up accurately and it has held that setup for
many years. I have made two upgrades, that have been transformational.
The original fence was a disaster, but I only paid $300 for the saw,
so did not expect much. Threw the original fence away and replaced it
with a Beissmeir (sp) that bolted right up to the saw. It made a world
of difference. Then bought a Forrestt blade and that made almost as
much difference as the fence.

Don't have alot of money, and have to make do with the best quality I
can manage within my budget. The purpose of the Craftsman part of my
saw is to turn the blade well and keep it parallel to the miter slot and
fence. This it does well. Controls are not as smooth as they could be,
but for the price, they have worked well.

Bought an Acculine dial indicator system for adjusting my jointer knives
and it came with a video on how to modify Craftsmen saws to add grease
fittings to the adjustment pivot points and same adjustment screws to
make alignment easier. Not a bad idea, but as I said, I was very
careful when I first adjusted mine, and the alignment hasn't moved in
many years. I would love to own a big Powermatic 220v cabinet saw, but
would rather have the other tools I can afford with the price
difference. For me, woodworking is just a hobby. I always try to keep
that in perspective.

You will read a lot of posts here expressing dissatisfaction with many
companies and products. Some have merit, and others are childish
tantrums. The art is in knowing the difference. I am also not very
concerned about the ego factor. I do not wear Tommy Hilfiger clothes,
because I do not know him and see no reason to advertise for him. I
drive a Dodge pickup and on the day I drove it home, I peeled the Dodge
decal off the tailgate. It looks better without it, and I don't care if
the guy behind me knows what make of truck it is or not. I have worked
for the Air Force for 34 years. When I make a flag box or shadow box
for someone in the office, that has perfectly mitered corners, no one
knows what I used to make the cut with, so it is just between me and the
saw in my garage.

Good luck, and I hope you enjoy woodworking as much as I have.

Bill

KirkH wrote:
This may sound like flame bait at first, but it is a serious question.
Exactly what is everyone's problem with Craftsman table saws???

I started saving for a table say with a $500 limit in mind. After
reading back posts from this group, I looked at a Delta 36-650 at
Lowes for $498 and thought it was a pretty good option. Just for
comparison, I went to Sears and looked at their saws. One of their
saws (forget the model number) was $499 and appeared to be very solid.
Based on what I have read, I paid particular attention to the fence,
and it seemed much more solid and easier to adjust than the Delta.

Now, since I have exactly zero experience with either saw, what
exactly is the problem with Craftsman??? I have read enough of the
"they're all crap!" posts; but I would like to hear exactly why people
feel this way.

I plan to buy one of these saws (or something else in this price
range) in the next few weeks, so I would really appreciate the advice.

Thanks,
Kirk