Brand New Unisaw

[Roche Daddy]

Long story short......I bought a new house and have been getting to know my neighbors. One is a welding master who makes the most beautiful Harleys. And the other is an old retired wood worker. The other day I mentioned to the wife of the wood worker that if he is thinking about selling any of his tools I would be interested. He is 85 and is past the point he can work on anything. Today he takes me into his garage to show me his tools and the first thing he shows me is a Delta Unisaw that is brand new. Not a new Delta, but a 20 year old Delta Unisaw that still has the fence in a box. Hell the thing has never been plugged in. He bought it when he retired but never rewired his garage for 220 so it has just sat there.

I have the ability to buy it if I want. But I have no idea what to offer. There is a used one for 500 in the area, but a new one in the box is something I don't know how to value. I want to pay a fair price as I would feel like **** ripping off my 85 year old neighbor, but I also don't want to overpay for the saw. I think he mentioned he paid 1000 for it. Normally things lose value once they leave the lot so to speak. But in this situation I have no idea how to value the saw.

Anyone with experience on how to properly appraise a tool like this please help.

 

[rrich1]

model number would help. then i would do a google search to see the going rate of that model.

 

[southalabama]

It's 20 years old used or not.

Offer $500.00.

 

[IndyGarage]

I would ask him what he would sell it for.

Normally used tools go for about 1/2 new if they are in good shape, so $500 would be appropriate, but it may be worth more than that.

I don't see very many unisaws for $500 even if they are pretty beat up.

 

[Bdgjr215]

Maybe you should ask what else he is interested in selling and do a bundle deal,then there
Isn't so much focus on what you're paying per tool.A tablesaw is the heart of the shop so
If he wants to sell that,he's probably ready to sell other stuff as well.

 

[matt01073]

Around my area you would not fine a junkey old unisaw for less than 500 . A 20 year old new one is likely to be better than a new new one and ill bet if you priced a cuurent model as close as they make to that one you would find even if you gave him what he paid it would be a bargain

 

[shelteredV]

Does it have the good fence and extension with it? Which model is it? Even if it's a 3hp model, it's worth a lot more than 500 bucks. A new 5 hp base model goes for just under 2 grand.

 

[gungatim]

unisaw's came in a lot of flavors that can affect the price. single iron wing, double iron wings, extention table, (there's a good one and a better one), rolling base, and what kind of fence (bies, unifence, etc.).

hard to go wrong with $500, but he accessories would be icing on the cake.

And I agree that an older US made Uni in nearly any condition probably beats current over seas production.

Mine is a mid-80's version...

 

[exmaxima1]

unisaw's came in a lot of flavors that can affect the price. single iron wing, double iron wings, extention table, (there's a good one and a better one), rolling base, and what kind of fence (bies, unifence, etc.).

Good point, especially regarding the fence. If it doesn't have the new Uni-Fence it's not worth more than $500 as it will cost $250-300 for a new fence.

 

[Bent Handle]

I've been looking around for a nice used unisaw myself. Around here $500 won't get you much. The fence obviously makes a difference along with which version the saw is.

 

[Roche Daddy]

Thanks for all the replies. I guess my main concern was if tools could be like toys or other collectable things that are worth a ton more in an unopened box. I wouldn't pay more for it, but I wouldn't want to screw him out of making a ton of money if that was the case.


Last night as I was thinking about it I was thinking about what to offer for all his tools. Or as someone else mentioned a bundle price. I'm going to let him set the price but I think that is the best way to go about this. First I am going to offer to help him clean out his garage as he is to old to do it and his kids are not much help.

Can't begin to explain how excited I am. He has old Dewalt and Craftsman everything. And he is willing to sell it all.

Thanks again.

 

[My Old Tools]

If the saw has a Biesemeyer or Unifence it is worth $1000-1200 around here. If it still looks new (no surface rust) if might bring $1400. If it has the old Delta round rail fence, it is $800-$1000 most likely. All of that assumes 2-3 HP single phase with LV controls. $500 is theft in just about any market I know of in that condition. A new Unisaw is $2500.

Yes, a Stanley plane in the box is worth more than the same plane sitting on the shelf. Collectable tools sell by condition, and new in the box is top condition. Non collectable tools will have less effect, but I always like to see a nice clean tool stored in the box when I'm looking versus a grungy example with missing parts.

 

[ez-duzit]

Those claiming a brand new Unisaw with fence is only worth $500 don't know what they're talking about. It should be worth ~$1,000, depending on which motor it has. But I would ask him to tell you how much he thinks is fair.

I have 2 Unisaws, a 1-1/2 hp and a 3 hp, one with a Unifence and one with a Beismeyer, and think they're excellent machines. The older ones are superior.

 

[Camping57]

I would tend to agree with EZ. Really beat up and rusty Unisaws that need a restore will go for $500 around here. A clean, unused one (if it is rust free) will be worth something in the $800 - $1,200 range.
Since it's 20 years old, you may have to replace the bearings in a few years if the grease is dried out in them, but that isn't a major expense. You can find all the info on how to repair and adjust Unisaws on the VintageMachinery.org site in the their resources tab.
I'm still looking for my Unisaw because I'm looking for one at a "you ****" price. I do have my Powermatic 100 planer and Delta 46-450 lathe at crazy cheap prices.

 

[Packard V8]

Those of us who ran Unisaws with the OEM round rail fence for fifty years are always surprised to read they're unusable junk. Yes, the later fences are more idiot-proof, but the one it came with will do as good a work as the operator is capable of.

If it's NIB, it's easily worth the $1,000 he paid for it.

jack vines

 

[shoot summ]

Funny how prices vary. Unisaws pop up here all the time in the $500-$700 range. With better fences they are a little more. Once you break into $1200 they are like new hardly used. I sold the neighbor's Uni, full table, and Unifence for $600 and that took a bit.

This is an interesting situation, I had something similar with another neighbor and guns. He wanted to sell everything, individually the prices weren't great, but as a bundle it was a good deal. He gave me his price, I gave him the money. It was the start of a long relationship where he did a lot for me, and I returned the favor. So realize, and I think you do, it's not all about the price of the tools...

 

[SteveCh]

Bought mine new in the early 80s for about $700 with the stock fence. I've used it a lot and still do, same fence [works great, by the way]. It helps to periodically clean the saw really well, including the parts of the fence. I would not hesitate to pay the same amount for a new one like in this case. Great saws and last more than a lifetime.

 

[Cruzan80]

Personally, I had an amazing deal on mine for $250. Around here they can go for 5-600, all the way up to $1200+. At least that is asking price. I would suggest around 500-750 would be an appropriate range for the machine. Remember, you are getting a good saw, and he is getting room in his garage and not having the hassle of dealing with a stranger. At a certain point, it becomes beneficial to both of you, and that is the happy medium to land in.