Unisaw: Made in the U.S.A.

The white stars on the map above show the location of some of the key U.S. suppliers for the Delta Unisaw and the red stars highlight the contributions of internal Black & Decker facilities.

What constitutes “Made in the U.S.A.?” You might be surprised, as I was, to find out there are no established requirements for making this most-boastful comment on many products. No requirements other than you better be able to back up your words with facts. This is why you see the qualifier “…¦  of U.S and foreign components” inscribed on the plate located on the front of each Unisaw produced.

Of course, it’s all but impossible to claim a product is made entirely in the United States. Case in point: Each Delta Unisaw is purchased with a Marathon motor included. Marathon Electric, a company based in Wausau, Wisconsin, builds these motors. Marathon Electric is part of the Regal Beloit family of companies, headquartered in Beloit, Wisconsin. All this would lead one to believe these motors are U.S. made. But here’s the issue. The company cannot verify from where some of the materials used in the motors, such as the copper wire for the motor windings, are made. Therefore, the company cannot use “Made in the U.S.A.” on the motors. And as a result, Delta cannot include the motor in it’s listing of parts made in the United States.

So, how does Delta claim “Made in the U.S.A.” without stepping over the line , besides adding the aforementioned qualifier? Delta makes sure the list of qualified parts made in the United States used on the Unisaw reaches its in-house established level of 80 percent. Interestingly, that’s 80 percent based on total costs. (Take all the U.S.-made parts at cost, add the total and if that number is at least 80 percent of the total cost of the saw, “Made in the U.S.A.” can be added to that tool.)

As I said above, there is no set requirement for this percentage. This is a Delta-set number. Is it a good number? Considering that many industries use a percentage much lower , according to Delta, the shoe industry arbitrarily sets 50 percent as its figure , I would have to say it is.

I’m not going to get into each and every nut and bolt, but let’s take a look at the major saw parts. First, the cabinet is made and painted in the facility in Jackson, Tenn. (I expect it’s rather easy for the company to pinpoint that the rolled steel used in the cabinet is U.S. made.) Second, the newly designed, one-piece trunnions are cast and milled in Wisconsin by one of the premier casting companies in the world. (This fact has been confirmed by a source outside the confines of Delta.) And third, the tabletop and wings are cast and milled in Wisconsin, too.

For good measure, each Unisaw is shipped with a Biesemeyer fence system, and I watched these being made at the Jackson facility. That’s four major parts of the Unisaw that are easily qualified as made in the U.S. Is that all that’s needed in reaching 80 percent? Maybe so, but I’ll bet there are more parts to the saw with origins in the United States.

Additionally, each Unisaw is shipped with a new 10″, 50-tooth, full-kerf saw blade manufactured in Shelbyville, Ky. According to Delta, this is not the typical blade that arrives with a new table saw only to be cast aside for rough cuts or emergencies. Time will tell. And if I can get information on the complete line , 18 new blades in all , I’ll report on them in a future entry.

– Glen D. Huey

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