[toolie]

is that hitachi the one that has plastic elevation or bevel gears?

+1 on KS's comments about price. i have two similar emerson built saws and kept them over a 3hp unisaw i refurbished and they do what i need to do. if equipped with a ridgid OEM fence or a delta t2, they are extremely capable, even with a 1 hp motor and a sharp blade specific to the designated task.

if it's missing the splitter/blade guard, use that as a bargaining chip ro lower the price. they can cost between $60 and 100 off ebay. there is no way to retro fit a riving knife, adn things like the BORK and the shark guard are pricey options for supplanting the OEM splitter.

 

[toolie]

the motor on the c-man is missing a cover that prevents contact with the motor pulley. with a little work, and the purchase of CI wings and a delta t2, they can be first rate tools. but i'm probably biased as i have two of them. and stumbling across a ridgid herc-u-lift will give it terrific mobility and bolt directly to the leg stand.

 

[toolie]

probably available from sears, ereplacements.com or M and D mower.com. the saw model number is needed to find the missing guard part number.

 

[toolie]

assuming their operational condition is equal, get the $80 saw. the saved $60 can be put towards a new fence system.

 

[toolie]

The second C-man saw could be "direct drive"

good catch. flex and direct drive TSs should be avoided if at all possible. but dont let a little rust deter you from a saw. it cleans fairly easily and the more work you do on a saw, the better you know it and how it operates.

 

[toolie]

here's a methoid that worked quite well when i refurbished a 70s era unisaw:

here's how the refurbbed top turned out. before:

after:

working to ever finer grits of wet/dry paper will make the top shinier. it will, however, be slow going as that top is relatively large, compared to how chisels and hand planer blades turn out.

 

[toolie]

go for smooth and flat, as opposed to removing all traces of any possible stains purely for aesthetics. appearance is a form variable. flatness is a function variable, and i believe in function over form.