06-15-2021, 12:54 AM
I have this saw mostly mounted in my table after modifying it and got a chance to use it a bit.
Pros:
So far, I think this is a good saw. Everything that moves does so smoothly and everything seems nice and tight. The fence was square with the blade in the detent out of the box. The tilt indicators needed adjustment, but that is expected.
It seems to have plenty of power for the 2x4s and plywood test pieces I've cut. The factory blade isn't terrible, but I put a Freud on it that I already had.
The deck seems flat and true. It was pretty easy to get it to fit right in my table. The mounting holes and feet are placed well.
The table angle adjustment works well and allows 60 degrees in one direction. My table won't let it go that far, but it will go to 45 in either direction, which is enough for me. The 60 degree side lets you fold up the saw in a fairly tight package for transport.
The adjustable throat plate is a nice touch. I plan on making some zero clearance inserts, but it is still nice.
Assembly is very minimal out of the box. Blade changes are very simple. No excuses for me not cleaning it once in a while.
Cons:
I'll preface the cons by saying that this doesn't really make it a good portable saw. I went into this knowing about these and had always planned to have it permanently in a table. I have a portable CMS on a stand for trim and construction work.
It is heavy for sure. Don't try to lift it without folding it into the 60 degree position. This makes it manageable for me, but I'm a pretty big guy.
The dust collection is a joke. Just looking at it showed me that. It's not an issue for me because I have two 4" ports in the back of the area with the saw. With those ports and the hose, it does fine.
No laser. It seems weird that they wouldn't have one. Since they are quite useful. But my table has the Kreg system, so I can get away without it. The laser in my old saw had a dead battery for six months. I kind of forgot it had one.
The dust extractor fitting is proprietary. I just run a 2.5" hose off of the wye for it, so I have it fit over the fitting and clamped.
The head tilt is a little weird, but I don't see myself using it that much for this saw. A 12" sliding CMS seems a bit unweildy to use for trim anyway.
Initial conclusions:
I'm happy so far because I knew what I was getting into. For my application of a fixed position saw with good DC and a measuring/stop system, it works great. It would not make a good portable saw, especially if you needed to keep the dust down and wanted to use only an extractor. If you need a portable CMS that has lasers and good dust control, a Kapex might be abetter choice.
Pros:
So far, I think this is a good saw. Everything that moves does so smoothly and everything seems nice and tight. The fence was square with the blade in the detent out of the box. The tilt indicators needed adjustment, but that is expected.
It seems to have plenty of power for the 2x4s and plywood test pieces I've cut. The factory blade isn't terrible, but I put a Freud on it that I already had.
The deck seems flat and true. It was pretty easy to get it to fit right in my table. The mounting holes and feet are placed well.
The table angle adjustment works well and allows 60 degrees in one direction. My table won't let it go that far, but it will go to 45 in either direction, which is enough for me. The 60 degree side lets you fold up the saw in a fairly tight package for transport.
The adjustable throat plate is a nice touch. I plan on making some zero clearance inserts, but it is still nice.
Assembly is very minimal out of the box. Blade changes are very simple. No excuses for me not cleaning it once in a while.
Cons:
I'll preface the cons by saying that this doesn't really make it a good portable saw. I went into this knowing about these and had always planned to have it permanently in a table. I have a portable CMS on a stand for trim and construction work.
It is heavy for sure. Don't try to lift it without folding it into the 60 degree position. This makes it manageable for me, but I'm a pretty big guy.
The dust collection is a joke. Just looking at it showed me that. It's not an issue for me because I have two 4" ports in the back of the area with the saw. With those ports and the hose, it does fine.
No laser. It seems weird that they wouldn't have one. Since they are quite useful. But my table has the Kreg system, so I can get away without it. The laser in my old saw had a dead battery for six months. I kind of forgot it had one.
The dust extractor fitting is proprietary. I just run a 2.5" hose off of the wye for it, so I have it fit over the fitting and clamped.
The head tilt is a little weird, but I don't see myself using it that much for this saw. A 12" sliding CMS seems a bit unweildy to use for trim anyway.
Initial conclusions:
I'm happy so far because I knew what I was getting into. For my application of a fixed position saw with good DC and a measuring/stop system, it works great. It would not make a good portable saw, especially if you needed to keep the dust down and wanted to use only an extractor. If you need a portable CMS that has lasers and good dust control, a Kapex might be abetter choice.
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