I bought the 22124 Friday and spent the day Saturday setting it up. It was quite a project getting it of the pick up truck and un-boxing the steel crate it comes in, I wonder if the garbage guys will take it! Anyway finally got it in the basement. Thank God for walk out basements, no way this thing could go down the stairs.
Anyway I decided to put it on a mobile base before putting it all together so I did a little research and settled on the Universal Mobile Base (model 145488) at the Woodcraft store. This is a kit with two swivel caster wheels and two fixed wheel with lifts. You use a piece of 3/4" plywood cut to fit the base of the saw and bolt it to the wheels. It assembled quickly and I convinced my son in law to help put the saw on the mobile base, actually it wasn't that bad. Also drafted him for help putting on the cast extension wings.
So after many hours of set up (I take my time but it's together right). I have the following feedback.
1.)They sure like protective coatings in China. Most metal (even painted or platted)except the cabinet was drenched with the stuff. WD-40 and lots of rags took care of that.2.) They also like strech wrap packaging. If they ever need to be competitive there is a 60% cost savings just in reducing the amount used on this saw!
3.) Paint job on the base is different. It seems to be a shiny paint but it doesn't clean up smoothly. Still have smudges, maybe I'll figure something out later.4.) That Biesemeyer fence is great. Went together great with one issue. The front guide tube seems to have one of it's mounting holes drilled wrong and the bolt just slips up into it. According to Sears they are going to send me a new guide tube this coming week.
5.) The Miter Guage is a little questionable. The accuracy of the degree scale is off by 1 degree to the right at all settings. I've set the mechanical stops at 45-90-45 correctlly but it seems a shame that the scale on the gauge is wrong. Still don't know if I like the Aluminum fence for the mitre guage, time will tell.6.) There is a fairly noticable click noise when I start the motor before it is up to speed and also a corresponding noise when I shut it off as it slows down. Anyone know what that is, do others with this saw also haer this?
7.) I question the belt technology. No pulleys, instead there are groved surfaces on both the motor shaft and the arbor shaft for the blade and the belt has groves in it. The weight of the motors maintains belt tension.8.) It seems impossible to keep smudges off the cast iron surfaces of the table and the wings, I'm using Johnson's past wax and lots of buffing to try to keep up with this. Is this normal? Also what is best to use to coat the Melanine add on fence?
So far I'm not disappointed with this saw, just need to work through all the above. It does go together nicelly and the top and the extensions went together very tight and smooth. I welcome any comments or feedback to all this.
Bob Ziemba