HD in Canada has a deal on with a new product they just got in. It swings from +/-55 degree each side. Some digital gauge built into it...didn't see it function Soft start 3200 RPM Easy to adjust compound mitre angles both ways. Cuts 2x14 at right angles.
Right now they are offerring their free stand with every purchase (while quantities last) and the stand looks pretty awesome with it's pull out rollers, clamps and lot of other toys.
Since I am in the market (put the $80 new blade back for my old 10" junker).
I agree. But.... I'm just not a fan of big sliders. If you do work that absolutely needs one, fine, but as a precision cutting device for trim and picture frames, there's just too much wobble. In that case, and that is purely my take on this, a smaller slider like the LS 1013 Makita is pretty decent..BUT.. my cheapo 12" non-slider Ridgid is more accurate...and that thing was around 300 bucks.
I bought a Bosch 12" slider a couple of months ago. It's nice but the dust collection is useless, even with a dust collector hooked to the port. I recently bought one of these just to try to keep up with the sawdust:
They're quite similar actually. You're nitpicking the pin differences. In any event, I was referring to the aluminum construction, the fine adjustment pins for calibrating the mitre perpendicular to the saw blade and the selecting of a mitre angle for cutting. The Jessem has a better fit and finish to it, but not by a great margin. Is the Jessem worth the $75 cost over the Kreg? Maybe if you're preferences prefer the Jessem red and black over the Kreg's standard blue colour. Each to his own I guess.
For me, I looked at the Jessem at another store before I settled on the Kreg at Lee Valley. I can adjust the Kreg to repeatable angles as finely as I choose, so I'm entirely satisfied with it. As far as I'm concerned the Jessem would have only been able to match that satisfaction in capability, not surpass it.
The money I saved went to beer. An equitable trade off I believe. :)
I feel there must have been an earlier unit that has been replaced, based on the comments, so far.
Add: digital mitre gauge with 0.1 degree resolution.
Right now they are offerring their free stand with every purchase (while quantities last) and the stand looks pretty awesome with it's pull out rollers, clamps and lot of other toys.
Since I am in the market (put the $80 new blade back for my old 10" junker).
Thanx Leon. I didn't realize this unit has NO laser cutting line! I can't live without that one after my $179 cheapo had one! They hide that quite well and actually imply it has one in the write-up. GRRRRR....
You should double check that, this article was a couple years old IIRC. You did not indicate a specific model, there could be modifications or additions to later models.
The numbers check out the same. I wanted all the other features so bad I am going today to ask HD to plug it in to see the lights. To think I almost had it under the tree yesterday. (wife is great with it..yeah..I pay though). If I would have turned it on Boxing day and there was no laser site, windows would have been smashed...LOL
Several years ago I looked closely at all the miter gauges that were available. I first bought the pricey Osborne but was shocked that it would not securely lock the fence at 45 degrees with the extension rod fully extended to the 45 degree setting. It was ok on the other end 45 degree setting where the extension rod was almost fully retracted. Because I prefer to cut my miters cut on the trailing edge of the work for less tear out this unit was ruled out. I and the dealer went through the units that he had and all had the inherent flaw. Osborne denied any problem and I see also that this unit is selling now for $109., almost half what I originally paid.
I looked at Incra but when I was buying there were numerous complaints about the fence mount to the gauge not being square to the table. The fences either leaned forward or backward and were seldom perpendicular to the table top. AND most ate up a lot of real-estate behind the fence. Half the guide rails are behind the fence so if you are cutting wide stock the guide rail will not be engaged with much of the miter slot.
I got the Kreg, the Jesem looked pretty good too, but I was simply looking for a miter gauge that could be quickly set to 45 and "0". If I want to cut accurate angles other than in those two settings I use either of my Dubby miter sleds. Setting the fence angle you have about 1/4" of travel between each "one degree" setting, it is extremely easy to dial in a very accurate angle since the angle gauge is approximately 20 inches long.
The Dubby looks nice. I bought the Incra Miter Express thinking I could use the JessEm miter gauge on it. The stupid thing doesn't have a 'T' slot, so it's a PITA without a dedicated miter gauge. I fixed that problem but the Dubby would have been a whole lot cheaper. The Incra is also on the small side.
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