Read before buying a incra fence with a Saw Stop!

Let me start by saying I have many Incra products and I have an Incra fence on my SawStop and love it. However I have had several issues which Incra will not address that can be fixed but you should be aware of. If I knew of them before it would save me a bunch of cash and time that is the reason for this post not to bash Incra in any way.

1. Brake trips. I tripped a break when the fence was close to the blade. Not sure how since the fence has no marks but SawStop verified it was the fence when they analyzed the break. The Incra fence is metal and if it is close to the blade you can get a contact. Either by the shift of the blade on start up/cutting or if there is a nail or sap pocket in the wood that will cause increased conduction. My fix was to order a piece of plastic coated plywood from woodcraft and make a aux fence. Stock fence is not metal so it doesn't have this issue.

2. Table not being flat and warping over time/temp. My cast iron ends started not to be flat and I could not get them adjusted flat. The stock fence system comes with two large angle iron pieces of steel that runs the entire length of the table. According to Saw stop there wings are a slightly softer metal to allow for some flex to adjust the table perfectly flat. This require support to stay aligned more than the three bolts that connect it to the main table. The pieces are not included with the saw (I think they should be included with the cast iron ends if needed to properly align them and support them) SawStop supplies them with the fence only or you can order them separate for about $300 for the set. Next, the Incra fence does not come with enough brackets to bolt to the wings and according to Incra there bar is not made to support them anyhow. So you either have to buy the angle brackets from SawStop or get lengths of steel and make them. I ordered 4 extra Incra clamps at a cost of $30 to help with the problem. I paid extra for the Incra fence for the SawStop and it is not correct according to SawStop. Incra believes the 3 bolts are sufficient to hold the table to the saw, again SawStop states wings need added support. I the consumer got stuck in the middle again.

3. Bolts that come with the Incra fence do not fit the SawStop, minor thing but again I bought the custom kit for the SawStop and got several bolts none of which fit, need to take a trip to the hardware store for bolts and washers if you get one of these to use it.

4. Incra fence rail is about a foot longer than the table (if this bothers you). Not a big deal but needs to be cut carefully not to crush it and sharp edges rounded, I used a dremel with a wire brush.

Just went through this myself -

I ordered 4 extra (2 additional sets) of the brackets from Incra. I only installed 2 of thm so far for a total of 4 on each side (2 on the cast iron fence, 2 on the 52" extension table). I drilled additional holes in the 52" extension table to attach to the cast iron extension. It's not great, but it's at least close. With the single bolt, it was unusable.

I'm using the HTC base and it's a bit iffy although I haven't put the Incra feet on the rails to figure out if that helps. Had to run out for hardware as well. Also, the special Sawstop fence Incra sent is about a foot longer than the table is wide (haven't decided if it is better to chop it or leave it).

Haven't cut anything so I haven't set the brake off yet (still need to get DC in place).

I like how the sawstop rails attach vs the Incra. It seems like it would be much more stable.

Mark

Will add that above I wound up cutting mind, just looked silly hanging off unless you have a extension table.

Heres my $.02 on your "problems" with Incra

1) Did you not know how the Sawstop mechanism was tripped? Did you not know that Incra made their fences out of metal (Aluminum)? Do you know about static electricity and discharge? You can't realistically expect Incra to start making their fences out of another material just because you had a problem with one saw brand, nor should you expect them to do anything about your situation - what can they do? How does sawstop really know what happened - they're just guessing (although it may be correct).

2) So you're blaming Incra for your Sawstop table warping??? The fence is there as an aftermarket add-on to your saw it's not made to support the wings. Would you expect your deck to bear the weight of your house when that's really the job of your foundation? That's a Sawstop problem for sure - not incra. I had an Incta TS-III that was attached to my saw (which is a much lesser quality saw than yours) with 2 brackets and it worked just fine. It's not there to support the extension wings.

3) Did you buy the custom kit from Incra? If so, then there is a legitimate gripe if the bolts don't fit. If you bought it from Sawstop then go back to them.

4) Really? It's actually supposed to be that way. It gived you addd rip capacity. Take a look at other tabkle saws. Most fence rails are longer than the saw table (unless there is a large extension table atached). By cutting the rails shorter, you effectively reduced your rip capacity - probably more than you think givrn the Incra design.

I'm sorry thst you got caught inthe middle, but you need to place blame where it belongs. It sounds to me like most of your gripes should be with SawStop - not Incra.

Personally, I'm not griping. I've got three different incra fences myself. I'm just pointing out some issues that arise from trying to mate the Incra with the Sawstop. The original poster might be griping although I read it as more of a heads-up. I'll let him comment on that.

My rails are about the perfect length (bought the longer kit). The Incra fence special ordered for the Sawstop is long, but that may be because they have one alternative fence that is a one size fits everyone and the user is expected to chop it off. It didn't come with bolts that will thread to the cast iron table, but I don't think it was advertised as such.

There are at least 5 (that I remember) happy SMC users with Sawstops + Incras around.

If I had to do it again and had an infinite amount of time, I'd probably skip the Sawstop extension table and try to do my own(phenolic maybe?). That said, I don't remember the extension table being obscenely expensive, but it's best not to review one's sawstop bill of goods.

1. Wet lumber, embedded nails, auxiliary clamps, all issues I would not want to worry about.


2. "According to Saw stop there wings are a slightly softer metal to allow for some flex to adjust the table perfectly flat"

That is a joke. It sounds like poor cast iron and or poor casting to me. I would demand new wings.


The General 350/650 w riving knife is the only cabinet saw I would buy today. The seasoned meehanite iron table top and extensions are dead flat and will stay that way. The Baldor motor is superior to the cheap asian motors on the imports. The saw is built to a higher level than the asian saws including the 4k plus SawStop.


Dan

Quote:

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Originally Posted by Brandon Shew

4) Really? It's actually supposed to be that way. It gived you addd rip capacity. Take a look at other tabkle saws. Most fence rails are longer than the saw table (unless there is a large extension table atached). By cutting the rails shorter, you effectively reduced your rip capacity - probably more than you think givrn the Incra design.

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Uh, he was talking about the fence, not the rails.

This is the first time I have seen SMC actually start to be disrespectful directly toward other people. Normally, one of the good things about this group is the respectful method of having differing opinions, both about products and procedures. It gives some balance. IMHO, this thread has crossed the respectful border. I am surprised that one of the moderators has not jumped in here and tried to cool things down.

Lets all remember that we are all trying to help each other, either by providing valuable experience, ideas, and other useful information.

Thanks to all who share, and keep sharing!

It's truly a shame that mature adults can't act like same.


1. This thread's subject was about the Incra/ SawStop problems. It had nothing to do with the pros/cons of buying a SawStop.

2. When I found I couldn't manage the thread fast enough to keep up with the insults/implied insults I closed it.

Read the TOSs folks.....insults are against the TOSs....flaming violates the TOSs.