Wixey for the tablesaw fence?

[Jeff Monson]

Anyone use the wixey tablesaw fence readout? My local ww store is have a sale this weekend, $99 with 10% off and I'm wondering if its worth the money? I like my wixey tilt box but was wondering if the one for the tablesaw stays calibrated after it is taken off and on a few times.

[Myk Rian]

My tape strip on the rail works just fine.
I would spend the money for something else, but that's just me.

[glenn bradley]

I got one on sale and do enjoy using it. It will stay calibrated but that is not really an issue. I change blades a lot and when you can be as accurate as this thing lets you get, I zero it at each blade change. Just slide the fence up to the blade, lock it and zero the gauge. I also use the incremental function much more than I thought I would; cut a piece, zero the gauge and then move 21/32 to the left for the next piece. Stuff like that.

[Jim Kountz]

I installed one about two years ago, used the heck out of it for about a month and havent used it since. It does work as advertised however, its just not every day I need to cut something to within .001 of an inch so I find myself just using the tape on the fence.

[Scott Hildenbrand]

I've got one as well that I got cheap cheap off eBay along with the blade degree box. Rather like using it and had no real issues installing it on my R4511, short of replacing the pin in the fence with a bolt.

Calibration is a non issue, as Glenn says, just zero it any time you change the blade. All you've got to do is butt the fence against the blade and hit a button..

Yes, the tape on the rails works, but this is quick and accurate to any blade or fence setup regardless of what you change..

BTW, you never really "take it off" of the saw. Once it's there, there is no reason to remove it.. It's held to the fence with a bracket and magnet.. Just pop it off the bracket and then remove the fence as you normally would.

[Steve Clardy]

I use mine all the time. Great product.

[John Harden]

If you want my .02, I recently bought a Euro slider and opted for power blade height adjustment with LED (primarily for the shaper) and the same thing for the J/P.

I never once considered getting it for the rip fence or the crosscut stops on the outrigger. Cost was not a factor. Its just not something I ever envision using.

These seem to be imitations of the auto/digital settings found on SCMI, Format and Martin machines. They make sense for production environments where you're uploading dimensioned drawings right off AutoCAD files. Their saw fences are powered and will automatically slide right over to the proper dimension and the large LCD screen will tell you what piece to load for the cut. Very useful there. Not so much for a home shop.

My Powermatic 15" planer had a Wixey "digital" height gauge. Problem was, it was battery powered and lost its settings whenever you turned it off, which you needed to do all the time if you didn't want the batteries to run down. Even if it has a memory, move that fence while it's off and so much for your setting.

The Felder and MM offerings are at least wired into the saw's electrical system with battery backup. That is, they're always on and retain their settings even when the machine is unplugged with their built in back up battery.

My recommendation is unless you're a gadget guy, pass on this and spend your money on wood. If you are a gadget guy, then by all means get it and enjoy!!!! Bottom line is only you can decide. You certainly don't need it for fine woodworking.

Regards,

John

[Scott Hildenbrand]

You certainly don't need it for fine woodworking.

I think that sums it, and any other "toy" up rather well... Very little is needed for fine woodworking.. But some times they do make things just a touch faster.

[Leo Graywacz]

Putting the Wixey on my TS changed the way I work. I use the Wixey TS, Height, Angle and the planer gauge. It makes setups a breeze. What use to take me a few tries to get perfect I do on the first try. I also found out my tape on the TS is out by 1/32" after about 24". I suspected, but this confirmed it. If you are just doing hobby work it will probably be overkill. But for the professional like myself it is a fantastic tool.

[Paul Ryan]

I bought one last winter when they were on special the angle guage and the TS fence for $99. I use the angle guage more but the TS wixey is a nice tool. It is not necessary, buy it really comes in handy when you cut something and move the fence then a few minutes later want to move it back again. It is exact. So you can make repeated size cuts easier and faster. I dont know if I would spend $89 on it buy itself, maybe. But it is nice to have.

[Leigh Betsch]

I've got a battery powered digital fence on my MM Euro slider and I wouldn't ever be without one again. This one is not wired into the saws electrical system, there is no off button but I've only had to replace the battery once in three years. No more eyeballing to a line and guessing if I'm over a bit or under a bit. I just go to the number and know right where I am. It's very easy to zero, just move the fence up to the stop and press the preset button. I use the incremental feature quite often also. I'm thinking about retrofitting my cross cut fence with digital readouts also. I'm not sure if Wixey would be a good unit if it looses it's zero that easily, and sounds like they eat batteries.

[Scott Hildenbrand]

I dont know if I would spend $89 on it buy itself, maybe.

Having it packed with the angle gauge was a deciding factor for me as well.. I don't think I'd have picked it up if it was just packed by itself.

[John Harden]

Putting the Wixey on my TS changed the way I work. I use the Wixey TS, Height, Angle and the planer gauge. It makes setups a breeze. What use to take me a few tries to get perfect I do on the first try. I also found out my tape on the TS is out by 1/32" after about 24". I suspected, but this confirmed it. If you are just doing hobby work it will probably be overkill. But for the professional like myself it is a fantastic tool.

My post above notwithstanding, I agree with you on the Wixey angle gauge. That thing is just cool!!! I've had mine for about six months and it works great.

Regards,

John

[Peter Aeschliman]

I absolutely love mine. It's very accurate. Not necessary, but I use my TS so often that it's a very nice convenience.

[Richard Wagner]

Using mine makes me feel like I am doing really good work even though I am not.

Face it. If you are a fine wood worker, you don't need these gadgets. If you are not so fine, they do make you feel good. They must be okay, the retailers are selling a lot of them.