Really disappointed with Incra 1000SE

[Dan Friedrichs]

I got a new Incra 1000SE miter gauge for Christmas, and spent today playing with it. After all the hype I've read on this forum about this gauge, I'm really disappointed.

Below are some things that really bother me about this product:

1) In order to use the extended fence, you have to loosen a hex screw with an included screwdriver. I need to go find this screwdriver every single time I want to use the fence?!

2) The rulers are not affixed - they simply slide in a channel. I think I will have to be careful not to bump the gauge and accidentally shift one of the rules.

3) The rule on the extended fence reads upside-down. Incra apparently didn't want to print a rule that read right-to-left, so they took the standard left-to-right rule and slid it in upside down. How cheap!

4) The flip stop has two independant "arms". I think it would be convenient if they were some integer value of distance apart (so I could say, "Stop 1 is at 20" and stop 2 is at 24"). Unfortunately, Incra spaced them 3 26/32" apart. Why?!


Overall, I am not even remotely impressed with the design of this product. Had I purchased it myself (not been gifted it), I'd be returning it. I anticipated this would be a highly-accurate system to allow me to miter and crosscut to precise lengths with ease (ie - not making test cuts, not measuring and marking with a tape measure first, etc); instead, this seems like a kit of parts.

I would caution people to try one of these before they buy one. Perhaps it would work for your use, but it doesn't appear to fit mine.

[Stephen Edwards]

Thanks for the review. One of the great things about this forum, IMHO, are the tool reviews from woodworkers who actually have a tool that someone else may be considering purchasing.

[Vince Shriver]

Since you were gifted this thing, seems to me you can put it on the classified board and use that money to purchase something more to your liking, or ask where it was purchased and take it back. Pretty easy stuff here.

[Peter Aeschliman]

Most of the issues you state don't bother me much, except for the ruler issues. Why it's upside down and why it moves so easily is beside me. Those are two things they really should change, and I can't imagine it would cost them a ton of money either... they'd just have to change the extrusion so that it's flat on the top for an adhesive-backed ruler, and reprint rulers so they read correctly.

For such an expensive and generally well-made item, it's a bit of a head scratcher why they would go cheap on the ruler.

[Prashun Patel]

I urge you to play with it a little more. I like it, and I find it to be very accurate.

I got used to the screwdriver - and even like it now. Mine hangs under my saw. A lot of people have replaced those screws with thumbscrews, though if it really chaps ya.

I agree the 'ruler' is a joke, but I never understood how that's supposed to work anyway, since as soon as you shift the miter angle, you change the distance to the blade. I measure from the blade each time with a real ruler.

The flip stop is awesome. I usually work with the both arms, but the independent arms allow you to utilize the max distance of the extension fence with the stop if you need to - instead of sacrificing that 2ish inches. That little microadjuster bar is great.

I'm building a rocking chair now that has some tricky angles and tight tolerances, and this thing has been very good at it.

My only wish is that the fence were a little higher to make clamping to it a little easier. I have an aux fence for it, but that prevents using the flip stop.

[Bruce Page]

I have the Incra 2000 that has to be partially disassembled and reassembled when switching miter slots – a nuisance. Its saving grace is that after initial setup, it is dead accurate. I also think the stop is more trouble than it is worth.
I don’t think they make the 2000 anymore…

[Cary Falk]

Dan,
I am sorry you are disappointed with the Incra. My only complaint with it was the piece of angle steel that connects the fence to the head is not square and need to be shimmed on every gauge. You would think they would machine these instead of stamping. I don't use the rulers so I can't comment on that. There are adjustable pins on the flip stops so you can probably get an even number between the 2 if you wanted. I figure what ever the distance between them, what ar the odds it would be what you needed anyway. I believe there was a person on this forum that found a solution from MasterCarr for the cap screws so you don't have to use a wrench. All in all I think it is miles ahead of my OEM gauge.
Cary

[Bill Arnold]

...
Below are some things that really bother me about this product:

1) In order to use the extended fence, you have to loosen a hex screw with an included screwdriver. I need to go find this screwdriver every single time I want to use the fence?!

2) The rulers are not affixed - they simply slide in a channel. I think I will have to be careful not to bump the gauge and accidentally shift one of the rules.

3) The rule on the extended fence reads upside-down. Incra apparently didn't want to print a rule that read right-to-left, so they took the standard left-to-right rule and slid it in upside down. How cheap!

4) The flip stop has two independant "arms". I think it would be convenient if they were some integer value of distance apart (so I could say, "Stop 1 is at 20" and stop 2 is at 24"). Unfortunately, Incra spaced them 3 26/32" apart. Why?!


Overall, I am not even remotely impressed with the design of this product. Had I purchased it myself (not been gifted it), I'd be returning it. I anticipated this would be a highly-accurate system to allow me to miter and crosscut to precise lengths with ease (ie - not making test cuts, not measuring and marking with a tape measure first, etc); instead, this seems like a kit of parts.

I would caution people to try one of these before they buy one. Perhaps it would work for your use, but it doesn't appear to fit mine.

1. The same is true of the router fence I have. I don't have any issue keeping the accessories organized so I can find something when I need to re-configure the setup.

2. Aside from the ruler and template in my LS router system adjustment arm, I would never use the rulers you reference. Regardless of the system I might be using, I trust only my measuring tape to be exact.

3. I hadn't paid any attention to this, probably because I use a tape as I said in (2).

4. The flip stop is apparently designed around the coupler block and the "independent" arms just match that distance. The specific distance is immaterial since one arm will be used when setting lengths close to the blade and the other allows measurements at the full extent of the arm.

One can find fault with anything out there. For someone to have gifted you with this tool, they must have had some idea you wanted it.

[Cliff Holmes]

I need to go find this screwdriver every single time I want to use the fence?!

I keep mind on the saw with a RE magnet.

The rulers are not affixed

That's one thing I really like about them, I can adjust the entire fence and then slide the rule into position. FWIW, I don't have any problems with them moving on their own.

The rule on the extended fence reads upside-down. Incra apparently didn't want to print a rule that read right-to-left, so they took the standard left-to-right rule and slid it in upside down. How cheap!

You should have gotten *two* rules, one L-R and one R-L, in the packaging

The flip stop has two independant "arms". I think it would be convenient if they were some integer value of distance apart (so I could say, "Stop 1 is at 20" and stop 2 is at 24"). Unfortunately, Incra spaced them 3 26/32" apart.

There are two small stop rods and one large one in the package. You can tie the arms together with the large one or use the arms independently with the small ones in each arm. And all the rods are adjustable, so they can be whatever distance apart you like within the length of the rod adjustment.

It seems you really need to spend some time looking over the owner's manual.

[Dan Friedrichs]

Wow - some rather adversarial reactions to my comments...

Cliff, I actually did NOT get a R-L and L-R rule in the package. And I am aware of the little rods (mine came pre-rusted for some reason), but I'm saying that I think it's poor design to place the stops such a strange distance apart.

Why, exactly, would I want to tie the two stops together? That is unclear.


I also want to affirm Cary's comments that the bracket connecting the fence to the head is not square, and needed shimming (difficult, since you have to get it shimmed perpendicular to the table and the blade simultaneously).


I'm just saying that, for my money, this is a poorly-designed product. I've seen woodworking products that offer better value and much better design.

[Michael Panis]

Wow....One of the interesting things about reviews is how two people can come away with such different impressions. I can't count the number of times that I've used my Incra 1000SE and said "Wow! I can't believe they thought of that!"

I'd encourage you to use it a little more. One thing that you'll find is that it remains dead-on time after time.

As for your concerns, here is my take on them...

1) The screwdriver
I assume they require the use of a tool because they were worried thumb screws might come loose. Perhaps they could have designed a tool that mounts to the gauge. Personally, I just leave the tool right near the mitre gauge.

2) Non-affixed rulers
I had the same concern at first. I expected the ruler to only be set once and then work like the one used by the tablesaw fence. Then I realized that since the whole fence is designed to slide relative to the mitre slot, a fixed ruler just wouldn't do the trick. I mainly use the rulers for relative measurements. I find they move when I want to move them, and stay put when they should.

3) Upside-down rule
Interesting point...I hadn't thought about this.

4) Flip stop arm spacing
Even if they were exactly 4" apart, how often would that be the distance you were looking for?
If you want to use the two arms as independent stops, use the steel bars to set the relative distance to exactly what you want.

Anyway, that's been my experience...

---Mike

[Bill Arnold]

... It seems you really need to spend some time looking over the owner's manual.

Amen!!!

(I just hate it when I "know" I have something figgered out, then take time to read the manual and see where I screwed up!)

[glenn bradley]

Like me, it sounds like your main disappointment is with the fence parts. I just have the V-27 which is a great little gauge. I bought the telescoping fence direct from Incra. The telescoping part was far from even with the main fence portion. They sent me a new one and were so helpful and nice that I hate to say that it was not much better. A bit of foil tape and some fiddling about and I had it dialed in as long as I don't extend or retract it. So, it is now a fixed length, extended about 5 inches.

I capped the hexbolts with these to avoid the wrench:
L_knob.gif but feel they really should have been included. A drop of crazy glue stopped the tape wandering. All in all the gauge is great and I trust it completely. The fence and the attachments should be wayyyy better for the price.

[Matt Day]

I love mine, and I am not concerned about the issues you listed. As much as I would like to have the ruler that would be accurate, I don't rely on it at all. I change from the right to left miter slot occassionally, and use it on my router table too so I move the fence around a lot.

Though I agree - an upside down ruler that isn't adhered at all (though you don't want it permanent so you can move the fence right?) isn't that great. I don't mind the oddly spaced stops and in fact have never noticed that.

What it does excellently though is get perpendicular to the miter slot, eliminate slop in the miter slot, and adjust easily to any angle you need, acurately.

Good review though. I always look for the negative reviews on sites such as Amazon, and this will be good info for some future buyers.

[Dave Lehnert]

I never notice the ruler being upside down. Now you are going to make be go to the shop and look.