Well, it finally arrived.... took me two weeks to be ready to actually un-crate it as I was working on the HVAC system; another thread I suppose...
1. Manual, better than some,not as good as others.
2. Yes the fence deflects, however, it does not appear to be troublesome yet.
3. Every....single...chip...is extracted. Wow.
4. It is loud, more so once DC is on and running.
5. Shelix, scmeelix. The cut is absolutely superb! I face jointed 12" maple and no tear out or snipe with absolutely no adjustment. Absolutely ( as far as I could tell) square face to edge.
Overall, I am very impressed with my first impressions of this machine. I forgot to mention: very, very well packaged. Good experience with delivery. May be the best tool in my shop, next to my Clearvue Cyclone DC... have not planed (thicknessed for those European types.. ) yet. Will add to thread once completed for review.
Thanks to those who contributed 4 months ago to help me decide. Very pleased so far!
Nick