Replies

1. 
   MikeMD | Nov 17, 2004 04:25am | #1

   shirl, I have the 185 - I've never had any problems.  Most of my fellow woodworking friends love it.  It's no cabinet saw but dollar for dollar it's the best contractor saw on the market.

2. 
   pgmrdan | Nov 29, 2004 04:40pm | #2

   shirl,

   I'm planning to get one of these saws too.  The 2005 Tool Guide gives this saw all of the awards in the tablesaw category (but they only compare contractor and hybrid style saws).

   The only alignment problem I've read about is the one Ian Kirby mentions in his book The Accurate Tablesaw.  He says that because of their design ALL contractor tablesaws can have a problem with maintaining blade alignment when tilted.  His recommendation is to set the blade at 90* to the table surface and leave it there.  Make a jig to make an angled cut.

   Portable saws and cabinet saws are not bothered by this same problem.  That's one reason I looked at the Bosch 4000 long-and-hard.  There are a couple of advantages (larger table size, additional weight, nice fence, adjustable miter gauge bar, T-slots for the miter gauge) with the GI 50-185 M1 that for the additional $250 I decided not to pass it up.  Of course, I'll have to spend another $50+ on a mobile base so I can move its 300#'s around the shop so it's really about $300 more than the Bosch 4000.  (The Bosch also has the nice sliding right extension standard and the outfeed extension and left extension as options.)

   Dan

3. 
   m9er | Mar 04, 2006 10:48pm | #3

   Hope it's not too late, but I've created a web page dedicated to my personal G.I. 50-185 experience and my problems are by no  means unique.

   Common alignment issue is the change in alignment that occurs when lowering the blade.............. 

   http://home.wavecable.com/~m9er

    

   In  the past two months I've found others who have the Blade to Trunion clearance issue and my same alignment issues............ And forget about sending G.I. email..........they do not answer the mail

1. 
   woodensplinter | Mar 06, 2006 05:12am | #4

   I have had the GI 50-175 (right tilt) table saw for about 4 years and, luckily, haven't experienced any of the problems you mention.

   Went to the shop to check the blade to front trunnion clearance.  Very difficult to get in there and measure, but I have nearly 1/4 inch clearance.  The saw blade, when lowered, sits a hair more than 1/16 inch below the table top.  This made me decide to check the actual blade diameter, something I have never done.  Turns out my blade is actually 10 and 1/16 inch.

   Also checked the blade deflection from the fully raised to the bottomed out positions.  Interestingly, I get the same 0.005 inch deflection as you BUT only when I cranck on the adjusting wheel as the blade bottoms out.  If I slack this off 1/8 of a turn (or maybe a little less), the blades stays less than 0.001 inch to the fully raised position.

   Regarding e-mail responses:  I've had good and bad experiences with most manufacturers.  I did send e-mail to both GI and another manufacture with a question regarding their hybrid saws.  I received a response from GI in about three days.  Didn't get anything from the other outfit.

1. 
   m9er | Mar 06, 2006 05:19am | #5

   I think I'll have to shim and / or adjust the tie rods.  Appreciate the data point on your saw...............

    

   MikeMike

2. 
   Knotscott | Mar 06, 2006 02:22pm | #6

   My GI 50-185 was great, and I found dealing with them was an excellent experience.  Email response was within hours, and resolution to my problem was beyond my expectation. 

   Many identical saws roll out of the same factory as the GI...Grizzly, Shop Fox, Woodtek, Bridgewood, Canwood, possibly the PM, etc.  Hopefully it's an isolated issue and not a systemic manufacturing issue.

   Seems I'm reading your posts all ovre the place.   Before you go too far out on a limb to slam their CS, are you certain your email is not blocking their respones?

   Edited 3/6/2006 9:49 am ET by scotty

1. 
   m9er | Mar 07, 2006 03:15am | #7

   Hmmm

     I know there is nothing set on my machine that would block them, guess there could be something set on my providers server.

    Mike