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Post by wrightwoodwork on Sept 29, 2017 4:21:07 GMT -5
no smile yet Attachments:
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Post by Knight Woodworks on Sept 29, 2017 15:21:55 GMT -5
Oh no, that's terrible, heal quick.
John
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Post by naildrivingman on Oct 3, 2017 5:29:43 GMT -5
Sometime this week I will be making the final decision whether Erica will come and live with me or not. I greatly appreciate all the advice and suggestions. I have worked a lot of years with the larger Bosch and gravity rise stand. I have put that saw through some demanding paces. Erica has some big shoes to fill. This decision is especially difficult because I could buy 8 Bosch saws for the cost of one Erica.
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Post by holmz on Oct 3, 2017 8:22:15 GMT -5
Sometime this week I will be making the final decision whether Erica will come and live with me or not. ... They are Erikas, with the "k", and the youngest is interested in doing woodwork, so she will get it in the end, which is hopefully a long while from now... So it already has her name on it.  Secondly I am a bit offended at you decision making...  It took me well over a year (maybe 2) to wrestle the wallet out and finally get into action.  |
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Post by jozsefkozma on Oct 3, 2017 8:29:45 GMT -5
I don't own an Erika , but just seeing it set up
and some videos can tell you the Erica is on a
Different level
There is nothing on the market that comes even
close in the portable category
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Post by jonathan on Oct 3, 2017 8:32:52 GMT -5
If I could do it over, I wouldn't buy the Erika again. I'm dissapointed with it for the price.
I'm sure the saw was awesome 7-10 years ago, but the competition has caught up and leapfrogged it in some areas.
My main gripes:
1) The riving knife is very flimsy, so when I bevel the blade the weight of the blade guard and hose makes the riving knife come out of alignment and my workpiece Always hits it, which makes for dangerous situations. I can't for the life of me understand why the riving knife is held in place but such a flimsy stamped metal plate. Why is this not stronger?
2) The rip fence moves. The rip fence moves when you put moderate pressure against the farthest point.
It's not dramatic, but I do prefer something like DeWalts rack & pinion fence which is fixed both front and rear.
3) No miter slot. So forget about miter slot jigs. You have to get creative and its harder to create jigs for the Erika.
4) You have to get under the saw or tip it over to change the blade.
5) Dust shround and collection is disappointing.
6) The extension wings are not tool-less to fix or adjust.
It's only redeeming quality for me is the pull function. If it wasn't for that, it wouldn't stay.
If I knew a year ago what I know now, I'd saved a lot of money and bought a DeWalt.
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Post by GhostFist on Oct 3, 2017 15:24:28 GMT -5
Ive only noticed deflection if i didn't engage both locks on the rip fence and this is with applying pressure behind the blade. Though it might be more of an issue in the 80 than the 70 due to the difference in length of table. Just a guess. i don't miss the miter slots since I started using the multi fence for feather boards/guides. The slide table also in someways a better alternative to a miter slot jig, though certainly not a cheaper one. I know you were expecting better in the dust collection department but I've yet to use a portable table saw that comes close in this department. While you have to reach under the saw to access the arbor nut, I find blade changing easier that squeezing my hands in between the throat clearance and blade as you would on a regular contractor or cabinet saw.
For me negatives would be no height locking feature when using the pull function. You have to be careful not to twist as you pull if you're trying to maintain a specific depth of cut. I also find the weight of the saw to be both a plus and a hindrance. Very sturdy but requires some muscle to heave around. also you cannot use dado blades (most portable saws can't and its a non issue in europe) or make a zero clearance insert.
I feel what are some overlooked pluses to the saw is it's speed control and quick and smooth adjustments.
Not refuting Jonathan's complaints of course. This forum is about exploring both negatives and positives and has never been about brand loyalty. Just including my perspective.
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Post by naildrivingman on Oct 3, 2017 18:01:27 GMT -5
Sometime this week I will be making the final decision whether Erica will come and live with me or not. ... They are Erikas, with the "k", and the youngest is interested in doing woodwork, so she will get it in the end, which is hopefully a long while from now... So it already has her name on it. Secondly I am a bit offended at you decision making... It took me well over a year (maybe 2) to wrestle the wallet out and finally get into action. That darn spell check. I know I spelled it with a "K", but my tablet is smarter than I. The only way I can afford this is to finance through Marlin (they have a relationship with Timberwolf Tools here in the US). Needless to say, the terms are not great. I will have to place a sizable amount down to save on interest. Much thought will be required. I need a new table saw for my job. My current Bosch still works, but it has seen better days. I think I will retire it to a framing only table saw when I do replace it with a finishing table saw. The really tough decision outside of financing is that I could literally buy 8 new Bosch saws for the price of one EriKa (HA! Sneaked the K passed spellcheck). Sorry for the offense. Sometimes I make hasty decisions, though. Thanks for your input Holmz. |
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Post by rizzoa13 on Oct 3, 2017 18:53:54 GMT -5
They are Erikas, with the "k", and the youngest is interested in doing woodwork, so she will get it in the end, which is hopefully a long while from now... So it already has her name on it. Secondly I am a bit offended at you decision making... It took me well over a year (maybe 2) to wrestle the wallet out and finally get into action. That darn spell check. I know I spelled it with a "K", but my tablet is smarter than I. The only way I can afford this is to finance through Marlin (they have a relationship with Timberwolf Tools here in the US). Needless to say, the terms are not great. I will have to place a sizable amount down to save on interest. Much thought will be required. I need a new table saw for my job. My current Bosch still works, but it has seen better days. I think I will retire it to a framing only table saw when I do replace it with a finishing table saw. The really tough decision outside of financing is that I could literally buy 8 new Bosch saws for the price of one EriKa (HA! Sneaked the K passed spellcheck). Sorry for the offense. Sometimes I make hasty decisions, though. Thanks for your input Holmz. [ Be honest with yourself. If you can’t afford it then don’t buy it. I’m lucky enough that my business brings in a lot of disposable income and nice quality tools in turn help me turn more of a profit. If your happy with your Bosch and can make money with it without breaking the bank then I’d suggest getting another. You’ll do the same quality work with your Bosch, you’ll just enjoy the mafell a lot more. |
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Post by naildrivingman on Oct 3, 2017 19:24:19 GMT -5
If I could do it over, I wouldn't buy the Erika again. I'm dissapointed with it for the price. I'm sure the saw was awesome 7-10 years ago, but the competition has caught up and leapfrogged it in some areas. My main gripes: 1) The riving knife is very flimsy, so when I bevel the blade the weight of the blade guard and hose makes the riving knife come out of alignment and my workpiece Always hits it, which makes for dangerous situations. I can't for the life of me understand why the riving knife is held in place but such a flimsy stamped metal plate. Why is this not stronger? 2) The rip fence moves. The rip fence moves when you put moderate pressure against the farthest point. It's not dramatic, but I do prefer something like DeWalts rack & pinion fence which is fixed both front and rear. 3) No miter slot. So forget about miter slot jigs. You have to get creative and its harder to create jigs for the Erika. 4) You have to get under the saw or tip it over to change the blade. 5) Dust shround and collection is disappointing. 6) The extension wings are not tool-less to fix or adjust. It's only redeeming quality for me is the pull function. If it wasn't for that, it wouldn't stay. If I knew a year ago what I know now, I'd saved a lot of money and bought a DeWalt. I tried to insert comments above, but I could not, so here goes: I agree it is terribly expensive. I wonder how much of the cost goes to import fees. I bet a lot. I've heard of people who did not go through a domestic importer and they saved $1000 USD or so. Yes, current other manufacturers have made some dramatic improvements. This is really a hard choice for me. 1. I don't wish to offend, but I think you are bevel cutting on the wrong side of the blade. If you are in the US, we are generally used to bevel cuts on the right side because most saws are left bevel. With Erika's right bevel cuts must be made on the left. 2. Yes, I'm not exactly keen on this either. I think the cast rip fence is an after thought for US consumers. Again, I think we are supposed to rip on the left with Erika and use the universal fence or MFA. 3. I only use feather boards in my miter slots, so I'll have to figure out something else for that. I've never had a high quality miter gauge, so I've never relied on slots for that. Other than that, I live a relatively jig free existence. 4. Yes, that another unusual feature, but I'll get used to it. 5. I've read that ultimate collection occurs with a clean box on the output and a collector on the shroud or two collectors. I think that dust collections is one of those dirty little secrets that manufacturers don't go into great detail. I own a fair number of Festool and only the sanders and domino impress me with their advertised collection. Kapex is good, but the new Makita is way better. Track saw is pretty good if the back side of the cut is sealed by a sacrificial surface, otherwise collection is average at best. 6. True. I don't intend this to be my go to saw for general use. Once I set this up, I intend it to remain set for a length of time on finishing projects. I don't anticipate this to be a day use saw. Thanks for your thoughts Jonathan |
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Post by jozsefkozma on Oct 3, 2017 19:34:04 GMT -5
So well sad Rizzola
Good luck with the choosing Nailman
Don't put you self in dept unless it starts
paying dividend from the get go
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Post by naildrivingman on Oct 3, 2017 20:01:26 GMT -5
That darn spell check. I know I spelled it with a "K", but my tablet is smarter than I. The only way I can afford this is to finance through Marlin (they have a relationship with Timberwolf Tools here in the US). Needless to say, the terms are not great. I will have to place a sizable amount down to save on interest. Much thought will be required. I need a new table saw for my job. My current Bosch still works, but it has seen better days. I think I will retire it to a framing only table saw when I do replace it with a finishing table saw. The really tough decision outside of financing is that I could literally buy 8 new Bosch saws for the price of one EriKa (HA! Sneaked the K passed spellcheck). Sorry for the offense. Sometimes I make hasty decisions, though. Thanks for your input Holmz. [ Be honest with yourself. If you can’t afford it then don’t buy it. I’m lucky enough that my business brings in a lot of disposable income and nice quality tools in turn help me turn more of a profit. If your happy with your Bosch and can make money with it without breaking the bank then I’d suggest getting another. You’ll do the same quality work with your Bosch, you’ll just enjoy the mafell a lot more. I will admit this is a luxury item. It's not so much that I can't afford it in general. I can afford the payments no problem, I just wish the terms were a little more favorable. I am proud of anyone who can pay out of pocket for big ticket items. I've done this type of work for 25 years. The blessing of a lot of disposable income hasn't come my way yet and I'm thinking it probably won't. Im generally able to pay out of pocket up to $2K, but as we know, Erika is not a $2K device. I expect that Erika will have more power than my Bosch. I believe Bosch has the most power of its class, but it still bogs down a bit. Solid power is important to me. I put a lot of stock in having fun while working. I'm thinking that's at the core of your enjoyment comment. Thanks for your comments Rizzoa. |
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Post by wrightwoodwork on Oct 4, 2017 4:21:51 GMT -5
The erika is a lot of money for a site saw. Saying that for myself I wouldn't hesitate to buy another if I needful to. The things I like
1 Accurate the size I set is the size I get or at worst 0.5mm out and I can live with that
2 For a large saw its easily portable
3 Lots of working options. So if I want to work on the left or right of the blade I can weather that be ripping or cross cuts
4 The motor is smooth
5 bevals cuts get no blade deflection
6 it's a pleasure to use. No dust or very little covers what your cut line and is blown away. I do find mdf the most dust is produced and it goes everywhere especially if no dust extraction and using the box. Saying that if the box has filled up 90% of the dust is in the box
Things I would change on the saw the push pull lock button to be able switch on the saw and to be able to lock the blade at a set height and also to be able lock the spindle same as on the newer saws to safe having to hold the button in my
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Post by Tom Gensmer on Oct 4, 2017 9:57:39 GMT -5
Thanks for visiting on Sunday naildrivingman!
Like many tools, the initial cost of the Erika 70 certainly stung, but I have not for a moment regretted it. The quality is superb, great precision, smooth running, and I love the ability to scale the tool to the work (it can be a relatively small saw, or expanded into a mobile panel saw).
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Post by kraftt on Oct 4, 2017 10:02:03 GMT -5
my 2¢
Listening to everything said and looking at the shifting cordless landscape plus the product perhaps due for some updates or tweaks(?), if for no other reason than encroaching competition... it's not like you're going to lose business by not having it right now.
If enthusiasts are grumbling on the boards about pricing then mafell is feeling that is some way. Maybe it's a strategy, maybe they need the money for R&D for a newer version, whatever. The point is no harm done by waiting unless you think they are going to price themselves out of existence.
Also - the price is one thing but 'terms' are another. No-way. That's adding insult to injury here. You want it, fine. Start paying it off a little each week - but pay it to yourself by putting it aside. By that time the new saw or something else will be available.
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