My Take on the Seyco Saw

[hotshot]

Had a great time at the show, met, Steve, and saw all kinds of stuff that I've previously only seen in magazine ads.  Most of what I bought was on the $1 table in the back and the $5 table for router bits.  Pretty good deal on bits and such.

 

But, the main reason I took the trip to Atlanta was to get a first hand look at the new Seyco saw, and I'll give you a few observations here.  Even though I've purchased an Ex from Ray at Seyco, I've never been shy about being critical where I thought criticism was merited, and I'll do that justice below, even for the minor nits.

 

First off, I was relieved that the saw didn't suck.  We need a great successor to the Excalibur, and for many, perhaps the Jet fits that bill, but for those of us that like the EX top feeding/tensioning, and the solid bottom clamp, we need a saw that fits our needs as well.  Although I wasn't 100 percent pleased with what I saw, my areas of criticism were minor and wouldn't really play significantly into the usefulness of the say.  So here we go:

 

Positives:  

1.  The core of this saw is Excalibur and it feels like a direct successor.  Everything I love about the EX clamps/tensioner, raising arm, tilting arm, and the rest of the "Core" saw is the same.   These elements giving us top feeders what we want (of course you can bottom feed if you prefer)

2.  That table is huge.  If you have an Ex, and have ever worked on a large piece and struggled with the very small amount of Real Estate in the front of the blade, this saw puts as much space in front of the blades as I would find comfortable.

3.  For those that love to jack up the back of the saw, the new Seyco stand should give you that option without having to solution that yourself.  I have a picture showing that.

4.  The magnetic top cover was interesting, and I am not sure if that is a positive or not.  However, in case the user doesn't like it, they can remove it for the normal EX style experience.

5.  Digital Angle Guide:  This could be a positive or a negative.  I like to have that option, I just don't want to be reliant on batteries, and they removed the manual option.  So yeah for the digital option, and boo for removing the manual angle guide.

 

 

Marginal Negatives

1.  I really like the front geared knob on the EX and Jet that is used to change the angle of the arm.  This is gone, and you just loosen the bottom knob, and push the arm where you need it, using the angle guide to determine proper angle.  I'm sure this was more cost effective to leave out, but I would have preferred they left this alone.  This is not a deal killer, just not my preference.  If the battery in the angle finder turns out to be problematic, this becomes a much bigger problem.

2.  The table doesn't reach to the back of the saw (See pictures below).  I don't know that this would actually cause any practical issues, but it looks dumb.  So, this is not horrible, just not how I would have done it.

 

On Balance, I'm happy with what I saw.  We still have a gap in the 16" and 30" space, and I suspect we won't see that change, but time will tell.

 

 

You will need to click the images below to see full size:

 

Huge gap between table and back of saw:  

 

 

Missing Gear Table Tilt Mechanism:  

 

 

Magnetic Table Guide/Template:  

 

 

Large Tilt of saw possible with new stands:  

 

 

Celebrity Moment:   :-). This guy is about as genuine and friendly as it gets.  Steve is truly a great guy:  

Edited April 3, 2017 by hotshot

[Gonzo]

Thanks for the review. Hopefully I won't need one, my EX is only a year old and my backup is a 788 type 1.

[tuner]

Thanks for the review... Something else to dream about 😑

[Lucky2]

Great review Randy, thanks for sharing it with us. I don't like the look of the top and back of the saw, it looks silly to not have the top cover the whole stand. I have a question, Is the saw mounted on the stand, or is it part of the stand set-up? In the picture it looks like the saw is part of the stand, and that it wouldn't work on a bench-top. I have a tilt meter on my saw, it's mounted on the side of the upper arm. I've been using the tilt meter ever since I bought the saw, Iliked how it was so accurate in setting up any angle I wanted. I have never had to replace the battery on my tilt meter, and I've been using it for years. All I do to preserve the battery life, is to turn it off until I need it to set an angle. 

Len

[dgman]

Thanks for the review Randy! So, how many coins did you give away?

[Scrappile]

Thanks for the info,  I know I will never need one. But, interesting.  I kind of like the magnetic top cover idea.  You know how easy the top of an Ex scratches, I assume the Seyco will be the same.  This would at least cover the scratches up, but I wonder how long it will last.  Can you have zero clearance with it?  Could it be cut to fit the Ex?  I think the removing the tilting table mechanism is not a good thing, I like to be able to turn a knob to get to the degree I want instead of playing with pushing.   I say that although I have only used mine once on my Ex.  So why grip.  I would only use it if I get into inlay, which I plan on, but that is a minor angle to worry about.  The angle gauge, to me is a gag, unless it is very easy to remove so it could be used on other machines.  I already have one, don't need another.  Should be an option, in my opinion.  The larger table will be a great plus to new buyers for sure, I have gotten very use to the Ex and don't really see a need for bigger, however, I remember it was one of my complaints before I got use to it.  I us my Hegner now more than the Ex and the Hegner has a small table.  The Ex table seems huge when I move back to it.  You get use to what you get use to.  I say Thanks to Seyco, in reality they did not let the Ex die, they made their version of it.  Probably they have a much better understanding on what customers want than me.  I wish them all the success. 

[Lucky2]

I have a question, I hope someone can answer. Is there not going to be any more Ex's made, what happened that there's not?

Len

[hotshot]

Thanks for the review Randy! So, how many coins did you give away?

I gave three to Steve Good which he used on his display :-) and one to who I think was the president of the Gwinnett Woodworking Club, but not sure on that one.

 

I would have give some to the other scrollers in the Gwinnett booth, but they were all busy cutting puzzles so I didn't really get a chance to talk to them.

 

----Randy

Edited April 3, 2017 by hotshot

[hotshot]

.....I have a question, Is the saw mounted on the stand, or is it part of the stand set-up? In the picture it looks like the saw is part of the stand, and that it wouldn't work on a bench-top. I.........

Len

 

Len, that is a super super question.  I was consumed by the missing gear mechanism so it didn't occur to me to figure that piece out.  They have to ship the saw, so I'm assuming the stand would have to attach to core in a reasonable manner, but frankly I don't know.  Now I wish I would have looked at how the stand was attached better.  At the next demo, someone else will have to check it out.

[hotshot]

I have a question, I hope someone can answer. Is there not going to be any more Ex's made, what happened that there's not?

Len

 

I did ask the Jet rep about how they got rights to the core Excalibur design, and I don't believe the answer, so I'm not going to repeat it, besides, I don't want a call from their lawyers.  I've heard at least two other versions of what is going on, but everything sounds more like gossip than anything solid.  So, I'm going to say that at this point, the truth is very elusive.  There is one truth we do know, and that is that the most recent EX design released under the Excalibur name is available under different brand names in much of the world excluding the U.S. and is produced in Taiwan by the same manufacturer that produced the Excaliburs.   Of course, Ray at Seyco knows how he was able to get his variant, so perhaps his piece of the story will surface at some point.

 

I will say this one thing, none of the stories go anything like this:  "We contacted General (or other rights holders) and secured the rights to produce and re-distribute the core EX technologies in our variant for such and such region."  Nope . . . . sigh . . . .  the stories were nothing like that at all.

 

Lucky for you, living in Canada, you have access to one of these Ex branded saws named Excelsior.  Google "Excelsior 21" and you should get a few results.  Ironically, the U.S. seems to be one of the few regions of the world that doesn't have access to a re-branded versions of the original EX design.

 

-----Randy

Edited April 3, 2017 by hotshot

[Lucky2]

Yes Randy, I've seen the Excelsior saw, they look a lot like the original EX. Thankfully, I won't need to buy one, my EX21 is only a few years old. And it hasn't been used for over two years now, so it's almost like new and it should last me a long long time. Hopefully, I'll soon be able to start using it again, sadly, I'll probably have to learn to cut all over again.

Len

[dgman]

Len, that is a super super question.  I was consumed by the missing gear mechanism so it didn't occur to me to figure that piece out.  They have to ship the saw, so I'm assuming the stand would have to attach to core in a reasonable manner, but frankly I don't know.  Now I wish I would have looked at how the stand was attached better.  At the next demo, someone else will have to check it out.

I went to the Seyco site to check it out. They say the stand has five adjustable positions including bench top version.

[WayneMahler]

WOW Thanks for a great first person review. My EX is still under warranty and some of the things you pointed out give great clarity. Greatly appreciate it. 

[lawson56]

Thank you for such a Great Review.I agree with you about the saw table not going all the way back.

[JimErn]

Is the blower as anemic as the one on the Ex?  My starter saw, porter cable, has a good blower, it doesn't require the nozzle to be as close to the blade as my Ex does.

 

Are the blade clamps the same as the Ex?

 

No integral light !!  I would bet there is a higher percentage of folks who want a light rather than a tilt meter.

[Dave Monk]

Thanks for the review Randy. dave

[Scrolling Steve]

Thanks for the review, Randy.......If my EX ever needs replacing i  would look hard at the saw because my dealings with Ray at Seyco have been very positive.

[NC Scroller]

Thanks Randy. To your comments about a gap between 16 and 30, are those the only size they come. Nothing in the 20-24 inches range?

[hawkeye10]

Randy what a great review. I really appreciate the time you took to help us understand more about this new saw. I don't understand the purpose of the magnetic table pad or what ever they want to call it. In their opinion  it must be worth spending the money on it but I don't understand why.

 

PS- Did you know you and Steve Good look a lot alike? Of coarse that is my opinion.

[hawkeye10]

Thanks Randy. To your comments about a gap between 16 and 30, are those the only size they come. Nothing in the 20-24 inches range?

That is a good question Scott.

[hotshot]

Thanks Randy. To your comments about a gap between 16 and 30, are those the only size they come. Nothing in the 20-24 inches range?

let me clarify, under the Excalibur brand, there were three sizes: 16, 21, and 30.

 

In the U.S. at least, we are down to only the 21" (seyco) or  22" Jet only.  Re-Branded Excaliburs in other markets are still available in 16, 21, and 30.

Edited April 7, 2017 by hotshot

[Bill WIlson]

Thanks for the review Scott.  My EX is only a little over a year old, so I'm more concerned about availability of parts & service in the future than upgrading my saw, but it's good to learn about what is on the market.

 

By the way, you & Steve could pass for brothers in that pic. 

[meflick]

Thanks for the extended review Randy.  Always good to hear other's thoughts.  

[TripleJScroller]

Thanks for taking the time to do this.  I'll be keeping my on this saw as I'd really like to upgrade sometime in the future.

[trackman]

Like the others have said good review Randy.  I got my new mag in the mail today and they have a "review" of the Jet and EX saws.  You talk about walking the fence and saying nothing!  They should have had Randy write the review but than they would have  two advertisers mad.  JMO