G1023R Owners/Operators

Javaboy: My Griz 1023SL is 3 years old now. It is the older version of the latest 1023RL and pretty much the same saw minus the riving knife and some small changes. It is performing very well, and I would not hesitate to buy another Grizzly table saw. No jamming etc with the trunions, just keep the adjusting screw mechanisms clean and lubricated as with any cabinet saw. As to the stock fence…no clue. I never even took the Shop Fox fence out of the box, as I installed my Incra TSIII from my previous saw. If you are upgrading from a contractors saw, you will grin with delight the first time you use the Griz. After 3 years, mine still passes the nickle test. The only problem that I had was the mag power switch is mounted on the left side and my old saw’s power switch was on the right.
I Think the stock dust collection chute could be at a steeper angle with fins to direct the sawdust to the 4” opening. If that was really a big deal, I would have changed it by now. IMHO you will not go wrong with this saw.

-- Improvidus, Apto quod Victum-- Improvise, Adapt, Overcome

Hi Karl – I have a Shop Fox W1677, which is the same as the former G1023SL. I realize that you very specifically asked for input on the new G1023R, but fence that came with the W1677 and G1023S is the same as what’s on the G1023R, so my comments will be restricted to the fence.

The Shop Fox Classic fence is a decent copy of the commercial Biesemeyer fence. It’s functionally about the same…same size tubing, very similar design, similar robustness, etc….it’s not one of the smaller lighter duty versions available (T2, Jet Proshop, etc). The most significant difference between the Biese and the SF Classic is with the face material….the Griz has plastic faces, that I believe are HDPE or UHMW vs the laminated birch ply faces of the Biese. I also noted that the handle is a bit rougher on the SF and that the standard length rails are a bit shorter than the Biese, giving a 26” rip vs 30” rip. Since the G1023R is left tilt, you can easily slide the rails about one bolt hole to right, effectively taking capacity from the left side and adding it to the right for a rip capacity of ~ 34” to 36”....slide only the front tube, and leave the angle bracket in place….there’s no drilling involved if you stick with the distance between the stock holes, and only reinstall 4 of the 5 bolts. You’ll need to relocate or replace the tape measure, and you’ll probably want to fill the space between the front and back rails with a table extension or router table. Given my druthers, I’d take the Biesemeyer over the SF Classic, but it’s a fairly minor and subjective thing.

-- Happiness is like wetting your pants...everyone can see it, but only you can feel the warmth....

Woodbum—Yes, I am upgrading from a contractor’s saw (Grizzly G1022). That is something I have wanted to do for a long time, and I can’t wait. While I have to admit the contractor has been decent (especially after I upgraded it with a PowerTwist anti-vibration belt and Incra TSII fence), I can’t wait to have a “real” cabinet saw. I will miss the Incra fence, but it takes up a lot of space in my small shop, so hopefully moving to a Bies type fence won’t be too much of a shock (I know it’s going to be WAY better than the stock fence that originally came with the contractor saw!). Thanks very much for your input.

Knotscott—Thanks for the detailed commentary on the SF fence. Thanks too for the tip about increasing the rip capacity—not sure I will do that, as I am looking to gain a bit more floor space in my shop, but if it looks like it can be done without sacrificing too much space, I may go for it.

-- Sow justice, reap peace

Oh come on….. 1900 more and you can get a Sawstop proffesional…
OR, for that price, you could get a sawstop contractors :-)

-- My terrible signature...

Alexandre—Or for only $2700 more I could get this:

http://lumberjocks.com/reviews/2909

If you’re buying I’d be happy to oblige you!

-- Sow justice, reap peace