# Digital Protractor



## TaySC (Jun 27, 2017)

OK, so there are a good many reviews on here about the Wixey and igagging protractors…..

I'm wondering what most on here find to be the most accurate? Is the little Wixey box that you put on the side of your sawblade best? Or if your floor isn't completely level, does it throw it off?

I'm leaning towards getting the actual protractors like below, but wanted to see what everyone here thinks is most accurate and easy to use.


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## papadan (Mar 6, 2009)

The Wixey units are very good. You zero them on the machine top and then place on the blade. The floor has nothing to do with accurate cuts. I have a Wixey and a General brand like your picture. Both work great and give accurate measurements.


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## TaySC (Jun 27, 2017)

> The Wixey units are very good. You zero them on the machine top and then place on the blade. The floor has nothing to do with accurate cuts. I have a Wixey and a General brand like your picture. Both work great and give accurate measurements.
> 
> - papadan


That makes sense. I hadn't thought about being able to zero them on the actual machine top. Thanks Dan!


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## verdesardog (Apr 2, 2011)

I have a both and they each have thier specific uses. The magnetic box type I use for setting the blade on my table and miter saws. It has a zero set so it does not matter how level your floor is. Set the table for zero then adjust the blade.
The protractor type is used for other purposes requiring precise angle measuring jobs.


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## wormil (Nov 19, 2011)

Igagging, lol. Don't Google that.

I have the Wixey for my table saw, they are the bomb. Get one with a light.


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## AlaskaGuy (Jan 29, 2012)

> Igagging, lol. Don t Google that.
> 
> I have the Wixey for my table saw, they are the bomb. Get one with a light.
> 
> - Rick M


You know, I had to google that.


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## splintergroup (Jan 20, 2015)

I have the unit pictured. Honestly, I don't use it much, but the times I have needed to determine an actual angular measurement it was most handy, Also useful for setting non-standard angles on my miter gauge.

The thing I hate most with the model I have is it will turn on as soon as the arms are moved. An "ok" feature, but inevitably it ends up always being "on" so I only get one use as the battery will have drained by the next use.

Not really a big deal, but I have to keep the battery removed and popping it back in every time I need it just seems "excessive".

I bought this on a whim when Lee Valley had a special email offer on them a few years back.


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## muleskinner (Sep 24, 2011)

I have the iGaging unit you pictured. Don't have the problem with it turning on that splinter described. I've had it about a year, use it frequently, and still on the original battery. Accuracy is all that I could hope for. My only improvement would be a back lite display.


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## splintergroup (Jan 20, 2015)

I should have pointed out that the unit I have is not the "iGauge" brand, but it looks the same. Glad they have fixed the battery issue!


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## MrRon (Jul 9, 2009)

I have the Wixey and am happy with it, BUT the battery doesn't last long, so I remove the battery when I'm not using it; problem solved.


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## Bluenote38 (May 3, 2017)

I have a Wixey and loved it! The zero feature is what makes it for me. I can make a bit or blade perpendicular to the table even if the machining isn't level. I have an older model without the back light and have no problems with battery life.


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## jeffswildwood (Dec 26, 2012)

I have the wixey and love it. Could not do without it for angles and getting back to 90. I have a bottom of the line skil table saw,for angle cuts I'll set the angle then have to recheck my angle after every cut due to the saw. (Angle will change). Little wixey makes it quick and easy!


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## Ripper70 (Nov 30, 2015)

I have the AccuRemote. I think it has the advantage over the Wixey in that it has magnets on 3 sides, resolution to .05 degrees and is made entirely of metal. No plastic parts. Works great for aligning your TS or MS blades.


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## TaySC (Jun 27, 2017)

> I have the AccuRemote. I think it has the advantage over the Wixey in that it has magnets on 3 sides, resolution to .05 degrees and is made entirely of metal. No plastic parts. Works great for aligning your TS or MS blades.
> 
> - Ripper70


They are also the same price on Amazon.

Is the display backlit?


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## Ripper70 (Nov 30, 2015)

> Is the display backlit?
> 
> - TaySC


No, it's not backlit. But I have no problem seeing the display under normal lighting conditions in my (somewhat inadequately lit) garage shop.


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## TaySC (Jun 27, 2017)

Cool, thanks.


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## AlaskaGuy (Jan 29, 2012)

I have Bean, not back lit, batteries last forever.


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## wormil (Nov 19, 2011)

Wixey review
http://lumberjocks.com/reviews/8530

Accuremote review
http://lumberjocks.com/reviews/5266


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## HokieKen (Apr 14, 2015)

> I have a Wixey and loved it! The zero feature is what makes it for me. I can make a bit or blade perpendicular to the table even if the machining isn t level. I have an older model without the back light and have no problems with battery life.
> 
> - Bluenote38


Ditto^


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## cathode (May 18, 2014)

How much does the actual accuracy matter for these things? I've seen some on amazon that state accuracy to +/- 0.001 degrees. They're more expensive. The $20-30 devices state accuracy as +/- 0.1 to 0.2 degrees which seems to be a lot of error, but not having used one (yet), I don't know if that would be "okay".


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## wormil (Nov 19, 2011)

> How much does the actual accuracy matter for these things? I ve seen some on amazon that state accuracy to +/- 0.001 degrees. They re more expensive. The $20-30 devices state accuracy as +/- 0.1 to 0.2 degrees which seems to be a lot of error, but not having used one (yet), I don t know if that would be "okay".
> 
> - William Shelley


My opinion is there is no point in owning one if it isn't pretty much dead on accurate. You can get very close with a variety of analog methods, so digital 'very close' is useless. I had the same concern about accuracy but check my review, we used the Wixey to build a mitered cube for my daughter, no gaps.


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## AlaskaGuy (Jan 29, 2012)

I have the Beal tilt box. I don't know the claimed accuracy and I'm not going out to the shop to find out.

I'm very happy with it. I built a decagon shadow box. All the cuts came out perfect on the first try.














































What else could a guy ask for??

EDIT to add: Found this on their website

Note About Accuracy: The original Tilt Box was advertised as having a resolution of .05 and an accuracy of .1. While this was (and remains) true of many of the units, it is not, we have discovered with time, true of all of them, and so, for the sake of accuracy, we are now downgrading our claims to the more realistic .2 of a degree.

Still works for me and I'd buy another if needed.

In 43 years of wood wooding I still looking for something perfect. It doesn't seem to exist in the budget of most woodworkers.


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## Carloz (Oct 12, 2016)

I and I guess most of us need 90 degrees in 98% cases 45 in 1.5% and 30/60 in 0.4% cases. A smal 99 cents drafting squares are way more accurate than that electronic thingy and you need a random angle once in a blue moon when it might come handy.


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## AlaskaGuy (Jan 29, 2012)

> I and I guess most of us need 90 degrees in 98% cases 45 in 1.5% and 30/60 in 0.4% cases. A smal 99 cents drafting squares are way more accurate than that electronic thingy and you need a random angle once in a blue moon when it might come handy.
> 
> - Carloz


I agree drafting square are accurate. To say they are WAY more accurate is miss information in my hands on experience. I have and use drafting square for some things. On the table saw I like the digital read out as its much easier to see.

Please post a link or tell me where I can get .99 drafting squares. I can't seem to find any.


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## wormil (Nov 19, 2011)

The 99 cent drafting squares are at the thrift store next to the pile of free monkeypod and $2 bench planes.


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## TaySC (Jun 27, 2017)

So I went to Mann Tools in Columbia this morning and happened to see the Wixey while I was there and decided to buy it. Hopefully it lives up to some of the lofty reviews.


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## TaySC (Jun 27, 2017)

> I and I guess most of us need 90 degrees in 98% cases 45 in 1.5% and 30/60 in 0.4% cases. A smal 99 cents drafting squares are way more accurate than that electronic thingy and you need a random angle once in a blue moon when it might come handy.
> 
> - Carloz


I see that you are pretty good at pulling random numbers out of your butt…... LOL.


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## ssnvet (Jan 10, 2012)

We use both the Wixey and a General digital protractor at work.










The General is OK… but the base is plastic, with an over-sized slot in it, so it's not always easy to get a good reference edge. It's smallest graduation is 0.05 degree, but I don't really trust it to 0.1 degree.

The Wixey rocks… it is graduated to 0.1 degree and is very repeatable and has made my TS blade adjustments dead nuts.

Note that even 0.1 degree can show up on larger pieces. But it's the best that can be had for shop use.


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