# Wixey WR700 Saw Fence Digital Readout Review



## mengtian (Nov 8, 2012)

I just installed the Wixey WR700 Saw Fence Digital Readout. First impressions are very positive. Installation was straightforward and took about 1 hour. The part of the time was filing the rail to make sure the unit travelled smoothly.

The instructions do tell you that it would be necessary for that (a positive thing so you did not think you screwed up or that there was a manufacturing flaw. What happens is you have two rails that need to be bolted together. Even a hair off and the unit would bump and not travel smoothly.

The instructions clearly tell you how to install the rail dependiing on what fence/rail system you have. I did find out after installing the rail according to directions that it works better on my TS by turning it over 180 degrees.

The brackets are well made. There is only one place where you can really screw up and the instructions are very detailed on what not do as well as what to do. This is intalling the green sensor tape as shown in the images.

The only thing about Wixley products is that the sensor itself is made out of plastic and it appears to feel flimsy. It is not but I wish it wa made of something more solid just so that my perception is not skewed:yes:

Calibrating is as simple as moving the fence so it kisses the blade and hold the CAL button. I did a test cut for 3.5 inchesand it was exactly 3.5 inches when compared to my digital calipers.

All in all a great product. Of course some would argue that it is not needed and that is fine. I love this product because my eyesite is not always the best because of being wounded. It is really easy to read.

The unit is so accurate that you can easily make repetitive identical cuts even after having to repostion the fence numerous of times.


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## Kansas Gary (Nov 13, 2014)

Could you have mounted it on the right side of fence? That way it would not be covered up when you are ripping plywood............


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## mengtian (Nov 8, 2012)

Kansas Gary said:


> Could you have mounted it on the right side of fence? That way it would not be covered up when you are ripping plywood............


Yes, in fact, I mounted it on the right side when I first installed it. Two problems:
1. The rail for the Wixley would have to extend past the rail of the Vega fence by about 7 inches (on the right side.) for me to get the reading for the full length of my fence (50 inches). That looked awkward and would be a hazard for folks walking around it.
2. If you look at this image you will notice a small gap to the right of the ruler. That gap is for the micor adjustment that cam with the fence. With the Wixley mounted on the right, it would not take in account for the micro adjustments because the fence is moving while the piece on the right is fixed.

I do have a hole drilled on that side and I am mointing a metal bar to it in case I want to use the fence to the left of the blade. That would give me about 20 inches of readable travel. I just would not use the 
micro adjustment at that point.

The sensor is low enough there is no worries about wood hitting it if that was your concern.


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## mengtian (Nov 8, 2012)

I did a busy day of cutting. I am making a buffet/sideboard for our dining room. As I was cleaning up I saw the piece of wood I used as a test piece so I thought I would send another board through at 3.5 inches. Andit came our perfect (used my calipers to measure again). I know we don't normally need that kind of accuarcy. I was just checking to see:
1. If after a day of the fence moving back and forth if the measurments would be the same
2. How accurate repetitive cuts would be if you had moved the fence and had to put it back. 

Good on both accounts.


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## billrlogan (Feb 15, 2014)

Thanks for the input, I was thinking of buying one just yesterday.


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## Leo G (Oct 16, 2006)

I've had one for a few years now. In the beginning it was awesome. Now it pisses me off more then not. It won't hold calibration. I complained and he sent me a new digital readout. That worked for a while and then developed the same issue, losing calibration. When it works it's great. But sometimes it loses calibration while moving, sometimes it just loses it because it feel like it. I've seen it lose .020 while it was just sitting there doing nothing.

It's a great thing, change my woodworking experience, made repeatability easy. If it would keep calibration I be happy as a pig in mud.


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## mengtian (Nov 8, 2012)

Leo G said:


> I've had one for a few years now. In the beginning it was awesome. Now it pisses me off more then not. It won't hold calibration. I complained and he sent me a new digital readout. That worked for a while and then developed the same issue, losing calibration. When it works it's great. But sometimes it loses calibration while moving, sometimes it just loses it because it feel like it. I've seen it lose .020 while it was just sitting there doing nothing.
> 
> It's a great thing, change my woodworking experience, made repeatability easy. If it would keep calibration I be happy as a pig in mud.


I read the the unit will go off .2 or .02 off. This happend if the fenc eis moved too quickly. That is a current problem but if the fence is moved at less than three feet/sec then it should be OK.

It sounds like you you have a different problem if it does while sitting still. I will watch for it. But in the mean time I will just enjoy it I do take a look at the ruler on the fence as a quick idiot check. 

For me it is more for convenience so I can read the measurment without having the numbers get blurry.


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## Leo G (Oct 16, 2006)

Ya, it's 0.2" my bad. And it certainly isn't from moving the fence to fast.


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## mengtian (Nov 8, 2012)

I just found it in the manual. Verbatim:


> Large accuracy errors of .200" or more
> An error of exactly .200" is a very common error number with these devices or even a multiple of it like .400, .600, 1.200 etc. Usually this only happens when the readout is either moved very quickly (more than 3 feet per second). Follow the same steps outlined in the "Loses calibration" section above.


Anyway..are you still using and have you experienced any other problems? The reviews pretty much seem positive about the unit.


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## Leo G (Oct 16, 2006)

Well, I have two units. The original one and the one they sent me when I complained. After I switched to the 2nd unit it worked well for a while. Then it kept losing calibration. When I'm making a kitchen I'm on the tablesaw for a hours for a few days. And when it loses calibration 30-40 times a day you start to get upset. After it became nearly unbearable to use the unit I swapped back to the original one. This one seems to hold calibration better. It still loses calibration half dozen times a day though. But this one has developed another issue. It doesn't like to turn on. I have to hold the on button up to 30 seconds before it comes on. And then if I need to re zero the unit it can take the same amount of time. So I think there is an issue with the power button.

If it worked with the occasional loss of zero I'd never complain. But having to re-zero it 10 times while at the tablesaw is frustrating. I've tried everything to help it. Moving the fence slow, holding the unit while moving the fence, nothing seems to help.


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## mengtian (Nov 8, 2012)

Leo G said:


> Well, I have two units. The original one and the one they sent me when I complained. After I switched to the 2nd unit it worked well for a while. Then it kept losing calibration. When I'm making a kitchen I'm on the tablesaw for a hours for a few days. And when it loses calibration 30-40 times a day you start to get upset. After it became nearly unbearable to use the unit I swapped back to the original one. This one seems to hold calibration better. It still loses calibration half dozen times a day though. But this one has developed another issue. It doesn't like to turn on. I have to hold the on button up to 30 seconds before it comes on. And then if I need to re zero the unit it can take the same amount of time. So I think there is an issue with the power button.
> 
> If it worked with the occasional loss of zero I'd never complain. But having to re-zero it 10 times while at the tablesaw is frustrating. I've tried everything to help it. Moving the fence slow, holding the unit while moving the fence, nothing seems to help.


Thanks for sharing. I will keep an eye out for any issues and report back. I have read of a couple of folks that had that similiar problem but overall it seems like a solid product.


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## Leo G (Oct 16, 2006)

I guess I'm one of the lucky one's then :blink:


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## Al_Amantea (Dec 30, 2014)

Try changing the battery. Also check for sawdust between the sensor and the rail grid.


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## Leo G (Oct 16, 2006)

Been there, done that x10


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## mengtian (Nov 8, 2012)

*Update on Display*

It has been two week and plenty of cutting. Not a glitch yet. The only annoying thing is if I go to far to the left of the saw blade (I have a right tilt saw) I sometimes forget that the end of the rail is there and the unit has fallen off a couple of times. To its credit it still works like a champ. I put in a small set screw underneath the rail so it does not happen again.

I clean the green detector strip every day (just a quick wipe).

As far as repeatability....works awesome. I needed to recut something pretty exact and doouble checked it with calipers just to see how accurate it was.......dead on.

Again, I know we don't need this kind of accuracy (except for when I make puzzle boxes ..they need to be dead on) but it does have its uses.

As far as the complaint about it being too sensitive...I don't see it. When I lock my fence it stay right on. I have started the habit of tweaking my micro adjuster a smidgen to the right which always seems to make the display stay the same.

I think that folks that have said it is too sensitive is becuase of their existing fence and rail. Too be fair I has just installed a new fence and rail on my saw there is zero play with it.


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## Leo G (Oct 16, 2006)

I have to keep mine .005" less then the measurement I want and when I tighten the fence it gains that .005" and I'm all good.


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## Big Dave (Sep 16, 2006)

Leo G said:


> I have to keep mine .005" less then the measurement I want and when I tighten the fence it gains that .005" and I'm all good.


Mine is the opposite. I have to go wide by .005 then tighten and it goes back to where I wanted it.


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## Leo G (Oct 16, 2006)

Biesemeyer fence. Yours?


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## Big Dave (Sep 16, 2006)

Grizzly Fence that came with the saw.

https://www.grizzly.com/outlet/10-2-HP-Contractor-Style-Table-Saw-with-Riving-Knife/G0661


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## mengtian (Nov 8, 2012)

Just in case anyone is curious...almost 7 months now and the Wixley is performing awesome. No glitches at all. Had to change batteries once. They are AA or AAA (can't remember but I always have plenty available). I even have had it drop to the floor a couple of times when I moved the fence to the far left to get it out of the way and not worse from it.

One thing I love about it is that is truly is repeatable. I was making some legs and I knew they were xx inches. I messed one up and had to go back. Using the wixley makes it dead on accurate for a repeat cut. I have some vision problems so it definitly helps reading a digital display than the lines on a tape.

Anyway..just wanted to give an update


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## Leo G (Oct 16, 2006)

Leo G said:


> I've had one for a few years now. In the beginning it was awesome.  Now it pisses me off more then not. It won't hold calibration. I complained and he sent me a new digital readout. That worked for a while and then developed the same issue, losing calibration. When it works it's great. But sometimes it loses calibration while moving, sometimes it just loses it because it feel like it. I've seen it lose .020 while it was just sitting there doing nothing.
> 
> It's a great thing, change my woodworking experience, made repeatability easy. If it would keep calibration I be happy as a pig in mud.


I bought the WR7001 Type 2 for $28.00 from Wixey's parts page. It arrived Monday. I was playing with it out of the box and it seemed to get stuck when I tried to zero it out. Figured I try again when it was on the track.

So today I put it on the track and wow was it tight. I pushed it up to the magnetic holder and tried to move the fence and it was so tight on the track it got pulled off the fence. So I got out my file and filed down the tight areas and got it to slide the whole length.

I tried the new feature that allows you to set the gauge to whatever measurement you want. So this time, on the track, it worked properly and didn't lock up. So good news there. So I set it up like I usually do buy rubbing the blade and I cut a board. Took out the caliper and measured and it was suppose to be 1.875 and it read 1.886. So I did the recalibration and set it 1.875. Then moved the fence to 1.5 and cut the board. Did the caliper thing and it read 1.499. 

Works for me. Now as long as it stays calibrated I'm happy.


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