# Wixey Saw Fence Digital Readout



## Clutchcargo (Apr 9, 2007)

I like the digital Wixey angle guage so I thought I'd try the digital readout for the fence (and I like gadgets). I saw that woodcraft online had it on sale for $99 and Wixey also included another digital angle guage in the box. That brings the real cost of the digital fence guage down to about $60. 
I just finished installing this thing on my table saw and I gotta say I'm unimpressed. I followed the installation instructions and broke a self threading bolt as I torqued it in. The unit itself doesn't slide smoothly on the rail and required a bit of finagling to get it to even move on the rail. It feels cheap and plasticy. So far, even with these shortcomings, I'd probably keep it but then I tried it out. If you move it too quickly, it gives you a false reading. As far as repeatability, 1 out of 3 tries I can return to zero sliding it up and down the fence travel. So I don't feel confident with the numbers it's showing me. Hopefully Woodcraft's return policy will allow me to return it after it's been installed and uninstalled.

Edit: changed opinion, see below.


----------



## Ben H (Oct 26, 2007)

I thought that sliding the fence too fast might cause that. I have a digital caliber that will do the same thing. Move it too fast and you get a incorrect reading. I guess that wheel can't keep up.:thumbdown:


----------



## rnt80 (May 26, 2007)

Sorry to hear that it hasn't worked out for you. I installed the fence on my Ridgid 3650 and love it. The precise repeatability is very convenient. It takes a minute to get it calibrated but once that is done I've found it a pleasure to use. Not to mention that Barry Wixey provides some of the best customer service I have ever had the pleasure of receiving. I will continue to buy his products in the future.


----------



## Steve Clardy (Oct 20, 2007)

Clutchcargo said:


> I like the digital Wixey angle guage so I thought I'd try the digital readout for the fence (and I like gadgets). I saw that woodcraft online had it on sale for $99 and Wixey also included another digital angle guage in the box. That brings the real cost of the digital fence guage down to about $60.
> I just finished installing this thing on my table saw and I gotta say I'm unimpressed. I followed the installation instructions and broke a self threading bolt as I torqued it in. The unit itself doesn't slide smoothly on the rail and required a bit of finagling to get it to even move on the rail. It feels cheap and plasticy. So far, even with these shortcomings, I'd probably keep it but then I tried it out. If you move it too quickly, it gives you a false reading. As far as repeatability, 1 out of 3 tries I can return to zero sliding it up and down the fence travel. So I don't feel confident with the numbers it's showing me. Hopefully Woodcraft's return policy will allow me to return it after it's been installed and uninstalled.


Did you loosen the unit so it slides very freely on the rail before attaching it to the fence?


----------



## ElephantWoodWorking (Jan 14, 2008)

First this devise works like digital caliper, there is no wheel inside, theoretically you can take it off and put it back on in a different spot and it should give a the right reading. I believe it works off of resistance, but don’t quote me on that last part.

 I bought this because I wanted the precision of the digital readout. I agree that the repeatability when turning it on is inconsistent. I find that every time I turn it on, I have to zero it off the blade. Once zeroed though, I find it very repeatable. I have not done a GR&R, but I'm sure it would do pretty well if not turned off. One of the main things I found is that everything must be setup well on the saw and fence. I actually found that my fence rail was curved after doing some test cuts and measuring. After building a new fence and bolting this on every few inches and filing the transitions, it works pretty consistently. Probably not worth the $120 I paid when it came out, but for $60 I think it is worth it.


----------



## Leo G (Oct 16, 2006)

I have this unit and find that it works flawlessly. I followed the instructions to install it on my Biesemeyer fence and all went smoothly. The joint between the two calibration slides was a sticking point, but as it said in the instructions you may need to file it to get it to travel smoothly over the joint, I did and it does. I find the repeatability of the gauge to be very accurate. I cannot move my fence fast enough to make it read in error. The unit never turns off, just the display. Otherwise if you turned it off it would loose it point on the scale. You should be able to move the unit in the off position and it will know where it is. When you turn it on, it should show the correct measurement. The unit runs off of capacitance, not resistance. This Wixey product has changed how I work with the tablesaw. With the 5 thousands inch accuracy I no longer need to to setups. I just use the measurements on the gauge and go for it. I would highly recommend this unit to anyone who needs accuracy on their tablesaw.


----------



## Clutchcargo (Apr 9, 2007)

*A dab of wax*

I ended up keeping it. I waxed the rail with the wax I use on my table and was able to tighten the screws a bit tighter and it seems to work perfectly now. The wax really smoothed out the run up and down the rail. The unit itself is still is a bit plasticy but now it does what it is supposed to do and I can return it to zero after a few runs down the rail.
At first I would have rated this 1 star but I think I can bump it up to 4 stars based on a $99 purchase price including angle gauge and $20 gift card.


----------



## Steve Clardy (Oct 20, 2007)

Clutchcargo said:


> I ended up keeping it. I waxed the rail with the wax I use on my table and was able to tighten the screws a bit tighter and it seems to work perfectly now. The wax really smoothed out the run up and down the rail. The unit itself is still is a bit plasticy but now it does what it is supposed to do and I can return it to zero after a few runs down the rail.
> At first I would have rated this 1 star but I think I can bump it up to 4 stars based on a $99 purchase price including angle gauge and $20 gift card.


 

Cool. Sounds good.
After using mine, I've found none of my tape measures are worth a hoot.

I just got a couple of johnson 16 footers. These babies are on the money. :thumbsup:


----------

