thinking about an EZ Smart

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Central (upstate) NY
Depending on how much overtime I get next week, I will be able to pay off a couple credit cards (with a little help from stimulated economics) and have a bit left over for a couple toys.

This is where life gets hard, since I can't just get everything I want. I am thinking of maybe getting an EZ Smart system. I have a nice DeWalt saw with a brake that I figure would make a good EZ Smart saw. If I can scrape up the cash, would it be worthwhile to also get the 90 degree repeater thingee?

Just for the record, even if the Festool folks here decide to sell their stuff at half list to "upgrade", Festool is still not in the budget.

As far as the other cutting tools I currently have are a 12" Delta RAS, a 14" bandsaw and the router table (I used the router table as my "saw" when I made my first RAS table). I do not have a TS, nor do I have room for a TS. Frankly, I'm kind of nervous about tablesaws. (Yeah, I know, I'm in that 0.0001% nutjob portion of the population who's 'fraid of the TS but happy as a clam with a good solid RAS. :wave: )

So, I'm thinking that an EZ Smart system would round things out nicely. Any input will be appreciated. Thanks!
 
Mark, I think the Ez Smart system is a good system for a hobbyist to have, in fact, I looked HARD at it, but in the end, I really wanted the Festool saw, so I went that route, remember, my costs and prices are very different here.

I think you would be happy with the EZ system, and the saw you have, good bang for the buck.

Cheers!
 
Having just spend the last few days mostly converting sheet goods to make new carts etc for the shop I would recommend a guided rail system if you spend any amount of time doing that sort of work.

Like Stu my choice was made on the basis of saw first and I went festool for that reason. Regardless, a well set up guided rail makes sheet goods easier to handle. Go for it.
 
I have the 114" EZ system, and the EZ square, with handle. I also have an extra 36" section of the EZ rail, with the non-skid tape on it, which I use for smaller pieces.

Having had a couple of 'lesser' guides in the past, I was really impresed when I tried an EZ the first time (at Hartville Hardware), but it was still a year or so before I bought mine.

I really like it. I originally bought it for breaking down plywood sheets into handleable pices for the tablesaw, but now I find that I can just go right to the finished size cuts with the EZ, and mostly eliminate the tablesaw.

Like you, Mark, the Festool was/is nice, but just not in my price range.
 
I got tired of wrangling around full sheets of plywood and homemade guides.

They were having a sale on the EZ Smart Homeowner package at some point last year and I went ahead and got it. 2 rails, hold downs, square, table system.

It's been a very good purchase. I know there are 'wars' over the preferences and capabilities. I just wanted something to make breaking down sheet goods easy and accurate. This certainly does that I'm very happy with it.

I really like being able to make my mark on the plywood, put the square right on the line and make the cut and have it be dead on accurate.

The table is ok, but not really necessary if you setup your own sawhorse system with sacrificial strips on top.
 
I've posted this before, but I had the EZ and now have Festool. There's no comparing the Festool saw for woodworking and I find it is easier to make dead on accurate cuts with the Festool than the EZ due to the differences in their anti-chip edge design.
 
Mark,
It sounds like a CS guide system would be a real nice addition to your capabilities.:thumb: As Brent pointed out, being able to cut right on your mark is a huge attribute to the EZ and Festool systems. I picked up the EZ 100" guide a year or so ago and it has proved to be very helpful. I don't have a repeater, but I have had opportunities where the square would have been helpful.

Wes
 
I got tired of wrangling around full sheets of plywood and homemade guides...The table is ok, but not really necessary if you setup your own sawhorse system with sacrificial strips on top.

I bought the hardware and made the table - just a couple months ago. It works quite well, but I think a similar sized (about 3½' X 6½ ') sacrificial grid on top of a couple sawhorses would work just as well.

Frank suggested the LV setup. I looked at it, but it has the same disadvantage as the Clamp-n-Guide, and others - it still puts the blade somewhere 'out there' beyond the edge of the clamp so you have to measure and compensate. The EZ, and the Festool, both allow cutting exactly at the edge of the rail, so you make your mark, then put the rail down right on the mark and cut - no further measuring. Much better!
 
mark i dont have one but used one at clardy's and was ipressed with it.. the table could be made as jim said..but the cuts were easy to line up and came out well.
 
Thanks for all the replies. I didn't even know about the "extended packages" before posting this thread. I'm looking hard at the Smart Homeowner package. I'll let you know what I do.
 
Thanks for all the replies. I didn't even know about the "extended packages" before posting this thread. I'm looking hard at the Smart Homeowner package. I'll let you know what I do.

Mark,
Just a suggestion: If you're interested in getting the "Smart Homeowner" package, consider making one small upgrade. The package comes with two 50" rails. For a little over $20.00 more, you could get one 50" and one 64" rail.

The longer rail set (114" total) makes it easier to rip a full (96") sheet of ply. You can do it with the twin 50's, but the extra overhang of the 114" makes it easier to start the saw off the edge of the ply and then flow smoothly into the cut.

Also, Dino sometimes offers free shipping. When you call, see if you can browbeat him into that, too. If he'll do that, it'll easily offset the additional cost of the longer rail.
 
Jim's a smart guy. He's got some pretty good advice there.

I have done length wise rips with my setup, and although it works, a little extra length wouldn't hurt.

Dino does have sales fairly regularly, so you might want to check SMC to see if he has had one recently.

If I had to guess, you might want to see if he has a memorial day sale coming up.

Whatever you do, I'm sure you'll be happy with it.
 
If I was thinking of getting a 25" guide rail on top of the package, would the 64" instead of one for the 50" guides still be recommended?

It'd work if you also got an additional set of connectors, which will cost you another $28.00, so I'd still go with the 64" upgrade, for just about $22.00, instead.

The 25 " rail wwill be a nice addition, too, but I'd get the 32" one instead - for the same reason I recommended the 114" set over the 100" set. The 32" rail will make it easier to cross-cut 24" material. Again, you can do it with the 25" rail, but it's easier with the 32".

FWIW, I generally keep the square (semi-permanently) attached to my 32" rail, and only move it to the 64" rail for full 48" width cross-cuts.

This has worked out very well for me. YMMV.
 
Mark,
Even though I have the 100" set-up, I would heed what Jim and others have said about the 114". Yes, the 100" works, but a little more runway for the saw would be welcome.

FWIW,
Wes
 
If you use much Baltic Birch, you'll want a longer rail anyway. Cutting 5' baltic birch with an 8-9' rail, regardless of who made it is a pain. I think you can get buy with a 64" rail for that purpose unless you do it all the time, then I think you'd want the next size up.

With the EZ, unless the overhang was at least as long as the Smart Clamps, mine tended to bend where the hole for the center post is drilled as about 1/2 of the material is removed by that hole. It doesn't take a ton of clamping pressure. Bend them a few times and they'll get fatigued.
 
Placed my order today.

I'm getting an SGS-114, a complete cabinetmaker, a 32" guide rail and the smart clamp system upgrade (to rip narrower hardwoods). I'm also getting a DC shroud for my saw (a Dewalt with brake). This was the order I placed from Eurekazone. :D

In addition, a local buddy of mine is selling me a SRK (router kit), EZ tabletop hardware kit and a DeWalt 616 plunge (EZ Ready) / fixed base router combo set. :thumb:

Um, I just realized something... Now I'm going to have to build that paperback organizer shelf system that I've been telling my wife I don't have the proper tools for! :eek: :doh:

I'll take pics when the stuff all arrives! :wave:
 
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Placed my order today.

I'm getting an SGS-114, a complete cabinetmaker, a 32" guide rail and the smart clamp system upgrade (to rip narrower hardwoods). I'm also getting a DC shroud for my saw (a Dewalt with brake). This was the order I placed from Eurekazone. :D

In addition, a local buddy of mine is selling me a SRK (router kit), EZ tabletop hardware kit and a DeWalt 616 plunge (EZ Ready) / fixed base router combo set. :thumb:

Um, I just realized something... Now I'm going to have to build that paperback organizer shelf system that I've been telling my wife I don't have the proper tools for! :eek: :doh:

I'll take pics when the stuff all arrives! :wave:

is that something like woodworking, and not tool collecting you're talking about doing? and a Bookcase at that? *gasp* :rofl::thumb:
 
A friend popped by to help me make a Smart Table with the kit I bought from him. I had a bit more than a 3/4 sheet of 3/4" plywood laying around, so I made it 3' by 5' for extra support.

smart.table.jpg

I also rearranged my pegboard area to store my guide rails.

EZ.guide.storage.jpg
 
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