Grizzly G0690 vs G0691

[Maurice Arney]

I can't decide! I need help choosing my new table saw. Should I get the G0691 with the long extension table? or the standard size table G0690? Opinions on this feature? Which one would YOU choose and why? Thanks!

[Calvin Jamison]

If you break down sheet material regularly, I would go with the 91, but if you are ripping to width more, I would go with the 90. Good chose by the way, Grizzly saws are very good saws for the money, even better when they have the lesson motor. Suck it delta.

[scott spencer]

You could always buy the G0690 and slide the front rail about 10" to the right for more capacity...by moving the distance of one bolt hole you don't have to drill.

[Don Dorn]

You could always buy the G0690 and slide the front rail about 10" to the right for more capacity...by moving the distance of one bolt hole you don't have to drill.

That's what I did - still not the capacity to crosscut a 4x8 in half, but do have 34" instead of the 26 that came with it. It's been very handy a few times.

[Maurice Arney]

Thanks for the comments... I'm struggling with the pros and cons of each version. I like the idea of being able to break down 4'x8' sheets but the extra length takes up valuable shop space. Also, it would be more difficult to move the saw around if I needed to. Right now I clamp a straight edge and use my circular saw to break down sheet stock. It can be time consuming because I need to get out two saw horses, square off and mark my cuts, clamp the straight edge, then run my saw along the edge, hoping it doesn't "splinter off" when I approach the opposite side. I am trying to come up with a list of alternatives for slicing sheet goods. If I can find a way that is less cumbersome and time consuming I would go with the shortened version of the table saw to save room in my shop.

Update... Looking at track saws... But they are soooo expensive!

[Curt Harms]

I guess it depends on your situation but trying to maneuver a full 4 X 8 sheet of 3/4" plywood - or worse yet - MDF onto a table saw by myself is not something I'd be crazy about. Such tasks seem tailor made for track saws and stands or a table a little lower than the truck or van the sheet goods arrive in. Slide it out onto the table, cut to manageable size then put in storage. Now you probably don't need 52" rip capacity. If you have help you can depend on that makes a difference.

[scott spencer]

Most home centers will cut sheet goods at no charge, or very little charge....I let them break them into manageable pieces, then do the precision cuts on my TS.

[Calvin Jamison]

Which ever way you go stick with grizzly, their service department is next to none.

[Maurice Arney]

Think I'm gonna go with the 690 and save up for a decent track saw. Thanks everyone!

[Scott Reed]

What made you choose the 690 over the 1023?

[Jim Tabor]

Just wondering...Is the Oliver 1042 the same saw as the 691 in blue?...And if so, how does the price compare?

[Maurice Arney]

What made you choose the 690 over the 1023?

Nothing really... Almost a coin toss.

[glenn bradley]

I had a Beis fence and did as Scott describes, shifting over to gain an additional 10" of rip. This was on a 30" saw which was almost always too short. At 40" it was almost always long enough. I now have a 52" range and it has come in handy a few times so far. I build furniture but, rarely use sheet goods; maybe as a cabinet back or for utility drawers. Despite this I like the longer fence but, it is using up real estate whether I use it or not so the decision will be fairly personal for you. If you can fit it, I would go long, you can always cut it down if it comes to that but, like power side mirrors on a car . . . once you have 'em, its hard to give 'em up.

[Maurice Arney]

I had a Beis fence and did as Scott describes, shifting over to gain an additional 10" of rip. This was on a 30" saw which was almost always too short. At 40" it was almost always long enough. I now have a 52" range and it has come in handy a few times so far. I build furniture but, rarely use sheet goods; maybe as a cabinet back or for utility drawers. Despite this I like the longer fence but, it is using up real estate whether I use it or not so the decision will be fairly personal for you. If you can fit it, I would go long, you can always cut it down if it comes to that but, like power side mirrors on a car . . . once you have 'em, its hard to give 'em up.

It would be nice if they made a saw with a detachable extension so that you store it away and just re-attach when you had projects where it would be useful. But I suppose it would be hard to design accurate fence rails for such a setup.

[Ruel Smith]

What made you choose the 690 over the 1023?

Do you feel the 1023 is a better saw? Why? I'm taking a good hard look at the 1023, myself...

[Maurice Arney]

Do you feel the 1023 is a better saw? Why? I'm taking a good hard look at the 1023, myself... The only difference I saw that mattered was the rip capacity is 4" greater on the 690. One machine is made in Taiwan and the other in China but I don't know what if any difference that makes. I've seen people talk about the "Leeson motor" on the 690 but again, I don't know if that makes any difference. The two saws are pretty similar. Did you run a comparison on the Grizzly site? I'd be interested in some of the reasons why other people may have chosen one over the other myself.

[Scott Reed]

I may be a bit biased but when I was faced with the decision of the 690 or 1023, I chose the 1023. I feel the 1023 is a more modern design, similar to what most other top end brands are making. True, the 690 is based on a tried and true design, I think the more modern approaches have improved upon it. I like the blade elevation system, the single belt, and the dust collection shroud. Some folks have had issues with the shroud but it has worked very well for me. I moved my fence over and now have almost 38" of rip capacity. I don't feel the Leeson motor is really a factor at all considering it is foreign made and doesn't really perform any different than the one on the 1023. I have several Grizzly machines and have found that the ones I have that were built in Taiwan have a better build quality, fit/finish to them. The machines made in China I have, though, have given me absolutely no problems and work as intended. The 690 is a fantastic saw and will absolutely do what a table saw should. From a straight up performance stand point, it really is a coin toss.

[Maurice Arney]

I may be a bit biased but when I was faced with the decision of the 690 or 1023, I chose the 1023. I feel the 1023 is a more modern design, similar to what most other top end brands are making. True, the 690 is based on a tried and true design, I think the more modern approaches have improved upon it. I like the blade elevation system, the single belt, and the dust collection shroud. Some folks have had issues with the shroud but it has worked very well for me. I moved my fence over and now have almost 38" of rip capacity. I don't feel the Leeson motor is really a factor at all considering it is foreign made and doesn't really perform any different than the one on the 1023. I have several Grizzly machines and have found that the ones I have that were built in Taiwan have a better build quality, fit/finish to them. The machines made in China I have, though, have given me absolutely no problems and work as intended. The 690 is a fantastic saw and will absolutely do what a table saw should. From a straight up performance stand point, it really is a coin toss.

It is a difficult choice. I wish I could see them.

[scott spencer]

The only difference I saw that mattered was the rip capacity is 4" greater on the 690. One machine is made in Taiwan and the other in China but I don't know what if any difference that makes. I've seen people talk about the "Leeson motor" on the 690 but again, I don't know if that makes any difference. The two saws are pretty similar. Did you run a comparison on the Grizzly site? I'd be interested in some of the reasons why other people may have chosen one over the other myself.

Both have big yoke style cabinet mounted trunnions that span the cabeint. The G1023RL uses a vertical screw thread for the elevation mechanism, and the arbor support bracket uses dovetail ways to ensure precision, whereas the G0690 uses the old style swing arm. The G1023RL uses a single serpentine belt drive system vs the triple v-belt. The G1023 has a blade shroud for DC. The G0690 has an Asian made Leeson motor, the G1023 has a generic Asian motor. The G0690 has more stock rip capacity, but the G1023RL has the Shop Fox Classic fence....the front rail on either can be slid farther to the right to gain another 10" of rip capacity, generally without drilling if you move it the distance of one bolt hole. You can go to Grizzly's website and download the manuals....there are pics throughout that allow a glimpse of some of the differences, plus the exploded parts pictorial at the end shows the whole mechanisms.

http://i6.photobucket.com/albums/y203/hewood/sawparts/Grizzly/G1023RLpictorial_zps1a7dbbc8.jpg
http://i6.photobucket.com/albums/y203/hewood/sawparts/Grizzly/g1023rl_det1_zpse66c1dc5.jpg


http://i6.photobucket.com/albums/y203/hewood/sawparts/Grizzly/g0690pic_zps718a4540.jpg


http://i6.photobucket.com/albums/y203/hewood/sawparts/Grizzly/g0690_det4_zpse66c9055.jpg

[Maurice Arney]

Both have big yoke style cabinet mounted trunnions that span the cabeint. The G1023RL uses a vertical screw thread for the elevation mechanism, and the arbor support bracket uses dovetail ways to ensure precision, whereas the G0690 uses the old style swing arm. The G1023RL uses a single serpentine belt drive system vs the triple v-belt. The G1023 has a blade shroud for DC. The G0690 has an Asian made Leeson motor, the G1023 has a generic Asian motor. The G0690 has more stock rip capacity, but the G1023RL has the Shop Fox Classic fence....the front rail on either can be slid farther to the right to gain another 10" of rip capacity, generally without drilling if you move it the distance of one bolt hole. You can go to Grizzly's website and download the manuals....there are pics throughout that allow a glimpse of some of the differences, plus the exploded parts pictorial at the end shows the whole mechanisms.

http://i6.photobucket.com/albums/y203/hewood/sawparts/Grizzly/G1023RLpictorial_zps1a7dbbc8.jpg
http://i6.photobucket.com/albums/y203/hewood/sawparts/Grizzly/g1023rl_det1_zpse66c1dc5.jpg


http://i6.photobucket.com/albums/y203/hewood/sawparts/Grizzly/g0690pic_zps718a4540.jpg


http://i6.photobucket.com/albums/y203/hewood/sawparts/Grizzly/g0690_det4_zpse66c9055.jpg
Good information but it seems one would need an engineering degree to know which one is better. Without being able to actually see and touch the machinery it's still pretty much a "coin toss" for me.

[Scott Reed]

My advice is to pick one and not think about it again. Either one is going to give you years of excellent service. I have a very bad habit of getting buyers remorse. This purchase was no different. I loved the 1023 from the day I got it but being that I suffer the condition of buyers remorse I thought I should have bought the 690. Had I bought the 690 I would have thought I should've bought the 1023. I called and spoke to a tech guy of Grizzly, not a salesman, and asked him which saw he'd buy if he had to choose. I did not tell him I had already made a purchase. Without hesitation he said he'd buy the 1023. He mentioned the same reasons I listed for making my own purchase, and gave a few more that I can't remember. Could there be a conspiracy in that all Grizzly employees are told to push the 1023 because of greater profit margins? Sure, but I choose to believe the tech gave me a straight up answer. He seemed very knowledgable and is a woodworker himself. When he told me his preference, my remorse went completely away. Can't imagine the torment I would have put myself through had he aswered 690:) With all that said, both are fantastic saws. I should also mention that I got the 1023 with the router extension wing. It has been a great addition. I no longer use my self built router table and have saved a ton of space.

[Cary Falk]

LIL. This thread kind of took a detour. I will add my 2 cents. After owning my G1023RL for 2 years, I am extremely pleased. It still runs as quiet and smooth as the day I assembled it. The tilt and blade elevations wheels are still so smooth that I can give them a whirl and they will spin a good 3 or so times before stopping. I was never this happy with my restored Uni.

[Jim O'Dell]

I've had my 691 for what, 3 years now? I still get a smile on my face each time I "get" to use it. I helped a fellow Creeker do some initial assembly on his 1023R series, and it is also very nice. If they would just combine the best features of the two units, we wouldn't have to have these discussions!!! I'd still get the 691 today if I had to do it over and be in the same price range. The biggest selling point for me was the dust exhaust hole being on the right side of the saw. My down pipe from the ceiling is on the right side and that was one less 90 degree el to make the connection. I also like the Leeson designed motor. The old style trunnion is tried and true from decades of use on many brands of saws. The vertical lift of the 1023R series trunnion is a great design and simplifies the mechanics of the riving knife. The dust shroud is a nice feature. And like others have said, you won't go wrong with either one of them. Oh, and I slid my long rails two holes to the right and gained about 13" of rip width. Do I use it all the time, no, but it is really nice to have it when breaking down the sheet goods. And I have done ply and MDF. Out of the van on to supports and into the saw blade. Never have to pick up a full sheet that way, just pull or push it to the right spot. ;) Jim.