Which Miter Gauge to Choose? [Archive] - Sawmill Creek Woodworking Community

Jon Nuckles

04-13-2019, 5:40 PM

I have a Kreg and like it a lot. Accurate and easy to set to common angles via a pin. The longer fence and stop block are a nice feature for repeatable cut lengths. I like the Kreg better than an Incra I used when I used to share a shop, but I don't recall what model the Incra was. If I did a lot of work that required less common angles, the Incra's settings might be more useful to me. Both are a big step up from the basic models that come with your tablesaw, including the one that came with my Sawstop.

Orlando Gonzalez

04-13-2019, 5:44 PM

I have the Woodhaven Deluxe Miter Gauge and it has worked very well for me. Very accurate and well made.

Frederick Skelly

04-13-2019, 5:59 PM

Nick Decker

04-13-2019, 6:21 PM

I have two Incras. Bought the second one because I liked the first one so much. Haven't used the Kreg, but I would be surprised if it's as strong as the Incras.

Lisa Starr

04-13-2019, 6:29 PM

Consider the Osbourne. I have one and would really like to have two. It offers a built-in stop and stays square after being adjusted. I have no ezperience with your other choices, so I can't offer a comparision.

William A Johnston

04-13-2019, 6:30 PM

I also have the Incra 1000 SE with the cross cut sled. After a couple years of owning it and using it alot it still is as accurate as the day I got it. The Incra tools I have owned all have been of good quality. Although I also have a couple of Kreg tools and they are also well built. I'm sure you could not go wrong with either brand.

Bill

Prashun Patel

04-13-2019, 6:30 PM

Love my incra. I have the hd, Flip stop is great. Like all incra fences, you need to get used to having to use the screwdriver to loosen the nuts everytime you want to adjust it.

It is very good also for its ability to adjust the slop in the slot.

Last and most important, the precision of the angles is very good. You can trust it.

Marshall Harrison

04-13-2019, 6:44 PM

Marshall,
Here's an old thread where I compared 4 miter gauges. LINK (https://sawmillcreek.org/showthread.php?221234-Brief-review-Four-miter-gauges-2-Incra-Osborne-amp-Kreg/page2#post_2305512) I bought the Incra 1000HD and love it.

Hope it helps,
Fred

Thanks for all the input on this. And thanks Fred for the link.

Its $30 more but I am leaning towards the Incra. If I add a sacrificial fence to the gauge so that it extends beyond the blade to back my cut then with the Kreg the stop has to be adjusted by breaking a piece of the end of the stop. Or buying a separate stop for the sacrificial fence. The Incra appears to be able to handle bot setups with just the one stop.

Jacob Reverb

04-13-2019, 7:37 PM

Von Bickley

04-13-2019, 7:47 PM

I have the Incra 1000HD. I use it when I want to cut perfect 45's. Works Great...

Frederick Skelly

04-13-2019, 7:50 PM

Does anyone know anything about this unit? I'll probably set myself up with a miter sled with a great big protractor arc for the more critical stuff, but for the down-and-dirty, this looks a bit nicer than the one that came with my Powermatic saw:

https://www.amazon.com/Accessories-Farway-Router-Sawing-Assembly/dp/B07KXL1RNF

Only problem is, nobody has reviewed it yet, and I'm not sure I want to be the first guinea pig!

I havent seen this one Jacob, but it looks like a knockoff of the Incra V120 that I tried. The V120 costs about $20 more than the one you linked to. If you have the extra to spend, you can't go wrong with the Incra product. BTW, Incra has good customer service too. (Long story, but I screwed up and they still warranted it.)
Fred

Brian Holcombe

04-13-2019, 8:09 PM

Incra 1000HD is excellent. I use it at my router table.

Cary Falk

04-13-2019, 9:27 PM

I did this tomy 1000HD to get around the screw driver thing. I got the idea from another forum.
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Bill Sutherland

04-13-2019, 9:34 PM

I have the 1000HD and 5000 sled. Like em both and did the same upgrade as Cary. However I got the Miter Set segment plate and I use that as my "go to" double check for my 1000HD. Works perfect. I got tired of checking the calibration on my 1000HD when using a sacrificial fence on it. I may sell my 1000HD and just use the Sawstop miter gauge with my Miter Set.

Lee Schierer

04-13-2019, 10:02 PM

I have the Kreg miter gauge and really like it. If anything happens to it I would get another one. I have cut numerous picture frame moldings and get no gaps in the joints.

fred everett

04-13-2019, 10:28 PM

I also have the Incra 1000 hd. Track play is easily dialed out and the unit I have can be quickly shimmed so it's dead on with my saw. Took me about 5 mins to get it within .001 to my saw. The flip stops are extremely useful and the mitres are always dead on. I am happy with the Incra 1000 hd.

johnny means

04-13-2019, 11:25 PM

Plus 1 on the Incra. I liked mine so much that I converted one for use on my slider.

Wayne Cannon

04-14-2019, 3:16 AM

Ok. I have the Incra 1000, Kreg, Woodhaven, & Osborn. My choice in order of preference:
1. Kreg or Woodhaven (they are almost identical in use)
2. Osborn
3. Incra 1000

I don't need the Inca's rapid setting to arbitrary 1/2 degree values. It's heavy and has lots of sharp points on it. My Incra sounded like a great product when I got it, but hasn't been used in years in favor of my Kreg & Woodhaven.

The Kreg & Woodhaven have easy-to-change calibrated pin-and-hole settings for all of the common angles, are lightweight, are easy to adjust without tools, and are easily customizable with readily available generic fences, stops, jigs (e.g., box joint), etc.

The Osborn is a great unit, but it is big, heavy, cumbersome, and trickier to store Those are the only reasons I don't use it more often.

Jacob Reverb

04-14-2019, 7:24 AM

Thanks for the tip on the Woodhaven, Wayne. I had not seen that one before, and it looks good.

James Brown

04-14-2019, 8:47 AM

I just posted and deleted this under a different branch of this thread. Meant to +1 the Osborne. Here's what I said:

When I was starting woodworking 15 years or so ago I bought the Osborne EB3. I'm pretty sure Norm used one on TV at some point, so I had to have it. In fact I think we bought it from his website. It's rock solid at the most common angles, and I use it almost every time I use my table saw. Can't recommend it enough.

But that's not all I came to say. I almost never post, but coincidentally today I came on to Sawmill Creek to PRAISE my experience with Osborne Manufacturing. Yesterday--Saturday afternoon--I noticed that in a shop reorg I lost some of of the hardware that tightens the Osborne's extension arm. I wrote to the company and within an hour on a Saturday afternoon heard back from David Osborne, who created a custom ordering page for my particular need. Parts were cheap and shipping is INCLUDED (attn big manufacturer service departments).

No affiliation, but if the above matters to you (stuff like that matters to me more every day), my experience may be relevant. And as I said, I love the Osborne. 90% or more of my crosscuts are 90 or 45 ... micro adjustment and half-degree angles aren't a part of my workflow, but absolute rock-solid precision 90s and 45s are helpful. :)

Marshall Harrison

04-14-2019, 9:02 AM

I'm still appreciating the comments. I haven't made my purchase yet but maybe tomorrow if my local Woodcraft has my choice in stock.

I'm now leaning towards the Incra V120 as I don't really need hundreds of angles. So the current thinking is to get the V120 which gives me any angle I could conceive of using as well as some room to grow if my needs ever change. I like the way the Incra gauges remove any wiggle from the miter slot. I'll add a wooden sacrificial fence and stop but I can always upgrade to the Incra models later if I so desire. I also would have compatibility and growth with their sled components if I ever need (or Want:D) that capability.

Keep up the suggestions as I am refining my choices up until I actually make my purchase.

Jim Becker

04-14-2019, 11:14 AM

If I recall, I had the Incra for the cabinet saw I owned years ago and it was a quality product. Since they have different versions as you note, if you go with that brand, you'll just need to carefully consider the type of work you do to match up which model is going to serve you best over time. Don't write off a feature that you might not be using now...consider "what if I could do that", too.

Tony Pisano

04-14-2019, 11:26 AM

I always thought the price of incra stuff was high and out of my range, but I had some gift card money and finally bought a 1000hd and don't regret it. It cost more than the secondhand craftsman table saw I got in the 70's, but it turned it into and accurate pleasure to use. All the features others listed. I have recently loved using the double stops while cross cutting dados that needed more than one pass. Bump on stop, take a cut, flip the stop up and slide to next stop. I think we've all rigged up various ways to do things on the tablesaw with our miter gauges. This one incorporates many of them. I also love being able to easily slide the fence right up alongside the blade.

Jon Nuckles

04-14-2019, 12:08 PM

I like the way the Incra gauges remove any wiggle from the miter slot.

Just wanted to note that the Kreg also has this feature. If I recall correctly, Fine Woodworking did a test of various miter gauges some years ago and chose the Osborne as the top choice. I haven’t used one of those.

Earl McLain

04-14-2019, 12:22 PM

I have the Kreg and also the Incra 1000 HD.

Kreg--bought used, and it was missing a few bits (notable the brass pre-set). I couldn't figure out how to buy parts on their site so finally called them. They didn't "sell" parts, but shipped them at no cost despite the fact that i had bought used!! Accurate, and works very well. Top-notch service in all they do. I eventually bought a second flip stop for use with sacrificial fence.
Incra 1000 HD--bought never-opened box from a kid whose father passed away, gave $75 for it if i recall correctly. While the 1000 SE would have been more than enough stops, it was too good a deal to pass up. As mentioned earlier, the flip-stops are great, and easy to switch positions depending on whether i'm using a sacrificial fence or not.

Both are very good, though different tools. To me, the weak spot in the Kreg is the stop--tends to rack just a tick when setting. The Kreg production stops are rock solid though--and there have been times when i used those with a solid spacer to get two stops. I'd agree with Tony Pisano's observation that the Incra seems to have built some of my rigging into account.
earl

Ray Newman

04-14-2019, 2:13 PM

I run the INCRA 1000SE on my SawStop and previous to that my ol' Uni-saw utilized it. I find the Flip Stop, which has a micro adjustment capability, convenient along with a 3/4" MDF sub fence attached to 1000SE fence.

As the sub fence extends 'bout 6" to the right, it acts as a sweep as well the saw blade kerf providing an accurate registration point to place the cut line on the work. I keep several sub fences on hand for different blades and dado usage. Wood slices glued into the kerf extends the sub fence useful life.

Marshall Harrison

04-14-2019, 7:04 PM

Just wanted to note that the Kreg also has this feature. If I recall correctly, Fine Woodworking did a test of various miter gauges some years ago and chose the Osborne as the top choice. I haven’t used one of those.

The Kreg has the adjustable feature but you have to take the bar out of the TS miter slot to adjust the little plastic screws then put it back to test the fit. With the Incra the adjustment is done while the bar is in the miter slot which seems to me would be a lot simpler. Not sure how the Osborne adjusts.

Peter Christensen

04-14-2019, 8:53 PM

I have the Osborne, would love a second for the other side of the blade. Usually have it set up to cut on the right side of the blade. You can move it around to cut on the left but it takes a few minutes to do.

The slot width is adjusted from the top with the gauge in the slot. There are three grub screws in a split in the bar. You tighten them with Allen wrench and they expand the bar to take up the slack. Simple and effective.

I still use the standard mitre gauges that came with the saw with a board screwed to the fence. That pushes the off cut past the blade. A Jorgenson hand screw serves as a stop. I can set the standard mitre gauge very quickly with my Starrett combination square or with a vernier bevel protractor if I need to cut to minutes of a degree. :rolleyes: Same works to verify the Osborne if I feel the need.

I've been pondering getting the Veritas Shooting Board Fence (http://www.leevalley.com/en/wood/page.aspx?p=76880&cat=1,41182) to put on a sled for the table saw. Need a few more gift cards. ;)

glenn bradley

04-14-2019, 9:21 PM

Bought a V-27 back around 2002. Ordered a piece of extrusion direct from Incra. L-knobs solve the wrench issue as discussed above.

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I milled some oak to fit in the telescoping tube and hang a wooden sacrificial "flag" on it. I have a few for straight cuts and various common angles.

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Easy to refresh or replace. I've obviously done other Frankensteinian things to this one over the years. The second one I bought for my router table is more normal.

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Carl Beckett

04-15-2019, 8:31 AM

Bought a V-27 back around 2002. Ordered a piece of extrusion direct from Incra. L-knobs solve the wrench issue as discussed above.

I milled some oak to fit in the telescoping tube and hang a wooden sacrificial "flag" on it. I have a few for straight cuts and various common angles.

Easy to refresh or replace. I've obviously done other Frankensteinian things to this one over the years. The second one I bought for my router table is more normal.

Glen, my Incra has flip stops (two) that work quite well. Looks like you took these off and made your own. Did you not like the Incra version?

Charles Lent

04-15-2019, 8:52 AM

if you are buying this for angle setting accuracy, I looked at all of them and then bought a pair of MiterSet gauges to set my existing miter gauge. They require a miter gauge with a 3/4 X 3/8 bar and an accurate fit in the miter slot, but will position your existing miter gauge in 1/2 degree increments very accurately. The Segments gauge lets you set your miter gauge for making cuts for segmented circles where some settings must be made to .001 degrees for the circle segments to fit together correctly. These gauges are built with Aerospace quality and very impressive packaging. To me, they were worth every bit of their cost.

https://miterset.myshopify.com/products/miterset-package-set

They are also available on Amazon https://www.google.com/search?q=amazon+miterset&rlz=1C1CHBF_enUS814US814&oq=amazon+miterset&aqs=chrome..69i57j0j69i64.12907j0j7&sourceid=chrome&ie=UTF-8

I just wanted you to see all of the possibilities before making your decision.

Charley

Marshall Harrison

04-15-2019, 12:26 PM

Thanks for covering the bases for me.

The mite gauge that cam with my Laguna table saw has some slop in the bar and a limited set points. Its like most other standard OEM gauges; Not very good.

Charles Lent

04-15-2019, 8:29 PM

There are ways to tighten them, but first you should carefully measure your miter bar and miter slots to see which is not correct and do this in several places.

There are plunger kind-of set screws with a spring loaded tip that you could use. Here is a link but similar is available from many sources. http://www.swmanufacturing.com/parts-catalog/spring-loaded-devices/ball-spring-plungers/ Industrial Supply Houses like Grainger or a bolt specialty store would be the best sources. You would drill the miter bar sideways and threads these holes. Then install several of these all facing the same direction and adjust them to push against one side of the miter slot just enough to take out the slop. Too tight and you will feel the change in resistance as each one enters the miter slot. Too loose and you won't have solved the problem. I would use blue Locktite to make sure they stay at the final setting.

Of course, you could also do what some have done and use a center punch to dimple one side of the miter bar enough that it fits tight and then carefully remove just enough with a file for it to fit.

You could also replace the bar with one of the new adjustable bars too.

I bought both MiterSet gauges and use them with my original Delta miter gauges. Both fit the miter slots of my Unisaw very well and work fine with these gauges.

Charley

glenn bradley

04-15-2019, 11:14 PM

Glen, my Incra has flip stops (two) that work quite well. Looks like you took these off and made your own. Did you not like the Incra version?

The V-27 comes as a gauge only; no fence, no stops. I just bought pieces of the extrusion from Incra separately. I try to keep the clutter down by trying to make items do double or triple duty.
I use the Rockler stops on the router table and the drill press so it made sense, for me, to use them at the tablesaw as well.

Marshall Harrison

04-22-2019, 10:50 AM

OK. I mage my purchase today after going to the local Woodcraft store. My final purchase decision was not what I had original intended when I left home.

Some observations:

Incra 1000SE: not in stock
Incra 100oHD: cost more than y cash on hand
Incra V120: it seemed kind of flimsy to me and I'm not sure how many of the 120 stops I would ever need. It also had some play when I locked down the pointer.
Incra V27: Sturdier that the other models and the protractor seemed to be from thicker stock.

So what did I purchase? I bought an Osborne miter gauge. I had a 10% off birthday coupon and I used that so it only cost me $141. The Osborne has a fence while the cheaper Incra models didn't so that was a bonus for me. I think I'll be happy with it and I'll take care of any unboxing/setup/calibration/etc later today or tomorrow.

Thanks for all of your suggestions and guidance.

Prashun Patel

04-22-2019, 12:59 PM

I'm sure you'll be happy with it.

Good fences make good now-buys.

I can count the number of poor reviews on either of the Osborne, Kreg, or Incra's on one finger; am sure they are all great.

Dustin Bullard

04-24-2019, 2:08 PM

Late to the game but I saw this and figured I'd reply with my Kreg Experience...

I purchased my Kreg Mitre Gauge from Rockler in mid 2017, it was all they had in stock (I was planning on getting the Incra 1000HD) but I needed something that day for a client... I have used it only a handful of times and ultimately modified it by replacing the fence entirely... Each time I pull it out I'm reminded why it just takes up space on one of the shelves in my shop, its mediocre at best...

Ironically tried to use mine over this past weekend for a project and while it seems accurate for cutting angles, its poorly cobbled together and one of those purchase I genuinely regret...

Here are my observations
The fence extrusion is custom made so forget about using non-kreg hardware with it
The stop it comes with has so much play that it twists in the slot by 1/8 of an inch (just look at all the 1 star reviews on amazon) you can of course upgrade to the production stop for another $25...
The pin for the positive stops has no method of retention and easily falls out (I'm amazed I still have the pin after 2 years)
The method for taking slop out of the mitre bar with little delrin set screws works but you have to constantly adjust them or they snag half way through your cut.
I had to drill out the holes in the Mitre Gauge so the fence would sit flush on the table (even with the little plastic feet under the fence)

I don't own an Incra Mitre Gauge but I have demoed them at Rockler/Woodcraft and in my opinion Incra makes tools while Kreg makes toys...

Don't even get me started on the Kreg Bandsaw fence (that is still attached to a saw I no longer own)...

Now on a side note, if you happen to have one of Rockler's 3" MultiTracks it is a direct bolt on to the Kreg Gauge and Rockler's flip stop is sturdy enough for accurate cuts...

Jon Nuckles

04-25-2019, 8:54 PM

The stop it comes with has so much play that it twists in the slot by 1/8 of an inch (just look at all the 1 star reviews on amazon) you can of course upgrade to the production stop for another $25...
The pin for the positive stops has no method of retention and easily falls out (I'm amazed I still have the pin after 2 years)
The method for taking slop out of the mitre bar with little delrin set screws works but you have to constantly adjust them or they snag half way through your cut.
I had to drill out the holes in the Mitre Gauge so the fence would sit flush on the table (even with the little plastic feet under the fence)

FWIW, I have not experienced any of these issues with my Kreg miter gauge. If I did, I'd contact Kreg. Their customer service is outstanding.

Tom Bender

04-27-2019, 7:02 AM

I use a sled. Haven't used a miter gauge in years. It's gathering dust.

Marshall Harrison

04-27-2019, 7:40 AM

I use a sled. Haven't used a miter gauge in years. It's gathering dust.

I plan to build a sled too. Working on a design that would allow me to incorporate the EB3 into the sled. I'm also trying to decide if it is worth the trouble to include the EB3 into the sled.

Curt Harms

04-27-2019, 7:50 AM

I have an Incra 1000 no suffix. It came with an extrusion fence that I didn't care for, it was too thick so the end of the fence was too far from the blade when used angled away from the blade. I made a fence from good quality 3/4" plywood with T track attached to the top and a stop that slides in the T track. I'm happy with it. I did consider the Osborne when I was in the market but it was out of production when I was in the market.

Dustin Bullard

04-30-2019, 4:39 PM

FWIW, I have not experienced any of these issues with my Kreg miter gauge. If I did, I'd contact Kreg. Their customer service is outstanding.

I will say this I just called them with zero expectation and they are sending me a replacement flip stop (well out of warranty as I bought this in 2017 which I was clear about)

I spoke with someone named Ben and I'm impressed with the customer service but only time will tell if the issue is actually resolved...

I'll report back and let everyone know how it works out...

Dustin Bullard

05-13-2019, 5:11 PM

Hey Everyone,

Here is the final update and a fix for those that have the same issue:

Kreg sent me a replacement part for my mitre gauge and it behaved exactly the same as the previous part with way too much slop in the flip stop. I noticed that if I install the flip stop backwards (eg hanging off the back of the fence) it locks in place precisely with very little play (Unfortunately the way it was designed you cant just assemble it in a way that it will work)

However...

I discovered that the reason it works backwards but not in the correct orientation is that they designed the bracket with a foot that drops into the t-track to be shaped like a wedge while the front part of the bracket extends down and contacts the t-track before the wedge can engage...

The fix is easy, file a bit off the front of the bracket so it no longer contacts the fence.

Below is an image example of what I'm talking about:

https://i.imgur.com/Rqg6ncq.jpg

Hopefully this helps someone...

Frederick Skelly

05-13-2019, 9:22 PM

Thanks for posting this Dustin!

Joseph Quattro

05-14-2019, 6:47 PM

Id wait until the incra is back in stock, very happy with my 1000 (SE I believe)

Randy Heinemann

05-15-2019, 10:08 AM

I believe that you can never go wrong with Incra products regardless of price. I have the Incra 1000HD Miter Sled. It is extremely accurate after the initial setup. Sometimes Incra products cost more, but they are worth it.

Nick Decker

05-15-2019, 1:47 PM

I see that Jessem is offering a new one. Looks nice, would bear further consideration if I didn't like my Incras so well.

Roger Feeley

05-15-2019, 2:04 PM

Jessem user here. Mine is an older model. I see that Jessem just started making miter gauges again. Might be worth a look.

Dustin Bullard

05-17-2019, 10:59 AM

Oddly Relevant:

Peachtree is having a 20% off + Free Shipping sale on a few Incra Mitre Gauges (Code: TSAW7):

https://www.ptreeusa.com/edirect_051719_incra.htm

Stan Calow

05-17-2019, 1:07 PM

Hey Everyone,

Here is the final update and a fix for those that have the same issue:

Kreg sent me a replacement part for my mitre gauge and it behaved exactly the same as the previous part with way too much slop in the flip stop. I noticed that if I install the flip stop backwards (eg hanging off the back of the fence) it locks in place precisely with very little play (Unfortunately the way it was designed you cant just assemble it in a way that it will work)

However...

I discovered that the reason it works backwards but not in the correct orientation is that they designed the bracket with a foot that drops into the t-track to be shaped like a wedge while the front part of the bracket extends down and contacts the t-track before the wedge can engage...

The fix is easy, file a bit off the front of the bracket so it no longer contacts the fence.

Below is an image example of what I'm talking about:

Hopefully this helps someone...

Dustin are you saying it will work in the correct orientation with this modification, or in the backwards orientation? I'll figure it out but thanks a bunch. I thought it was only my problem.

Dustin Bullard

05-17-2019, 3:03 PM

Dustin are you saying it will work in the correct orientation with this modification, or in the backwards orientation? I'll figure it out but thanks a bunch. I thought it was only my problem.

The fix allows you to use it as intended in the correct orientation. You don't have to go crazy filing/sanding it down. Probably only 1/32-1/16 shaved off lets it lock down perfectly.

Robert Hayward

05-17-2019, 9:06 PM

Oddly Relevant:

Peachtree is having a 20% off + Free Shipping sale on a few Incra Mitre Gauges (Code: TSAW7):

https://www.ptreeusa.com/edirect_051719_incra.htm

I had been on the fence over buying another miter gauge although I had wanted a good one for a long time. Got the email today about this 20%/free shipping sale and could not resist. A 1000HD should be on the way to me Monday or Tuesday.