Fence Comparison

[Tony Maniscalco]

This is my first post. I've spent too much time reading threads and now I have a question I hope you can help me with.

I'm about to purchase a Grizzly 3hp TS to replace my 20 year old contrators saw. I already have a somewhat new Biesmeyer Home Shop 42" fence on my contractors saw and I was wondering if I should buy the Grizzly with the smallest fence and mount the Bies or buy the Grizzly with the longer fence. The Grizzly comes with a Shop Fox Classic and I've never seen one so I don't know how they compare.

Thanks in advance,

Tony

[Randal Stevenson]

I don't have experience with the Grizzly's but have to ask a couple of questions which may help you decide.

Are you happy with the Bies?
Are you planning on selling one with the old saw?
Have you ever wanted larger then the 42" you have now, and if so, how often (once a year or less, or every three months)?

[Dick Brown]

I have no experience with the Bies home fence but have the shop fox classic on my saw and also got in on the Lowes Bies deal. Like the shop fox well enough that I won't cange my "using" saw to Bies. Will put the Bies on a Clausing that I am restoring. Sell your old saw with the fence on it and keep the classic!
Dick

[scott spencer]

Hi Tony - All the options you mentioned are great fences. Which you like best is really up to you.

I've used the Biese HS and the SF Classic, and think both are nice fences. The Classic is a bit bigger and heavier than the Biese HS. I prefer the smooth faces on the Biese over the UHMW plastic on the SF but either should be fine. I wouldn't be eager to go from 42" rip to the 26" of the standard SF fence though.

[Tony Maniscalco]

Thanks everyone.

I'm happy with the Bies but before that my only experience was with the scary and dangerous fence that came with the contractor saw.

My intention was to put the old fence back on the contractor saw or, if the Shop Fox was better than the Bies, leave the Bies on the old saw.

Based on all the replies it sounds like either option is good. Now I just have to make a decision.

Thanks again,
Tony

[Jim Heffner]

Tony, If you are going to sell the contractor saw, I would sell it with the original fence that came with it, keep the Biese for the new saw. Go ahead and order the new saw with the Shopfox and give it a trial for a short while and see if it performs like what you are used to with the Biese.
If it works ok....leave it on for a while, you may find that your Biese is what you really like the best and want to change to that and you would still have it to install whenever you wanted to . Later on, sell the shopfox to someone who really wants to upgrade theirs to a better fence than they have now. Jim Heffner