Grizzly G0444Z .....Outstanding!
Rating: 5 out of 5
Weight: 10! out of 10
Created: Dec 26, 2008
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My Grizzly arrived on time, and had a couple of holes in the boxes. No damage was found when I unpacked them. The instructions were clear and precise. The saw did not need any adjustments at all. The blade was perfectly parallel to the miter slot. The Shop Fox fence was within .001 of parallel after installation. (lead out) The belt came in kinked from packaging, yet I can still set a nickel on edge while it is running. This saw is so smooth to operate it is really unbelievable for what I paid for it. The Grizzly raised letter insert looks great, but, will need to be replaced as soon as I can, as it will allow certain lumber to catch on the letters and cannot be adjusted to be flush with the table top on all sides. I adjusted the insert to be flush at the 4 set screws provided, yet the insert is warped somewhat. My next purchase will be a Zero Tolerance insert for it. The bottom line is, I do not beleive there is a contractors saw on the market that could begin to touch the Grizzly G0444Z for the price! This saw is nothing but High Quality and will make any shop a great saw to have. I will shop Grizzly first on all my future woodworking needs. The only thing that I would see as a detrement to this saw is the right tilt arbor. I would love to see this same unit in a left tilt arbor, or a conversion kit made available. ...
Grizzly G0444Z - GREAT SAW !
Rating: 5 out of 5
Weight: 7.9 out of 10
Created: Dec 26, 2008
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I have been an amatuer woodworker for a number of years, however I always found that my work was limited in quality due to various problems with my old table saw (Old Sears contractor type). After much research, I settled on the Grizzly G0444Z Contractor style saw. This is a right tilt saw (Grizzly has added a Left-tilt of the same model - G0576) with cast iron wings and comes wired for 220V. I preferred the cast iron wings for the weight and solid structure that they provide, and the 220V motor has more power for heavier cutting.
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br /I picked up my saw at the receiving shipper in my area, since they only drop ship to the end of your driveway (Take Note - This saw weighs 300LBs and is VERY hard to lift, even in pieces) - the shipper loaded it into my truck for me, which saved me a ton of work. Assembly was a snap, and the saw was in almost perfect alignment right out of the box. After about an hour of assembly (with my sons help) I ran test cuts with a Forrest 60 tooth blade, and found them to be virtually perfect.
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br /The Shop-Fox Aluma Classic fence is probably the easiest fence that I have ever used, and I would HIGHLY recommend it. I liked it so much that I talked a buddy into retrofitting his older saw with it, and he loves it too.
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br /The only problems that I have noted with this saw are as follows:
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br /- The Grizzly logo blade insert looks great, but can catch on some smaller pieces - The Zero Clearance inserts that Grizzly sells are very good.
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br /- The drive belt cover clearance can become a problem if the blade is lifted to full extension. Check the alignment of the cover when you install it, very carefully.
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br /- The dust collection cover is really an add-on, and I needed to add some additional fasteners to ensure that it didn't move around.
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br /- The Miter gauge that comes with the saw is OK, however to get truly accurate miter cuts, I would highly recommend you replace it with the Incra V27 - a VERY good, VERY accurate, and VERY reasonably priced Miter Gauge.
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br /Overall, this saw is absolutely THE best-buy on the market (in my opinion) for a Contractor Style saw. I would HIGHLY recommend this saw to anyone who is looking to upgrade their shop with a truly accurate table saw. The fit and finish of this saw is excellent, and the cast-iron wing extensions are GREAT. I have had great service from their web-site, and I intend to purchase additional equipment from them (as soon as I can convince my wife to let me)
Best bet for the cash
Rating: 5 out of 5
Weight: 6.7 out of 10
Created: Dec 26, 2008
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I know this page is covered with glowing reviews for the grizzly go444z, but I am compelled to ad one more. For the money this saw cannot be beaten. Up until now I have been using a friends Jet cabinet saw and loving it. I didn't want to invest 1200+ in a cabinet saw so I started to look into contractor style saws, I read the reviews and bought a Griz. The box arrived quickly. It is heavy but not as big as I expected it to be. The fence arrived at the same time in another box.
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br /The saw went together in about three+ hours. The instruction book is easy, clear and well illustrated. I am impressed by the surfaces of the table and wings. Everything went together well. One wing needed a tape shim and the other was perfect. The trunion needed a couple of hits to be in adjustment. I managed to do this with the saw on its feet. I think I got lucky.
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br /When I am cutting I cant really tell the difference with the Jet other than a small vibration. We tracked this down to the motor mount. the motor hangs on the belt by the pulley, yet the center of gravity of the motor is way out on the other end. Add to this a relatively thin stamping that the motor sits on and you have a resonance issue. I was worried about this when I first ran the saw but now that I have run through a couple of projects I don't notice anything and it certainly doesn't effect the quality of cut.
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br / I ran some .75 mdf through and the blade (forest WW2) didn't even notice. No change of sound from the motor, nothing, just a super clean cut. The Shop Fox fence feels and works just like the bessemer on the Jet. The on/off is better on the Griz.
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br /After cutting is when I notice the difference with the Jet. Look around the back of the saw and check out the sawdust thrown all over the place. Since I don't tilt the blade often I will just make a cardboard block for the back.
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br /I am really very pleased with this machine. It is way better quality and value than the cost shows. If you buy one you might as well order a zero clearance insert as the one included isn't worth using if you are cutting on small stock.
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Good, not great (what are the other reviewer's smoking?)
Rating: 3 out of 5
Weight: 5.9 out of 10
Created: Dec 26, 2008
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My background: professional engineer and contractor.
br /Reason for purchase: Replacement for Sears 10" contractor saw.
br /Why Grizzly?: Read reviews on all the majors (Delta, Jet, etc.)
br / Grizzly had best overall rating - though limited number of
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br /Assembly and set-up time for a pro: 2 hours
br /Initial impressions: not overly impressed
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br /Item arrived in two boxes. Both boxes significantly damaged. Shop Fox fence un-usable due to damage and missing parts. Shipping pallet contaminated with fungus/mushrooms. Shipping weight significantly overstated by more than 10% net.
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br /On initial inspection, very poor casting and machining EXCEPT motor and spindle, which when set-up ran at less than 1/1000th runout. Cast iron wings obviously from different lot as noticeable misalignment to main table. Cheap attachment hardware: ungraded plain steel and not accurately made. Limited adjustments for paralell and perpendicular. You have to provide your own shims. Drive belt is "no-name" quality, metric size, and does not sit flush in motor pulley or spindle pulley. Motor transome not spring or hydraulic dampened, and juts out well past end of table compared to other saw brands. Having to reach over to pull through long work pieces is a safety issue.
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br /The blade table insert. Very annoying. First, not flat. Second, as another reviewer pointed out, deep cast logo catches small and odd shaped pieces. Third, cannot achieve max depth of cut BECAUSE blade washers push insert completely out of table! Recommended: get your own piece of oak or other hardwood (1/4" thick) and make your own zero clearance insert for almost $0. You will need several if you change brands or type of blade due to differences in tooth offset/rake.
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br /To its' credit, the saw does operate very smoothly. It is moderately quiet, but with an odd sound, no the jet engine wind-up/wind-down I'm used to. The dust collection pan is worthless - since the four sides of the frame remain open and any cross breeze counteracts the vacuum, blowing debris 2 to 4 meters away.
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br /The blade height wheel layout is terrible. The freespin handle is so close to the lower part of the fence support rail that 1) cannot be seen unless bending over (a dangerous practice with saw running) and 2) I am constantly hitting my medium sized hand on the sharp edge underneath (too bad I cannot show you a digital photo of resulting cuts to right hand).
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br /Why other reviews think the Shop Fox fence is the last word in fences, I have no idea. The fit and finish are only fair to poor (enamled, not powder-coated finish. Minimal adjustments by four shallow set-screws. Cheesy stick on ruler and easily damaged/misaligned magnifying sight). The main annoyance is that the Shop Fox, unlike every other saw in this price range, is MISSING a BACK CLAMP! If any significant pressure is applied to the fence (as in using the miter guage OR tweaking a piece of plywood too much), the fence becomes mis-aligned. That brings up another problem in the set-up of the fence. That is, tightening the cam lever lock results in the fence shifting as much as 1/16th off from original position. You must gently tap the fence after tightening 3/4's of the way to get to your desired position. Another problem is the back "glide" is actually an upside-down carriage bolt with a piece of teflon stuck on the head. The actuakl contact curface is just 1/8th"!
br /Again, a plain steel piece - easilt bent/damaged. I already replaced with a grade 8 hex bolt (with mill marks sanded flush) and a Teflon glide from a chair leg) attached to that with JB epoxy).
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br /The table stand is no wider or more stable than other "portable" saws. This is a problem with using the very heavy cast iron wings because it makes the saw less stable. It also means you cannot possible add additional wings without having adjustable outrigger legs. The additional wings are almost a necessity when cutting full sheets of plywood. Let's face it, almost no DIY'er or contractor is going to buy a panel saw for sheet goods, andd at least half my cutting chores are with plywood.
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br /The miter that comes with the unit is a joke. Heavy? Yes. Accurate gauge? Nope - stick on decal, not even cast, let alone engine engraved. Single plastic glide insert. Very rough stroke - which causes control concerns. No provision for add-on clamp.
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br /Customer service is certainly friendly, but actual service is quite slow. I can see that replacement parts and accessories would be a real headache. Remember, this is an import saw, made in R.O.C. and that Grizzly is a marketing company, not a true manufacturer.
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br /Overall, the saw is OK. However, given the damage, length of time to receive, the low quality casting/machining, the crude Shop Fox fence, and shipping costs/hassle; better to go to your local hardware store or tool retailer and get a Delta/Ridgid/Jet
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br /OK - so this is a contractor quality saw and not a cabinet-maker's dream. Still, according to other reviewer's, this is the best they have ever seen. I think not.
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Nice saw for the money
Rating: 4 out of 5
Weight: 5.5 out of 10
Created: Dec 26, 2008
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My father-in-law has a Grizzly cabinet saw and loves it. He recommended that I start with the G0444Z since I'm new to woodworking. Overall, I like the saw. It is very sturdy and has tons of power. My only complaint is the trunion adjustment process to make the blade parallel to the miter slot...it is a pain in the butt. My saw was quite mis-aligned when it arrived at my house...no doubt due to the rough handling by the shippers. I had to use a pry bar to move the trunions into alignment, but could only do this after flipping the assembled table upside down. This is not an easy task since the saw weighs something around 300 pounds. After several exhausting hours of adjustment, I got the thing aligned. I re-wired my garage to 220V and the saw works great. The dust collector is a bit cheesy, but usable. I covered the back of the saw with plastic to help contain the dust. Compared to the over-priced saws at Lowe's and Home Depot, this is the way to go!
none better for the money
Rating: 5 out of 5
Weight: 5.5 out of 10
Created: Dec 26, 2008
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I bought this saw few months ago and couldn' be happier. I went to the grizzly show roon in Springfield, MO so i wouldn' know about the shipping, min was perfect out of the warehouse. btw, the show room is awsome and i highly recomend visiting one if u have the chance. About the saw: it is excellent, out of the box everthing was perfectly aligned, and undamaged. this saw, with a zero-clearance plate and a forrest blade cuts like a dream (way better than my old delta benchtop :) i highly recomend a dedicated circuit, either 110 or 220 that 2-hp motor really pulls a lot. (i put my saw on 110 so i can plug it in anywhere i want). As another reviewer said, the saw isnt shipped with a plug, but this is a safty thing, so you dont plug it into the wrong type of plug. the wings are excellent and the fence is the best ive ever seen, one of the strongest points. The one little, inconsequential thing that i found it that while it has an included dust hood, it isnt very good. but i didnt buy the saw for its dust collection capabilities. overall, im thourgly satasfied.
The best saw for the money...
Rating: 5 out of 5
Weight: 4.7 out of 10
Created: Dec 26, 2008
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I purchased this saw after reading the reviews here. I must say, for the money there is no better saw on the market. This thing is first class! You can see the quality in each piece as you assemble the saw. You can tell that Grizzly spent a great deal of time 'engineering' this product. There is a huge difference between an 'engineered' product and a 'mass-produced' product. Grizzly could easily get away with selling this saw for $1000+. Its that nice. Highly recommended.
GREAT SAW
Rating: 5 out of 5
Weight: 4.6 out of 10
Created: Dec 26, 2008
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Hi, I got one and its great for the money. Its just as good or better then the Jet or the Delta. There's only three things that could be better, 1, The saw blade cover has the logo of grizzly in it and if you cut small things, they get stuck in it. But, it LOOKS GREAT.. So, you will need to get a new one. 2, The way they mount the On, Off, switch needs to be better. I mounted the switch on the table wing with angle iron, much better. 3, They don't supply a plug on the end of the power core. I think you should get the reg. plug and if you need another type cut it off. The add on type plugs suck. But they sell a Great saw and I looked at all the saw's I could SEARS, DELTA, JET, POWEROMATIC, RIGID AND UNLESS YOU ARE WELLING TO PAY 800.00 0R MORE. THIS IS THE SAW TO GET! The motor is a 2 hp and it starts up nice and runs smooth. LOVE IT.