On Fri, 02 Dec 2005 17:58:57 GMT, "Leon"
wrote:



I just talked to a Rikon rep and found out what changes the new model will
have.

First off, the blade length will be the same. Whew!

The new model 10-345 will have several modifications. The 4 major
improvements are,

1. The blade guard will now be hinged so that you will not have to twist
the blade when changing blades and a window has been added at the bottom so
that you can see the cut line when cutting very thin material.
2. The trunions are now a beefed up Cast material.
3. The blade tension quick release has been changed for easier operation
and will now be positioned lower and will swing vs. pivot from the 3 to 9
oclock position. This also some how makes the upper wheel more stable with
less vibration.
4. The wheel bearings will no longer be oil filled and will be packed with
grease. These bearings are like those found on motor cycles and will be
servicable for repacking.

Leon,
maybe by reworking the tensioning mechanism they've fixed the
hysteresis the original mechanism had. That would be a good thing.
I'm not sure why they would change it otherwise, there is nothing
difficult about using the original lever.

I'm glad to hear they are improving their product rather than milking
the cash cow - it bodes well for their future. Grizzly became 'real'
when they stopped making knock offs and started doing some
re-engineering of their products. All in all, I 'spect this is good
news - too bad you have to wait though. Let us know when you get it.

TWS