What do you perceive Grizz's market to be?


If I can interrupt, I think part of their market would be folks like me. I
grew up with the Unisaw having used them in high school shop and a college
level cabinet class. These were 60's and 70's vintage machines. When I
started shopping to update my old contractor's saw I was pretty well slanted
toward the Unisaw.

However, after looking at a couple of new unisaws (2-3 years ago) to say I
was disappointed would be understatement. Not the same machines I
remembered. Machining, handwheel locks, motor covers, etc, just not the
same. While I consider myself a pretty serious amateur, the $2,100 PM66 was
too much money. Jet provides a nice saw but it has some shortcomings,
particularly in the fences of some of their machines.

Enter, by accident, the 1023S. I was initially exposed by a cabinet shop
owner who owns one as a backup to his PM66's. Said he took a chance and now
finds it gets as much use as his Powermatics. Then a trip to Springfield to
get a first class demo on a 1023S. In many ways, this is the machine I
remember as a Unisaw, probably because it is reverse engineered. I will
listen to all of the stories about off shore engineering, castings, motors,
bearings etc. But after two years of ownership I need for someone to
convince me that the Unisaw is worth $500 to $600 more than the 1023s.
Grizzly, like any other tool-merchant, has great tools and some doggies.
But considering my experience with the 1023s, Grizzlies top-rate support and
the fact that several of the so called domestics are going the other
direction with quality, I will always consider them in my research for any
tool. It is no accident that they have a large industrial market for both
wood and metal tools.