Customer Reviews

Incra MITER5000 Miter 5000 Table Saw Miter Gauge with Sled and Telescoping Fence

5 star:		(23)
4 star:		(1)
3 star:		(2)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

The Incra Miter 5000 should make any woodworking perfectionist very happy. I'm definitely pleased, and here's why.

I've been tuning up my woodworking skills by making cabinets for my shop, but I couldn't get consistently square crosscuts with my tablesaw's stock miter gauge. The result was gaps in joints, and worse, doors and drawers that didn't fit or slide smoothly.

After considering many DIY sled plans, I decided to spring for the Miter 5000. Not only does it deliver repeatable angle cuts, but the flip-up "shop-stop" makes crosscuts dead-on accurate and repeatable in length, too. This is because the Miter 5000 is literally 'digital' -- the stop adjusts in precise 1/32" steps.

I did have a minor problem. The miter bar T-clip that keeps the bar from popping up when the sled is pulled far back was binding in the slot. I found the sled table was warped about 1/16" and when pressed down, it lifted the miter bar, causing the T-clip to rub. The Incra folks don't do email, but they deliver excellent customer service by good ol' telephone. I had no trouble getting through, and when I explained the problem, they sent a replacement sled panel right away. No hassles. That one was perfectly flat and now the sled works great.

My first project built with the sled was a caddy to store it. You may want one too, because the whole assembly is big -- 36" x 31" -- awkward to store, and you don't want to bang it around. The caddy is like a sawhorse on wheels, with solid sides inclined at 15 deg (hey, that's actually 15.000 degrees, thanks Incra!). Rout grooves in the sides for the miter bars and put cleats near the bottom for the sleds to rest on. It rolls under the saw's right extension table. I left the inside of the caddy open to give me extra storage. It went together like no cabinet I've ever built before despite all the angle work, thanks to the Incra.

Bottom line: A great table saw accessory that increases crosscut/miter angle and length accuracy, and enhances safety too. Excellent support from the company. Do you like producing precision work? Then treat yourself to this!

I hate to be the dissenting voice, but I think this product falls short of ideal. It is sad, because all of the flaws could be easily corrected. The actual miter action (setting angles) is a bit slow, but very precise, and I like that component very much. The general concept is excellent as well.

To put this in context, I have a JDS AccuMiter and several shop-built crosscut sleds for my 20 year old Unisaw. I was hoping to replace all of them with the Miter 5000. However, that won't be fully happening. The AccuMiter is a great tool, with a much quicker setup, and with easier-to-use flip stops. It is not as precise for setting specific miter angles, but is quick and rugged. I will be keeping it for basic use, since it is faster.

Now for the flaws in the Miter 5000.

The worst problem is the bar that rides in the miter slot. It is "adjustable" to fit snuggly in the saw bed slot using nylon washers that can be adjusted. When the bar is mostly in the channel, this works very well, and the bar slides smoothly and precisly. However, when the miter table is pulled back (toward the operator) to cut a wide panel, only the front of the bar is in the channel. Cutting panels wider than 18 inches allows the bar to only have a couple of the washers contacting the sides of the channel, which gives a lot of slop. Beyond 20 inches, a panel at the saw blade can wander back and forth about 1/16 of an inch which is not acceptable. A tighter fitting bar would solve the problem - even my original equipment Delta bar fits much more snuggly.

The fence extension (for cutoffs longer than about 3 feet) is also imperfectly executed. First, to extend the bar, you must use a hex tool. For something you use all the time, this is silly - I don't want to reach for a tool every time I want to make a change my cut length. A simple plastic knob would have been easy to provide and would have solved the problem. Also, the measuring tape in the extension is backwards - I had to turn it upside down to have it read correctly. Neither of these is the end of the world, but silly frustrations.

I am also agravated by the measuring tape in the fence. It is "friction fit" and the instructions say it will stay put, but it is possible to accidentally move it out of position with a thumb or finger as you are moving wood around on the table, and the tape will then be out of position and you will not know it - possibly leading to a series of unfortunate events.

The cut-off catching table that sits to the right of the blade is another silly problem. The concept is great - it locks in the right hand miter slot and provides zero-clearance at the throat plate to safely catch even the smallest off-cuts. The problem is that it uses a tiny allen wrench (and I do mean tiny) to snug the bar in the miter slot (which you do every time you put the table on or take it off - as in every time you want to rip something). Why not simply engineer it so that the screw mechanism would use the larger hex screws used everywhere else on the tool? This tiny allen wrench hole clogs easily with even the smallest dust, and it is a pain to deal with (and the tiny wrench is easy to misplace).

Finally, the fence is not square with the table - in fact, it is WAY off. The instructions recognize that this will be a problem and provide directions on how to shim the fence with paper or something - so it is a known bug. The problem, i think, is that the miter head is connected to the fence with a piece of bent steel (think of corner braces you buy at the hardware store) which fall short of precision. Why Incra didn't use an extrusion or casting (like they did for almost everything else on the product) I can't imagine.

Well, the product is still pretty good, and it does some things very well indeed. However, the odd shortcomings (all of which could be easily fixed in design, at little or no additional cost) are puzzling and make this a less-than-ideal product. The slop in the miter-slot-bar when it is pulled partly out of the channel is the most serious problem for a product that bills itself on precision.

Are you new to woodworking?

Well, so was I three years ago when I set out to build cabinets, built-in bookcases, custom stairways, fireplace mantels, and workdesks for our home. I started out with nothing more than a sliding miter saw, a circular saw, a jig saw, some drills and sanders. Sure enough I actually built many of the items I listed above. A lot of time and even more glue and screws went into that part of my life.

WHAT I REALLY LEARNED WAS THE IMPORTANCE OF OWNING A GREAT TABLE SAW!!
So I bit the bullet and purchase a Powermatic 66 5 HP Cabinet Saw after what I read on Amazon reviews, etc.

Well,once you have a great table saw, it's like your dreams came true and you wondered how you did ANYTHING with just some hand tools. BUT, THIS MITER SLED makes the table saw even better than it already it BECAUSE YOU CAN GET SUCH ACCURACY AND SQUARE CUTS!!! Yep, not having a square cuts can mess up just about anything your working on. Add to that REPEATABLE cuts for your cabinet doors, bookshelves, raised panels, ANYTHING!!

I hardly ever have to use my tape measure becaue of the simple and elegant scales Incra puts right on their first class miter gauge fences.

NOW HERE'S THE DEAL - YOU MUST SPEND HOURS, YEP A FEW HOURS! JUST ONCE, TO SET THIS UP CORRECTLY. IF YOU DO THIS, THE PERFECT SQUARE CUTS, THE PERFECT LENGTH CUTS(EVERYTIME!) AND PERFECT MITER ANGLES WILL ABSOLUTELY STUN YOU. AND IT'S DONE WITH EASE AND SIMPLICITY.

I just can't say enough about the great instructions and the quality of the components. Mine was dead on square, the fences were made from high grade box aluminum extrusions that don't flex or bend for total accuracy and a "solid feel" to boot.

I know you can build your own for probably less, but there is NO WAY a wood jig can compete with this thing, I just figured that I don't need to reinvent the wheel on something here os I just got the best one I coule find.

AGAIN, if you're not using this type of tool with your tablesaw you just don't know what you're missing. Don't think too long about this one - go get one on sale somewhere, you'll be astonished like I was.

Hope that helps!

This unit is awesome! It has an adjustable miter slide so it has no slop (I extended the fence out to 60" to check the side to side play and it was tight and true), a long fence and extension (64 + inches), adjustable miter slides, flip stop and a very precise miter guage. Spend some time with the initial calibration of 90 degrees and you are golden from there on. It is well made and engineered. Although it is not inexpensive, if you want accuracy, you have to pay for it. The instructions are very simple to follow and accurate set up is 30 minutes or so. I have never gotten good results from miter gauges so I have built cross cut sleds to achieve my goals. However, they did not acheive all that this sled provides. Incra is known for their accuracy and quality and this unit is all that and more.
Even given the price I paid, I still award it 5 stars. If you want dead on repeatable accuracy, this is it.

After evaluating over 50 reviews, visiting my local Rockler and Woodcraft stores, discussing my intention to purchase this miter sled with my 93 year old Dad (a master woodworker for over 70 years), I decided to bite the bullet and get the Incra 5000. Good idea. It performs as advertised - 100%. It's accurate (as measured with Starret squares), repeatable, and durable. When properly adjusted to your table saw, it glides like it's on bearings (a little floor wax really helps) and cuts whatever angle you select perfectly the first time. For anyone out there with some experience in the shop, "the first time" is a wonderful way to work. I've built 6-sided picture frames that glued up perfectly, no gaps, "the first time".

On setup and repeatability, spend a little extra time dialing everything in at 90 degrees and all else will work perfectly. There are simple techniques that, with a little thought and practice, will also make re-calibrating the ruler on the fence very quick and easy. I have repeatedly gone from 45 degree back to 90 degree cuts, requiring re-calibration of the fence to the blade. There are very easy techniques for doing so that have afforded me accurate re-calibration to within an average of .004", may times to within .001" accuracy. For woodworking, that's above and beyond the call!

All in all, a wonderful, professional-grade product that is a joy to use.

Great product, works well in all ways. Addendum sheets included in instructions which preempt the manual. I read the manual before assembly, but didn't read the one addendum, as it didn't seem relevant. However it was instructions to disassemble the unit and reassemble in reverse for a left tilting saw. I didn't do this, so when I cut the base plate, it is for a right tilt saw, so I can't make tilt cuts with it. However, cut this way, I can use the dado head which wouldn't have worked had the base been cut for a left tilt saw.

In short, read all the addendums. Plan how you will use it (tilt or dadoe cuts) before cutting the base.

It took a while to set the Miter5000 up. It assumes everyone has a right tilt blade, but has simple instructions on how to convert it to a left tilt blade. Once set up the accuracy was unbelievable compared to factory miter that came with my Rigid 10" table saw. When cutting outside corners for cabinet molding the stop made fast accurate repetitive cuts.

The only con making cuts on one side you can't use the fence support, if it is a large sheet of wood you can accomplish this by flipping the piece over and cutting the angle opposite.

Chances are you are like me and read these reviews as they influence your decision to buy. If so make sure you also read the installation section. In fact, I think for making a purchasing decisions this is the most important section to read.

First and foremost. You are buying this tool for the accuracy that it will give you. As such if you do not want to put the time and effort into the pre-install preparation and the installation then you would be better off making your own sled and saving yourself some money (actually, a whole lot) in the end.

Up-front confession: I am a hobbyist workworker. I am not Mr. mechanical, but I do like tinkering. I have made more mistakes due to impatience than I care to admit.

Pre-Install Preparation: If you want dead-nuts accuracy I strongly suggest you do these things. First, clean out your miter slots. Chances are if you use your table saw alot these will be gummed up. Some WD40 and a blade screw driver will do the trick. Doing this is important as there are tension adjustments that help to take all the play out of the slide bar. Second, make sure your blade is as close to 90 degrees to the table as you can get it. While there are fancy tools to do this I have found that my mechanical square does the trick. It is really important that you have you blade aligned properly before installing the sled. Sure, the instruction show you how to zero out the miter gage to your blade, but you should take the time and make this adjustment before installation.

Finally, be patient and take your time. I say this as I am not patient. I spent a few evenings after work putting mine together. Remember, you are spending some serious money on this product. If you set it up properly to begin with you can cut joints accurate enough to make picture frames.

Installation: Take you time and follow the directions. They are actually very well done. The parts come in marked bags. I am definitely not the mechanically inclined poster child and had to re-read a few of the steps a few times, looking over the parts. The bottom line is that the instructions are pretty darn good. It might be nice if a few of the pictures in the instructions were zoomed out a bit to see a bit more context, but this is really a minor complaint. I do have the following suggestions that are not part of the instructions that I found helped me. They are ...

In hindsight you probably do not need to spend so much time adjusting the play out of the left slide bar until you actually attach the sled base. The reason is that with the base attached you can move the sled through the full range and much easier check for play and adjust it out. What is really cool about this product is that all the adjustments are accessible with the sled base attached.

You DO NOT want any play in the bar! Repeat, you DO NOT want any play in the bar. I suspect every table saw model is slightly different. Incra has ten seperate adjustments to take out the play. I found that only tightening the two adjustments on each end first was the best means of minimizing the play in my miter slot. Then I made the other adjustments. I found a lot of interplay between these.

I also moved the sled to different positions and checked for play and adjusted as necessary. I payed particular attention to the area near the saw blade (obviously) as this is where you will be cutting the wood. I also moved the sled though the miter slot back and forth and then tightened up the adjustments again. I would say I spent a good twenty minutes on this step alone. Your mileage will vary depending on the table saw you own.

Before cutting of the excess, though the procedure did not say to do this, I raised my saw blade, pulled out my mechanical square and verified that the front of the sled was exactly 90 degrees to the blade.

Checking the left and right sled bases square to the blade, and the other items I mentioned are the only things I would add to the instructions.

I am guessing it took me about three hours to get everything setup. Someone more mechanically inclined could cut this time in half. This investment is a one time deal. In pondering all of this it occurred to me that you are pretty much mating the sled to your table saw. So, if you plan on getting a new table saw anytime soon you may want to hold off on buying this product.

The Test Cut: I took two pieces of unjointed pine and cut them at 45 degrees. One word. Wow! When you spend 1/2 the cost of your table saw on a a miter gage and sled you need to set some high expectations. If you take your time, carefully read and follow the directions, this product delivers. I am blown away by the accuracy. This product delivers. You can miter picture frames with this product.

There are a number of decent videos on the various incra miter gauges on YouTube. I could not find one on this specific version, but the sled appears to be the same as the miter express. After this experience I am now looking forward to replacing my fence with the incra table saw fence.

I have yet to figured out how to align the rulers so I do not have to measure when making a 45 degree cut. I did not find the directions real useful in this regard. I have not found any guidance yet on the net for doing this.

My first project was making two 21x24 picture frames out of purpleheart. After my initial test cut I knew this sled was up for the task.

Not sure why old Norm does not own one of these puppies?

Easy to assemble and setup, instructions were clear and easy to understand.
Excellent job of crosscutting and accurate settings

I purchased the Miter 5000 about a month ago. I have built crosscut sleds before but they just don't compare to this unit. It was very easy to setup and the instructions are first class....easy to read and follow.

I am extremely happy with this unit and would purchase it again.