Discovery Of My Excalibur

[kmmcrafts]

I've been meaning to post this for a couple weeks but I've had a lot going on and keep forgetting..

I was moving some boxes around and doing some cleaning in my loft a few weeks ago.. seen my box that the EX came in.. I noticed the label said China on it.. had to go downstairs and look at the tag on the saw   Sure enough.. All this time I thought my saw was the one made in Twain since I bought it before they really released the China made saws in the USA.. But.. the guy I got it from did mention that they was going to be bringing the Excalibur back and he seemed to know what he was talking about.. He claimed to have won the saw in a drawing from his work Christmas party or ? and he had no use for it.. How they got their hands on the China made saw before they released them in the USA is beyond me.. 

 

I'm just wondering if this is why my original blade chuck was basically junk... why my back knob turned so quickly out of adjustment and the thing sounds about like it's falling apart when running it very fast.. it is smooth but seems noisy to me.. but was always that way.. not being around a EX before I didn't know if they was just a norm for them or not.. But I've always kinda shook my head in amazement that people love these saws so much.. Now I think I just got a lemon of a machine..  I really see how someone could like them as my saw does cut nice.. but it just seems cheap made and have had issue after issue with it.. Maybe the first batch trial run machines that came off the new factory line.. So that kinda explains a lot to me..  I've been very temped to take the whole thing apart and give it a good going over.. almost sounds like a greaseless DeWalt running... so now I'm wondering about the bearings etc.. it is noisy though smooth.. sometimes it makes a loud clanking sound at the back of the saw like one of the links or the connecting rod or something is hitting the side of the machine... probably is, LOL Sure cuts nice.. and I think if it was as quiet and smooth as my other saws have been it'd probably be my favorite saw.. It just cannot be right.. not the way people rave them so much..   

[JimErn]

My only experience with other saws is the porter cable, it was a good saw, but just good enough to convince me to stick with the hobby.  Then I found my ex on craigslist.  I wish I was near enough to somewhere that had other saws I could try, I would like to see the difference between them.  But then again I hear people saying you have to get used to the different brand, so a five minute try out is really not going to matter much I think.

I never did bevel cutting on the porter cable so tilting the table to do that is something I never tried, but I do love that the ex style saws tilt the head.  That alone is enough to make me think twice about any other saw.

I have no noise in mine at any speed, I generally keep the speed knob around 3/4 though.  Go ahead take it apart, it will be interesting to hear what you find.  You might as well, you know if you do not, it will be something that rattles around in your mind bugging you to no end.

 

[Scrappile]

Sad, but it is my belief that it is not because it was made in China as much as it is the company having it made is willing to accept low standards.  They write the spec and do the end quality control.  I they accept poor they will get poor. If that is the way all new Ex's are, it will be the final demise of the Excalibur.  Sad.

[kmmcrafts]

Well, I'm not sure here.. and I wouldn't personally be afraid to buy the china made saw.. BUT.. since there in production at the old plant where the Pegas is made still.. I also believe that quality will go up on these saws from the first production runs.. which my saw had to be one of the first runs since I bought mine from that young man that supposedly won it from a contest.. and this was before the word was out that Excalibur was coming back... in fact the young man told me this news as he said his father was some big wig at Home Depot and that they was going to be bringing the Excalibur back.. They got there hands on a China made one before they was even for sale here...

I'm going to take the thing apart and see what I can find one of these days..

Yes Jim I really do like the tilting head of the EX but I rarely do any angle cuts.. I really like the saw and the design.. just my saw lacks quality.. and I guess I sort of seen that very early on which put a bad rap on the brand for me.. I wasn't seeing the quality saw that everyone raved about.. But now I see the made in China on the tag and all the quality issues I've had with my saw.. It now makes sense..    

[Brianr24]

On 5/19/2019 at 10:31 AM, kmmcrafts said:

Well, I'm not sure here.. and I wouldn't personally be afraid to buy the china made saw.. BUT.. since there in production at the old plant where the Pegas is made still.. I also believe that quality will go up on these saws from the first production runs.. which my saw had to be one of the first runs since I bought mine from that young man that supposedly won it from a contest.. and this was before the word was out that Excalibur was coming back... in fact the young man told me this news as he said his father was some big wig at Home Depot and that they was going to be bringing the Excalibur back.. They got there hands on a China made one before they was even for sale here...

I'm going to take the thing apart and see what I can find one of these days..

Yes Jim I really do like the tilting head of the EX but I rarely do any angle cuts.. I really like the saw and the design.. just my saw lacks quality.. and I guess I sort of seen that very early on which put a bad rap on the brand for me.. I wasn't seeing the quality saw that everyone raved about.. But now I see the made in China on the tag and all the quality issues I've had with my saw.. It now makes sense..    

Kev Iv been under the notion that the China made are not as good as the made in Taiwan. I guess this post kind of confirms. The only Taiwan made ex’s that I know of are the kings which aren’t technically ex.but you get the idea, I could be wrong tho. I had my heart set on a 16 inch ex. But all I see are made in China. I would rather spend a little more and get a Pegas 21.. 

You say they are made in the same plant as pegas and hope for better quality but I thought pegas were made in tawain. This is just an assumption but I would think even if they are the same saws. The quality control is better in Tawain plant.

[kmmcrafts]

2 hours ago, Brianr24 said:

Kev Iv been under the notion that the China made are not as good as the made in Taiwan. I guess this post kind of confirms. The only Taiwan made ex’s that I know of are the kings which aren’t technically ex.but you get the idea, I could be wrong tho. I had my heart set on a 16 inch ex. But all I see are made in China. I would rather spend a little more and get a Pegas 21.. 

You say they are made in the same plant as pegas and hope for better quality but I thought pegas were made in tawain. This is just an assumption but I would think even if they are the same saws. The quality control is better in Tawain plant.

My understanding on the China made saws is similar.. BUT.. my understanding is the only Excalibur saw made in China was the 21" saw.. and that the 16" are made in the Taiwan plant still.. I'm not saying that the new China made saw's are less quality or junk... BUT.. I would say that the first several made is very possibly less quality.. simply because they are NEW to making them and they always find issues with machinery etc running production on new stuff at first... at least that is my belief.. they may make a very well made saw as was done and still is done at the Taiwan plant.. 

Back when DeWalt moved from Canada there was all kinds of bad quality on the type 2 saw.. most of that was the first few runs of production at the new plant.. Now most of the type 2's are good saws.. They got a bad reputation on the type 2 saws because of the first few runs of them did have quality issues..  and this is how I think the EX-21's will be.. My saw I wouldn't say is junk but is not the standard I expected from a EX from what others tell me.. But I have had to make many repairs and adjustments that I feel I shouldn't have to have made... My saw had to be one of the first few made since I got it 6+ months before they even released the 21" back on the market..  

If I was in the market for a new saw of this style.. I would hold off and buy the Pegas... just from what I've seen with the blade chucks and also what I've seen with how they handle problems..if a issue does arise.. 

[Brianr24]

3 hours ago, kmmcrafts said:

My understanding on the China made saws is similar.. BUT.. my understanding is the only Excalibur saw made in China was the 21" saw.. and that the 16" are made in the Taiwan plant still.. I'm not saying that the new China made saw's are less quality or junk... BUT.. I would say that the first several made is very possibly less quality.. simply because they are NEW to making them and they always find issues with machinery etc running production on new stuff at first... at least that is my belief.. they may make a very well made saw as was done and still is done at the Taiwan plant.. 

Back when DeWalt moved from Canada there was all kinds of bad quality on the type 2 saw.. most of that was the first few runs of production at the new plant.. Now most of the type 2's are good saws.. They got a bad reputation on the type 2 saws because of the first few runs of them did have quality issues..  and this is how I think the EX-21's will be.. My saw I wouldn't say is junk but is not the standard I expected from a EX from what others tell me.. But I have had to make many repairs and adjustments that I feel I shouldn't have to have made... My saw had to be one of the first few made since I got it 6+ months before they even released the 21" back on the market..  

If I was in the market for a new saw of this style.. I would hold off and buy the Pegas... just from what I've seen with the blade chucks and also what I've seen with how they handle problems..if a issue does arise.. 

Thx for the info. “Hold off and go for Pegas sounds like good advice”.

i wasn’t aware that the 16 was still produced in tawain. HD is selling them pretty cheap last I checked, but I don’t want it if it’s Chinese. 

They also sell a King in 16 which I thought was ex just different branding but all I saw were more than I could get a 21 Pegas or around the same price. Not sure why price so high. 

[The Devil in the Circuit]

If your Excalibur or Seyco is rattling, something that's often overlooked is the four screws that hold the cast aluminum bearing carrier in the front of the upper arm and the four in the lower arm.  There are two on each side (yellow arrows in the linked image below, eight screws total). 

These tend to work loose because they are threaded into the soft aluminum and cannot be overtightened.  A dab of blue thread locker helps keep them secure.

Click here for image

[Scrappile]

Not had that problem but it is good to know.  Thanks.