220 vs 220 Ultra...are they the same saw...?

[nickp]

So up until I looked at the RBI site to grab the manual for my serial number I thought the 220 and the 220 Ultra were two different saws.

Now I don't know...I had that impression, I guess, from all the reading and searches and thinking they were two different saws.

Are they different or is it the same saw...?

The manuals page on the RBI site shows Ultra for my serial number (30935) and I don't see a plain "220"...

I've put a call into Bushton but no answer yet...just voice mail (guess I'm joining the crowd on this)

Thanks for putting up with my basic questions...I'm sure they'll get harder in the future...

[nickp]

I just heard back from Bushton (Hope) and it looks like I do have the Ultra...and based on the serial number it was built in 1996...

So...question answered...thanks for reading...

More questions to follow...

[kmmcrafts]

2 hours ago, nickp said:

I just heard back from Bushton (Hope) and it looks like I do have the Ultra...and based on the serial number it was built in 1996...

So...question answered...thanks for reading...

More questions to follow...

Hawk didn't ever put on the I.D. tag what the saw was back then.. The 220VS is call the same thing as the 220VS Untra.. The 220 just stands for a 20" throat.. the VS is variable speed.. they did have single speed saws which was just a 220 and 3 speed saws which was a 220-3.. But the older 220VS has round lower blade clamps.. the Ultra is the square looking clamp..They called them Ultra because they have two positions for the blade to fit into in the lower arm.. one for  more aggressive cut and one for less aggressive cut.. Be warned though.. the aggressive position makes the saw not cut the same on the top and bottom of the piece.. and if making puzzles they pieces won't always slide together from both top and bottom.. I mostly always use the less aggressive position..   

Same rules apply for the 226VS .. 26" throat.. they also had 3 speeds etc etc etc.... 

[Oldmansbike]

I tried the aggressive position one time on my 226 vs ultra didn't care for the way it cut.

[kmmcrafts]

40 minutes ago, Oldmansbike said:

I tried the aggressive position one time on my 226 vs ultra didn't care for the way it cut.

I will sometimes use it for long straight cuts in thick wood.. but that is about the only time I'll use it.. 

[nickp]

9 hours ago, kmmcrafts said:

Hawk didn't ever put on the I.D. tag what the saw was back then.. The 220VS is call the same thing as the 220VS Untra.. The 220 just stands for a 20" throat.. the VS is variable speed.. they did have single speed saws which was just a 220 and 3 speed saws which was a 220-3.. But the older 220VS has round lower blade clamps.. the Ultra is the square looking clamp..They called them Ultra because they have two positions for the blade to fit into in the lower arm.. one for  more aggressive cut and one for less aggressive cut.. Be warned though.. the aggressive position makes the saw not cut the same on the top and bottom of the piece.. and if making puzzles they pieces won't always slide together from both top and bottom.. I mostly always use the less aggressive position..   

Same rules apply for the 226VS .. 26" throat.. they also had 3 speeds etc etc etc.... 

Thank you...the saw does have the two position lower arm and I am anxious to see the difference in cut.  I'm thinking I'll be using the less aggressive cut position.  Like you, I can't see using the more aggressive position for anything that needs a straight up/down cut...maybe if I were resawing and didn't want to light up the bandsaw...   (no offense to anybody that does...I don't yet know enough what I should and should not do)