There's a 5-horsepower motor under the hood, providing 4,000 rpm, and there's nothing it can't handle. Eight-quarter oak, ripping a full sheet of 3/4-inch ply, it's all butter. This beefy motor is mounted beneath a smooth-as-glass cast-iron table and two cast-iron extension wings that along with an auxiliary table give you a positively luxurious 76-by-27-inch work surface - necessary, of course, because of the flawless 50-inch Biesemeyer fence. It glides as if it's on air, and when set, its three-point locking system absolutely guarantees the fence will be nothing but parallel to your blade time after time, accurate to within 1/64th of an inch. In addition to your maximum rip of 50 inches to the right of the blade, you can rip a full 12 inches left, too.

The blade lift and the bevel mechanisms are so smooth, it takes no effort to turn the handwheels, and the fit and finish of the entire saw is nothing short of perfect. But surprisingly enough, we weren't that impressed with the standard miter gauge included with the saw. It's accurate and solid, yes, but not exceptional. There are a good number of outstanding after-market miter gauge setups available, if you choose to go that route.

Assembly will take you and a friend a few sweaty hours, but after that, it's the good life. Some paste wax or talcum powder on the tables, an interior cleaning once in a while, and this saw can easily be the last one you ever buy. --Kris Jensen-Van Heste