The EZ Story

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wizer

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I know, for some reason, the EZ smart products are often coldy greeted. But I thought at least some of you maybe interested in this:

link

It's an interview with the owner/inventor.
 
WiZeR":1lwyc9vy said:
I know, for some reason, the EZ smart products are often coldy greeted.

The reason is that the guy is a PITA. He serially abused woodworking forums to promote his product.

Apart from that I've got nothing against him.

Cheers,
Neil
 
Newbie_Neil":2c2vnpgf said:
WiZeR":2c2vnpgf said:
I know, for some reason, the EZ smart products are often coldy greeted.

The reason is that the guy is a PITA. He serially abused woodworking forums to promote his product.

Apart from that I've got nothing against him.

Cheers,
Neil

I second that he has flooded many forums with stupid threads comparing his system to the Festool rail system all just to promote his stuff. Why not just spend money on advertising like any other company has to.
 
I think the guy is mis-interpreted. He's an over-enthusiastic Greek but he looks after his customers, bends over backwards.

Paul I have a set of rails and the router kit. I can't fault either. I have cut MFC with no breakout either side of the cut. It's fair to say that you can just build a saw board, but they can be big and cumbersome. The EZ kit does exactly what it says it does. I can't see why i'd ever need to upgrade to festool, unless I won the lottery and wanted to buy it for the **** of it.

I don't go in for the Power Bench, mainly coz I can't get my head around it. Too much New Yankee Workshop has got Tablesaws ingrained on my mind. ;)
 
Just read the article he does like to frighten people :roll:

Below is a quote from it


And safety is designed into the EZ Smart.
The protection we offer is the best. It was voted the best by Fine Homebuilding magazine, even better than other more expensive systems from Europe.
For example--this is the major thing with the table saw: the table saw offers repeatability because you have a fence. But when you use wood against a fence and a blade, you have the potential for binding, kickbacks and accidents. With the EZ Smart, we came up with a way to drop the "fence" [The EZ Smart Repeaters, which you can see in the video below. --Ed.] under the guide rail so the blade can run on top of it without cutting the fence. When you cut, your wood drops down and there is no binding along a fence, the material contacts the repeaters only at two small points. That's not enough to create an accident. It's not enough to create a kickback or throw the wood in front of you or anything like that.


Yes if you use a tablesaw incorrectly then it will bind and kickback but if you use a sub fence set back to the start of the blade so that the material being cut does not bind then there is no safety problem as anyone who has been taught how to use tools knows.
 
He's not wrong tho is he? It's just a different way of working. You would say that the bandsaw is safer to use than the TS. But that's not stupid is it? Just different. Viva La Difference
 
WiZeR":277wlf76 said:
Paul I have a set of rails and the router kit. I can't fault either.

Thanks, Wizer. I know Colin (the furniture restorer) uses it and raves about it - in fact everyone I know who has used the system seems to like it.

Cheers :wink:

Paul
 
The problem with power tools is that they are so cheap and widely available nowadays that they can easily fall into the wrong hands, and chop a few off in the process...

Hobbyists expect power tools to be safe out of the box in the same way other tools or home appliances are. It's not always a reasonable expectation but it's true for most beginners. When I got my table saw I didn't even know what kickback was. I've never been properly shown how to use one, I learnt over time by reading and participating to fora like this one. The fact that I haven't had any major kickback especially in the beginning is purely due to luck rather than correct working practices.

If a new and safer machine, rail, guide or other invention can even partly replace a traditional less safe mathod of doing things it should be applauded not frowned upon. For a seasoned professional a saw guide system may be useless but for a hobbyist it might make a lot of sense. And possibly save their fingers at the same time.
 
I too have the EZ rail and am very pleased with it. Unlike Tom I have got my head around the power bench and use it all the time - I haven't used a tablesaw since getting it and I cannot see any reason for that to change. I seem to recall that Colin no longer owns a tablesaw either.

Tom is right, Dino does bend over backwards to help his customers. On the other hand, I do know exactly what Neil means, and I feel uncomfortable about that. I think it has also been very counter-productive because those of us who do use the EZ system tend not to shout about it much.

Personally I think they have blown it. I think that rail systems are going to become much more common, but I can see EZ being left behind. Whilst they are busy looking inwards and worrying about the long running 'battle with the Festool Mob', the likes of Festool, Dewalt, Makita, Mafell etc will be cleaning up. I think that, rightly or wrongly, systems from these established manufacturers will be perceived by many to offer significant advantages.

Dave
 
For the record, another user of the EZ system here - I'm only a hobbyist and far from the most skilful chap around, but Dino's system really does do what it says on the tin - excellent results every time - I haven't used my tablesaw since I started using the EZ rails. I just need to buy a few more of the little plastic anti-tearout edging pieces as I have changed the blade in my circular saw and of course it doesn't line up with the new one. Not expensive, I just need to get off my backside and order them!
 
Newbie_Neil":3e9iu1og said:
WiZeR":3e9iu1og said:
I know, for some reason, the EZ smart products are often coldy greeted.

The reason is that the guy is a PITA. He serially abused woodworking forums to promote his product.

Apart from that I've got nothing against him.

Cheers,
Neil

Neil,
I posted to defend my products from misinformation.

Show me only one thread at any forum where I started a thread to promote the ez smart.

If presenting the Facts (against misinformation) is
promotion...you're correct.


Thanks.
YCF Dino
 
Morning all,

Thanks for the link to the original thread Wizer, I don't think I've seen that one before. Interesting that in Dino's defence he didn't start that thread and he was invited by two forum mods to explain the system.
I think I'll step away from this thread now, it's another topic that's been done to death and I'm happy customer of Dino's, so probably not an entirely objective voice on the subject. :lol:

V.
 
I think Dino is/should be allowed to defend himself and his product.

I agree, I'm stepping away.
 
Hi Tom,
Thanks for the link.

I think the thread proves my point.

I follow the links and tried to stay out of it until I saw few remarks that simply aren't true.

I requested to present the ez facts and only after I was given the green light, I informed the forum about the ez system.

Thanks.

YCf Dino.

Edit to add. I just saw the two replies.

I type very slow even without thinking. :roll:
 
wizer":2itr5477 said:
I think Dino is/should be allowed to defend himself and his product.

I have no problem with dino - in fact i dont think ive ever encountered him or the EZ system before.

But one thing i dont quite get is why all the hype about it being a revolutionary system blah blah blah - its a rail system - many other manufactuers make them, and you can whomp up a straight edged saw shelf out of a few bits of mdf yourself which does pretty much the same thing.

If we strip away all the marketing guff is there anything that genuinely sets the EZ apart ?
 
Depends how you define 'set apart'.

It has plenty of features which are an improvement over the traditional plywood saw board (anti-chip, guided base, portability, weight). But those features are also available on other systems (now). I think that technically the EZ guide rails are cheaper if you already own a good CS. Whereas most other systems require you to own their saw. (tho EZ do not provide 'EZ Ready' tools).

The 'hype' you speak of is probably what causes Eurekazone the most problems. People seem to be offended by Dino's enthusiasm for a product he invented and now sells as part of a larger system of components which he believes are safer, in use, than the tablesaw. That topic has been hotly debated ad-infinitum and like all these heated subjects, you make your own mind up. I for one prefer a tablesaw, but still find the guide rail products of a very high quality and am happy with my purchases.

I do think it is Dino that people take a dislike to and I don't really understand it. The festool system has an equal amount of fans and much more of a product placement market. EZ are a small firm who, as I said above, go out of their way to help the customer.

Do you find the head man of Festool posting on forums and personally fixing problems?
 
I don't have a saw rail system, but I enjoy looking at Dino's stuff on the web. I love his enthusiasm and he seems a nice bloke. Think I'll get an "I like Dino" T-shirt printed 8) 8)

Cheers :wink:

Paul
 
big soft moose":3pvyjrs4 said:
wizer":3pvyjrs4 said:
I think Dino is/should be allowed to defend himself and his product.

I have no problem with dino - in fact i dont think ive ever encountered him or the EZ system before.

But one thing i dont quite get is why all the hype about it being a revolutionary system blah blah blah - its a rail system - many other manufactuers make them, and you can whomp up a straight edged saw shelf out of a few bits of mdf yourself which does pretty much the same thing.

If we strip away all the marketing guff is there anything that genuinely sets the EZ apart ?

Big Soft Moose,
Thanks.

Here is a good start.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eXV2XJTwn9Y

The ez system may look like any other guide system but it was designed from the start to comply 100% with the Dead Wood Concept.

Enjoy the video and remember that the basic ez system is capable of doing the same cuts even without the new PBB ( Power bench- bridge)
and the B-300. ( Bridge-300)

If you can show me any tool capable of doing the same cuts...
( videos and not marketing blah-blah ) then you're correct and I must be
the biggest Con artist.

Thanks.
YCf Dino
 
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