I have to vote for the Excalibur. I am not a "money is no object" type of girl, and believe me - I realize that it is quite a bit more expensive than the others. I avoided moving up to the EX for many years, thinking that my DeWalt would be the last saw I would ever have. Why should I spend more when I was happy with what I had???
But my saw was wearing out (after 15 years) and since this was my 'business' I needed to start thinking of getting a new one. I had the original Type 1 DeWalt and had heard from many (many) customers that their Type 2 DeWalts were not living up to their standards. Right from the get go there seemed to be lots of problems, coupled with poor or non-existent customer service. (Remember- this is the saw I recommended to my customers for almost 15 years!) I reached a point last year where I no longer felt good telling people to buy this saw when I saw all the problems so many were having. Not everyone had problems, but many, many did. I decided to take the plunge and get the EX21 and spend a bit more than I intended. Nearly every review I have read on the EX was positive. Especially from those who bought from Seyco.
Even though I live in Canada, I got my saw from Seyco and picked it up last spring when I was in the States. I know it was a risk, but I heard so much good about them, I was willing to take it.
I never looked back! This saw is a leap above the DeWalt. The lack of front to back motion (when adjusted properly) brings your cutting to new levels. Both my partner and myself feel the same way. I could never do what I do now on my EX on my old DeWalt. It is just pure cutting pleasure.
Sorry to be so long, but I do love this saw. I have had other high end saws in the past, and I know there are several great saws out there, but I find the ease of controls and the smoothness of cutting (not to mention the tilting head!) a joy to use and it is my #1 recommendation.
Just my 2 cents.
Sheila
