Ive got a Robland panel saw, bought new in 1998
It is a solid machine, made from laser cut 6mm plate steel, cast table
The machine has had no mechanical problems in that time and it is used every day.
The sliding track runs on ball bearings, which it is argued have a point contact and can therefore wear. I can see the is a line where the balls run but no groove has formed and no play on the sliding table -it runs fine
The outrigger works well, it has occasionally had some chips get in it which makes the sliding table jolt a bit.
The rip fence works well, it does need cleaning and adjusting to keep it sliding well and the tube it runs on is held on bolts which slowly allow the solid bar to sag making the rip fence rub on the front edge of the table.
The most annoying thing is that the outrigger table is connected to the sliding table with a poor method of fixing and we used to suffer with it going out of square far too often. Its now been fixed with a bit of simple metalwork.
Like all budget machines it has its faults but overall its been a good machine for me. I should say though that its used in a joinery shop not a cabinet shop and we dont often cut up carcase materials.
I would suggest weighing up whether you might want to consider a second hand machine from Altendorf, Martin, Felder, SCM which you may be able to get for similar money.
There is so little difference between 2.8M and 3.2 Metre, I would go for the 3.2Metre. Also if you straighten solid timber from time to time, the 3.2M bed will do a 3.5M long board at a pinch, or any length if once you get to the end of travel, the board is lift over the cross cut fence and pulled through.
They are machines that take up a huge space!
