We are doing a new segment, well we used to have it years ago so let’s just say we are bringing it back, it’s called Inventor’s Corner. For this segment, we try to find cool inventions and show them off to you. These are tools we think bring value and purpose to the tool world. So let’s jump in with the M1 Caliber.
M1 Caliber Overview
The M1 Caliber is a new accessory for miter saws. The company Reekon is owned and operated by Christian. Christian is also the designer and inventor of the M1 Caliber product. While this product isn’t for everyone, it has its place and does fit a niche.
So what is the M1? In simple terms, it’s a way for the user to forget about a tape measure, save time, and have accurate cuts every single time. How cool is this?
Before we jump into the overview of the Reekon M1 Caliber, I want you to know that this is not in production as of this article release. Right now they are still in the funding period and hopefully going to production soon. I have more about the Kickstarter below.
M1 Caliber Features
The unit we received is not a production unit, it was 3D printed. So we still were able to use the unit and see how it works with all the features and more. So if you see the screen a little foggy or other colors out of place, just know it’s not the final production unit.
Our unit came in a nice case. I am not sure if the final production units will have cases but I certainly hope so. This way if I take the unit to a job site or want to store it, I know it’s protected.
The M1 Caliber mounts to the fence of any miter saw.
A user can easily slide any 2″ thick or smaller pieces through the M1 Caliber.
There is a large display screen that allows the user to see the measurement with ease. The M1 Caliber is powered by two AA batteries.
On top of the unit, there are three buttons. On the left is a zero out button to reset the screen to zero. The next button is where a user changes the thickness of the blade or how they view the unit measurement such as inches or cm. The far-right button is the power button.
The unit can display a wide variety of measurements such as centimeters, inches in decimal form, inches in fractional form, feet + inches in decimal form, and feet + inches in fractional form.
What is great about the unit is how easily you can secure and remove the unit from the saw. With a single squeeze of your hand, you can clamp it to the fence of the miter saw.
One of the best features is how easy it is to set up, zero out the number, and adjust for the blade thickness.
M1 Caliber Performance
Setting up the unit is extremely easy. Just install two AA batteries and clamp to the fence. Next, I held down the Blade offset for 5 seconds (Middle button). This allowed me to set the thickness of the blade. After that, I was ready to cut. I just moved over the 2×4 and made some cuts. Yes, it’s that easy.
As you can see the screen has a nice back light and large numbers. I could very easily get it to 12″ or whatever measurement I wanted.
Here is the key, the cut was dead-on accurate. So even if you are doing trim work, you can count on the M1 Caliber to be accurate.
Where to Buy
Right now the M1 is still in concept mode and they are raising money on Kickstarter. You can visit Kickstarter and buy a unit today.
I am not sure the cost or how everything will turn out. For us, we used a prototype that was 3D printed. Obviously there is a lot more in order to make a quality accessory that will last the test of time.
M1 Caliber Wrap Up
As I noted, this product isn’t for everyone and does have some limitations. However, I think this is such a cool idea and solves a problem while making life easier. So for me, it’s a winning product and one I am excited to see hit the market place. For me, I am a buyer and will be a user of this product once it goes into production.
Seems like the height limit combined with the fact that you can’t flip the stick around without removing the doohickey and re-calibrating everything render it ill-suited for most of the things most people want a miter saw for. Framers don’t generally care about accuracy so the target audience can only be YouTubers who build shabby chic furniture out of dimensional lumber in exchange for free Ryobi shirts.
I invested in the Kickstarter campaign and waited many months before it finally arrived. I had great expectations. However, after receiving it and trying it out, IT WAS A BIG MISTAKE! I’m 65 yrs old and have been the “trade” for a long time. and know about tools. Not intuitive to operate. No one can walk up to their chop saw and figure it out without reading the “hokey” manual for 15 mins. Even then they won’t make it work correctly
That’s a shame. I had high hopes for this but I am hearing a lot of disappointment with this. Not sure what is going on as we were always able to talk with the owner but for some reason, he now doesn’t get back to us. This is something I am not sure I would jump into as I am this might be a sign.