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Dave Marshak

All Time World Champion
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I'm thinking about buying either a Swix EVO Pro Edger or a Razor-Tune. My friends all like the RT, but I want to compare it to an EVO before I buy. Does anyone have any experience with either machine? Which is easier to use? Which could do more damage?

dm
 

Atomicman

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I went with Razor Tune because of the way it sits flat on the base of the ski, base up. The Evo sits precariously high on the side edge with the ski in a vice side edge up base away form you. Seems like it would be way to easy to roll it off the edge and goof things up! The Razor Tune on the other hand sits with the machine solid as a rock and flat on the base up ski and you tune the edge closest to you. Solid as a rock. Pretty much impossible to screw it up. The machine is lightly spring loaded to place the bearings against the edgeand there are comfortable indentations in the side to push push against with your fingertips and that is all it takes! It also has arrows that line up with the edge. It takes very little pressure to push the machine towards the edge. Extremely easy to use and did I say solid as a rock when operating. ogwink

By the way I have used it on our our rec skis and race skis for about a month now and the results are stellar and so quick and easy. You should deburr the edges before hand though.
 
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Uncle-A

In the words of Paul Simon "You can call me Al"
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I went with Razor Tune because of the way it sits flat on the base of the ski, base up. The Evo sits precariously high on the side edge with the ski in a vice side edge up base away form you. Seems like it would be way to easy to roll it off the edge and goof things up! The Razor Tune on the other hand sits with the machine solid as a rock and flat on the base up ski and you tune the edge closest to you. Solid as a rock. Pretty much impossible to screw it up. The machine is lightly spring loaded to place the bearings against the edgeand there are comfortable indentations in the side to push push against with your fingertips and that is all it takes! It also has arrows that line up with the edge. It takes very little pressure to push the machine towards the edge. Extremely easy to use and did I say solid as a rock when operating. ogwink

By the way I have used it on our our rec skis and race skis for about a month now and the results are stellar and so quick and easy. You should deburr the edges before hand though.
Nice write up, just wondering why the deburr first? My only thought would be that the burr upset the bearing that rides against the edge.
 
Thread Starter
TS
Dave Marshak

Dave Marshak

All Time World Champion
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@Atomicman
My concern about the Evo is that I haven't seen one in the wild, and the small diamond wheel looks like something that may need to be replaced frequently and may not be available in the future. The big disc on the RT looks like a better solution. OTOH I prefer to work with the ski edge up so the Evo looks better for that. I'm gonna need to rework my bench to work base up, but I don't have space for a center vise. This is what I'm using. It perfectly holds skis vertically, but it's a little loose with base up skis:


@Uncle-A
Taking the damage burrs (not the "hanging burrs" from filing) off the edge by hand is just easier than using the grinder, and less likely to cause further damage or excess wear on the costly grinding wheel.

dm
 

Doug R

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I have owned both tools, using the Evo all last season, and the RT this season -- with 2 kids racing, I've sharpened many pairs of skis with each machine at this point. I really think both tools are great, and have been a huge win in allowing me to quickly achieve predictable results. I'd say that both are capable of achieving great sharpness, so the choice comes down to usability. Neither tool is perfect, and the tools have very different usability issues to manage.

The biggest flaw of the Evo is the extra sidewall clearance it requires, compared to the RT. With some skis, I had to remove the brakes before sharpening; otherwise the machine contacts the brake, resulting in a short section under the heel where the edge gets flattened rather than sharpened. This absolutely isn't a problem with race skis, or really any binding setup with a plate or any significant stack-height. I did have this problem with my kids' rec skis (mounted with Marker 4.5 bindings), and with my all-mountain skis, flat-mounted with Tyrolia AAAtack 13 bindings.

The RT is bigger, heavier, and requires a more stable platform. I use a portable Swix waxing table for all my ski tuning, and because of the side-pressure needed to compress the spring-loading, the table tends to tip over. This can lead to inconsistent results ogsmile. I've temporarily 'solved' the problem with some bungie cords and an old wooden pallet.

Both machines require you to carefully manage the power cord. If you get it snagged on a vice, the end of the table, a ski brake etc, you'll end-up messing up an edge. The Evo is a ~little~ more fussy than the RT here, but it's essentially the same issue with both machines.

A final major point I'd make is that mistakes with the Evo tend to be higher impact than with the RT. Just about any slip-up with the Evo results in the aforementioned edge flattening, which takes quite a few additional passes to fix. The RT is a little less likely to slip-up, and mistakes are in general less damaging.

Regarding disc wear, I don't have any concerns with either the Evo or the RT. I haven't observed any disc wear at all with either machine. If anybody is using these machines commercially, maybe they could comment? I expect many seasons before having to think about a disc replacement.
 

Steve

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Thanks for the post @Doug R I've been using an Evo for a couple of years and have also had an issue with the toe piece on my carving skis getting in the way. I learned to remove it before sharpening (Aatack 13 Demo bindings.) They stick out so far that the tool rides up and off the edge.

What do you mean the edge getting flattened? I had to eventually get my Stockli SC's ground as they were skiing poorly, not sure why, but I wonder if the Evo damaged them before I started taking the toe pieces off.
 

Doug R

In the parking lot (formerly "At the base lodge")
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I'm not sure if "flattened" is exactly the right description, maybe "detuned", or "rounded"? Anyway the point is that instead of a fully sharpened edge the length of the ski, the failure mode results in a 1/2" or 1" section where the edge is rounded, or left at a significantly different angle. You can easily see it if you examine the edge closely. It's easy enough to fix though - just make additional passes until that section of the edge is sharp. The issue is the time and annoyance factor, and removing that much more edge material to fix the screw-up.

@Steve, short of intentional destruction, I wouldn't remotely worry that the Evo could damage a ski in any way that an Evo itself couldn't fix!

BTW, screw-ups with the RT result in something similar - it just takes fewer additional passes to fix.
 

skifastflylow1

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Oct 20, 2017
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I own both. Since I bought the RT I have not used the Evo. The RT is easier to use, provides a more consistent edge (due to simplicity of use), and is built much better.
There is NO doubt in my mind which is a better choice and I have recommended the RT to multiple other race families.
 

Doug R

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Hey @Dave Marshak, usually I stink at reselling stuff I don't need anymore, but in this case I've already sold my Evo. I still think it's a great tool, but I agree with @skifastflylow1 that in the end the RT is easier to use and provides a more consistent edge due to that simplicity.
 

BGreen

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My concern about the Evo is that I haven't seen one in the wild, and the small diamond wheel looks like something that may need to be replaced frequently and may not be available in the future.

I think Skiman makes the Evo, they sell it as the Skiman Bravo. You can buy the grinding disks from them as well as Swix.
 

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