Harvey MG-36 Pro Miter Gauge: Worth the Upgrade? | The Wood Whisperer

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Two years ago, I did a massive comparative review of ten different miter gauges. You can watch that here: • Miter Gauges - Two You...
Recently, Harvey released the MG-36 Pro Miter Gauge and many of you asked me to provide an update. So here's my Harvey MG-36 Pro review.
Head to my website if you'd like to read a full written summary. thewoodwhisperer.com/videos/h...
CORRECTION: A few folks noted that the flip stop can be adjusted to bring it closer to the stock fence. By loosening two screws you can reposition the stop at various angles in order to bring the tip of the arm in contact with the table surface. That's a big improvement over the previous model.
Conclusion:
I'm happy to say that the Harvey MG-36 Pro is a serviceable miter gauge. It's not perfect and depending on the kind of work you do the sloppy stop issue might be a deal-breaker. The sloppiness in the detents is still a big disappointment. However, with the caveats discussed in the video you can achieve decent results. Overall, Harvey addressed pretty much every issue I found in my previous review. They either improved them greatly or fixed them. That said, if you're in the market for a miter gauge I think the Jessem Mite-R-Excel II is still your best bet for the money. Even if you're able to get the MG-36 Pro at $299 (the lowest price I've seen), the Jessem can be had for only $25 more. And the Jessem doesn't suffer from any of the issues found in the MG-36 lineup.
Harvey MG-36 Pro - www.harveywoodworking.com/pro...
Jessem Mite-R-Excel II - amzn.to/48r5l9H
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[@woodwhisperer]

CORRECTION: A few folks noted that the flip stop can be adjusted to bring it closer to the stock fence. By loosening two screws you can reposition the stop at various angles in order to bring the tip of the arm in contact with the table surface. That's a big improvement over the previous model.

[@tomcooke9221]

as for stop block/micro adjust having some play...you're right, I hadn't noticed, but it sure is there...definite design flaw. Mine came with the table saw so I can't be too critical, but still, Harvey needs to address this. I remedied it but placing tiny strips of blue painters tape on either side of the center tongue that fits in the groove...problem solved! zero movement now and still moves easily. Thanks for pointing this out. 👍

[@parafinishwoodworks9483]

My girl likes to "Harvey" while in the cross cutting position 😂

[@larrydison1663]

You may like his reviews and you may hate them. Marc really tries to constructively criticize. He shows and describes what he likes and does not like. He offers his reasoning with logic. One of the few KZbin's I watch entirely.

[@frankline.gonzalez-dwindt2355]

I’ve been following for years (about 10) and you’ve been consistently unbiased and transparent on any review. Congratulations for your integrity

[@chrismoore5888]

My girl likes to Harvey all the time! Thanks Marc, appreciate all the time you spend to help inform the community!

[@DHM078schannel-np9xh]

My girl likes to Harvey all the time! At this price point, pickiness is absolutely warranted. If we weren't going to be picky, we'd be shopping in a totally different price bracket. Given there is at least one competitor in the price bracket that passes the picky test it can clearly be done. Glad to hear you had good customer service experiences this time. As with last time, thanks for sharing your findings!

[@Bran-pk7ef]

I’d like to try that fixed one cause … my girl likes to Harvey all the time.

[@gfancett]

“My girl likes to Harvey all the time”

[@toddblackstone6275]

My girl likes to Harvey all the time. I love that you take the time to do these, and that you do it in such a way that motivates manufacturers to make better products.

[@backpackobsessed4947]

My girl likes to Harvey all the time! Thanks for the follow up video. I’m really eyeing several of Harvey’s products and I appreciate in-depth and unbiased reviews to help me make informed decisions. Keep up the great work!

[@gregdelong6145]

as an old woodworker, i sometimes find it difficult to try knew tools, but i am always ready to listen to reviews and comments from those who do take that daring step. Been watching your reviews for a long time and i must say you certainly go into detail and give honest and reliable ones. Thank You!

[@nicklofland959]

My girl likes to Harvey all the time. I’ve been eyeing their bandsaw for some time. The fact that you’ve enjoyed working with it definitely puts me a little closer to pulling the trigger on a purchase. Thanks for all of the great reviews!

[@routleyc]

My Girl likes to Harvey all the time!! I really appreciate the honest update about this miter guage!! It's nice to see a non-biased opinion on products when shopping around!

[@ScottF-js2te]

My girl likes to Harvey ALL the time. As always, I appreciate your honesty and being upfront about when your are not or are getting items free or sponsored. You and Nicole rock for always giving to the woodworking community.

[@nxsmotorsports]

My girl likes to Harvey all the time. Much respect for your integrity and approach to assessing products for us. Thank you!

[@Jzooor]

My girl likes to Harvey all the time! Thank you for chasing down the flaws in these products and doing your part to improve the craft!

[@michaelcampbell9915]

My girl likes to Harvey all the time. Have enjoyed your videos for years, keep up the good work! Appreciate the good reviews, the humor and great woodworking advice and tips.

[@user-dl8cn9ku2g]

Thanks for the informative and transparent reviews. There are few on any platform that you can trust anymore so it's great you can provide this unbiased perspective. ...and "My girl likes to Harvey all the time".

[@adambodman3762]

My girl likes to Harvey all the time. Love all the tips and reviews over the years. Definitely been helpful and entertaining for a long time.

[@sanctuspiox]

My girl likes to Harvey all the time!!! Thanks for all the tips, your advice and true honesty about the products you review. Being a newcomer to a larger wood shop each new item I purchase I want help in choosing, someone that actually cares about his FB watchers! Again thank you so much!!!😊

[@johngeorge3865]

My girl likes to Harvey all the time. Thank you for the honest reviews. I have learned a lot and was able to make informed purchases. Or, if I had one of the items, I learned of its shortfalls. and was able to compensate. I am so glad you do these reviews, because not everyone can afford to buy all the items to test and find out what works best for them.

[@drewgraham7877]

My girl likes to Harvey all the time. I've been looking at the Harvey Gryro Air G-700. I appreciate the honest review, customer service is huge so I'm glad your previous issues were resolved.

[@John-qd6nf]

My girl likes to Harvey all the time. Marc, I am a woodworker living in North Carolina. My wife is supportive of my passion and even let me take over two bays of our three car garage. I have a 65 inch TV where I stream you on KZbin often. Thank you for all you and your channel do.

[@KarmaPollice]

My Girl Likes To Harvey All The Time. We appreciate the honesty on your position when reviewing these products, that isn't always the case for others. I'm trying to invest a little here and there to make my shop a little more. Thanks for all your videos, always good to see new ones up.

[@nicoles5349]

My gurl likes to harvey all the time. Thanks for the review. I am a beginner woodworker and enjoy your unbiased videos. So much to learn. So many tools and expense. Keep up the good work!

[@danielvozenilek1250]

My girl likes to Harvey all the time! Thank you for these honest reviews and the time you take to explain the why behind the rating! I watched the first video several times. As a newer hobbyist, I learned so much about features to look for and think about my intended use rather than buy the one with the most features. For me, it was not just a review, but a learning session.

[@MichaelHarman0711]

My girl likes to Harvey all the time. Very thorough review, I appreciate how much detail you get into with the issues and what you think is causing them.

[@kennethlee8640]

My girl likes to Harvey all the time.... It's nice to see you went after it again! Thanks Marc

[@Conan_Obrien]

My girl likes to Harvey all the time. Always nice to see unbiased, detailed reviews that help us make informed decisions about products.

[@TrouserNinja]

My girl likes to Harvey all the time! I actually bought their Alpha bandsaw a couple months ago and have been nothing but pleased with it. I second your comments on their customer service, they were very accommodating (I was out of town on my honeymoon and had to coordinate the delivery for when I would be back at home), and they even gave me 10% off the freight, which was nice of them. I noticed this new miter gauge in their store when I was shopping for the bandsaw, and I couldn't help but wonder if it had been redesigned based on your prior review. It's nice to see they listen to feedback from the community. Keep up the good work, Marc!

[@justindrass4999]

My girl likes to Harvey all the time! Thank you for all the inspiration and support!

[@michaelw9507]

My girl likes to Harvey all the time! As a beginner woodworker, I always look at your posts for advice. Another great video!

[@dougwestberry3093]

My girl likes to Harvey all the time, and I like when you're included in the decision. I appreciate your attention to the minute details and it gives ME the option to decide if they are important to me or not. I would love to have this fence as the flaws you point out are more than acceptable to me. Keep up the good work.

[@jc4givs564]

My girl likes to Harvey all the time. Thank you for your honesty. It means a lot.

[@FernandezF13]

My girl likes to Harvey all the time I love how thorough you are in your reviews. Thank you for taking the time and always taking the extra steps. You definitely had mic drop moment with “If it wasn’t broken why did Harvey change it?”😮

[@debndave1993]

Thanks for walking thru the reviews with such detail. With all the info we can then decide for ourselves if we care about the flaws you describe. While I’m not sure it’s true, my girl likes to Harvey all the time. Keep the videos coming. Really enjoy them!

[@5ku11y_D]

I must say, I greatly appreciate your intent on returning to these product reviews. Too often some channel "reviews" are paid-for kowtowing with no care for, or understanding that, to a tradesman, the life of the tool matters. And my girl, indeed, likes to Harvey all the time.

[@tkjokester]

Excellent review!

[@du3lmaul3rs50]

My girl likes to Harvey all the time I have been hoping to improve my miter gauge game, and your review has been very helpful in my researching. Thanks!

[@SailorRalph]

My girl likes to Harvey all the time. I really appreciate your reviews. It's nice when a professional properly discloses any bias as well as respectfully reviews a product. It really gives a hobbyist more insight on the tool being reviewed but also the type of tool. No tool is perfect and learning where the short comings of a tool or even process is allows us to prepapre abd and try to prevent or mitigate any problems that may arise.

[@chrisbrower5716]

My girl likes to Harvey all the time. I just want to say thank you for doing these kind of videos. They do help us newbies out so thank you.

[@user-of3jr1sx2w]

My girl likes to Harvey all the time. I really enjoy your non-bias product reviews. It’s nice to see a company respond by improving their product.

[@havinbeachfun1]

My girl likes to Harvey all the time! Thank you I have been looking at getting a Miter Gauge to replace the cheap one that came with my used Jet. This helps me to compare them.

[@timcgmail]

My girl likes to Harvey all the time. Love your videos. I purchased my first Harvey product last week still waiting for it to arrive "COMPASS RG-1/RG-2 Universal Roller". I saw it in a Keith Johnson video and although he didn't mention anything about it and didn't show a close-up of it I was able to find after about 30 Google Searches based on the 6 seconds it was in his video. I'm really interested in the Harvey Gyro Air® G-700. The only thing keeping me from buying it is the size. Thanks again Marc!

[@IlleBellus]

My girl likes to Harvey all the time. Love the review, Mark. Thanks for keeping things above board for all of us.

[@adamoldaker8459]

My girl likes to Harvey all the time Thank you for always giving honest reviews and being extremely detailed. I’m an engineer and some of the things you pointed out I wouldn’t have thought of when thinking about mitre gauge selection!!!

[@robertfoster1420]

My girl likes to Harvey all the time. Thank you for being picky! I just watched the first review from 2y ago and I appreciate the update on the Harvey, (it is a gorgeous thing) but also the update on the Jessem. I was looking around to see if you had anything more to say about it since they updated the stop on the Jessem since it was a ding 2y ago. Thank you for being upfront and transparent on your reviews, its refreshing.

[@mikemusser433]

My girl likes to Harvey all the time! Great video. Love the non biased reviews. So hard to find now days.

[@user-hs1bt2kr7h]

My girl likes to Harvey all the time. Seriously tho, you do a fantastic job keeping potential biases out of your reviews. I remember in your previous video that you talked to the negative points of the Rockler model despite them being a sponsor at the time. That honesty and objectivity gives your reviews legitimacy instead of coming across as another bought and paid for influencer. Thanks for all you do!

[@vichenzadoorian7551]

MY GIRL LIKES TO HARVEY ALL THE TIME. I love your reviews, I watched the original miter gauge review twice, so much thought and prep put into it. Great work.

[@seancoffey2088]

My girl likes to Harvey all the time. Always loved how James seemed to have invited Murphy to record this song, but then halfway through the song more or less steals it from him. Great review, as always! I've been eyeing the Ambassador for a while, too - glad to hear you love it. Might fast track that one.

[@VonBandy-sr5ew]

My girl likes to Harvey all the time!! Great review as always. Very helpful to us novice guys just doing this because we love too.

[@therealwabbitamy]

My girl likes to Harvey all the time. Thank you for the thorough and objective review. I appreciate you providing us with all the nitty gritty details.

[@philipchristian9935]

My girl likes to Harvey all the time. Always have a good review. Makes me realize I should inspect my tools and make sure it is functioning how it should!

[@joeyzilka3461]

My Girl likes to Harvey all the time, Harvey all the time! Thanks for this update sir! Always good to hear honest experiences. Awesome cat too.

[@Rob10169]

My girl likes to Harvey all the time. As a woodworker, I really appreciate your honesty and candor with your reviews.

[@ofleurence]

My girl likes to Harvey all the time. Great review. Always appreciate the eye for details and the honest opinion.

[@blakehaas3205]

My girl likes to Harvey all the time. Thanks for the in depth reviews! It's hard to decide when to spend your hard earned money. Reviews like this make it so much easier to make a informed choice. 👍

[@12stormy13]

My girl likes to Harvey all the time. I really wish you would do more reviews of tools. Your detail is refreshing and I always can be confident in my choice.

[@ericball749]

My girl likes to Harvey all the time! That being said, appreciate the honest review. Been looking at Harvey for a while now.

[@timpowerslide]

My girl likes to Harvey all the time! Love your videos! Our family still plays table top games on our gaming dining room table I built from your plans and videos. Love it!

[@kathyrosier5585]

My girl likes to Harvey all the time! Well, that's one way to get us to interact :) Thank you for revisiting this and giving Harvey a second chance. Great review!

[@jasonjenneman5071]

Thank you wood whisper with your excellent reviews! My girl likes to Harvey all the time!

[@rickvanauken6364]

Hi Marc, I stumbled across your evaluation of the Compass mitre gauge this evening so I went out and evaluated mine. I found the same issue with the adjustable stop. The problem lies in the fact that the tenon is narrower than the groove so it has side to side movement. Adding a larger knob or longer locking bar won’t fix the problem. I added a strip of masking tape on both sides of the tenon and the movement is completely gone, even without tightening the knob. Other than that, my mitre gauge works quite well. I think I’ll give Harvey a call tomorrow to discuss. I recently purchased their 4 hp table saw and big eye fence and so far, they have been very responsive to customer input. Thanks for the great review. BTW, my girl likes to Harvey all the time!

[@paint1956]

My girl likes to Harvey all the time. I've been using a Incra 1000 for some time and it has served me well, but this would be a nice upgrade. I've put off a purchase like this because $400.00 + can buy a decent stack of wood, and that's why I need this in the 1st place. Great review. When I started woodworking I thought good enough was good enough an honestly, watching your content for the last 10+ years has made me a better craftsman. All true, but I'll take any brownie points I can get.

[@markwolansky4745]

Great video. I love watching your tool reviews. You seem to always pick out the kind of things that would annoy the shit out of me. Also, My Girl Likes to Harvey All the Time!

[@melmorton5255]

I love the videos as you explain things very well. My girl likes to Harvy all the time.

[@eds1938]

My girl likes to Harvey all the time! Marc, thanks for the excellent review. I remember the last review of the miter gauges. I had just got into woodworking a year before that review and sadly I bought the Kreg miter gauge before that review. I think I’ll be checking out the Jessem gauge one of these days. Keep up the great work.

[@jimmcnett]

My girl likes to Harvey all the time. I have an Incra miter gauge and I am not happy with having to use a driver tool to make all the adjustments. I don't feel that the issues you have pointed out will affect me at all. Love you channel and I have been a subscriber for years. Thank you for your honest reviews.

[@charleshorn3283]

My girl likes to Harvey all the time! I have picked up so many good tips from you and your channel, my favorite which my seem weird is the Tung Oil and Citrus Solvent for wood boards and wood utensils. I use that weekly!

[@wannabefunnyman]

A rather thoughtful review. I hope whoever wins it enjoys it.

[@sueraaron]

My girl likes to Harvey all the time. Nice interesting video. Nice to see they listen to reviews and make changes to improve their products.

[@PapawsWorkshop-gd7hw]

My girl likes to Harvey all the time! Love your reviews and take almost all of them to heart when I purchase another tool!

[@alexanderadler6490]

My girl likes to harvey all the time , but seriously thank you for doing this! Always love to see the differences when a newer version of the same model comes out with tools, toys, games, etc.

[@user-ri5by6uu5l]

My girl likes to Harvey all the time. Really appreciate your completely honest and "picky" reviews Mark. Keep it up!

[@user-om4ck1bh6n]

My girl likes to Harvey all the time. Thanks for the tips. Just made my first cross cut sled last week so before I get a miter gauge I will think about this review again. Great video on how to think about miter gauge design and features in general, regardless of the specific model being reviewed.

[@robertcastellow5797]

My girl likes to Harvey all the time. I have a RIDGID R4520 Table Saw from Home Depot as my main shop tool. Thank you for the reviews. Very informative and entertaining.

[@curtisplunk6933]

My girl likes to Harvey all the time. Thanks for the great content Marc. I think Harvey is making strides to improve their products which is refreshing to see in a company. I just wish I had held off on buying their table saw in 2020 as they seem to have remedied my least favorite part of the saw, the fence that hold position when locking.

[@richardholloway5869]

My girl likes to Harvey all the time. When you decided not to continue your relationship with Powermatic, I thought you were crazy. But since then, I appreciate you taking that risk because you give an unbiased view of the tools that are available on the market. Keep up the good work.

[@raystorer633]

My girl likes to Harvey all the time. Thanks for the review. Some day I will buy a miter guage. I'll reference your original comparison video when the time comes. Thanks again.

[@andrewbrown8148]

My girl likes to Harvey all the time~! Great review, Marc~! Stay critical, it's what you do and just one of the reasons we all stick with you. I have an Incra 1000SE that I've been using for 15+ years and I love it. If I ever decide to upgrade, it might be the next level Incra. Love their product.

[@markwindham8123]

My girl like to Harvey all the time, all the time. love the follow up review, I ended up the with lower priced Incra from your previous review I am still happy about it. Thanks Marc, Mark.

[@user-ne9wt2yw4m]

my girl likes to harvey all the time. Always nice to see some insight on these products. Even with the engineering shortcomings, it's still more serviceable than my stock delta miter gauge. Hasn't stopped me from using it all of the time while building my workbench.

[@jimtauby7827]

My girl likes to Harvey all the time. good review. i've been thinking about upgrading from the original Craftsman miter gauge, even though it seems to have worked well for me for 30 years.

[@timaitken1114]

With the type of woodworking I typically do any of these premium price point miter gauges is overkill for me but I was super glad to see your be very up front with your purchase and price disclosure. I wish more people on YT did so. Kudos to you sir! MY GIRL LIKES TO HARVEY ALL THE TIME.

[@garymalkinfishing2397]

My girl likes to Harvey all the time, Harvey all the time, Harvey all the time!!! Once again, great update and thank you sir. I also have the original Harvey miter gage and have many of the same problems. I have figured out a work around on most of the problems and yes, there customer service is above pare in my opinion. Thank you for what you continue to do for the woodworking community.

[@jteller8654]

My girl likes to Harvey all the time. Seriously, nice to see a good review that includes customer service. That's seldom touched on.

[@ammisco11]

My girl likes to Harvey all the time. Been a woodworker for years. Thanks for offering this up!

[@mrmahoney2577]

My lady likes to Harvey all the time. Definitely one of the best non affiliated reviews of any item I’ve seen

[@michaelneely4333]

My girl likes to Harvey all the time. Always appreciate your videos, Mark. Thanks!

[@jeradjohnston]

My girl likes to Harvey all the time. 😎 Thanks for re-reviewing. Harvey had just started popping up in my radar and looks interesting. 👍🏼

[@TheWeekendWoodshop]

Thanks for the great review Marc. I agree that Harvey made some nice improvements to this iteration. And while the play in the stop is unfortunate I could definitely see myself using that miter gauge. My girl likes to Harvey ALL the time!

[@inviso1111]

My girl likes to Harvey all the time. Nice to see an update on this and nice to see the added Vernier scale along with all the other improvements. I am a little puzzled why they released a different model though. Some of the issues with the original model seemed like non-starters and things that needed corrected on the original model, especially at their price point.

[@kwiknikk]

My girl likes to Harvey all the time. Thanks for the honest review! I'm looking at this one and the JessEm as well.

[@stephenvale2624]

I have been using an Incra Miter gauge for a long time with some frustration. May be time to shop for something new. Both the Harvey and Jessum look like they would each be a step up. I appreciate the videos. I learn something new and actually useful each time. "My girl likes to harvey all the time"...please note. This phrase goes nicely with the music "Yellow Submarine"

[@glenntrav]

My girl likes to Harvey all the time. Another great review. I appreciate all the work you go through. I saw the first one and am glad that you reviewed the new Harvey. It is a bit disappointing that they still have some design flaws. I would not expect to see those on a $400 product.

[@ItsAlwaystheQuietones124]

My girl likes to Harvey all the time! Love the reviews. I haven’t been seeing your videos for awhile. I was curious as to why. I’m still subscribed so it’s head scratcher.

[@azeemqwerty]

My girl likes to Harvey all the time Appreciate the transparency as always Marc!

[@lordpaxman]

My girl likes to Harvey all the time! Thanks for the honest above board (pun intended) updated review! I’m still trying to decide on my miter upgrade.

[@keebler1357]

My girl likes to harvey all the time As usual another great review video. At some point I will be upgrading my mitre gauge and your reviews are very helpful

[@kevinstracener2338]

My girl likes to Harvey all the time. Thanks for the honest and candid review. Love your videos!

[@spbmarauder8588]

My girl likes to Harvey all the time. Great detailed review. This would check all the boxes for me.

[@user-bs6qk8dm1y]

Love the Bike Source T. I used to be a mechanic at the Charlotte NC location. And, my girl loves to harvey all the time.