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Can you elaborate on what the 500 does better than the XL based on your experience? "
There is a trick I learned from a Halfinchshy video that works for putting tenons into the middle of a board's span that doesn't work for the XL.There may be certainly similar tricks for the XL, but I don't know them.
Also, I use the 500 for small boxes using the 500's tiny 4mm tenons. The XL is so big that doing small boxes is difficult for me.
If I had to buy just one of the 2 machines, the choice would be determined by the work I had to do. Medium to large .... the XL. Small to medium .... the 500.
Whichever machine, I'd buy the accessory kits with all the cutters and tenons. I'd also buy the Seneca shims. In my early enthusiasm, I bought a number of after market accessories for the 500. They are never used. The Seneca shims that facilitate working with 1/2 and 3/4 material are valuable add-ons.