Aloris BXA 71 or 77 Tool Holder

I wondered if anyone has experience with an Aloris BXA 71 or 77 tool holder for cutoff blades and inserts. My call to Aloris was inconclusive as to advantages of either.

Thank you for any advice you may be able to offer.

Taildragger

no experience but let the dimension to the blade cutting tip and blade widths be your guide (and the cost/availability)....if you already have the #7 holder you might try one of the retrofit blades too.

The 71 takes thicker and taller blades than the 77. The 77 takes a much thinner blade. If you need deep parting and have the horse power and rigidity to push a thicker blade, the 71 is for you. It should provide lower vibration and blade wandering. If you have a smaller lathe, the thinner blade helps reduce the cut pressure. I run a 77 on my smaller bxa sized lathe with positive inserts, and I love it. I mostly part off 1” or 1 3/8” solid stock. It is a breeze. I have never used a 71 though.

Adding some info 4 years later.
There is one downside to the #71, namely that you can only get blades that fit from Aloris. The #71 blade for AXA, BXA and CXA is 1.5" tall and available for GTN 2, 4.8, and 6. The #71 blade for CA and DA is 2" tall and available for GTN 4.8 and 6.
The #77 takes industry standard SGIH blades: SGIH-19 for AXA, SGIH-26 for BXA and CXA, SGIH-32 for CA and DA. These are approx 3/4", 1" and 1-1/4" tall, and typically available for GTN 2 and 3, GTN 2,3 and 5, and GTN 3, 5 and 6, respectively. Other configurations may also be available.
If you don't consider cutoff blades expendable, this probably won't bother you. We put a BXA #71 in a student lab, and they not only shatter the GTN-3 inserts in ways I've never seen before, they managed to mangle one end of the blade. At $90 each for a #71 blade, we might have been better off with a #77 and less expensive replacement blades.