SawStop

[MtnDon]

SawStop has a new model. It's a jobsite saw. Same safety stop that senses flesh contacting the blade. Better price than the other models but still more dollars than the average workshop saw.

http://www.sawstop.com/table-saws/by-mo ... w#overview

and a short article from Fine Homebuilding
http://www.finehomebuilding.com/item/73 ... ng-eletter
...with a promise of an article after they test it.

[tony.latham]

SawStop has a new model. It's a jobsite saw. Same safety stop that senses flesh contacting the blade. Better price than the other models but still more dollars than the average workshop saw.

http://www.sawstop.com/table-saws/by-mo ... w#overview

and a short article from Fine Homebuilding
http://www.finehomebuilding.com/item/73 ... ng-eletter
...with a promise of an article after they test it.

I'm sure impressed with my SawStop Contractors saw.

T

[Tom Kurth]

We now have three or four SawStops in our cabinet shop. My initial impression when I first heard of the technology was that it was poor engineering. I still kinda think there's gotta be a better way rather than destroying an $80 part plus whatever the blade cost. One of those saws was purchased to replace one on which guy (young, inexperienced) removed a thumb. Obviously, the saw was cheap compared to the medical costs of sewing back on a completely severed digit not to mention the kid's pain and suffering, rehabbing, etc. Not to mention any possible lawsuit. I'd guess replacing all 5 additional saws plus the 3 or 4 would probably have been cheaper. For simple liability issues, if I were equipping a shop, I doubt that I would buy anything but SawStops, except perhaps for specialty work.

Having said that much, they are very good quality saws. The last saws purchase for the shop before them were Steel City pieces of crap. Those are not even in the same league with the SawStops. As compared to other cabinet saws, they are nearly or as good as Unisaws and Powermatics.

Best,
Tom

[VijayGupta]

Bosch just announced their "flesh sensing technology," one that does not destroy the blade. Finally some competition.

[GerryS]

$80 plus a blade is still a lot cheaper than a trip to the ER. If you use the tool correctly you should never need to replace the cartridge.

I've wanted one of these since I first saw the technology. What I am more surprised by is that the other guys didn't use the technology....which is of course what saw stop wanted. Which is why we now have them as their own brand.

I'm not sure how you could stop the blade fast enough using any other kind of brake.... I'm curious what Bosch has done...

[bobhenry]

$80 plus a blade is still a lot cheaper than a trip to the ER. If you use the tool correctly you should never need to replace the cartridge.

I've wanted one of these since I first saw the technology. What I am more surprised by is that the other guys didn't use the technology....which is of course what saw stop wanted. Which is why we now have them as their own brand.

I'm not sure how you could stop the blade fast enough using any other kind of brake.... I'm curious what Bosch has done...

YEP ! ! AFTER insurance I am out $4,000 personally for the 2 finger partial amputation surgery from late last October.

[MtnDon]

Not to mention pain, suffering, rehab,and all dexterity loss in the future years.

[halfdome, Danny]

$80 plus a blade is still a lot cheaper than a trip to the ER. If you use the tool correctly you should never need to replace the cartridge.

I've wanted one of these since I first saw the technology. What I am more surprised by is that the other guys didn't use the technology....which is of course what saw stop wanted. Which is why we now have them as their own brand.

I'm not sure how you could stop the blade fast enough using any other kind of brake.... I'm curious what Bosch has done...

From my understanding Saw Stop isn't willing to share the technology so other manufacturers are at a loss developing a saw that won't cut a hot dog.
If they were really concerned about saw safety they would license their technology to other manufactures.
Personally all the safety equipment in the world isn't going to save someone who has unsafe safety practices.
I purchased my (new at the time) Rockwell Unisaw in 1973 and worked as a Cabinetmaker since 1967 and have all 10 fingers without ever using a Saw Stop table saw.
My Unisaw is a fine piece of equipment that's about twice as heavy as any new saw and keeps on going.
They can keep their hot dog saws as far as I'm concerned.
Danny

[Pmullen503]

I've been following the Saw Stop saga since the beginning. The technology existed for years but no major manufacturer would adopt it so Saw Stop finally had to produce it's own saw. My 1947 Yates American cabinet saw is a fine tool but if I were going to buy new I'd pay the price for a Saw Stop.

[halfdome, Danny]

This looks very promising.
I'm thinking of getting one or two of them.
Watch the video, it's very versatile.

Danny

[capnTelescope]

This looks very promising...

I use that on my SawStop. I feel twice as safe. It also gives you better control over the workpiece than just push sticks and featherboards. Try it, you'll like it

I'm not going to trust the electronics to work at the crucial moment. I just hope they do.

If you use the tool correctly you should never need to replace the cartridge.

That's true. I've had to replace 3-4 brake cartridges on my saw. Not once from skin contact. All were operator error. $80-plus penalty for having your head in an un-sunny place.

If everyone used their saw correctly, all the time, no one would ever cut a finger. Human error is only human.

I completely agree with everyone that likes the quality of the tool. I have the contractor saw, and it is miles above the ShopSmith I started with, years ago. That thing was scary.

[tony.latham]

Sheeeeeesh..... now I'm gonna have to buy a Micro-jig..... They look good. I'm assuming the Advanced Model is worth the extra $15?

I've had to replace 3-4 brake cartridges on my saw.

After my saw went, "BANG!" (with a dado blade no less) I bought a metal detector. It sits under my saw. I haven't been wise enough to use it yet. But if I'm going to cut something that looks like it could have a nail in it, I'm going to use it. I swear.

T

[capnTelescope]

I sawed right through a staple's crown one time, and nothing happened. I saw a spark as it went through and checked it out. makes you think. It probably wasn't enough metal to drain the charge from the blade.

Another time, I did this to my Incra miter gage:


and made this:


It hangs on the wall for show & tell. That would have been a significant ouchie, but nothing like a lost finger. Hitting a finger like that would probably cause one to have to change one's underwear.

[aggie79]

At the time I bought my hybrid table saw, there was only one SawStop model and I couldn't afford it. Although I am very anal about safety, about three years ago, I "tapered" my right index finger on the table saw while cutting plywood. I had an outfeed table but no infeed table and had removed my splitter. The plywood started to rise as I was cutting it and instinctively I reached to push it back down. Doing so, my finger ran into the blade. The taper on my right index finger goes well with the chamfer on my left index finger that happened about 40 years ago on a panel saw when I was working for a high-volume cabinet shop.

[MtnDon]

Coincidentally, Bosch will announce their new REAXX (for “reacts”) GTS1041A saw that uses flesh-sensing technology to trigger a mechanism that retracts the blade below the table if the operator makes contact with the blade while it is spinning on 3/20/2015. This is great as I am certain the competion will bring other saw manufacturers into the fray. Hopefully the competition will lower costs to where it would be truly foolhardy not to buy a "safety saw".

Bosch Takes Aim at SawStop