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Brad-Nailor wrote:

"Also when the inventor of the Saw Stop took his invention to all the major players in the industry, none of them were interested in using it. They all said they didn't want to put that on their saws because it was like admitting that table saws are dangerous and might cause injury. DUH! It was only then that he decided to build his own line of saws.
"

I heard it a little bit differently, from a couple of industry insiders.

Goss wanted something like $700/saw to license his technology to the other TS manufacturers.

They simply couldn't make the numbers work, on paper, with a $700/saw increase in their costs.

I would love to own one. I would only like to own one more if he weren't clearly behind so much litigation that seems aimed at nothing but enriching himself. That part does bug me.

But it doesn't surprise me.
 
The Internet is replete with love/hate polarizations.
The opposite of love is not hate, it is disinterest.

My professional woodworking is based upon the acquisition of skills, not tools. I designed my business accordingly. While some woodworkers may require a table saw, I have designed my business around other types of wood cutting devices. I also consider safety as a major factor in choosing the tools that will support the skills that I need to do my woodworking. I focus on the flow of skills--> designs--> materials--> tools.

There are many ways to make and use a table saw in a safer manner. The current SawStop technology is only one way. Once free market competition catches up with better ways of making automated wood cutting devices; think beyond the ubiquitous table saw; the SawStop technology will fade as a bump on the road to better ways.
 
I'm along the line of the repsonse The Woodwhisper had in one of his videos about the saw stop. He said that if you are using all of the safety features (guard, anti kickback, push stick) and are using common sense, the chance of accident is reduced to almost none.

There have been plenty of times I have read on here and other sites about someone just needing to make a quick cut and they "didn't have time to- set my guard, grab a push stick".
 
I would say the saw would help out inexperienced woodworkers more than experienced ones for sure. I have been in the IT field for 19 years and I can agree the technology is there on the SS. Would I buy one, no.

I firmly believe you have to have a great deal of respect for your power tools. Never get too confident and take them for granted. I had a friend, just starting out that thought he knew a lot about the stuff, tried to advise him not to use the rip fence while crosscutting a 2Ă—4. He didn't listen and two days later or so he cut his finger. My point is always use safety like Loren and a few others have said and always have respect for the tools. Soon as that respect goes away is when you are in danger.

It's almost like saying that SS is wanting to push this technology on everyone like Obama wants to make everyone have health insurance. That's another topic to discuss though.
 
This thread is really interesting. And I am sure this response will ruffle some feathers.

The part I do not get is why no one asks what the other saw manufacturers were doing. As an engineering student 20 years ago, my fellow students and I could have designed a braking system similar to what SS is using (and that was 20 years ago). Why didn't the saw manufacturers do that? Why do they seem to be so reluctant at making their products more safe? When do we as a buying public hold them more accountable?

Can you imagine if the car industry took the same approach as the saw makers-we will sell you the product but you need to make it safe? We all would be buying cars where we had to tie ourselves to the seats because there would be no seatbelts. I am just hoping the SS flap is a wake-up call to other manufacturers. Safety is important. It does sell. And your buyers do care about it.
 
Just ask the people with hand injuries what they think ,do they wish they had a SS before their accidentds ?
Who cares if you don't like the inventors approach it's about you and you safety. How much will your doctors fees be if you injure your hand not to mention the pain and possible life long loss of fingers. The're well made saws and should last a life time. Don't wait BUY IT
 
Exactly, Jim..I would love any Saw Stop hater to find me a victim of a table saw blade contact injury and see if they didn't wish their saw was equipped with that kind of fail safe.

Neil…ya, now that you mention it I do remember the article that I read stated that a few of the manufacturers were interested but couldn't make the numbers work..but the big players, like Delta, General, Powermatic, Jet…didn't want to put them on thier saws for fear of admitting that the saws themselves carried an implied safety risk…like they didn't already!
CharlieL wrote:
The day that I'm forced to buy one, will be the day that I hangup woodworking.
Can somebody please force Woodchuck to buy a Saw Stop…
 
I bought the SawStop for the quality of saw it is and the safety feature was an added bonus. Now SawStop is focusing on another safety feature; dust management ~ and judging from their demo at my local Woodcraft, I'd say they nailed it. With all of that, I'll STILL be super cautious and not take the saw for granted. I'm not going to retire my dust mask, ear protection, safety glasses, push sticks/blocks, feather boards or anything else that makes using the saw much safer.

BTW - There's a certain LJ that pushes his Delta "dust hood" and then complains about SS pushing their technology; hypocrite!!!

Ditto Brad_Nailor
 
Okay - my comment about kickback being the most common way to get
hurt on a tablesaw is simply from personal experience. I've had kickback
happen several times and been hurt by it maybe 3 times.

Admittedly however I've jammed a finger between a fence or something
and mashed it.

I have also bumped and probably dropped a tablesaw on part of my body
while moving it. I have also, no doubt, given myself lots of little ouches
moving table saw fences, got splinters and bashed my knuckles on table
adjustments.

Come to think of it, I've hurt myself on a table saw dozens of times but never
once did it happen by me bringing my skin in contact with a moving blade.
I've been hurt badly enough to comment on it probably twice and in both
cases it was from being hit in the stomach by a workpiece kicking back.
 
@bentlyj - you can disable the safety feature for wet lumber. you can even test the lumber before firing the saw up by touching the blade with the questionable lumber. I've never tripped the brake in the year plus I've been using my SS.
 
Instead of looking at the quality of A TABLE SAW ..you guys are arguing the actions and morals of a group of lawyers… and you ( say ) you are willing to pass up owning this saw because of it.. that will show them….. toooo funny…..

There is no premium price for this cabinet saw.. only premium features, and it makes my work in the shop better, I did not buy it because I felt safer using it than using my Delta.. I treat it the same as any saw I have ever used.. with common sense… I bought it because it is a good saw, even if I have to admit my wife says I am much more handsome now that I have it.. (*_^)

Okay.. this is just way more fun than I can handle…I gotta head back to the shop..

Have fun everyone… play nice.

Gator
 
Anything that makes our tools safer is a good thing. But in lieu of blade-break technology, I feel pretty good about having my sharkguard/splitter installed, as well as a fence that I know locks down parallel to the blade each time.

But psychology is a powerful thing. I'd love to have it on my Unisaw and I have considered buying a Sawstop just because of that technology. There's no question that it works and I would feel much better about that.

Table saws scare a lot of people. In fact, I've seen several experienced woodworkers find reasons NOT to own a table saw, choosing to use other tools instead…a band saw, circular saw, and router can pretty much make a TS unnecessary. Likewise, I think many of your fringe home-owning, would-be hobbyists choose NOT to buy a table saw because of the fear-factor.

The irony is that Sawstop does not need to drum-up a market…it's already there. What they need is a way to implement that technology to cheaper saws. IMHO, a bench-top model with blade-break technology would sell.
 
I don't have anything against SawStop … I don't have one, but I'm taking WW classes at a local tech school that has 3 tablesaws in the cabinet shop (an older Northfield, a 90's-vintage UniSaw, and a 2009 SawStop cabinet saw).

I like using the SawStop, but it is a PITA to switch out blades … especially going from a standard 10" rip blade to an 8" dado stack. The blinking lights comment above sure rings true.

The thing I have learned about using all of these tools is that the safe operating procedures must be observed on any machine you use … they can all hurt you, but if you focus on safe operation, think about what you are doing, and respect the tool, you greatly reduce the chance of injury.

I think if I had ample funds (and space) for a new saw at home, I would probably go for a SawStop … I am confident that overcoming any idiosyncrasies would just be a matter of getting used to the saw and operational procedures.

But since I am not flush with cash and am not going to be able to move into a bigger shop any time soon, I'll just have to continue to make do with my Jet JWTS-10.

-Gerry
 
Woodchuck, you keep saying you could care less, but you keep posting on this and every other SawStop-related thread. Looks to me like you couldn't care more.
 
Quoted from another post

Can you imagine if the car industry took the same approach as the saw makers-we will sell you the product but you need to make it safe? We all would be buying cars where we had to tie ourselves to the seats because there would be no seatbelts. I am just hoping the SS flap is a wake-up call to other manufacturers. Safety is important. It does sell. And your buyers do care about it.

You are right safety is important, and we as the consumer in a free market, can choose to purchase a SS for the safety feature. However, if Gass gets his way your FREEDOM to choose is taken away. At what point do you say enough is enough??? If the saw is so great, let the free market decide.
 
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