Sawstop PCS owners: Does the blade guard 1 1/4" hose/support arm come w/ PCS

[Loren Blount]

The current Wood magazine, May 2010, has a 3HP cabinet saw review in it and it states on page 54 that the "PCS has outstanding dust collection, thanks the blade shroud and effective port on the blade guard. Hose support, mounting hardware, and 1 1/4" hose come with the saw." This is the first pic I have seen of the hose support, and my sawstop dealer is clueless as to what comes with the saw so I thought I would ask here if the hose setup came with the saw, or if Wood Magazine got it wrong.

Thanks Loren

[Peter Aeschliman]

I just bought a PCS last weekend, so I guess I'm a good reference.

The saw didn't come with any vacuum/dust collection hoses. It comes with a white plastic fitting that slips into the blade guard. It can accommodate 1 1/4" and 1 1/2" hoses.

For me, that wasn't too helpful since I want to connect it to my dust collection system, not a shopvac... and my shopvac has a 2 1/2 hose anyway.

The good news is that it easily hooked up to one of these shopvac fittings, which connects to a standard 2 1/2 inch dust collection hose:

http://www.shopvac.com/shopvac-accessories/Products/Universal-Tool-Adapter__906-87-00.aspx

You can cut the first few steps of the fitting off and it fits like a glove.

Hope this helps. The saw is incredible... the packaging alone is a work of art and it was easy (albeit time-consuming) to assemble.

[Keith Albertson]

I set my PCS up a couple of weeks ago. The blade guard comes with a dust collection port, but no hose.

I went to the BORG and bought the Rigid 1-7/8" x 7' universal VAC hose/extension Kit (VT1720). This is a little expensive, about $20, but has everything you need. This has not just the seven foot hose, but also several adapters. One adaptor fits perfectly into the end of the blade guard. Another fits perfectly into a shop-vac 2-1/2 inch hose. I added a "Y" adaptor to my dust collector, which has a 4 inch section and a 2-1/2 inch "branch" off it. I Got this from Woodcraft for about 6 bucks, and a 2-1/2 inch blast gate.

Hooked it all up and it works great! No dust comes out onto the top of the saw.

Just make sure when you get the extension kit that it actually has all the adaptors in it. I had to look into three different boxes before I found one that had all the pieces.

You will love this saw.

[Todd Franks]

I bought a PCS a few weeks ago. Same as Peter and Keith, no hose or adapter. Steve Gass himself mentions in this older thread (http://sawmillcreek.org/showthread.php?t=130333) that they were working on an overarm DC hose and adapter. Maybe they are now available and that is why Wood Mag mentions it. A call or email to SS should get you an answer.

-Todd

[Alan Lightstone]

I bought a PCS a few weeks ago. Same as Peter and Keith, no hose or adapter. Steve Gass himself mentions in this older thread (http://sawmillcreek.org/showthread.php?t=130333) that they were working on an overarm DC hose and adapter. Maybe they are now available and that is why Wood Mag mentions it. A call or email to SS should get you an answer.

-Todd
I called today. They said, not yet, but very soon.

[Loren Blount]

Thanks for the response, I emailed Sawstop yesterday but have not heard back from them. I wonder if when it is available if it will come with the saw or be an accessory? I was going to purchase mine by March 31 to get the 2 free saw blade deal they have going on now, but I wonder if I should wait and see if it will come standard w/ the Pcs?


Thanks
Loren

[John Thompson]

Thanks for the response, I emailed Sawstop yesterday but have not heard back from them. I wonder if when it is available if it will come with the saw or be an accessory? I was going to purchase mine by March 31 to get the 2 free saw blade deal they have going on now, but I wonder if I should wait and see if it will come standard w/ the Pcs?


Thanks
Loren

I wouldn't hold your breath Loren. Steve Gass said in a few months in mid January. That to me means approximating as he did not say mid March.. April.. etc. Weigh the cost of two TS blades to the fact you can adapt for $20 or less at the moment while the blades are free and see which way the scale tips. ;)

Good luck with the decision...

[Jay Runde]

T I was going to purchase mine by March 31 to get the 2 free saw blade deal they have going on now, but I wonder if I should wait and see if it will come standard w/ the Pcs?

From what it says on SawStop's website, the deal is good through April 30th for the 2 blades.

[Paul Ryan]

From my experience a few months for Sawstop's calendar means usually at least 6 months. When the contractor saw was released orginally they said a few months in jan 08, saw finally showed up late 08 if I remember correctly. Same thing with the PCS saw May of 09 was told, saw started showing up in Oct. I think. So dont hold your breath or you might...... I would take the 2 blade deal the titanium blades are nice from what I have heard.

[Rob Price]

do any of you guys actually use it with a 4" DC and the over the table hose? I think the over the table bit would get in the way, I'm thinking of just plugging the hole up top and letting the DC suck all the dust out the bottom.

[Keith Albertson]

Rob,

I run the hose over to the left of the table table where it joins my dust collector. I put a screw-eye in the ceiling and hung a bungie cord from the screw-eye to the hose to suspend the whole thing. It holds the hose about 12 inches above the table, and I can easily detach the bungie and move the hose out of the way when I need to. Doesn't look classy, but it works great.

I've really noticed a difference in how much dust ends up on the floor or in the air if I don't use the "top side" dust collection. I get almost no floating dust if I use it.

Keith

[Loren Blount]

According to an email I got from Sawstop the hose/support arm & hardware are not shipping with the saw and will be available at a later date as an accessory.


Loren

[Todd Franks]

According to an email I got from Sawstop the hose/support arm & hardware are not shipping with the saw and will be available at a later date as an accessory.

Loren, good to know, thanks for the update.


do any of you guys actually use it with a 4" DC and the over the table hose? I think the over the table bit would get in the way, I'm thinking of just plugging the hole up top and letting the DC suck all the dust out the bottom.

Rob, I'm in the process of hooking up a 4" flex hose to my blade guard dust port. I should have hired a plumber with all the black ABS pieces and parts I needed:cool:. It will definitely need support from the ceiling. I don't know how it will turn out, but I'll post pictures and the results after I get it done and have some experience with it.

[Matt Kestenbaum]

Rob,

I run the hose over to the left of the table table where it joins my dust collector. I put a screw-eye in the ceiling and hung a bungie cord from the screw-eye to the hose to suspend the whole thing. It holds the hose about 12 inches above the table, and I can easily detach the bungie and move the hose out of the way when I need to. Doesn't look classy, but it works great.

I've really noticed a difference in how much dust ends up on the floor or in the air if I don't use the "top side" dust collection. I get almost no floating dust if I use it.

Keith

I rigged up a similar set-up...benefit of a basement shop was easy to suspend it from a joist overhead. Unless I am cutting a large piece that extends to the left of the table it stays out of the way and by keeping the hose a bit shorter I get better CFM. I have it joining the 4" branch duct at the bottom of the cabinet. A small benefit is that when I am doing some operation where the guard needs to to come off (using cross-cut sled, ripping very narrow stock or using dado stack) The hose just coils up neatly below the outfeed table and I slot the guard in it little holder under the right table wing.

I looked at rigging something up like their pictures show -- where the small diameter hose loops around to right of the table and is suspended a few inches above the table. For the 52" extension table I have it would be like 20 feet of hose! I can't imagine great suction and it would be a real pain to take it apart when I change operations.

[Peter Aeschliman]

I just got my dust collection plumbed into my PCS today. Holy crap, the dust collection is incredible.

Cutting MDF, I can't smell any dust when I run the dust collection above and below the table. The brake and the fit and finish of the saw are my two favorite features, but the dust collection is a very close third.

What an upgrade from my contractor saw!

[tom mercer]

I received this email this morning from Bob Hunter at Wood Magazine: I spoke with a SawStop representative last week about this. The information I received from SawStop’s previous marketing director—who’s no longer with the company—was that the dust collection setup was included. Unfortunately, he gave me incorrect information. SawStop’s new marketing director tells me they do have this setup available as an option for this saw, but I do not have that price yet. If you’re looking for it, call SawStop directly.