SawStop Promotions?

[Steve Mathews]

Looks like I'm finally submitting to the safety advantages of a SawStop and now plan to buy one. How often do their promotions occur?

[Keith Hankins]

If you talking the ICS ....never. If you talking the PCS, every spring they generally do a promotion that gives you either the overarm guard, or the industrial mobile base. Thats about all I'm aware of. Call them they easy to talk to. Or, call your local wood craft they seem to be in the know.

[Dustin Bullard]

You *just* missed it, Sawstops promotions are run like clockwork from 3/1 through 4/30. It's not a discount, its a free PCS mobile base or Overarm Dust Collection boom (which requires that you buy the upgraded blade guard if you get the 1.75hp saw)

If you are looking at the saw the ICS Mobile Base is MUCH nicer than the PCS Mobile Base...

[Ben Rivel]

Once a year and you just missed it. But, really the only thing worth considering via the promotion is the overarm dust collection as the ICS mobile base is MUCH nicer than the PSC mobile base they offer in the promotion.

[Simon MacGowen]

You *just* missed it, Sawstops promotions are run like clockwork from 3/1 through 4/30. It's not a discount, its a free PCS mobile base or Overarm Dust Collection boom (which requires that you buy the upgraded blade guard if you get the 1.75hp saw)

If you are looking at the saw the ICS Mobile Base is MUCH nicer than the PCS Mobile Base...

+1 on the mobile base. Get the ICS mobile base for the PCS if that is the model you are looking for, unless you don't plan to move your saw around a lot.

The freebie is about $250 in value, but if quality and safety are the primary consideration, I would not wait for the next promotion unless it is just a few months' wait.

The overarm dust collection boom and the dust collection blade guard are even more important than the mobile base. Get those two before the mobile base if your budget really is set to certain amount.

Welcome to the world of tablesawing with joy, if dead squareness, dead straightness, and dead precision are what you have been longing for ("dead" for woodworking purposes).

Simon

[Steve Mathews]

Once a year and you just missed it. But, really the only thing worth considering via the promotion is the overarm dust collection as the ICS mobile base is MUCH nicer than the PSC mobile base they offer in the promotion.

I tend to agree. The only incentive then is the $200 overarm dust collection. But are there any advantages to the other more expensive floating dust collection arm? I'm hoping the quality of the saw itself is worth making the change from my Jet 10" cabinet saw, which I like very much. After my wife saw an episode of This Old House where they discussed the virtues of a SawStop she's made the rare request that I purchase another tool.

[Patrick Irish]

I tend to agree. The only incentive then is the $200 overarm dust collection. But are there any advantages to the other more expensive floating dust collection arm? I'm hoping the quality of the saw itself is worth making the change from my Jet 10" cabinet saw, which I like very much. After my wife saw an episode of This Old House where they discussed the virtues of a SawStop she's made the rare request that I purchase another tool.

Do you move your saw around a lot? If not, I'd do a ceiling drop down DIY for the dust collection.

I got a CB/ICS used of craigslist recently and had a sharguard from a unisaw. I ordered the riving knife from sharkguard that has notches for the guard. I'm going to do a ceiling mount duct setup because I don't like having the arm in the way. At least that's the plan.

The ICS mobile base is amazing. It lifts the whole setup including the 52" rails and extension

[Dustin Bullard]

I have a PCS 1.75hp and it is a fantastic saw. I would strongly suggest getting the upgraded T-Glide Fence but otherwise the saw is very well built with superb dust collection. I wasn't specifically impressed with the Overarm dust collection but others have been (and I just re-purposed the boom to use on my sanding station where it is great...).

If I had to come up with a few gripes they would be pretty minor: I don't care for how expensive the zero clearance inserts are (even though they are really nice) and my dado stack (Freud SD508) was too heavy for the SawStop's brake so I had to switch to a lighter weight stack. Finally you can't use specialty blades like the fancy Mitre Fold from Rockler or, as far as I'm aware sanding discs are a no go on the SawStop.

[Nick Decker]

Steve, I'm a fairly new PCS owner, having taken advantage of this year's promotion. I opted for the overarm dust arm.

I'm very happy that I went with the ICS mobile base, every time I move the saw (quite often). It just works beautifully. Too bad SawStop won't let you apply the value of the free standard base toward the ICS base.

I don't know what kind of dust collection system you have, but it will need to be pretty powerful to get the most out of the overarm dust collector. My modified Harbor Freight (2 hp) unit is "just OK" in that regard.

In reading another recent thread here about overhead dust collection for slider saws, it seems that what is really needed is more along the lines of what a shop vac does. The connector hose for the overarm is much smaller (2"?) and the air movement that's provided by the 4" dust collector hose just isn't strong enough. That's what I'm guessing, anyway.

As others have mentioned, the dust collection blade guard is MUCH better than what comes with the saw, even if you're not using it to collect dust.

[Steve Mathews]

I do move my existing cabinet saw around a lot. The mobile base for it was handmade and works fantastic. I still don't understand the difference between the two dust collection arms by SawStop. Why one over the other?

I never thought this would happen with a tool purchase but this is one I'm grudgingly going into the more research given on the SawStop. All I want to do now is just get it over with.

[Frank Pratt]

The 3 HP PCS comes with the dust collection guard anyway. The promo is for the overarm duct assembly, or the PCS mobile base. I didn't want the OA duct because I have a router lift in the table & it would get in the way. I think it's better to drop down from the ceiling anyway because of less airflow loss.

Some sellers (Lee Valley did) will give you credit for the PCS base & you can just pay the difference for the ICS base. It is an expensive base, but well worth it. It really is that good.

[John Sanford]

They've been running the promo twice a year. March/April and either October/November or November/December, I can't remember which, though I lean towards October/November. Having had the PCS mobile base, count me in the crowd that says skip it and go with the ICS, especially if you go with the long (52") fence. The key functional difference between the two bases is the ICS base allows you to spin the saw in place. The PCS base requires you to drive it like a shopping cart or any other vehicle with two fixed wheels. If you have a lot of space and/or don't move it much, the difference may not matter.

[Steve Mathews]

Seems prices for the SawStop are the same no matter where you go.

[Nick Decker]

Seems prices for the SawStop are the same no matter where you go.

Yup, about the only break you can get is buying it online to beat the sales tax, but then you've probably got shipping.

I don't know much about the more expensive overarm dust thing, but I seem to recall someone saying it was larger and less easy to move around.

[Dustin Bullard]

If you look around you will find the saw has a price that includes shipping padded into the price and then says free shipping OR its $250 off with a $250 shipping charge...

However...

When I picked up my saw at my local Rockler from stock they had on hand (PCS 1.75 w/ 36" T-Glide Fence) there was no shipping charge tacked on... I ended up paying $2660 ($2469 + tax) The same saw, everywhere online is $2719 with "Free Shipping" and most places will get you for taxes on top of the built in shipping...

In my book I saved $270 by picking the saw up myself...

*edit*

One more note if you are going to pick it up at Rockler, they basically have the components to build a saw however you want, eg 1.75 or 3.0hp cabinet + wings standard, 36" or 52" T-Glide Fence, ICS Base if you want it, etc... They basically piece it together and charge you exactly what SawStop lists on their website...

[Simon MacGowen]

I do move my existing cabinet saw around a lot. The mobile base for it was handmade and works fantastic. I still don't understand the difference between the two dust collection arms by SawStop. Why one over the other?

.

Don't get the newly released TSG-FDC Floating Overarm Dust Collection Guard. Unlike the dust collection blade guard and overarm dust collection, you have to move the bulky/heavy floating arm when you make cuts for different thickness of stock or different width of stock. It is a pain and the dust collection effectiveness is not as good as the other option. I don' know why SawStop re-introduce this type of dust collection seen used before SawStop was even invented. $400, I think.

Simon

[Mike Heidrick]

When i bought mine in 2006 (5hp cb now called ics) i paid shipping to woodcraft and still had to pick it up there and paid tax lol. Ill take using it 12 years vs waiting till now lol.

[Doug Dawson]

You *just* missed it, Sawstops promotions are run like clockwork from 3/1 through 4/30. It's not a discount, its a free PCS mobile base or Overarm Dust Collection boom (which requires that you buy the upgraded blade guard if you get the 1.75hp saw)

If you are looking at the saw the ICS Mobile Base is MUCH nicer than the PCS Mobile Base...

Using the ICS Mobile Base under a Sawstop PCS is like living in a candy colored dream. There is no other mobile base before it, all kneel. :^) Too bad it's only fitted for the Sawstops, the company could really go to town with other applications.

[Frank Pratt]

I don't think the ICS base would be too hard to fit to other cabinet saws, provided the overall dimensions didn't exceed that of the ICS SawStop

[Nick Decker]

I don't think the ICS base would be too hard to fit to other cabinet saws, provided the overall dimensions didn't exceed that of the ICS SawStop

Agreed, just drop a piece of good plywood in there, good to go. It is expensive, though, as mobile bases go.

[Bernie May]

I have the PCS with the dust collector hooked to the riving knife. I threw away the boom as it did not suck sufficiently. I hook the dust collector directly to my Ridgid shop vac. Works great except for cuts where the cutoff is less than the width of the dust hood. Then I lose a little dust to the side. May try the suggestion of putting a board on the left side of the blade.

[Ben Rivel]

I have the PCS with the dust collector hooked to the riving knife. I threw away the boom as it did not suck sufficiently. I hook the dust collector directly to my Ridgid shop vac. Works great except for cuts where the cutoff is less than the width of the dust hood. Then I lose a little dust to the side. May try the suggestion of putting a board on the left side of the blade.
I hear people comment that the overarm dust collection doesnt work well. I think its due to the stock setup or their dust collector because mine work awesome connected to my Oneida V-3000. I have mine setup like this:

386046

[Ben Rivel]

Seems prices for the SawStop are the same no matter where you go.
Best deal I have ever seen aside from the promo is buying from AcmeTools via eBay when eBay is doing a 10% eBay Bucks day. Sometimes its 6% or 8%. Thats what I did and got hundreds back from that via eBay Bucks and AcmeTools is free shipping no sales tax for most.

[Doug Dawson]

I tend to agree. The only incentive then is the $200 overarm dust collection. But are there any advantages to the other more expensive floating dust collection arm?

Some people want to go toe-to-toe, eyeball-to-eyeball, with the spinning blade, and I can sort-of understand that, but with proper setup that's unnecessary, and I rather doubt that the floating arm is going to be more efficient in general, judging by the videos I've seen of the floating arm in use. Maybe for the "I don't want a blade guard" crowd it might be appealing. Perhaps that's who they built it for.

Doug

[Matthew Hills]

... and my dado stack (Freud SD508) was too heavy for the SawStop's brake so I had to switch to a lighter weight stack

This is the first I've heard of this. (I had previously heard that you need an 8" stack, as the 6" sets wouldn't work with sawstop).
What dado sets do work?

(I will say that I like my delta/dewalt 8" stack better than my 6" freud)

Matt

[Roger Marty]

I don't understand all the praise for the ICS mobile base. I'm sure it's nice and all, but are you all moving around your saws that often? I have a tiny shop and do occasionally move my PCS saw around and the free mobile base works fine for me.

I also use a Freud SD508 dado set. Yeah, it has the shoulders on the blades but the brake should still stop it.

[Doug Dawson]

Agreed, just drop a piece of good plywood in there, good to go. It is expensive, though, as mobile bases go.

Speaking more generally about mobile bases, you have three types. The ICS mobile base is "one foot tap, the whole thing is raised." Then you have the Jet-type mobile bases, where you're using the wheels and it's a situation where you are or are not locking the wheels. Then you have the Bora/Portamate type bases where the wheels lock individually and would settle on "studs" that could accommodate the uneven floor when the rolling capacity is disengaged.

Depends on what you want or need.

Incidentally, Bora has a new adjustable base, the 3550, which is 4-wheel swivel, kind of interesting, I put one under my planer recently, and I like it a lot.

Cutting the (NOT-really-adjustable) ICS mobile base down to support other machines would be, well, when you get down to it, not something you're going to do.

I like steel plate if you're going to bolt something (such as a press etc) down to an intermediary with a larger-footprint mobile base. It's easy to work with, and I don't like surprises.

Doug

[Nick Decker]

"Incidentally, Bora has a new adjustable base, the 3550, which is 4-wheel swivel, kind of interesting, I put one under my planer recently, and I like it a lot."

I hadn't seen that one. The drawback, as I see it, is having to walk all around the machine to enage 4 levers, six if you have an extension on your saw. No thanks.

[Steve Mathews]

Apparently SawStop has a tight rein on pricing and shipping costs. The free shipping offered by Acme Tools mentioned in an earlier post does not include the handling charge of the same amount as shipping. It also seems that dealers can't even sell floor models at reduced prices except under strict rules. So much for competition with anything having to do with SawStop.

[Nick Decker]

Really not that unusual, Steve. Any number of other brands do the same. Festool, anyone?

[Steve Mathews]

Really not that unusual, Steve. Any number of other brands do the same. Festool, anyone?
Yes. After purchasing a fair amount of Lie Nielsen products I'm familiar with the practice but even they don't dictate how sellers handle shipping costs. SawStop apparently requires a flat rate of $250 shipping for the PCS and #350 for the ICS. Ugly setup IMO.

[Nick Decker]

Your posts make it sound like you're trying to talk yourself out of buying one. If so, no problem.

[Steve Mathews]

Your posts make it sound like you're trying to talk yourself out of buying one. If so, no problem.
Not at all. I'll probably buy an ICS within a few days but will be kickin' and screamin' all the way to the order button. I was content with my Jet cabinet saw until my wife caught word of the SawStop safety feature. I don't need the upgraded ICS but I wasn't impressed with the PCS and thought it as a step down from the Jet.

[Doug Dawson]

"Incidentally, Bora has a new adjustable base, the 3550, which is 4-wheel swivel, kind of interesting, I put one under my planer recently, and I like it a lot."

I hadn't seen that one. The drawback, as I see it, is having to walk all around the machine to enage 4 levers, six if you have an extension on your saw. No thanks.

You have to do that with all of the aftermarket 4-wheel bases that I know of.

The ICS base has screws that seem intended to prevent tipping of the saw when the saw is lifted by the base alone, as you do. You wouldn't need more than 4 wheels, and the same would apply for any other cabinet saw on a mobile base, or you should try to set it up that way. With the Sawstops, the extension table stuff is supported by the rails when the base lifts. The center of gravity is still usually over the the base, even without the "anti-tip screws", unless you're going to carry around weird objects (such as children?) on the extension table when the saw is moved.

Doug

[Simon MacGowen]

but I wasn't impressed with the PCS and thought it as a step down from the Jet.

A step down? In what aspects?

As far as I know (even well before I owned a PCS), no one who has switched to a PCS from Jet or Powermatic has not been happier or felt after the switch that the PCS was a step down. A fully featured PCS (with the upgrades, that is) is nowhere weaker than an ICS except in the power (5HP or 7HP) based on my experience with both versions, dating back when SS came to the market.

Simon

[Larry Frank]

I sold my Jet Xacta for Sawstop PCS and was really happy. Interesting thread and sounds like someone doesn't want a Sawstop. If you are kicking and screaming about it, do not buy it. Based on the comments, you will be unhappy with it.