Sawstop Contractor Saw

[Jay Knoll]

Hi everyone

Did anyone who attended IWF show in Atlanta last month see the contractor saw that SawStop is showing on their website? Any impressions/details/price? I don't have the space for the cabinet saw in my garage er shop but I am intrigued by the safety features.

Jay

[Larry James]

Jay, check this thread: http://sawmillcreek.org/showthread.php?t=42721.

Read this article: http://www.designnews.com/CA6360672.html.

I am not associated with ShopSaw and have no interest in owning one. It appears some owners have problems. After reading the article from Design News, I have serious questions about how safe this saw is. This is my opinion so take it for what it is worth.

Larry

[Jay Knoll]

Larry, thanks for the opinion/ information.

[Julio Navarro]

I asked the people at SS about that contractor saw and they said that it would be around $1000 price range and might come out late this year.

I am very intersted in it.

[Alan DuBoff]

I don't have the space for the cabinet saw in my garage er shop but I am intrigued by the safety features.Jay, space is not a very good reason to steer yourself towards a contractor's saw. They occupy almost the same amount of space, and in some cases more, than a cabinet style saw.

I have no comments on the SawStop other than I was able to see one of the cabinet saws locallly and thought it was well built. I ended up buying a vintage table saw that was built around 1944.

[Jay Knoll]

Julio

Thanks for the information. I've looked over the website and the prototype looks good! I've just got a little Dewalt benchtop and my fingers itch everytime I use it. Anything to keep them attached.

Don't want to start a big flame war here, but working safe still doesn't guarantee that you won't have an accident.

Hopefuly this product will catch on -- I'm not a big fan of the "nanny state" and so I can understand the feelings of some people who think that we shouldn't be "forced into" something -- but then again I am old enough to remember when seatbelts were a novelty in cars, to say nothing about airbags!

Sure would like to hear from someone who has seen the contractor saw.............was it at the show in Atlanta?

Jay

[Cliff Rohrabacher]

I asked the people at SS about that contractor saw and they said that it would be around $1000 price range and might come out late this year.

I am very intersted in it.

A Grand?? A lousy Grand?? That has to be a mistake.

[Julio Navarro]

A Grand?? A lousy Grand?? That has to be a mistake.

Cliff, I'll post the email verbatim when I get home, I dont have it a work.

[Julio Navarro]

They occupy almost the same amount of space, and in some cases more, than a cabinet style saw.


Very true Alan.

Heres how much space mine occupies...:eek:

basically the size of my dining room table:D

46845

But then again its where I dovetail and store a bunch of c#@p

[Geoff Barry]

Larry,

I notice that you've posted the design news link about the SawStop in two threads today -- you might want to take note of:

http://www.sawmillcreek.org/showthread.php?t=41230

(I am assuming you just found the link, and are not just posting in every sawstop thread because the inventor ran over your dog or somesuch thing ;) )

[Ian Barley]

...I am not associated with ShopSaw and have no interest in owning one. It appears some owners have problems. After reading the article from Design News, I have serious questions about how safe this saw is. This is my opinion so take it for what it is worth.

Larry

Larry

I am not trying to be inflammatory but I have read the article several times and cannot see any reference to anybody having a problem with a Sawstop. I can see that in the thread there was a problem with an "error" arising with the sensor which appears to have been resolved but I cannot see that really counting as a false positive or a malfunction of the sensing mechanism causing anybody to be at risk.

If I am missing something in the article can you let me know which section shows people having a problem?

I know and understand why the methods adopted by Sawstop LLC have caused some peple concern and don't think we need to cover those again as they have been beat pretty much to death.

[Mark Rios]

Larry..................I know and understand why the methods adopted by Sawstop LLC have caused some peple concern and don't think we need to cover those again as they have been beat pretty much to death..............with a dump truck.
:D

[Jay Knoll]

Hi everyone

Well, Sawstop replied to my email after I started this thread, thought you might be interested in their reply to my question about price and humidity affecting the saw's performance.

Here is a copy of my email and their reply

Dear Jay,

Thanks for your interest in the Contractor saw.

We don't have a set release date for the Contractor saw, but I would think it will be towards the end of the year. We have also not set pricing, but we know it will be in the ballpark of $1000. That price will include a standard 30" aluminum fence, but we have not yet set pricing for any accessories/upgrades.

Cutting damp wood should not be a problem. If the wood is soaking wet, this may set off the safety system. Generally, cutting green wood has not been an issue, and pressure treated wood was ok up to about 45% saturation. If you are unsure, there is a bypass mode you can put the saw into. This would disable the safety system, so extra caution would be called for, but you would be able to cut something you think may set off the cartridge and then you would be able to tell if the material in question would have activated the safety system. Full instructions are in our Owner's Manual.

Please let me know if you have any further questions.

Regards,

Soraya


Soraya Stelle
Customer Service

SawStop, LLC.
25977 SW Canyon Creek Road, Suite G
Wilsonville, OR 97070

Tel: 503-570-3200
Fax: 503-570-3303

www.sawstop.com





--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
From: JAYKNOLL@aol.com [mailto:JAYKNOLL@aol.com]
Sent: Tuesday, September 12, 2006 12:02 PM
To: Soraya Stelle
Subject: (no subject)


Hi

I am eagerly awaiting more information on the contractor's version of the sawstop! Do you have any indication of a price point (plus or minus $100 would be fine at this point for my deliberations)

I have a question, my "shop" is my garage. I live in Florida on a barrier island. Obviously humidity runs rampant and there isn't any way I can effectively run a dehumidifier. Opening the garage door is my cooling system. So, will high humidity cause problems with the sawstop system?

Thanks in advance

Jay Knoll

[John Leslie]

I own and use the Sawstop. Pricey as everyone points out but the quality is top notch. I have cut damp pressure treated wood without problems. I don't have a moisture meter can so cannot give you exact numbers. If you can get over the sticker shock you will not be unhappy with the saw.

[Jake Helmboldt]

If the brake doesn't work then it is simply the same as any other saw. Cutting off may be a nuisance, but I don't see where it becomes a major safety issue.

I saw one today for the first time in person. Holy beefy saw Batman. The price is steep, but the quality appears top-notch. The guy at Woodcraft said he has never seen such a big trunnion. The fit finish and feel are like nothing else. The fence weighs a ton but is silky smooth and glides along. I wish I had the money for one.

JH

[Tim Morton]

If the brake doesn't work then it is simply the same as any other saw. Cutting off may be a nuisance, but I don't see where it becomes a major safety issue.


JH

I think the issue is that to "reset" the saw after a "brake" IS NOT CHEAP. But I may be wrong.

[Brad Olson]

$60 not cheap?

I don't know, $60 to me is pretty cheap since a night out to dinner with the Mrs. usually runs about $100+

Yeah and you have to replace the blade too, but I get really nice blades from Leitz for less than $40 a piece, so for less than a night out that only may happen on one or two really rare occasions, I'd take that over $30,000 in medical bills for a cut off finger.

Oh BTW, Sawstop does have a test mode where you can put your piece of wood against the blade and it will tell you if it this material will trigger the blade or not. And get this, you do this without the blade spinning so there is really not excuse for "accidentially" triggering the brake, without flesh contact.

[Richard Blaine]

Heres how much space mine occupies...:eek:

basically the size of my dining room table:D

46845


Julio,

Do you have other photos of that work station. It looks like a nice design.

[Cliff Rohrabacher]

Cliff, I'll post the email verbatim when I get home, I dont have it a work.
If its a mere Grand - - - AND
The guts is as hefty and the cabinet saw you should get two of 'em and be doubly safe.

Hell get three: use one as a Dado Station, the other as your blade saw and one as an angled blade.

Hell get four that way you can have a dado, a verticle blade and the other two can be set to the most sommon angles, If you get a fifth you can have two verticle blades one for rippping and the other as the crosscut.

Yah get five Sawstops.

Seriously if it's a lousy grand and the guts is as hefty as the cabinet saw you really ought to take it seriously, a grand is cheap with or without the automatic brake..

[Julio Navarro]

Julio,

Do you have other photos of that work station. It looks like a nice design.

Richard, I am almost finished completing that peice. I still need a few doors and shelves.

But, yes, I have some more, they arent very clear but I will try and take some more picks this weekend mayb post a thread.

I think it is very usable. I have the DT jig permanently attached to the end of the top and I have a movable cabinet under the top to store the DT accessories and router. I use this movable cabinet as a supplimental table saw top by moving it around to the side with the saw.

I'll see about getting more pics.

[Jay Knoll]

I assume that everyone has looked at the Sawstop web site with the contractor saw information, but in case you haven't here's a link

http://www.sawstop.com/products-contractor-saw.htm