Todays USA today TS article

[Bob Rossi]

Wonder how many shares of SS Inez Tenenbaum owns.

[Van Huskey]

I personally don't want anything with "flesh eating" technology!

anon

I have a shop full of them, but I don't want machines where they have worked on perfecting the technique.

[Van Huskey]

Wonder how many shares of SS Inez Tenenbaum owns.

SS is privately held no? Even if it wasn't I would guess any stock she owns is in a blind trust, almost have to be in her position.

[mreza Salav]

I've wondered the same thing, frankly. Especially after watching the "live finger" demonstration - he slowly slid his finger closer and closer to the blade... Granted, that's more than I would try, but it seems he's playing a dangerous game. What's he going to do if someone loses a finger on a sawstop? That could be a heck of a verdict.

- Damion

I have seen a demo video (though cannot locate it now) that they "slash" a hot dog at running blade. Although the damage was more than a tiny nick still it looked like a very minor injury to the hot dog.

Also, I think (again have to go back and dig out the references) that it was argued that if this technology was implemented in all saws, the average cost added to a saw was about $150 or so.
I wonder how many people would have been willing to pay that extra $150 for this feature.

[Steven Hsieh]

On SawStop website, you see these picture of fingers of being saved. I wonder if all these people did it in purpose to see if the saw works?

http://www.sawstop.com/finger_saves.php

[John Sanford]

It's going to be a long time before any mandatory regulations are passed, implemented, and enforced. It's an interesting discussion for folks who like to think about public safety and policy, but most of us probably won't be affected by this drastically during our lifetimes. The first places that would actually see/feel the effects would be schools and production environments (where the saws are purchased and provided by employers or other large entities).

Enjoy your saw and keep making sawdust, regardless of which saw you have.

I believe all of the public schools here (one of the largest school districts in the country), as well as many of the large resorts (they have fully equipped shops for the maintenance guys) here have switched over to SawStops. A wise thing to do. I am going to switch myself as resources are available. It is not, however, a "public safety" issue. Brakes on a truck that don't fail, or engines on airplanes that don't fall off, those can be rightly considered "public safety" issues because a failure/mishap directly affects people other than the users of the equipment, when the truck careens through the minivan, or the airplane falls on a nursing home. The miscasting of this as a "public safety" issue is one of the methods of justifying the removal of the woodworker's choice.

Compare the price differential of the SawStop CS vs other CS, the PCS vs other Cabinet saws, etc, and it looks to be around $600-800. That's 3-6 times the cost of the low end tablesaws that are "villians" in most of the injuries. I expect that the consumer market won't bear such cost.

As for Gass, I think he should a) be applauded for envisioning the technology, developing it and bringing it to market, and b) I think he should be thrashed within an foot of his life for trying to get it mandated. Personally, if I were "Imperator Americus Ironica", I would decree that the technology is mandated, and decree the patents null and void, placing the tech in the public domain, in the interest of public safety. That'll teach Gass! I'm not the Imperator though, much less an ironic one, so I'll simply kvetch from the sidelines, buy my SawStop, and oppose, if only online, those who want to mandate it.

As for how Gass is unscrupulous, my guess is that Tony is referring what he sees as the hypocrisy of Gass using the patent system (and hence government force) to protect his intellectual/private property rights, and then turning around and attempting to use the regulatory system (again, government force) to eliminate all competition based on "collective cost." By some lights, this is unscrupulous behavior. It may very well be profitable for Gass, but profit and scruples have been known to part company from time to time.

btw, last time I checked, a patent is good for 25 years, and unlike copywrite, patents are non-renewable.

[Jeremy Greiner]

I'm sure if Gass released his patents the other saw manufacturers would jump on adding this technology. He claims to be high and mighty wanting to protect everyone but he just wants to use the government to force the other saw manufacturers to license his patent from him.

I have no problem with someone getting rich on their idea, even a great idea such as this one.

If the government mandates this change, it should also invalidate his pattent that is really the only way to be fair to the other manufacturers.


-jeremy

[Joe Angrisani]

Timothy wrote: "THe website says that it only takes 5 minutes to replace the $69 single use brake and blade. That's a chunk of change if the thing keeps going off half-cocked."

::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::

The brake parts only are $69, right? As I understand it, your sawblade also gets wasted in the process as the aluminum "web" brings it to a weld-like halt. I wonder if SawStop pays for your blade AND brake when a stop fires falsely repeatedly.

Me? I vote for common sense in my hobby room. ALL my machines get my respect.

[Bob Falk]

I had the same question. The guy invents a safer product, tries to collaborate with existing saw manufacturers (who blow him off), and so he produces his own proprietary saw, does well (while reducing injuries to users), and now everyone seems to want to dis the guy. I would say that he is a entrepreneur that many could take a lesson from. Unscrupulous.....sheeze.....

In what way is he "unscupulous" ?

y

[hank dekeyser]

If it becomes government mandated, I think it would be an absolute outrage. Then again, look at all the "safety features" on automobiles that are mandated. It will come to fruit and theres nothing that can stop it (short of a revolution) I have cut 2 fingers in a saw, one in a router and shot myself 3 times w/ nail guns. I still have the full use of all my digits(AMen) and I know very well its my own dang fault for being sloppy, or careless, or whatever. (young and dumb) I'll keep my old saws and thats that. What next, a saftey cage for jointers. How they gonna implement this technology on a bandsaw ? It is an absolutely amazing piece of technology and it has it's place. I say let the people decide if they want a sawstop or not. Not only that, you'll need to have a spare brake on-hand at all times just in case ?!
my 2 cents

[Damion Bevacqua]

I saw a demo at my local woodcraft where we were all wondering the same thing. What if you fell into the blade. So he swung the hotdog like a bat at the blade. It barely broke the skin of the hotdog.

~Todd

Interesting... That has been bugging me!

[Craig D Peltier]

My opinion is simple. Dont care who made it, good for him. I like having the oppurtunity to buy one though.Its pricey but its also nice to not have one less finger or two. Wood pinches or lifts pretty easily if you dont have antikickback paws on it which could cause a finger loss. Not just the stupidity of not paying attention.

[mreza Salav]

How they gonna implement this technology on a bandsaw ?
my 2 cents

Well, they have that too; this video was on their website for a while but I couldn't find it there now; it's a prototype:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=W3PLwNccpXU

[Caleb Larru]

I hate sawstop for all the frivolous lawsuits that have came out since the technology was released. Somewhere along the way, people stopped being held accountable for their actions and society shifted that blame onto others. Anyone using power tools knows that there is a risk involved with unsafe behavior. Using their logic, I should be able to sue GM, Ford, or any other car maker for rear ending someone or running a red light and t boning someone because my car doesn't have "smart stop" technology like Mercedes does. Idiotic reasoning.

I can't wait until sawstop has a failure and someone loses a finger or hand because they get complacent with the saw. After all, if it is electronic, there will be a failure. Simple as that.

[Brad Gobble]

I'm sure if Gass released his patents the other saw manufacturers would jump on adding this technology. He claims to be high and mighty wanting to protect everyone but he just wants to use the government to force the other saw manufacturers to license his patent from him.

I have no problem with someone getting rich on their idea, even a great idea such as this one.

If the government mandates this change, it should also invalidate his pattent that is really the only way to be fair to the other manufacturers.


-jeremy

AGreed. I own one, Love it, and yes I have tripped it ... worked like a charm. Didn't ruin my blade, got the teeth fixed for under $40 (a $125 Matsushita).

HOWEVER, I believe that Gass is insisting on an unusually high percentage per saw (royalty?) and he's got patents out the wazoo. The industry is, predictably, acting just as childish by refusing to license it anywhere ... wonder who's going to be first to crack? Laguna? a Festool mega table saw made of plastic and titanium? I believe in profit (I work for a mega-corp) but cripes man make it accessible.

What is funny is that I am even more careful now NOT because i fear the blade but I'm so cheap that i know that if I even slightly touch the blade it'll cost me at least $100! Go figger ... LIke Hank I've cut / shot / sliced / smashed myself more times than I can count ...