how common are table saw accidents

[Matt Day]

Gotcha, sounds reasonable then. Looking at fancy planes is a sure way to lighten your wallet btw.

[johnny means]

How much would it cost you to insure any future income against a tablesaw injury? To insure any future employees? SawStops are pretty much the cheapest insurance a woodshop can buy. This is why they're quickly becoming standard equipment.

[Jon Fletcher]

When I'm using any power tool (especially something like a tablesaw) nothing gets forced. If I feel any resistance I stop immediately and power down to remedy the problem. I have the micro jig pushblocks and splitters on my saw. Didn't have a splitter or guard when I bought it used. I hope your SS gives you what you need. Remember, even with airbags there's still fatalities.

[michael dilday]

From NIH: Results. Over 30,000 table saw injuries occur annually. Fingers and hands are the most frequently injured body part and lacerations are the most common injury. ... Medical costs for the treatment of table saw injuries are estimated at more than $2 billion every year.

https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC4154236/

[Mike Henderson]

W Remember, even with airbags there's still fatalities.

Yes, but airbags save people in accidents that would have killed them before airbags were available in cars. Seat Belts have also saved a lot of lives. And I expect SawStop has saved a lot of fingers. I think Sawstop has some statistics on saves.

Mike

[Joel Gelman]

I have the micro jig pushblocks and splitters on my saw.

I had a Delta Unisaw that I sold 18 years ago to get a slider. Now, I never stand behind the blade or use the rip fence for cutting, but I remember how impressive the kickback was one day on the Delta. I was very happy my eye or any other part of my body was in the path of that projectile. I had a splitter. However, if I remember correctly, the splitter on that saw (and perhaps others like it) did not rise and conform to the blade. When the blade was not all that high, there was a gap between the blade and the splitter which can lead to a kickback even though you may think you are protected. It has been awhile. Anyhow, my current saw has a splitter that always is super close to the blade regardless of the blade height

[Warren Wilson]

I hardly want to fire up a Sawstop debate, but I bought the contractor model a few years ago and am very pleased with the general quality of the machine and don’t feel that my money was mostly spent on the brake cartridge but that I bought a piece of precision equipment that had an additional safety feature.

[Thomas McCurnin]

I have never had a table saw injury for like 50+ years. Nary a cut. I’ve had a couple knarly kickbacks but they were 100% my fault and I knew the cut I was about to make was iffy.

I apprenticed building bridges and commercial projects ripping and cross cutting on radial arm saws, really big 16” DeWalts and Comets. I was taught to examine the cut and visualize where the saw blade would be in relation to my hand before making the cut. If you couldn’t keep your hand 4-6” from the blade, then you were to use a push stick or another tool to make the cut. We used Disston rip saws for this purpose and a rough cut Disston could whip through a sheet of ply or do a bevel cut on a 2x4 very quickly and is super safe.

We also fabricated complicated hold downs, auxiliary fences and other jigs for safety. This was a union shop and we had a steward who made safety is number one priority. Being in the building trades, we had some drunks, and yes they got hurt, but they were quickly fired. Safety and quality were our watch words.

We were also taught to do important cuts in the morning or right after lunch and not at 5:45. If your mind is not on the cut, then back off and do it some other time.

Today, I’ll do practice cuts with the blade retracted and use hold downs, auxiliary fences, and push sticks. It might take me 10 minutes to set up and rehearse for a dangerous cut. I still have my Disstons and keep them sharp and use them. Hand tools are your friend.

I am scared to death of most power tools.

Go ahead and call me a wimp. I have all 10 fingers.

Nothing wrong with a saw stop but if you expect to be able to be sloppy (or exercise bad technique) and have it save you, then it won’t. People cause injuries not saws. I see no need for a saw stop.

[Ole Anderson]

A TS is good for ripping long wood or sheet goods. If you are doing anything with small wood or square pieces, use a sled or a Miter gauge, don't ever try to rip a small piece or kickback will be the likely result. I learned my lesson.

[John Sincerbeaux]

If you all only knew how much safer a sliding table saw is compared to the type of saws you’re talking about here.
With clamps or a F&F jig your body and hands are NEVER anywhere near the blade.

[ChrisA Edwards]

If you all only knew how much safer a sliding table saw is compared to the type of saws you’re talking about here.
With clamps or a F&F jig your body and hands are NEVER anywhere near the blade.

True, but for the majority of us hobby users, you have to spend almost double for that luxury and then you are getting a small capacity slider that doesn't have much benefit over using a normal tablesaw with a cross cut sled.

I would love a slider, just can't justify the price and space required, so I'll just have to get by with my Sawstop.

[Brandon Speaks]

I lost half my thumb just short of 2 weeks ago (not on a table saw or even doing anything wood working related) and I can tell you that it is an incredibly expensive and painful experience. Two weeks out and my left hand is useless for all practical purposes and I am still having to spend a few hours a day lying down while my hand is elevated and iced. I generally have to keep it elevated in a sling or arm rest for significant portions of the day though it is getting less and less daily. Even with my corporate desk job I lost a solid week of work and am nowhere near full productivity yet after a week back at the office. Any physical activity that elevates the heart rate tends to increase swelling and doing much of anything with that hand can make the hand painful for hours. I expect much of this to get significantly better over the next two weeks but the surgeon said its really not fully healed for 6 months or even longer for most people. I am doing PT on the middle joint and when I push it can get 50% range of motion though I expect if I keep doing this as much as they tell me to much of the range of motion will come back. In addition to this there will be some loss of functionality for life, they reconstructed enough of mine that I dont expect it to be too severe but another 1/4 of an inch the other direction and it would be little more than a useless nub left as the middle joint would not have been saved. Oh yea and while I dont have final medical bills yet I am expecting the part not covered by insurance to cross the $10k mark easily if not hit my annual may out of pocket of $15.5k.

My injury was in no way related to wood working but it gives you an idea of what happens if an accident in or out of the shop costs you a finger. I have toyed with the idea of a new table saw for a long time. When I set one it will be a SS.

[Stephen White]

bummer, sorry about your thumb. Yeah a SS seems like a no brainier. If I were you I wouldn't go back into your shop until you have one.

I think some folks are more pissed than anything that their perfectly good/great table saw doesn't have the blade brake and no matter how you argue the point that is an ultimate safety feature that might save a finger, hand or even your life.

Eventually the patent maneuvers will pan out and then everyone else will have something similar on their saws. Someone might even come up with a decent retrofit for the existing saws. Until then it is just what it is. It is a shame for both those that have to get rid of good saws and folks like me that need everything. That extra grand could have been a good band saw.

Oh well glad I did the research. Still plan on being just as safe as I can be with the SS and all my other tools.

[Jon Fletcher]

Yes, but airbags save people in accidents that would have killed them before airbags were available in cars. Seat Belts have also saved a lot of lives. And I expect SawStop has saved a lot of fingers. I think Sawstop has some statistics on saves.

Mike

Agreed. Basically I was just trying to point out that safety features shouldn't replace commonsense.

[Bruce Mack]

I also use the TS3650. Like Rob I use the splitter and guards, etc. There are times when concerned about safety I find an alternative method. Though I no longer cut and size a lot of lumber I still wish I had a SawStop.
"Neither of us has a lot of experience and I am feeling protective of both our fingers and hands". Get the SawStop.