Of the many SawStop reviews I have seen here at SMC, not being strong or long lasting was never mentioned, EVER!
Contributor
Of the many SawStop reviews I have seen here at SMC, not being strong or long lasting was never mentioned, EVER!
Ken
So much to learn, so little time.....
Contributor
I am an amateur wood worker and when I retired, now 22 years ago, got more seriouds about it and bought the Ryobi BT3000. Made many nice things with it and to the best of my memory never had an accident with it. Then 10 years later SawStop came along and despite the fact that it cost me 4 times the price of the BT3000 there was no argument in my mind, I wanted the SawStop and bought the PCS. I have never had the slightest regrets.
Cheers!
Tim
Member
To me it is a no-brainer to go with the SawStop. They are well built and the safety feature is something that you may think you do not need until you end up needing it. I like many know plenty of woodworkers who are missing portions of fingers, many of which now wish they had a SawStop when their accident happened.
Contributor
Another factor to consider, even if overall the sawstop cost you a little more, forgetting the cost of medical attention, just the idea of missing part or all of a finger and everything it might prevent you from doing later in life is worth de-risking at any cost.
Distraction could lead to dismemberment!
Contributor
Timely thread. I'm considering getting a SawStop and retiring my Unisaw.
What is the usual way to go about buying one? - through a vendor like Woodcraft / / Rockler, or directly from a distributor?
I'm in Los Angeles if that affects the answer.
Thanks!
I always give the same response. When looking at saws priced at that tier the Saw Stop was the choice regardless of safety feature. The flesh sensing tech was just a bonus.
"A hen is only an egg's way of making another egg".
– Samuel Butler
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Mark,
There are a bunch of ways to order a SawStop. My recommendation is to give the guys a call at WoodWerks. https://www.thisiswoodworking.com/. They are a mom & pop so giving them the business is better then giving it to the big box stores.
I got my sawstop from them and they were great to work with. It's the first time I ever ordered a machine where I was sent a photo of my pallet / boxes before they were picked up for shipping. It took a few days to get from Ohio to NJ. I suspect a few days longer to get to CA.
Distraction could lead to dismemberment!
Contributor
My suggestion is Eagle tools in Glendale. It’s a well stock woodworking machine store. The guys there are great if you have any problems you’ll be in good hands.Originally Posted by Mark Gibney
http://www.eagle-tools.com/
Aj
Contributor
Just went through this process considering the same two saws. I ended up getting the Sawstop ICS. The safety feature is a huge bonus, but was not the deciding factor for me. My local Woodcraft store had the Sawstop in stock and I could touch and feel it before buying. Plus, they carry all of the accessories for the saw in the store. This is what put it over the top for me.
Contributor
The difference between the SS and Harvey is essentially the protection supplied by the SS. That is not to suggest that they are built to the same standards, as I do not know (both come with glowing reputations), but I imagine that the main reason that 90% of SS buyers get one is the protection it offers.
That said, I have looked carefully at the quality offered by SS, and it is indeed excellent. It shared the top of my list about 5 years ago with the Hammer K3 slider. Both were comparable in build. But I wound up getting the short stroke K3 as it is the better saw in the same price range. This requires a shift in mindset. When the penny dropped how a slider differs from a traditional table saw, and you can come to terms with the insecurity of venturing into new territory, you will not look back. I have nil regrets about getting the K3 over a SS.
Regards from Perth
Derek
Contributor
SawStop is definitely a very nice cabinet saw and likely at the top of quality manufacturing (in addition to the safety thing of course).
I have taken a deep look at Harvey tool in the last few months. While they may not be the heaviest duty machines, I think they are re-inventing a lot on how the machines are made. If you look at SawStop, they are making the traditional table saw the same way everyone else is (i.e. Grizzly, South Bend, Jet, Powermatic). Harvey is looking at each part of the machine and sometimes re-designing the part to make it work better. For example, the SawStop fence is your traditional Beismeyer fence -- nothing wrong with it and it works. But Harvey has done a lot more when re-designing how their own fence works. Take a good look on their product details page for the table saw.
I have seen the same type of new innovations when I took a deep dive on their Harvey Alpha bandsaw.
That being said, if you want to go with a 5HP or 7.5HP machine, you have to go with one of the traditional cabinet saws (SawStop or Powermatic or Grizzly or Jet).
Contributor
I love my PCS with the 3 HP motor. I had a friend buy the Harvey Alpha, about a year ago. So far he is very happy with it. He also got the Bandsaw. I think it came down to avaiablility at the time. You would be happy with either. Dan
Contributor
Did anyone end up buying a Harvey? I'm close... big sale they're having ends tonight at midnight PST I think...
I'm looking at the HW110S-36P $2549... says regular price $3599 but I'm pretty sure I saw it for $2999...either way it's significant.
Happy Holidays!
Contributor
I was looking on the Harvey site at their saw. It looks well thought out and well made. Today I was looking at a Saw Stop just because it was on display at a store, and I wasn’t as impressed with the fit and finish as I was with the Harvey. I once cut the tip of my thumb off with a table saw, but I am not rushing out to buy a saw stop. This thread is going to quickly deteriorate between those that think you HAVE to buy one just because it has a safety feature, and those like me that are looking more for a saw that doesn’t have the complicated brake system. Anyway, even without that, I was really impressed with the Harvey. If I didn’t already have two cabinet saws, I would likely go with Harvey.
Contributor
Get the SawStop: you will thank me when you are not sitting in the emergency room.
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