Originally Posted by
Bryan Hall
To answer a few questions and fill in the blanks:
I did a bunch of tests and measurements to make sure the blade was correctly calibrated. The only thing that was obviously off what the riving knife, it was aligned to the left of the blade, instead of the center/right of the blade like the wanted. The zero clearance plate gives interesting feedback. As the blade is raised and lowered the blade moves left to right. This is part of why accuracy can't be guaranteed. The fence can only be calibrated to a single blade height. It looks like the blade is moving left to right about 1/16th of an inch depending on the height of the blade.
I did send them a bunch of pictures and videos. I got more frustrated when they kept asking for repeat photos and videos from different angles and perspectives. The reason this is frustrating is this: I'm not a fool, and I pointed out a lack of any scientific testing or documentation from the start. I formerly did bridge and dam testing where we used micrometers to test the stresses on steel. When this process with sawstop started I pointed out that they weren't asking for photos or precise measurements, and they told me to not worry about it. When the tests failed, they then wanted more documentation. The test fails again, they want it redone with different photos. The test fails again, they want it done with different tools. The time wasted sitting on hold, repeating tests, uploading photos, writing emails, this is significant. If you want test results that are accurate, start with asking for them in an accurate way. Don't ask the client to repeat the test over and over again with progressively tighter tolerances.
Then, when I'm actually on the phone with a tech and he's asking me to do the table flatness test and give him measurements: I tell him I'm using a .010 (their tolerance) feeler gauge and I can rock the straightedge up and down due to the size of gap. He asks "how big do you think the gap actually is? .012?" I responded that I'll check and get him an exact number. He asks again ".015?" I respond again, just a second I'm going through the feeler gauges. That's when I got yelled at "FINE STOP. JUST STOP I GET IT. STOP THE TEST I'LL GIVE YOU A TABLE." (Diagonally the table is out .019. From left to right it's out .070).
So, SS terminated the test before I could even give the actual numbers. It doesn't add up to me. You want photos of everything, from every angle, multiple times. You want proof of the quality of my measuring tooling. You want proof of how I'm holding the tooling. You want me to replace my measuring tooling with items from home depot. Then, when I've passed through the gauntlet you have a blow up and refuse to get the actual test results?
As far as returning and/or exchanging the tool goes: As best I can tell every new saw is affected by this issue. They have nothing to exchange my saw with. Returning: I haven't asked because I don't have a backup plan. I have a dewalt jobsite saw.... but the idea of building out my work log of 50k in cabinets/builtins on that saw makes me sick.
If the saw still has issues after the repair (not expected) then I think discussing a return is reasonable. I'm not pleased with their CS, but I also want to avoid knee jerk reactions and abandoning all hope. There's a TON of bad manufacturing since COVID hit. I don't want to think this is the new norm, but I am starting to think that's the case.
Maybe it IS an outlier, or a Covid manufacturing issue but a protocol should be in place that qualifies each warranty event...it's not rocket science. With all the great things I've read about Sawstop I would think they'd offer an apology an expedite the parts you need.
Defects are going to happen as perfection is unachievable. However, even if they've sold a million saws, and yours is the first with issues, yelling at a customer is unacceptable.....I'm having trouble getting by that.
I need to buy a new saw, but I'm not running a business. That said, I'm back to considering other options because even as a hobbyist I can't afford to make a $3k mistake. It stinks that you have to go through all this.
Thanks,
Fred
Seasoned professional possessing unremarkable proficiency at innumerable skills.