Watch as Rick Peil from ToolKing.com gives a complete demonstration of the SawStop…
Visit ToolKing.com for more information on SawStop cabinet saws
Archive for April, 2008
We know that the SawStop has an awesome safety feature that stops the blade if it detects flesh, but how does that safety feature actually work?
The key factor in the SawStop’s detection system is an electrical signal that the saw puts through your metal blade. The SawStop watches this signal like a hyper-caffeinated hawk, looking for any changes. Because the human body is conductive and can hold an electrical charge, the electrical signal easily passes to the SawStop’s operator if his or her flesh contacts the blade. This produces a change in the signal, and the SawStop reacts immediately.
In the brake cartridge is a block of aluminum (known as a brake pawl) on top of a spring, and the spring is constrained by a fuse wire. The SawStop burns the fuse wire with a burst of electricity to release the spring, which then forces the brake pawl into the teeth of the blade. As the blade digs its teeth into the brake pawl, its own momentum causes it to retract beneath the surface of the table and the power to the motor is shut off. All of this happens in a very tiny fraction of a second with the slightest contact, as you can see in demonstration videos.
The SawStop detection system’s dependence on its electrical signal is the reason that it is important to use conductive metal blades without coated tips. If the signal cannot get to your flesh, the SawStop can’t detect you and therefore can’t activate the brake cartridge. Additionally, because it is using an electrical signal that relies on conductivity to determine that it has contacted flesh, the SawStop will also trigger if you attempt to cut conductive materials like aluminum. Materials like plastics, laminates and wood are non-conductive and should not trigger the brake, but if you believe that something you want to cut may cause a false activation, it is a good idea to temporarily override the safety features, do some cutting and then consult the lights on the saw to determine if the brake would have fired.
So that’s how the SawStop safety feature works! After you watch some videos of the SawStop in action (look here and here), I think you will agree that it is a tremendous feat of engineering.
Check out this amazing SawStop video demonstrating how the table saw blade stops in less than 1/200 of a second once it detects any body contact (or as SawStop likes to use in their demos, contact with a hot dog). Click “read more” for an inside look at the saw that’s making a huge splash in the tool world.
With such a massive shock like that, it’s no surprise that the braking mechanism has to be replaced whenever a safety stop takes place. The saw blade will more than likely also require replacement as well. While these replacement parts might end up costing you a few hundred dollars, at least you’ll still have your fingers!
We think it makes the most sense to think of the SawStop’s safety features like you think of a car airbag: hopefully it will never have to be used, but if it does, you’ll be glad that you did have it!
With such an amazing safety feature like this, it is beginning to make sense not to purchase a table saw without it. To get more information on a SawStop cabinet saw, visit ToolKing.com.
Back in July, Toologics.com published one of the first photos of the new SawStop contractor saw. This new saw has the same flesh-sensing technology as it’s big brother, the famous SawStop cabinet saw, but in a much smaller and more portable package.
SawStop has released some information about the new model on their official website:
SawStop is now finalizing its newly designed contractor saw. It will be the best contractor saw made, with a massive 62 mm main bearing, heavy-duty arbor shaft, cast iron trunnions and arbor block, solid cast iron table with removable extension wings, dust-collecting blade shroud, and a 1½ horsepower motor — and of course SawStop’s revolutionary contact detection and brake system.
All those nice cast iron parts come with a price: with a shipping weight of nearly 280 lbs, the new 10″ Contractor Saw is less than half the weight of the original SawStop cabinet saw, but is still pretty darn heavy. It’s not nearly as portable as, say a DeWalt DW745 table saw (approx 50lbs), but it’s still easier to move around than the original.
Sounds like this could be an awesome saw. Back at AWFS, a rep indicated that they were hoping to sell these with a price around $1500, which would definitely make it one of the most (or most) expensive 10″ 1.5hp contractor saws available. However, the safety technology is definitely worth the premium. As soon as these are available, it’s almost a liability not to have one.
The new SawStop contractor saw should be available by the summer. In the meantime, you can get more information about SawStop cabinet saws at ToolKing.com
In regard to the SawStop cabinet saw, the biggest question people have is about the quality of the saw. By now, SawStop is well-known for its cutting-edge (no pun intended) safety features, but just as a saw, how does it compare to to a Delta Unisaw or Powermatic saw?
We posed this question to Rick Peil, the resident tool expert over at ToolKing.com and here was his response:
There are several great “Cabinet Grade Table Saws” on the market. I’m assuming when you mention the Delta Unisaw, you are interested in replacing your “Contractor’s table saw” with a Cabinet Grade Table Saw. Typically, most Contractor’s Table Saws are 1.5 HP, 115 Volt and most Cabinet Grade Table Saws are 3 HP, 230V and above. Most of the Contractor’s Table Saws weigh approximately 240 pounds with most Cabinet Grade Saws weighing in approximately 600 pounds. You will certainly not want to be moving the Cabinet Grade Table Saw much.
Firstly, the Delta Unisaw and the Powermatic 66 are probably the most recognized and widely used cabinet grade table saws on the market with the SawStop gaining ground really fast. Additionally, the newer Powermatic PM2000 series table saw seems to be taking the greatest market share for Powermatic over the 66. nother point to consider: the Delta Unisaw and the Powermatic 66 are both made in the USA and the SawStop is manufactured in Taiwan.
As far as pricing is concerned, the Saw Stop is going to be the most expensive table saw with the Delta Unisaw being the least expensive in this grouping. Pricing on these table saws is relative with the SawStop being the only table saw having the safety system on board.
Is the Saw Stop table saw worth it? In my opinion, yes, the Saw Stop is an extremely well engineered/built table saw and I would even consider a SawStop table saw if it didn’t have the safety system on board. Accidents do occur and the SawStop will give you the added security of the safety system. Think of it like you would a car airbag: hopefully you’ll never need it, but if you do, you’ll be very glad you have it. If you don’t buy a SawStop and down the road you injure yourself on whatever you did buy, you will probably regret not purchasing the SawStop in the first place. You should always practice safety on any piece of equipment and the added security of the Saw Stop table saw is well worth the investment.
Keep in mind, however, you can bypass the safety system on the SawStop and it will operate as a normal table saw. In other words, you can get an injury from the saw should you come in contact with the spinning blade.
The Delta Unisaw and the Powermatic 66 or PM2000 table saws are also excellent choices. I personally own a Delta 1960’s vintage Unisaw and have been very pleased with its performance and durability. You will also find the Powermatic series of table saws (66 or PM2000) great on performance and durability.
Where can you get the best deal? ToolKing.com of course! Yes, I guess I’m a little biased-I am the Industrial Sales Manager for ToolKing.com afterall However, I’m really interested in making sure we get you into the correct saw that best fit your specific needs. Please feel free to cruise our website and if you have any specific questions, please feel free to call me directly by phone at 1-800-696-8665, ext. 202.
PS - Due to territorial restrictions, Tool King can only sell SawStop table saws to customers located in Colorado.
Finally we have the ICS73480, which is the top-of-the-line SawStop model and comes with a 7.5 horsepower triple phase 480V motor.
Here’s a fantastic feature of SawStop saws: if you’re worried that the materials that you want to cut may cause the safety mechanism in the SawStop to fire needlessly (wasting a brake cartridge), you can manually override it so that it will not fire. Even in this bypass mode, the SawStop will continue to monitor the blade and it will turn on an indicator light if you cut through something that would have caused the safety feature to fire. This makes it easy to determine what will and will not trigger the safety feature in the SawStop so that you can avoid setting it off needlessly.
You can find more details on the SawStop ICS73480 and the rest of the SawStop models over at ToolKing.com.
