An instructor of Building Construction Technology at Austin Community College has put together a very in-depth video that shows how kickback occurs on a table saw as well as how to avoid it. The video has some great footage of a kickback that demonstrates how dangerous it can be. Here it is:
As you can see, coming into contact with the blade is not the only hazard of a table saw. Most kickbacks can be avoided by knowing how to properly operate a table saw, but some can occur despite your best efforts to prevent them. This is why it is a good idea to use a splitter or a riving knife like the one that is featured on the SawStop.
SawStops are more expensive than other table saws, but the cost of a SawStop is a pittance compared to the cost of a table saw injury–not just financially, but also emotionally and physically. To get an idea of how big the financial impact of a table saw injury can be, head over to this page on SawStop.com, where you can find some examples of employee and student injuries that cost their employers or schools tens of thousands of dollars.
Of particular interest on the page is a short chart of table saw injury cases that occurred in California schools, all of which resulted in lawsuits. Every one of the cases listed resulted in costs over $50,000 to the schools.
On top of these huge costs is the emotional and physical impact that a bad table saw injury has on the victim. Many table saw injuries require emergency surgery followed by weeks of physical therapy, and at the end of the process, victims may not even have the full use of their appendages back; they have to endure the results of their injuries for the rest of their lives.
So while a SawStop is initially more expensive than standard table saws, all it takes is one “finger save” for it to pay for itself many times over.
If you are going to buy a SawStop, it is important to keep a spare cartridge or two around in case of an accident so that you can continue to use the saw with its safety features intact and without waiting on the mailman to bring you a new brake. These extra cartridges tend to cost somewhere between $70 and $100, depending on where you buy them. For example, ToolKing.com currently has SawStop brake cartridges for $89.00.
But you must also consider that the brake might damage your blade, requiring a blade replacement as well. Factoring in the price of a new blade on top of another cartridge, you may be out ~$200ish if your SawStop brake triggers. That might sound like a lot, but consider that surgery to reconstruct an appendage can cost you well in excess of $10,000 and may not even be able to restore a finger or hand to perfect condition. Suddenly $200 to replace some materials doesn’t sound so bad!
Of course, if you experience a false stop that ruins a brake cartridge, you may feel that you’ve wasted all of that money. Luckily, SawStop will evaluate your triggered cartridges and replace them free of charge if they discover that they misfired.
John White over at FineWoodWorking.com has put together a great video overview of the brand new SawStop Contractor Saw. In the video, Mr. White gives you a full tour around the saw from the mobile base to the inner workings, and he even tests both brake cartridges: the one for standard 10″ blades and the one for dado blades. It’s a really thorough video that is definitely worth watching, so go check it out here!
Mr. White has also written a full review of the saw, which you can find here. It’s a great read, so once you’ve watched the video, head over and have a look at it.
The new SawStop Contractor Saw should be available in dealer showrooms starting this month.
Check out all of the SawStop products at ToolKing.com!
