Saw Stop...Who has one and do you like it

Tristan Howe said:
I remember reading a review that compaired the sawstop to the newest unisaw (imported parts, assembled in the usa)

I think the breakdown on the Unisaw is something like 80% of the saw components are made in the US and it is assembled in the US... I guess it's tough to find some electronics still made in the US :(

I like both the Unisaw and the SawStop. Quality wise they are both right there with the Powermatic from what I can tell. I don't have any of the three though so no first hand experiences to share other then going to demos and whatnot... I think my dream machine at this point is a Felder though... best to keep your hands no where near the blade at all...

-Jim
 
Vindingo said:
EWTHeckman said:
The other night I was ripping some pieces down to 3/4" x 13/16", too small to use the blade guard. Even though I was using intermediate wood pieces and a push stick to keep my fingers away from the blade, I was definitely wishing I had a SawStop. I can relate to Doug Stowe's story, because I found that I gave up a lot of control when using the push stick. (The piece was trying to lift off the table.) Things can happen very quickly, even when you're being careful.

Given Frank's question, and fifo's response, I guess the question really comes down to one question: How much is that single safety feature worth to you?

this is no replacement for a SS, but I was seriously considering this system as some extra insurance with the table saw. 

Tricky Cuts on a Table Saw - Micro Jig GRR-Ripper

I have a set and use them every time I use my table saw, band saw or router table -- very easy to get used to. 
 
RonMiller said:
I've had the industrial version for about 3 years and don't like it - I love it. Great in every way and yes, I've triggered the mechanism a few times.

That statement is very distressing. [scared]  A few times???  [unsure]
 
I see you've made a decision. I'm looking forward to your report on what you think of your new saw.  [wink]
 
PM66 is almost sold..... Where can I order a Sawstop and is normal for a local dealer to charge me shipping tp pick it up at their store??? If that is the case I might as well have it shipped to my house if I have to pay shipping. The dealer is 70 miles away.
Who has ordered one?

Thanks,
Frank
 
I have the 3hp PCS with 36" rails (which I swapped out for the Incra fence system recently). 

Overall, the saw has been fantastic.  I also use GRR-rippers, so between the safety system, blade guard, and GRR-ripper, I feel I'm covered to do all cutting operations as safely as possible. 

Brake changes are easy and fast and hardly add more time to switching from blade to dado stack. 

I also have to say that the dust collection on the cabinet saws is excellent if you have an under-powered dust collection method.  You can actually use a shopvac with very good results - I use a Fein on my SS all the time.  Of course, most folks with a full shop will have a dust collection system, but should you need to use the saw with a vac, the dust shroud does an excellent job of directing particles out of the cabinet via the internal hose.  And of course, you can also collect from the blade guard's dust port.  Again, using a shopvac to collect from the saw is probably not relevant for most folks but I thought I'd mention it.

I have triggered my SS brake when I wasn't paying attention and the telescoping end of my miter gauge popped out behind the auxiliary fence...whammo.  I now have a souvenier brake.  As an aside, should you have a brake trigger and are using an expensive blade (e.g. Forrest), don't bother sending it in for repair.  It will cost almost as much as a new one when you factor in shipping and may not come back perfect either.

Sawstop customer service is also excellent.  I had an issue with my saw and it was resolved in 48 hours with the part overnighted to me. 

Overall, it is a tremendous machine and while I don't think the contractor model is a good value at all, the professional and industrial lines are top-notch in terms of fit and finish and worth their price even without the safety feature.
 
Sawstop has a promo going now, free mobility kit or free overhead dust collection kit.  If you're going to spend $3000 get the SawStop.  If you're determined to spend $3000 on a cabinet saw the Sawstop must be the way to go right now.  Better safety and better dust collection plus the promo.

You want input?  Well, here's something to think about.  Grizzly has slider for $3000 - Grizzly Slider  

You may not have room for a slider but I found this pretty interesting.  I've had good luck with my 3hp G0691 despite the fact that it was crazy cheap, $1275 delivered inside my garage.  Good quick change riving knife/blade guard, don't have to remove the throat plate.  If I was going to spend $3000 I would give this slider a try.

 
Found the Sawstop Professional Saw in stock in VT...2 1/2 hours away.....

Headed to Spooners in Montpelier VT to get my new SAWSTOP on Monday...Sounds like a great store anybody been there?

Thanks,
Frank
 
Apparently NBC makes it mandatory that one Sawstop saw be available for use in our carp shop. After setting it up the saw was immediately down as someone tried ripping reflective laminate on it nice saws, I just find they're down more than they're in use in our shops.
 
I have a PM66. While the safety features are intriguing and I would certainly appreciate better DC, I just can't get past SS's morality.

While I have no personal experience with SS's products, I took a class a couple of years ago led by the production manager for a large CNC boat company. They had replaced an older saw with an SS in the interest of shop safety. He wasn't particularly complimentary of the saw and complained of both the build quality and down time they experienced in an industrial environment. Again, while I didn't experience first hand, I trust this guy's opinion.

I'll stick with my old school Powermatic.

Mike
 
Reflective laminate - sounds to me like a metal foil laminate which would definitely trip the brake.  Personally I find it very hard to take seriously anyone complaining about SS build quality.  I've found the build quality on my saw to be first rate.

Fred
 
Cutting reflective laminate without turning off the safety on a Saw Stop is either serious operator error or intentional sabotage.

 
It's an operator error. In their defence, not everyone has heard of or knows how a ss is unique. On the surface it just looks like a nice new cabinet saw. So how are you to know what you can and cannot cut on an ss just by looking at it?
 
I'll keep my Powermatic 66 and avoid careless mistakes and after 40 years of woodworking and never touching the blade, I can't see spending the money for a sensor.
 
I have a SS PCS saw since they introduced it and love it.  The fit and finish is fantastic.  Since I preordered that saw, I got one of their first manuals and it had a few minor errors in it.  I wrote up the edits and mailed them to tech support and got a call-back within hours to thank me for it.  None of the errors would have befuddled anybody except maybe someone who shouldn't run a saw  [blink]  Further calls with tech support showed a very active with their customers; everything got answered quickly and any suggestions I sent them started a thread to develop the idea.  They seem interested in improving and already great product.  I get frustrated seeing other companies sit on their laurels not changing anything because it will cost a dime of tooling changes.

Regardless the safety mechanism, I like everything about it.  The mobility kit that's made for it integrates into the cabinet.  Press on the pedal and the thing pops up for easy movement (including the full fence... in my case a router table extension with loaded shelves); press the release and it sits on the cabinet base, not on locked wheels that will shimmy anyway.

The DC is fantastic for a table saw; only time I get dust is when skimming the blade along the edge of a board since the blade isn't captured in a kerf... in that case, you get a spray to the left that a well-positioned hose can capture.

A couple months ago, I did a bunch of cuts without the DC on since it was beyond full.  If you've seen my mods, the back DC port of the saw is brought around to the front, so there's about 6' of pipe to bring it to the front.  The DC hose wasn't attached.  After a bunch of cuts, there was a spray of dust out the front port.  It had enough push to get the dust all the way around the saw and out the front.  I can easily see why some people can do it with just a shop vac (although this Steel City mini dust collector is awesome for connecting directly to a tool).

I got the 36" fence because I can't see ever needing the 52".  People here on FOG would use a tracksaw to break down big sheet goods before lugging it up on a table saw so 36" should do you well.

The one thing I can say isn't stellar is the right extension wing.  There's a wide cast iron right wing, but beyond that is a box with a plastic laminate on it.  I took that out and put a router table in it with integral dust box and connected the whole thing to a single power feed so there's fewer wires to trip over.  The extension that's normally there works just fine, though, and if you plan on replacing it with a router table, you'll probably appreciate that you didn't pay for a cast iron extension to be placed in a storage pile.

Above all that, I like the idea that the blade has a safety because I pay for this stuff typing; a friend I met at a previous employer fortunately made his fortune elsewhere before an unfortunate woodworking accident took off the tip of a finger.  From what he said, he would find it difficult to have the same productivity doing code as he did before.  Since I'm a code monkey, it's kinda important to me.
 
I got the 3hp professional with the 52 fence and rails. Put it together in about 4 hours.
Nice fit and finish.Thanks for the input.

Frank
 
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