SawStop Jobsite Saw review from Gary Katz

[Jaybolishes]

Scott are you talking about the DWE7491RS and regardless what do you think?  I've been meaning to buy it but with festool recon sales and other purchases it's been put on the back burner.  I've been quite happy with my Ryobi 10" I bought many years ago I'm embarrassed to say.  The saw stop does have me intreagued however.  But the dewalt and the Bosch are just so much more less expensive.  At $900 I would spring for the sawstop but it's just a little bit much for me.

 

[Scott B.]

Scott are you talking about the DWE7491RS and regardless what do you think?  I've been meaning to buy it but with festool recon sales and other purchases it's been put on the back burner.  I've been quite happy with my Ryobi 10" I bought many years ago I'm embarrassed to say.  The saw stop does have me intreagued however.  But the dewalt and the Bosch are just so much more less expensive.  At $900 I would spring for the sawstop but it's just a little bit much for me.

Jay

I bought the DW745. Not with the stand, but has the modular tube frame. I had the same model prior to this one for 18 years, finally killed it last year ripping pvc ext trim on site.

I guess I have never been bothered by having to crank the blade up and down. And I really like their rack and pinion fence system.

 

[UncleJoe]

I do not own a Saw Stop. I have an old craftsman collecting dust ever since I went to Festool. That being said an upgrade to a nice table saw is in my soon to be purchased list and it will be a Saw Stop for  safety reasons. I do wood working as a hobby and I am self employed as a Network Engineer. A few years ago while riding my motorcycle I got hit by a truck driven by an old man not paying attention. I was laid up for a while and when you are self employed that can be devastating. Fortunately most of the work I do can be done remotely and I repaired more than one server from a hospital bed. I choose to no longer ride my motorcycle and I love my woodworking but can not afford an accident so to help prevent that I chose to move to Festool which I feel is much safer and for a table saw it will be a Saw Stop.

Accidents can happen no matter how experienced you are and since many on this forum are self employed an accident can damage or destroy your business. You may well go 30 years with no accidents but accidents happen and can happen to anyone. I had been self employed for more than 15 years when my motorcycle accident happened and even though I have a degree in business management had 10 years prior experience working with one of the largest accounting/consulting firms in the world I had not really thought about what would happen to my business should I be injured badly and not be able to service my clients. Those who would suggest that all you need to do to be prepared is to have disability insurance have not tried to get disability insurance when you work from an office in your home.

I am pleased that Saw Stop not only makes a safe saw, but from the demos I have seen and the end users I have heard from, they also make a quality saw. A lot of discussion here about the saw, the quality and the cost but from my experience I think the every self employed person should take a hard look at what happens to their business if they cant work for 6 months while their hand heals. When you look at it that way the cost is very small.

 

[wow]

I do not own a Saw Stop. I have an old craftsman collecting dust ever since I went to Festool. That being said an upgrade to a nice table saw is in my soon to be purchased list and it will be a Saw Stop for  safety reasons. I do wood working as a hobby and I am self employed as a Network Engineer. A few years ago while riding my motorcycle I got hit by a truck driven by an old man not paying attention. I was laid up for a while and when you are self employed that can be devastating. Fortunately most of the work I do can be done remotely and I repaired more than one server from a hospital bed. I choose to no longer ride my motorcycle and I love my woodworking but can not afford an accident so to help prevent that I chose to move to Festool which I feel is much safer and for a table saw it will be a Saw Stop.

Accidents can happen no matter how experienced you are and since many on this forum are self employed an accident can damage or destroy your business. You may well go 30 years with no accidents but accidents happen and can happen to anyone. I had been self employed for more than 15 years when my motorcycle accident happened and even though I have a degree in business management had 10 years prior experience working with one of the largest accounting/consulting firms in the world I had not really thought about what would happen to my business should I be injured badly and not be able to service my clients. Those who would suggest that all you need to do to be prepared is to have disability insurance have not tried to get disability insurance when you work from an office in your home.

I am pleased that Saw Stop not only makes a safe saw, but from the demos I have seen and the end users I have heard from, they also make a quality saw. A lot of discussion here about the saw, the quality and the cost but from my experience I think the every self employed person should take a hard look at what happens to their business if they cant work for 6 months while their hand heals. When you look at it that way the cost is very small.

An excellent, well-reasoned comment. Having recently been forced to shut down my IT business due to illness, I can certainly agree with what you experienced. While you can't put a price on your health and safety, everyone has a budget that they must live within no matter how much they want, need, or try to justify a purchase.

I'm not going to buy a Saw Stop for now because I rarely use my present Table Saw, which I really like. But if I were to need to replace it I think the SS would be on my short list of saws to consider.

 

[cperren]

Although a Festool fanatic, I recently bought a Saw Stop Job Site for the exact reasons of UncleJoe.  As a self employed software engineer, I need all ten fingers.  I just sold my Dewalt 7480 with no regrets.   

 

[Scott B.]

I guess the whole other discussion is the interplay between the track saw and the table saw amongst users. I have found that table saw usage really only needs to be on items too long and narrow for track saw practicality.

Personally, I have always found it generally safer to move the blade through the material than the material through the blade. Having negotiated the wood cutting learning curve with all fingers intact, I've found that a good push stick and stance allows me, the wood and the tool to remain separately together.

Everyone's mileage of course will vary.

 

[grbmds]

Although a Festool fanatic, I recently bought a Saw Stop Job Site for the exact reasons of UncleJoe.  As a self employed software engineer, I need all ten fingers.  I just sold my Dewalt 7480 with no regrets. 

cperren - Where did you get one? I haven't even seen one in a store and they aren't supposed to be out till March. Did you buy without seeing it?

 

[cperren]

I did buy my SawStop job site saw unseen from the Toolnut. I have been very happy with it although I am only a weekend garage hobbyists.  I mainly use it for ripping boards.  Anything larger gets cut using my TS75 on a cutting table.  Before buying, I did do some internet research along with multiple calls to SawStop customer service which was all a positive impression.  I'm happy to answer any questions about it. - Chris     

 

[grbmds]

I did buy my SawStop job site saw unseen from the Toolnut. I have been very happy with it although I am only a weekend garage hobbyists.  I mainly use it for ripping boards.  Anything larger gets cut using my TS75 on a cutting table.  Before buying, I did do some internet research along with multiple calls to SawStop customer service which was all a positive impression.  I'm happy to answer any questions about it. - Chris   

How's the dust collection? Accuracy of the rip fence and squareness? I just thought they weren't for sale except to pre-order.

 

[cperren]

Similar to the video comments, my saw came fairly squared.  I will do more measurements this weekend to check.  As for dust collection, its MUCH better than my previous Dewalt although it does leave some dust specks on table top. It is much bigger than my Dewalt which I prefer  the larger table.  Plus it folds up nicely into the corner of my garage after use. I believe you can order this saw from a few places such as Toolnut, Highland, ...  It's shipped in a well constructed package and is very easily to setup.  The gravity stand is very nice too. 

 

[wrightwoodwork]

Watched the vid a couple of times what's wrong with using a saw guard and push sticks. I personally think saw stop technology should be the last line of defence. people shouldn't have the attitude I've got saw stop all other saftey measures can be ignored

 

[grbmds]

Watched the vid a couple of times what's wrong with using a saw guard and push sticks. I personally think saw stop technology should be the last line of defence. people shouldn't have the attitude I've got saw stop all other saftey measures can be ignored

It is the last line of defense when you make that one mistake that you never thing you will make.

 

[gkaiseril]

Watched the vid a couple of times what's wrong with using a saw guard and push sticks. I personally think saw stop technology should be the last line of defence. people shouldn't have the attitude I've got saw stop all other saftey measures can be ignored

People get tired, in a hurry, or remove the saw guard for a complex cut and make a mistake in hand placement. Also others my use the saw with poor safety and use knowledge.

What is a finger or hand worth?

 

[mike_aa]

Of the 4 relatives of mine who have owned and used table saws, 3 have nicked a finger using the saw.  Thankfully, nothing more serious.  Consequently, I developed a very deep respect for the tool.  Making sure there is always a safety device between your hands and the workpiece helps, but mistakes do happen and the SawStop provides that extra insurance.

Mike A. 

 

[Nick C]

I saw this at the Baltimore woodworking show. Definitely a step up from other jobsite saws. Definitely worth the money. The controller that triggers the brake is adjustable to accommodate wet lumber--up to a point, I'm sure. For "soaking wet" pressure-treated lumber, the finesse is unnecessary.

 

[jimbo51]

The local Woodcraft in the Philadelphia suburbs has one in their store. It is one thing to read specs and it is something else to see this beast in person. It is big and on a big cart. I will need some serious work out time before I can even think about hauling this thing around. I wonder how long before Dewalt et al have their version on the market.

 

[jeh]

I have the Professional model of their tablesaw and have been nothing but satisfied with it. Prior to purchasing it I was using a Delta Cabinet Saw (American made version) that I was very happy with, but after experiencing a few near misses I decided to go with what was an equivalent saw with the added benefit of the brake. I was lucky enough to be offered the Professional model as a tester at a slight discount with the option of returning it at no cost to me if I did not like it. I used it side by side the Delta for several weeks and decided in the end to sell the Delta. The SawStop was 95% as good as the Delta so there really was no choice given that I want to keep all of digits in place. As for the differences I believe the Delta was a slightly better build (more massive), but the difference is negligible. I have also used the SawStop Industrial version and it is built as well, if not better than the Delta, which you can't buy new anymore (newer ones are made in China).

I am going to be the portable version, but have not done so due to other needs. Besides being a top notch saw you have the added protection of the blade brake. Sure their saws costs more than the $100 Ryobi (no one should own this) and the $500 Bosch or DeWalt (both good solid portable saws), but cost won't be a factor if you come up a digit short. I have extensive experience on tablesaws and have had some close calls like everyone who has ever used a tablesaw for any length of time. I am sure there are some tough guys who see the price difference as a waste and push sticks being as good as the brake on the SawStop and that's fine, but it is not even close to reality.

On a related note I have had mine since they were first introduced and it never has let me down and most importantly I've never had to replace the brake cartridge and if I did I'd be happy to spend the money on a new blade and cartridge versus a visit to emergency room.

 

[A2craft]

I have been looking for a portable saw to replace an older saw with a failed motor in my small basement workshop. For several weeks I used a DeWalt745 on loan. Very nice high quality accurate saw for my cabinetry project. The DeWalt was easy to move and store when not in use to save floor space. I decided to go with the SawStop jobsite saw as I experienced unplanned accidents in the shop over the past decades. So I paid the extra cost for a safety feature.

I received the Jobsite saw last week but have not been able to use it. The table extension clamp which appears to be a composite material broke while locking the rails. I am now considering returning the Jobsite saw and going with a SawStop Contractors w/30" fence.

I am wondering if any forum members have used a SawStop Contractors saw and if they had any issues with assembly, quality or accuracy. Also curious to know if the decibel level of the  Contractors saw is less than the Jobsite or similar.

A2craft

 

[grbmds]

I have no intention of starting a Sawstop discussion, but wanted to report on my experience with the Sawstop jobsite saw I bought in March. I have used it several times for ripping, which was my reason for buying a table saw to replace my old saw that took up a lot of space and was inaccurate and under powered. The Sawstop does an excellent job of ripping. The fence is accurate to the measurements on the fence scale. (I did adjust the cursor a tiny bit, but now it's right on.) It definitely has sufficient power for the work I do. I think ripping would be better done by a dedicated ripping blade, which I will try at some point. For now, though, the supplied blade requires very little jointing after ripping; one light pass on the jointer. What I really like is the capabiltiy to easily fold it up and wheel it out of the way so I have lots of space for other table tools which I wheel in its place, like a router table, planer, other work tables. Even without folding it up, it is easy to move over to the side. It has both a riving knife and a riving knife/blade guard combo, both a snap to take on and off. The fit and finish on mine, at least, was great. The dust port is just the right size for the 50mm hose from my Festool CT vac, although dust still escapes on top (which seems to be a common issue with these small saws). Festool said they were close to releasing a blade guard with dust collection port for this saw and that might eliminate almost all the dust. Anyway, so far I really do love it and I find I feel safer than with my old saw, both because the blade guard and riving knife provide a high level of safety on their own, but the blade brake does help my piece of mind. (I know this a a touchy point out there, but I'm just saying that it makes me feel better.) In the end, I can't completely judge whether the saw is worth $1,299 because that is a lot of money, but I think it is a great saw and, for me, as long as a tool does exactly what I need it to do, it's a tool worth having.

 

[wow]

^^^ Excellent 'Mini Review'. Thank You!