Todays USA today TS article

[Craig D Peltier]

Found this today in the paper, thought some would like to read it
http://www.usatoday.com/money/indust...aws02_ST_N.htm

Im wondering if all our TS we have now will ever become worthless. Sell now.
I dont have a sawstop but like the technology.

[Ryan Hellmer]

Interesting article. I like the protected monopoly he has going on, now if he (Gass) can only get the regulators on board... I would love to have one, but I don't have $3,000 for anything right now, let alone a tablesaw that would only replace 1 of the 4 I already have (in which I have a grand total of $700 invested in).

Ryan

[Tony Bilello]

I dont think our table saws will become worthless, but they certainly will be worth less as the flesh eating technology improves and the costs go down. The owner of Saw Stop is an unscupulous business man. Though, I must admit, he makes money at it. He is like an activist pushing his product during a lawsuit. If he is truly concerned in saving fingers, he would not have taken out so many patents so as to make the technology available to him alone.
I have seen many SawStop demonstrations on video and it looks to me that the demo hot dog is moving much slower than most people push a piece of wood through a table saw. Keep in mind that at a slightly faster working speed, you finger will be going through the blade a little faster. Only one tooth on your blade has to travel about 1/2" or so to remove your finger. Does the SawStop work that fast? Can someone here run a hot dog through their SawStop at a normal working speed and post the results?

[Dave Lehnert]

How long is a patent good for, 15 years????. My guess after the patent runs out you will see the safety feature added to many other saws.

[Damion Bevacqua]

I have seen many SawStop demonstrations on video and it looks to me that the demo hot dog is moving much slower than most people push a piece of wood through a table saw. Keep in mind that at a slightly faster working speed, you finger will be going through the blade a little faster

I've wondered the same thing, frankly. Especially after watching the "live finger" demonstration - he slowly slid his finger closer and closer to the blade... Granted, that's more than I would try, but it seems he's playing a dangerous game. What's he going to do if someone loses a finger on a sawstop? That could be a heck of a verdict.

- Damion

[Van Huskey]

5,4,3,2,1...Lock

[Gerald Senburn]

IThe owner of Saw Stop is an unscupulous business man

In what way is he "unscupulous" ?

[Dave Lehnert]

The Sawstop is a great invention that most people are glad to have. Woodworkers are happy to have the choice. They just dislike having the choice made for them I guess. The reason for the debate.

[Todd Bin]

I saw a demo at my local woodcraft where we were all wondering the same thing. What if you fell into the blade. So he swung the hotdog like a bat at the blade. It barely broke the skin of the hotdog.

What if you had a great idea, would you just give it away? I don't necessarily blame the guy for trying to make a buck just like the rest of us. If you compare the sawstop to a comparable table saw like the PM2000 you are basically paying $1000 for the computer and break. Because let's face, it the saw stop on/off switch is not just a switch like on the PM2000; it is a computer.

~Todd

[Victor Robinson]

It's going to be a long time before any mandatory regulations are passed, implemented, and enforced. It's an interesting discussion for folks who like to think about public safety and policy, but most of us probably won't be affected by this drastically during our lifetimes. The first places that would actually see/feel the effects would be schools and production environments (where the saws are purchased and provided by employers or other large entities).

Enjoy your saw and keep making sawdust, regardless of which saw you have.

[Timothy Juvenal]

Definately a clever technology, and one would think it will be the wave of the future, but...

Never used one myself, but my niece has used one, at school I believe, and she told me that particular saw had a tendency to slam on the brake and shut down for no apparent reason. Maybe just a defective sensing unit, IDK. THe website says that it only takes 5 minutes to replace the $69 single use brake and blade. That's a chunk of change if the thing keeps going off half-cocked.

But you know, the Model T Ford had a lot of issues starting out, but the technology still supplanted the horse and wagon for the majority of us.

Timothy "you gonna eat that hot dog?" Juvenal

[Gerald Senburn]

comparable table saw like the PM2000 you are basically paying $1000 for the computer and break

I think the price difference between a PM2000 and the SS is only like $200.

[Michael MacDonald]

I am enjoying this thread. I think I will go back to the archived circa 2006 discussions on the SS technology and re-read them all...

[Van Huskey]

I think the price difference between a PM2000 and the SS is only like $200.

I think an objective review of the SS line would have the New Uni and PM2000 more comparable to the ICS than the PCS or at least somewhere in the middle. I have always seen the brake as costing 600-700 dollars when you do your best to compare apples to apples sans the brake.

[Salvatore Buscemi]

I dont think our table saws will become worthless, but they certainly will be worth less as the flesh eating technology improves and the costs go down.

I personally don't want anything with "flesh eating" technology!

anon