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Thread: Sawstop Problems?

  1. #1
    Join Date
    Aug 2008
    Location
    Marquette MI
    Posts
    524

    Sawstop Problems?

    I am about to buy a new Sawstop Professional Cabinet saw with the 1.75hp motor and the Industrial Base and conversion kit. Everything, and I mean everything I read about Sawstop products is positive. Does anyone have any problems with Sawstop products that I need to be aware of? Not trying to bash Sawstop at all - just want to be informed before I buy.

  2. #2
    Quote Originally Posted by Robert Chapman View Post
    I am about to buy a new Sawstop Professional Cabinet saw with the 1.75hp motor and the Industrial Base and conversion kit. Everything, and I mean everything I read about Sawstop products is positive. Does anyone have any problems with Sawstop products that I need to be aware of? Not trying to bash Sawstop at all - just want to be informed before I buy.
    Purchase the dust collection blade guard...the original guard is terrible (I believe the 3.0 HP PCS would come with the upgraded guard). Also, the industrial base is not only overkill but it's less convenient. The regular base lifts EASILY with one push of the foot. The industrial requires pumping (it's a hydraulic contraption). I would very much recommend the regular base. It really does lift VERY easily, and it's designed well enough that lowering it is no drama also. It's probably the nicest mobile base of it's kind I've seen.

  3. #3
    The only little nits I have with my SS is:

    1) The dc ain't as good - FOR ME - as my previous Sharkguard. I wish it was a 4" port.
    2) A normal 8" dado stack does not work with the regular SS brake cartridge; you need to buy a second one. This means more cost and a little more hassle during use. Others may differ, but this is my opinion.
    3) Accidental brake firings are common - mainly bkz of contact with metal miter gauges. That's a hassle, but the sound and the sight of the mangled metal brake is a sobering reminder of how dangerous any saw is. So I can't decide if this is a bad or good thing...

    Also, in this price range, it's fair to compare it to the new Unisaw, which has a slightly niftier riving knife and angle adjustment wheel on the front. These are both nice (IMHO) to have.

  4. #4
    Join Date
    Feb 2009
    Location
    San Francisco, CA
    Posts
    1,408
    Not really any major problems to be aware of. There are glitches here and there but customer service will take care of you should you encounter one.

    The fence face may need shimming to bring it to perfectly flat.

  5. #5
    Steve Gass and his Communist, Socialist conspirators make sure to censor and silence any who would dare speak against them and their plot to take away our Unis.

  6. #6
    Oh yeah, the plywood fence face on mine is garbage. Besides that, I love my SS.

  7. #7
    Join Date
    Jul 2007
    Location
    Seattle, WA
    Posts
    1,495
    I'm with Prashun regarding the dust collecting blade guard. It works perfectly in all instances except when trimming edges... meaning that the left side of the blade is exposed. It throws sawdust everywhere. I think that if SS redesigned it so that the left side of the blade guard stayed on the table in such situations and channeled the dust upwards, it wouldn't be as much of an issue. But I'm no engineer.

    My plywood fence faces are as flat as I could ever need them to be (maybe a few low/high points, +/- .002")... but maybe I lucked out on that one since I've heard that criticism a from many others.

    It's an awesome saw. I don't think you'll be disappointed.

  8. #8
    Join Date
    Apr 2008
    Location
    Edmonton, Canada
    Posts
    2,479
    The fence itself is excellent and adjustable in every way you'd want and mine is flat to within 0.001" (or that's my tool accuracy to measure).
    The plywood laminated face isn't as flat though and I had to shim it (masking tape) from behind in the center.

  9. #9
    Can you run a dado stack without the brake cartridge?

  10. #10
    Join Date
    Feb 2009
    Location
    San Francisco, CA
    Posts
    1,408
    Quote Originally Posted by Joe Wiliams View Post
    Can you run a dado stack without the brake cartridge?
    No, you cannot.

  11. Checked my fence face on the industrial cabinet saw. No gap along the entire length.We are talking less than a ten thousandths of an inch.
    Sawstrop customer service as good as it gets. Returned call from the technician within an hour of my question being taken. Polite and patintly listened to me give the details and the reason for my question. I have delt with Delta on other matters and they are not even in the same league.
    Fit, finish and attention quality nuts and bolts for assembly. The correct bolt for diameter, length, strength, number and color for assembly of cast iron wings and fence rail. The well wriiten manual in color was a contrast to other manuals I have had to read and re-read.
    Go for the saw and work with confidence and peace of mind. Pracrtice good safety- follow sound wood working procedures, being alert , rested and working without haste.

  12. #12
    Join Date
    Oct 2006
    Location
    Bloomington, IL
    Posts
    6,009
    I have a 2006 ICS (was call the professional table saw back then). Saw works perfect, the diag and test on my finger at least show me it does (you can touch the non moving blade with the inital switch on and it will fash showing you the brake would have fired had it been running). I have Never misfired a brake (no jinx, knock on wood). I have cut staples before no problem. I have cut what I thought was wet wood no problem. Dust collection is not perfect but it is better than the Delta 10" arbor saw I had before this. No way I would trade it for any North America style cabinet saw and I would have a hard time trading it for a Euro even but that is because I like using NA style table saws Still very very happy with its quality. My fence faces are also perfect. I own a dado cart and it takes less than one min to install while installing my dado blade. Never an issue there either. I would buy it again. Only thing I would change is their miter gauge - so I changed that.
    Last edited by Mike Heidrick; 03-29-2012 at 6:43 AM.
    Glad its my shop I am responsible for - I only have to make me happy.

  13. #13
    Join Date
    Nov 2006
    Location
    Seattle area , Duvall
    Posts
    2,103
    Quote Originally Posted by John Coloccia View Post
    Purchase the dust collection blade guard...the original guard is terrible (I believe the 3.0 HP PCS would come with the upgraded guard). Also, the industrial base is not only overkill but it's less convenient. The regular base lifts EASILY with one push of the foot. The industrial requires pumping (it's a hydraulic contraption). I would very much recommend the regular base. It really does lift VERY easily, and it's designed well enough that lowering it is no drama also. It's probably the nicest mobile base of it's kind I've seen.
    John, in my experience the blade guards that are plastic and come down over saws just get in the way for viewing a line when trying to creep up on it. Is it still the same with SS or is it better engineered? Now there offering either a free base or the blade guard that has the DC tied into it with the overarm tube, is the guard you speak of ?

  14. #14
    Quote Originally Posted by Craig D Peltier View Post
    John, in my experience the blade guards that are plastic and come down over saws just get in the way for viewing a line when trying to creep up on it. Is it still the same with SS or is it better engineered? Now there offering either a free base or the blade guard that has the DC tied into it with the overarm tube, is the guard you speak of ?
    The overarm dust collection attaches to the DC blade guard. It's just a tube that attaches to the lower DC port so you don't have to do any plumbing yourself. Very convenient but I don't use it on mine because it interferes with the router table I built into the extension wing. You still need the blade guard, though, and that's included on the 3.0HP but an upgrade on the 1.75.

    Both blade guards stink for seeing the cut. When I'm sneaking up on a line, I flip the blade guard up, though I rarely do that. At that point, it's easier to whip out a hand plane and take off a couple of shavings than fool around with the tablesaw.

  15. #15
    I've had not a moment of regret with my (3HP) PCS. I've got the long fence/table and the extension table and the dust guard and the retractible wheels. They didn't have the overarm connector to the dust guard (though I've got the guard with the dust port). I'm doing OK because the flex hose I'm using from the DC drop is stiff enough (this is one of the few times where the stiffness of this ugly hose I've got is an advantage) to not sag onto the table.

    I bought all sorts of gauges and dial indicators when I was awaiting delivery. Me and a couple of woodworking neighbors assembled the saw and then set to work checking it and we pretty much decided there was NOTHING we could improve on from the way it was set at the factory. Everything straight, true, and parallel.

    I was originally thinking of getting a sled style mobile base, but the retractible wheel design actually works better for me. It lifts the whole saw up (it even gets the extension table lifted so it's legs clear the floor) making the saw very easy to reposition (my floor is very flat).

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