sawstop vs. other saws

[Tai Fu]

So to my surprise I found that sawstop is sold in Taiwan. The price is still more than what they sell for in the US but was wondering, why should I buy a sawstop contractor saw when I can buy a cabinet saw, and even a slider from other makers at the same price? Besides the safety feature are there more things about Sawstop that makes it worthwhile, like heavier construction, better motor, etc.?

[Greg Peterson]

As I understand the matter, Sawstop is manufactured in Taiwan. As for comparing a SS contractor to a cabinet or slider, well, that's a good question.

[johnny means]

I would pay extra for a Sawstop contractors saw. I wouldn't buy a contractors saw at all, if I was the market for a cabinet saw. That being said , in their respective categories, all the Sawstops are at the top heap as far as quality goes.

[Lee Reep]

You are paying for the electronics and mechanical pieces that make the saw a safe tool. But I feel that the quality is there, and they just did not slap some safety pieces on any old table saw. I do not own one, but came close this year. I bought a Festool track saw recently since I needed a high quality tool to break down sheet goods, and discovered how many people use track saws for just that. But I will own a SawStop one of these days. This summer I helped a kid that works at the local lumber house cut a sheet of maple veneer plywood in two, and the SawStop did a superb job.

Also, I did something last year that makes the SawStop a very attractive saw to add to my shop. I had a freak accident and cut off the tip of my left thumb -- about a 1/2 inch. I was lucky. It could have been all my fingers, or my entire hand. As it was I walked out of the emergency room of the hospital a few hours after arriving with a bandage on the thumb. And about $4000 poorer -- that would have bought the saw! They could not re-attach the tip of my thumb, and they also did not do any surgery. The hand specialist wanted it to heal "naturally". I have most of the feeling back after one year.

I treat my table saw with the utmost respect. I've been woodworking since the early 70s, and never thought I'd have an accident like I did. And that is why I'd buy a SawStop.

[Jim Andrew]

I just ordered a Hammer sliding table saw a few days ago, my thinking is that if I can continue to do woodworking due to the safety of a slider, it is worth changing from my unisaw. The unisaw does everything I want, but a slider is just a safer type of saw.

[Myk Rian]

Another SawStop thread? Groan.

[Rich Riddle]

I just ordered a Hammer sliding table saw a few days ago, my thinking is that if I can continue to do woodworking due to the safety of a slider, it is worth changing from my unisaw. The unisaw does everything I want, but a slider is just a safer type of saw.

I did exactly this at the beginning of the year, ordered a Hammer sliding saw. Most saws occupy military hobby shops including the Sawstop, Unisaw, Powermatic, etc. The hobby shops started going toward the Sawstop saws, so service members used them regularly. Concerning quality of a cabinet saw, they are consistent with the competition. Concerning the fence system,the Incra fence system performs much better as a retrofit. The Biesemeyer fence system with the Delta also proved more accurate.

After using a slider, it's simply a better design and makes me feel safer. It's not the cutting of fingers nearly as much as kickback that provides concerns. That's where a slider excels. But concerning finger safety, with a slider your hand will stay quite a distance from the blade.

[glenn bradley]

A lot of this is opinion but, that's what we're here for ;-) A cabinet saw or a slider would have to be a pretty poor example before I would take a contractor format saw over one. While you are comparing, be sure to option the Saw Stop with the upgraded wings and fence to make it a more apples to apples comparison price-wise with the cast iron and Biesemeyer-like items that come on many cabinet saws. The contractor saw also takes up more room but, a slider takes even more so I'm assuming space is not the deciding factor.

P.s. I forgot to mention that I have the SawStop PCS which replaced a hybrid which replaced a contractor saw.

[Jerome Stanek]

I was at my old place of employment last week when they were bringing in a new saw stop to replace a unisaw that was 25 plus years old and still in new shape. When I asked about it they said one of the guys that work there cut all his fingers off. They are replacing 2 Unisaws but had to wait for the other sawstop to come in. That was only the second time that an accident sent someone to the emergency room for major cuts that required stitches. Tha other was a router accident where the guy was trimming laminate and the router slipped out of his hand and he tried to catch it. that one required 4 stitches. every thing else was falls out side or bumps

[Ralph Butts]

Myk I totally echo your sentiments. Tai I wish you the best in your search for a new saw. Good luck, don't ignore looking at sliders as well. I am neither a SS opponent nor proponent, I don't own one either but just to keep things 100 you are paying for the lobbying costs to pressure state legislators to push legislation promoting all saw manufacturers to utilize SS technology.

[Bruce Page]

Folks, please do not turn this thread into an ethics or political debate.

Thanks

[Tai Fu]

I'd love to have a slider, but space is a huge issue in my shop.

[Alan Bienlein]

I will give you an example of why I would buy the SawStop contractor saw instead of a cabinet saw or a slider. I can just remove my current contractor saw off of it's mobile base and replace it with the SawStop contractor saw and be of and working. No fuss no muss!
7-4-11 001.JPG

I do woodworking as a profession and have many many years of experience using cabinet saws and the larger sliders that are 10+ hp and take 16" blades. There isn't anything that a slider or a cabinet saw will do for me that I can't already do on my current setup which is the contractor saw in the picture.

I have went and physically looked at the SawStop contractor saw and that is the ONLY saw I have ever used that I can tilt the blade using only my pinky finger all the way to a 45 and back to 90. The PCS and the ISC versions are the same way. I have never ever in all my years had a saw that was that easy.

[Ralph Butts]

Tai take a look at the Hammer line. They offer several models with relative small footprints. There are several SMC members here that have smaller footprint sliders some with shapers.

...plus I think they are still having an end of year clearance sale with something like 20% off I believe.

[Craig Behnke]

I just ordered a Hammer sliding table saw a few days ago, my thinking is that if I can continue to do woodworking due to the safety of a slider, it is worth changing from my unisaw. The unisaw does everything I want, but a slider is just a safer type of saw.

Nice. I just ordered today...K3 Winner w/ 79 inch slider. I sold my sawstop earlier this week. Don't get me wrong, I liked the sawstop very much as a high quality product with a great safety feature, but I wanted slider functionality and a different way to process sheet goods (without help from my wife). We'll see how it goes after a few months of using the slider.

I thought the SS was a very nice quality saw, I had the 1.75HP cabinet saw...which was a step up from my prior saw was a Ridgid table saw. I'm just a hobby guy with a few years experience, but I thought the SS was a very compelling product.

best of luck with your search/buy decision.

-Craig