pulling the plug on a table saw

[Andrew Pitonyak]

Summary:

• SS better fit and finish, has the brake, more expensive
• Grizzly saw is a great is less expensive but a great saw
• If the brake is not important to you, look at used
• Consider a slider since it has some level built-in safety not available on a regular saw

Not yet stated (I don't think):

• SS has exceptional support. When my saw failed (A capacitor failed on the motor after some years of use), I called support, spoke to a human, and we resolved the problem immediately. Expect top level support after the sale.
• Grizzly, well, I have no experience, but I have heard good things about their support, perhaps someone can be more precise about this.
• SS probably has the best assembly / setup instructions in the business.
• When the saw saves your finger, well, you just can't beat that.
• When the saw saves a bit of aluminum or some very web lumber, it is annoying to have to replace the brake and your blade.
• For SS, you can probably stop in at a dealer and touch it before you buy it. This is more difficult (but not impossible) with Grizzly.

Ignoring the fact that there are a bunch of great saws, the blade brake was a primary motivator for me.

If I were looking at a saw without a brake, I would first look at the used market, but, I would be sure that the saw had certain safety features like an easy to replace riven knife, which help reduce problems such as kickback, which is probably more likely without the safety features than a blade hit against your hand.

[Martin Wasner]

If you're going to experiment with carbide versus flesh, you have to buy a Sawstop. Plain and simple.

I don't buy it being a quality saw. It's okay, but it doesn't blow my hair back. It's comparable to middle ground saws like a Powermatic 66. A shop a used to work for bought a few to save money on insurance, and there was constant problems with them. Might be completely different experience for a hobbyist though. It's not on par with a Northfield, Oliver, or Tammy for smoothness, which if your patient can be had for next to nothing.

[Chris Parks]

I wish that someone else had the same safety feature as the saw stop but I don't know of any,

Don't Bosch now market a saw that offers the same safety features?

[J.R. Rutter]

A shop a used to work for bought a few to save money on insurance, and there was constant problems with them. Might be completely different experience for a hobbyist though. It's not on par with a Northfield, Oliver, or Tammy for smoothness, which if your patient can be had for next to nothing.

I'm not sure that I would just turn anyone loose on using and maintaining one. The main fiddly thing is blade changes and adjusting the brake after sharpening. Mine is a bit underpowered at 3 HP for things like resawing and tends to fill up with sawdust despite a strong collection system. Other than that, it has run for 5 years or so with no issues in my commercial shop. Agree that big old industrial tools can be restored to amazing level of quality. But OP was considering buying his first saw, so I imagine he is not the ideal candidate.

[Ben Rivel]

Don't Bosch now market a saw that offers the same safety features?

Only in a jobsite saw. Nothing offered in a hybrid or cabinet saw. SawStop is still the only one.

[Brian Henderson]

Don't Bosch now market a saw that offers the same safety features?

In fact, theirs is superior because the brake doesn't destroy the blade.

[Ben Rivel]

In fact, theirs is superior because the brake doesn't destroy the blade.

Yep, also costs more too by several hundred if I remember correctly.

[Ronald Mancini]

I recommend buying the best used saw that meets or surpasses your needs. Then buy the manual, take it apart, clean and adjust all parts, and put it back together. You probably will have to make some changes to the saw after you have used it for a while, new fence, outfeed table, etc., but now it will suit your purposes much better. The safety problem tends to be in favor of the saw stop, but this factor is minimal. If you always stand to one side of the blade, only raise the blade high enough to just clear the wood being cut, use hold downs and feather boards, and insure that binding can not occur your finger cuts will be small ones that can be quickly fixed with a band aid. For complete safety and convenience get a stock feeder; your fingers can't get into the blade with a stock feeder and it makes a repetitive job much easier. Finally, if you do nick a finger band aid it and keep working; with saw stop you are in for down time and big bucks.

[Raymond Seward]

FWIW I have a 1 3/4 HP SawStop Cabinet saw. If you plan on ripping fairly thick stock on a regular basis go for the 3HP saw. If I had it to do over again I would have got the 3HP.

[Clin Lashway]

I went through this same exercise about a year ago. Settled on the SS 3HP PCS. I don't regret spending ~$3,500 (I got the ICS mobile base, and overhead dust collection, 36" T-glide). The more I use it, the more I appreciate it. In comparing to other saws, like a Delta, it seemed to me the safety feature was about a $500 premium.

As far as the argument that if you do everything correctly, you don't need the safety brake. Well, same can be said for driving a car I guess. But we are all human and everyone of us is capable of making a mistake. Who here hasn't accidentally ran a stop sign or red light. Mistakes do happen and I do not hold myself out to be perfect and accept the fact I am as capable as the the next guy to have a brain fade and do something wrong.

Concerning being consciously unsafe, because the SawStop will save me, I know I don't think that way. I rarely think about the brake. Remember, if nothing else, you're looking at $60 for a brake and about the same for a medium quality blade. That's motivation enough not to be casual with how you work with the saw. Do you drive more recklessly because you have airbags? And really, who the heck doesn't look at that spinning blade and think "Keep your fingers out of that, no matter what."

I also don't think anyone is stupid for buying or not buying one. Lot's off people have used table saws without this feature and lived to tell the tale. I do know it helped me get spouse approval when I explained the options. "Get that one you said won't cut off your fingers." SOLD!

[Frank Pratt]

[QUOTE= I do know it helped me get spouse approval when I explained the options. "Get that one you said won't cut off your fingers." SOLD![/QUOTE]

I bet SawStop has sold more saws because of the Spouse Acceptance Factor than any other feature

[jessie hachey]

I wouldn't buy SawStop. I mean the safety is nice if you don't ever use the override, but if you dont override, and you happen to cut a damp piece of wood there goes about $350+ (for the blades I use, plus cartridge).

I bough a CanTek from Akhurst machinery. 12" blade, 5hp, 220v single phase motor, $2650 CAD delivered to my door on a lift gate truck. Lots of balls. the equivilant SawStop was almost $7000 CAD. And that's their top of the line. I can get my CanTek saw model up to 10hp, and 16" blade. Overall, just built for more industrial application.