lower priced Saw Stop model

The now have (or soon will have) three different saws: The Contractor model, the Professional model, and the Industrial model. The Pro model is a cabinet saw, but just now quite as beefy as the Industrial one. It's going to be priced to compete with the PM2000 and Delta Unisaw...a bit more than the Contractor model but not quite as high as the Industrial version.

If and when my TS gets replaced, I highly suspect it'll be a Sawstop in one form or another.
 
Seems odd to me that anyone would introduce a new contractor's saw model these days. Hybrids address a lot of the inherent shortcomings of the contractor saw. Is it just me, or is SawStop missing the boat here? Also, 2 large is a lot of money for a contractor saw. For the hobbiest market, it's probably too expensive for most people's budgets. For the professional market - who wants to buy a new contractor saw? I understand that SawStop machines are very well made, but they're missing out on a larger market.
I wonder why SawStop doesn't develop, in coordination with a few other saw manufacturers (Delta, Jet, General Int., Craftsman, etc.) a retrofit kit for a few hundred bucks. I believe they'd sell a lot of them. I'd be more willing to spend a few hundred bucks for an upgrade than i would be to shell out two grand for a new saw (with an arguably obsolete basic design). It seems like the retrofit kit might benefit both SawStop and the new manufacturers they would coordinate with. If i'm buying a new saw, i'd probably be more inclined to buy one that could accept a SawStop upgrade. If i'm SawStop, i'd get more of my technology into the market place. And, for the consumer, it opens up a lot of new saw options.
The SawStop cabinet saw might stand on its own because of its quality and features. The contractor saw would probably disappear - maybe get replaced with a better hybrid model.
just my 2 cents (cause i don't presently have 2 grand for a new saw)
paulh
 
Paul, the Contractor model is available in a portable job site version, too, so I could see that as one justification for having it. It also runs on 110v, which is a deal-maker for some people.

I know there has been discussion about building a retrofit kit for other brands, but from what I've read, the other saws do not have a strong enough trunnion to withstand the brake forces.
 
Talking to Steve Gass at AWFS in '07, the story I got was that they tried to go to the big makers first. Two problems existed: they'd have to build completely new castings to handle the forces involved in braking and they didn't agree in the cut that Gass wanted for each saw using the technology. Which was more important depends on who you're talking to.

In the end, the fact remains: There is no way to retrofit the brake without replacing nearly all of the guts of the saw. There's really no point spending $1200-1500 to retrofit your existing saw when a new one isn't much more expensive.
 
Paul I agree with your points. But there is another element that i think has to be thought about here.

Its like a mattress. what is a good night sleep worth over a number of years. Similarly what is a finger worth after its gone or even worse a hand. Then reflecting the cost of the saw would be cheap.
I would think a similar thing applies to dust collection and the filtration of small particles.

But its a tough one to get your mind around which is why I am with you on your comments.

Vaughn I am concerned about the jobsite version. What about the wet wood situation that the construction guys experience. Would that not false trigger the protection. I mean there is poorly dried wood as well as after rain events.

Like all new things their price will come down in time as they recoup the R&D costs. I will wait, right now I am pretty happy with saw and the rest of my tools.
 
Rob

not sure about the contractor version but i am pretty sure the main saw has a test you can do before you turn the saw on, if i remember correctly you can hold a piece of wood to the blade and maybe push a button, if a certain light comes on it is too wet and will trigger the stop. i would assume the contractor version would have it also

at least that is what i remember, i'll go back to the site later and check it out unless someone confirms or corrects me.

chris
 
Seems odd to me that anyone would introduce a new contractor's saw model these days.

Others beat me to it. It is easy in this hobby to forget that contractor saws are jobsite saws. I think there will always be room for better, more accurate and safer saws that get hauled to the job.
 
There was a time when this technology was not available at any price, now it is, at a price. Each of us has to decide if that price is a price we wan to/can pay.

I know if I were running a business, I'd have one for sure, as one small accident, and you can be facing bankruptcy, or at the very least, you would be working hard for a few years and not making any money.

For the hobbyist it is a personal decision. A buddy in Canada is a surgeon, he is also a fair woodworker, the one tool he did not, and would not own is a tablesaw, he has seen the real life results of a hand in a tablesaw blade. He has a bandsaw, a jointer, a planer and such, but no tablesaw. I've not seen him in a couple of years, but I'd bet he would be willing and able to spend the money for a SawStop, think of what his fingers are worth to him.

Chris you are correct about the test to see if the material you are cutting is conductive and would trigger the brake, just have the saw powered on, (NOT running!) and a green light appears, if anything conductive touches the blade, then a red light blinks and the saw will NOT run.

There is a bypass key that you use when you want to cut conductive materials.

I've been using my SawStop for a while now, and I tell you, it is one sweet machine, it cut so very nicely, and everything about it is quality.

I turn 45 this month, and I hope to get another 40 years of use out of the saw, but if I only get 15 years use out of it, that is a whole dollar a day it costs me two own it, how much did you latte cost at Starbucks :D

(I paid about $5500 with shipping, 365 days a year time 15 years is 5475 days, close enough?)

For you guys in the US that can get the saw for about $4000, that is just about 11 years at $1 a day. :wave:

Worth it to me, but that is the kind of decision we each have to make :thumb:
 
A buddy in Canada is a surgeon, .... think of what his fingers are worth to him.

Over on SMC this discussion came up, with one fellow chiming in with reasoning pretty much just like Stu. He is a helicopter pilot, and makes a good salary, and to him the SS is a no-brainer; very easy to justify the cost since he really does not want to risk his ability to do his job.

(and here I sit, a computer geek desk jockey and I use my hands all day on the keyboard of many computers... I should also be very careful with my fingers! Just need to save my pennies for a bit longer. :( )
 
The surgeon and pilot can afford the price.
But, as Stu said, for hobbyists, the decision is theirs.
$4,000.00 for something that might be used two hours a month is very pricey. And, we could easily venture into the argument that the best safety device is sitting on top of our shoulders.
Everything in life entails risk.
 
Well the other option is to just not use a tablesaw, use a bandsaw, and a circular saw with a guide rail. Add a router to that and there is not much you cannot do.

Frank, sometimes the best piece of safety equipment sitting between our shoulders fails, I know I've had my...... what you would call..... "Senior Moments" and if I have one at the tablesaw, now I hope to only be out about $120, and a band aid, not a finger or two :wave: :D
 
Well the other option is to just not use a tablesaw, use a bandsaw, and a circular saw with a guide rail. Add a router to that and there is not much you cannot do.

Frank, sometimes the best piece of safety equipment sitting between our shoulders fails, I know I've had my...... what you would call..... "Senior Moments" and if I have one at the tablesaw, now I hope to only be out about $120, and a band aid, not a finger or two :wave: :D

Stu
I hear you. One reason my woodworking repertoire is limited is because of my reluctance to use the tablesaw. I have intended to use the dado for flatwork but when it begins it's loud whizzing I just chicken out. I have a project planned that will require it. Try again. We will see.
BTW, worth repeating (we seem to get into this whenever Saw Stop is mentioned) my son, the ER physician, and national statistics show that, in the woodworking shop most frequent serious injuries come from the tablesaw. Right behind, in numbers, but with injuries that are the most injurious and damaging come from the miter saw. Those are almost always amputations. Tablesaw injuries are just (just? :eek: ) bad manglings.
We all try to be safe. I am an avid shooter and have been since about age eight. In all those years, one mishap (gun went off when not intended). But, the muzzle was pointed in a safe direction and no injury occurred. For which I am grateful.
 
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