I’ve seen video on SawStop’s unique mechanism which stops and retracts the blade whenever the blade comes into contact with conductive material, most importantly the operator’s finger. The “hot dog” demonstration is particularly impressive (http://www.sawstop.com/).
Does anyone have practical experience with one of these? I saw my first one in person the other day, and it’s a very nice-looking tool, but costs about $1500 more than a similar saw without the safety feature.
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SawStop
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Thanks
This machine has seen a lots of threads at Knots. Go over there and do a search for "saw stop" and you'll be treated to an endless series of opinions.
I am getting the impression that most of these are going into large shops and schools -- where liability can be a real concern, and the cost differential is not an issue.
The individuals at Knots who have bought one seem very satisfied. Obviously, they like the safety feature, but the machine itself is apparently very well made --on a par with the Unisaw or Powermatic 66.
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"It is what we learn after we think we know it all, that counts."
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