If it was a few hundred, sure but SawStops start at $1,000 for a jobsite style table saw which is more than I paid for my big cast iron saw. If I could retrofit that saw that would be great but I don’t see the need to replace it with a unit several times the price on a slim possibility of an accident.
This is like saying we should more than double car prices and insist they’re all carbon fibre tubs for safety reasons.
If it moves the product price by such a large margin, you’re only talking about profit motive when trying to exclude products without the parented feature.
Not often enough to force everyone to pay a premium to have sawstops installed on every saw. If they want to make it an osha thing for professionals maybe, but I as a hobbyist don’t need or want it. If I did I could buy one already.
That’s my problem with this, an entry level table saw from skil or whatever is a couple hundred bucks and lots of beginner woodworkers still have to save up for one. A table saw (IMHO) is kind of a barrier of entry into more serious projects (yes I know there are lots of other ways to make other tools function). If they don’t come down in price then that’s going to suck big time.
Sawstop is an interesting story. They made a great invention, but when no one wanted to license it they started suing companies and pushing for regulation changes, and supposedly have even rejected some companies who have wanted to license their technology (Grizzly). And of course, the infamous Bosch Reaxx lawsuit, where they succeeded in stopping Bosch from importing their version of a safe Table Saw.
My dad was a carpenter and cabinet maker for most of his life. Even in retirement he spends most of his time restoring antique wood furniture. In all of that time he has never cut himself with the tablesaw. He has had the table saw kick lumber back at him. He has cut himself with other saws. But the tablesaw is probably one of the least dangerous saws a woodworker works with outside of unpowered hand saws. By forcing saw stop you are jacking up the prices of even cheap tablesaws several times over and forcing more people to use the far more dangerous alternative which is a handheld circular saw.
This is objectively incorrect, unfortunately. It’s an anecdotal study with an n of 1. Whenever they check the numbers on this, table saws are responsible for like 40% of power tool related accidents. They’ve recently done studies that also show experience and training also don’t correlate to less injuries, complacency negates that for enough time to get injured.
The only thing that reduces injury are mechanical or physical additions to the devices.
it all depends on how much you use your saw, if it’s not often, then the threat is far less than if you use it all the time. it’s a matter or percentages vs risk.
Their saws are competitive with similiar quality cabinet saws from General. I get what you’re saying about accidents being unlikely if you use your noggin, but they really aren’t much of a price difference. It’s less than retrofitting a sawstop addon to an existing saw.
I’ve gone for decades without cutting a hand off, but I’d pay the little bit extra if I had to replace my tablesaw today.
If it was a few hundred, sure but SawStops start at $1,000 for a jobsite style table saw which is more than I paid for my big cast iron saw. If I could retrofit that saw that would be great but I don’t see the need to replace it with a unit several times the price on a slim possibility of an accident.
I mean that’s objectively expensive, but a ~thousand to for safety equipment that could save someone’s digit sounds super cheap.
Then there’s just the intangible morale boost working with tools designed with your safety and well-being in mind.
This is like saying we should more than double car prices and insist they’re all carbon fibre tubs for safety reasons.
If it moves the product price by such a large margin, you’re only talking about profit motive when trying to exclude products without the parented feature.
You can save your digits just by operating the tool properly.
True. Also accidents never happen.
Not often enough to force everyone to pay a premium to have sawstops installed on every saw. If they want to make it an osha thing for professionals maybe, but I as a hobbyist don’t need or want it. If I did I could buy one already.
That’s my problem with this, an entry level table saw from skil or whatever is a couple hundred bucks and lots of beginner woodworkers still have to save up for one. A table saw (IMHO) is kind of a barrier of entry into more serious projects (yes I know there are lots of other ways to make other tools function). If they don’t come down in price then that’s going to suck big time.
Sawstop is an interesting story. They made a great invention, but when no one wanted to license it they started suing companies and pushing for regulation changes, and supposedly have even rejected some companies who have wanted to license their technology (Grizzly). And of course, the infamous Bosch Reaxx lawsuit, where they succeeded in stopping Bosch from importing their version of a safe Table Saw.
Interesting read I found while looking into this more https://toolguyd.com/companies-allege-sawstop-refused-to-license-safety-tech/
And a cool hackaday: https://hackaday.com/2017/06/22/ask-hackaday-sawstop-bastion-of-safety-or-patent-troll/
The big question: is it cheaper than paying for a small number of very expensive and very destructive accidents.
My gut is probably.
My dad was a carpenter and cabinet maker for most of his life. Even in retirement he spends most of his time restoring antique wood furniture. In all of that time he has never cut himself with the tablesaw. He has had the table saw kick lumber back at him. He has cut himself with other saws. But the tablesaw is probably one of the least dangerous saws a woodworker works with outside of unpowered hand saws. By forcing saw stop you are jacking up the prices of even cheap tablesaws several times over and forcing more people to use the far more dangerous alternative which is a handheld circular saw.
This is objectively incorrect, unfortunately. It’s an anecdotal study with an n of 1. Whenever they check the numbers on this, table saws are responsible for like 40% of power tool related accidents. They’ve recently done studies that also show experience and training also don’t correlate to less injuries, complacency negates that for enough time to get injured.
The only thing that reduces injury are mechanical or physical additions to the devices.
https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S258951412300021X
it all depends on how much you use your saw, if it’s not often, then the threat is far less than if you use it all the time. it’s a matter or percentages vs risk.
Their saws are competitive with similiar quality cabinet saws from General. I get what you’re saying about accidents being unlikely if you use your noggin, but they really aren’t much of a price difference. It’s less than retrofitting a sawstop addon to an existing saw.
I’ve gone for decades without cutting a hand off, but I’d pay the little bit extra if I had to replace my tablesaw today.