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In a move that will surely tighten the competition in the table saw market, SawStop announced plans to introduce a less expensive version of its cabinet saw that will use the same blade-stopping technology on its industrial cabinet saw and contractor saw.
The SawStop Professional Cabinet Saw is expected to cost somewhere between $2,500 to $2,800 (without accessories) and should be available during the spring of 2009, company officials said. The company’s industrial cabinet saw costs between $2,799 and $3,899, though after Oct. 1, the price will increase to a range of $3,099 to $3,899.
The lower-priced SawStop cabinet saw will compete with other premium saws, such as the new domestically made Delta Unisaw and the Powermatic PM2000, which starts at about $2,500. Both of those saws have upgraded guards, but they do not include the blade-stopping technology of the SawStop.
SawStop showed a pre-production model of its Professional Cabinet Saw at the International Woodworking Fair in Atlanta and pointed out the changes the company made to reduce the price. The new saw uses different blade-elevation controls and does not include the nice gas shock on the industrial-level saw, which assists the user in raising the blade.
Also, there is less cast iron in the trunnion assembly, the saw has a smaller tabletop and it will be available with a 3 horsepower single-phase motor only.
The Professional Cabinet Saw includes a nice Formica-faced T-square fence system, plus all the enhanced guards and blade-stopping technology found on its other saws. The saw will weigh between 515 and 540 pounds and will be available with 52″- or 36″-long fence rails.
In addition to the Professional Cabinet Saw, SawStop showed attendees its new contractor-style saw (now available for $1,599 to $1,839) in a couple configurations and was showing photos of the minor nicks that SawStop users received when their fingers came in contact with a spinning sawblade.
Company officials say they have received reports of about 400 “saves” from users who have set off the saw’s brake cartridge since the saws went on the market three years ago. However, the company estimates that number to be about three times higher. The company encourages users to send in the spent cartridges when they touch the blade for further analysis, and they said that they will send the user a free replacement cartridge in these instances (brake cartridges cost $69 for a 10″ blade and $89 for an 8″ dado).
Since SawStop went on the market, the company has sold about 13,000 saws.
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Chris,
Just what does it mean "without accessories".
Moving on from the thought of crowds lining up to touch each moving saw blade…
I wish table saw reviews and catalogues would list the narrowest dimension of the saw without extensions. I am in my third 1920s – 40s house, and each one has had a basement doorway and/or stairway about 24" wide. I am sure I am not the only person who would like an enclosed table saw and whose first question is whether I can get it into my home workshop.
Brian
Maybe folks are too relaxed around the technology or maybe there’s a growing number of (slightly) injured hotdogs.
Even with the shared usage, that number still seems
very high on such a relatively small number of
saws.
I don’t think the SawStop folks are insincere, so what
gives?
A paradox of the saw, maybe? Under the guise of being
protected by the saw, do users let their guard down?
Just speculation.
Chris
My father put his hand in the saw twice over a 40-year period. The same old Atlas table saw! He was otherwise a very intelligent guy.
Ed, you also have to realize some of these saws are in shops with multiple users, and god forbid that some poor sap has done it multiple times himself.
I know this hits a nerve, but also consider how many people either had a false trip, or people who set off the blade stop with something other than their finger (miter gauge, metal in the wood, hitting the saw fence, etc).
It is a good motivation to send in the old cartridge for a free replacement one though.
I’d buy 1200 saves – remember most of these saws are going to schools and production shops – in three years a saw in those environs could have dozens or hundreds of users.
Sold 13,000 saws. 400 "saves." Company says it’s three times that number — i.e. 1,200 saves. So, the company is alleging that over a three year period 10% of table saw users put their finger in a blade? Over a 30 year period then every single table saw user puts a finger in the blade?
There’s no way that adds up.