Used Cabinet Saws

[danmart77]

I’m always amazed at these types of comments:

”I’ve never been injured”. “I’ve only had two close calls”

”A $70 blade and a $120 cartridge? - that’s a deal breaker. But, I would still all ten - naw, still a deal breaker.”

”I’ve got a SawStop now I can disregard safe practices”

”If you pay attention and follow the rules you don’t need it.”

False triggers and bent arbors don’t even register in the decision making process.

I honestly think it comes fri either a bias against SawStop for a perceived lack of public service by not giving it away, or self confidence, or that somehow the safety feature makes you a wimp?


This ^^ is the right attitude, especially those of us with 70 or 80 year old brains. “Pay attention to what you’re doing”. That’s the issue!!

Use push sticks on the tablesaw. That makes sense.

 

[tvrgeek]

But not the hard plastic ones. If a tooth hits one, they shatter and kick like all get-out.

 

[Gotcha6]

Everyone needs a sign at their shop door that says, "Every tool in this shop is trying to kill you."

 

[tvrgeek]

Everyone needs a sign at their shop door that says, "Every tool in this shop is trying to kill you."

Yea, my worst cut was from my 1/2 inch chisel.

Of course if you live in Australia, then the shop may seem safe.

 

[old and in the way]

Dennis:

That is very true. Once I had my trammel points set for 2" and nearly put out both of my eyes.

Tone

 

[bowman]

If you have a 'false trigger' with a SS, you can send the brake cartridge to them for analysis. If they find it was in fact a false activation, they will replace the cartridge. I thought I had a false trigger a month or so ago, but further review on my part showed the aluminum fence that had my left hand on (holding the wood away from the blade while pushing with the fence handle using my right) made contact with the blade, causing the activation. There was the faintest nick in the fence. I had failed to reset the fence after making an angled cut leaving it in the path of the blade when I went back to a 90 degree cut.

 

[Rwe2156]

Bob, I would slightly disagree. My close calls were using a saw WITH the guard and rear mounted splitter in place. Once, the thin work went UNDER the splitter and the other before it got to it. That is why I harp on riving knives. But yes, no matter how "safe" features are, a saw is a dangerous bit of kit and you need to pay attention all the time. An idiot will always find a way to hurt themselves and then sue someone else.

I chose not to buy a SawStop as about the only thing I use the saw for is long rips and usually have the overarm and feather boards in place. I use the band saw or miter saw ( love the million dollar stick) mostly. My Harvey has a proper riving knife and I have not had an issue.

SawStops DO have false triggers and do have occasional non-destructive shut downs. Sometimes it is not turning the sensor off for things like damp pressure treated lumber. Ironic that this is most likely to pinch and kick! I could live with that if it was my primary tool. I am rather fond of my fingers. I worried about obsolesce of the electronics as I expect my saw to be a lifetime tool. No electronics are lifetime.

If the you-tubers would demonstrate safe practices, that may help. Gad do I see some stupid stuff out there. But You-Tube only censors proper use of words that can be use offencivelly in another context. Not dangerous p[practices.

Sure there are differences in how the saw is used and we have to make the logical/best call based on that, but you have to look at the generalities of what tasks people do, their experience level, etc.

But eliminating the saw based on the thinking "it'll never happen to me" or "it's not worth it" seems a little short sighted and overconfident to me.

I've been doint this for 40 years. And yes, I've been hurt, all through either inexperience, not thinking through the cut, or carelessness in the scenario of a long, repetitive session. A few years ago I was using a jig for cutting 30° notches in Kumiko frames. Stupidly I did not put a stop in the outfeed miter slot. On the 100'th and something pass, I had inadvertently slid my thumb over and cut a nice 1/16" deep groove in the bottom of my thumb. So much for "experience". Not meriting an emergency room visit, but the event was shattering enough for me, that the very next day I was at Woodcraft picking up a 3HP PCS.

Strangely, since getting the SawStop (or maybe b/c of that experience), I am actually more conscious of things. The SS blade guard dust collection is so good, I'm using it quite a bit now.

I can tell you one thing, my wife telling me she has one less thing to worry about was worth the cost.

I certainly agree with you on the YouTubers. John Heisz is one of the worst. I wrote a comment one time after watching him rip 2" strips pushing with his finger, explaining "if you keep your hand registered on the fence you can't get hurt". He made a nasty reply and basically told me to pound sand.

As I said, the false triggers are so rare it is no reason to not buy the saw.

 

[tvrgeek]

SS large tube dust hood/guard is the first one I have ever put up with. I have some mods in mind to make it even better.
My decision was the less I use a table saw, the safer overall and the knife is a 90% fix for proper careful use. I spent the money on better dust collection as dust kills you, just takes longer. As I mentioned, I was more concerned with obsolesce than a false trigger.