FAQ
(Click on the questions to view the answer)
You can find a written explanation of the safety system’s operation here and you can see a brief video of the safety system in action here.
Quality. SawStop saws were designed from the ground up to be the best saws you can buy. Read what customers that use the SawStop cabinet saw every day have to say about its quality and safety system by clicking here. And read what customers that use the SawStop contractor saw have to say by clicking here. For information regarding the features that separate the SawStop cabinet saw from the competition, click here.
The brake cartridge is a single unit that requires no tools to insert and remove. It’s easy to change cartridges while you are changing blades, adding virtually no extra time to the task. See a video here illustrating a brake change with a brake cartridge that has been activated.
Because we do not sell our products from our website, we do not include pricing information here. Please contact your local SawStop dealer for product and accessory pricing. You can find dealers in your area here.
No. It is not economically practical to retrofit other manufacturers’ table saws. The structural changes necessary to incorporate the safety system into another saw and the cost to have it installed would exceed the cost of a new saw.
In the vast majority of cases, cutting green or damp wood is not a problem.
Wet pressure-treated wood may cause the safety system to shut off the motor or even activate the safety system’s brake. The chemicals used to pressure treat wood often contain large amounts of copper and can significantly increase the wood’s conductivity when wet. Allowing wet pressure treated wood to dry unstacked for 24 hours is typically sufficient to adequately reduce internal and surface moisture levels.
Yes. You can operate the saw in Bypass Mode which deactivates the safety system’s braking feature, allowing you to cut aluminum and other known conductive materials. If you are unsure if the material you need to cut is conductive, you can make test cuts using Bypass Mode to determine if it will activate the safety system’s brake.
SawStop saws work fine in humid environments and they cut most wet wood without a problem. However, if the wood is very green or wet (for example, wet enough to spray a mist when cutting), or if the wood is both wet and pressure treated, then the wood may be sufficiently conductive to trigger the brake. Accordingly, the best practice is to dry wet or green wood before cutting by standing it inside and apart from other wood for about one day. You can also cut wet pressure treated wood and other conductive material by placing the saw in bypass mode.
Generally, the safety system will not activate when a nail or staple is cut. Although conductive, these objects are not large enough to cause the safety system to activate unless they are grounded to the table or operator when they contact the blade.
If you activate the safety system’s brake, you will need to replace the blade and brake cartridge. Replacing the brake cartridge is simple and takes less than five minutes. A standard brake cartridge costs $69 and a dado brake cartridge $89. SawStop saws are designed to absorb the force of activation and are not damaged by it.
Any standard steel blade with steel or carbide teeth can be used.
You should not use non-conductive blades or blades with non-conductive hubs or teeth. They will prevent the SawStop safety system from applying the electrical signal on the blade that is required to sense skin contact.
Steel blades and dado sets with a lacquer finish or other coating should not be used as the coating may inhibit or slow the speed at which the safety system detects skin contact. If you choose to use a blade with a coating, be especially careful during the first several cuts while the coating wears off the blade teeth.
No. The SawStop safety system drives an aluminum brake pawl into the teeth of the spinning blade with a great deal of force and speed. This abrupt stop compromises the integrity of the blade metal and teeth. The blade should be replaced.
SawStop products are available for purchase in the U.S., Canada, Australia, New Zealand, Japan and Korea. You can find a list of dealers in those countries here.
The answer depends on the saw configuration. See the table below.
| Type |
Electrical |
Power |
Rated |
Amps |
| 31230 |
3HP |
230V |
Single Phase |
13 |
| 51230 |
5HP |
230V |
Single Phase |
20.5 |
| 53230 |
5HP |
230V |
Three Phase |
13 |
| 53480 |
5HP |
480V |
Three Phase |
6.5 |
| 73230 |
7HP |
230V |
Three Phase |
17.8 |
| 73480 |
7HP |
480V |
Three Phase |
9 |
Yes. The safety system remains active while the blade is coasting down after the start/stop paddle is pressed to the off position. When the main power switch is turned to the off position, however, the safety system is no longer active.
Yes. When the Industrial Cabinet Saw is purchased with a 230V motor, it will accommodate 208V power. The contractor saw is pre-wired for 115V power but can be re-wired for 220-240V power, which will accept 208V power.
Yes. Sold as accessories, the Industrial Cabinet Saw Mobile Base and the Contractor Saw Mobile Base are designed to allow the saws to be moved easily over flat surfaces. Contact a SawStop dealer to purchase these accessories.
Most T-style fences can be used with the SawStop saws, although it will usually be necessary to drill new mounting holes in the table and extension wings to mount the front and rear rails. The front-to-rear depth of the Industrial Cabinet Saw is 30 inches and 27 inches for the Contractor Saw, so you must use an extension table of the same depth for the respective saws. For non-SawStop fences that lock on both the front and rear rails, the fence must be sized to accommodate a 30 inch and 27 inch table, respectively.
Yes. We are developing a complete line of SawStop woodworking tools. We will be complementing our cabinet and contractor saws with additional table saws, a band saw and a chop saw. You can find video demonstrations of the latter two tools here.
No. Many of our customers who have requested a 12” cabinet saw have instead purchased the 10” SawStop Industrial Cabinet Saw with a 7.5 HP motor and are happy with the solution.
Yes. SawStop saws support 8” dado sets. The optional dado brake cartridge must be used for dado cuts. It has a larger brake pawl designed to stop the multiple blades in a dado set.
No. It must be permanently connected to the building electrical system in accordance with National Electric Code. Consult a licensed electrician if you are unsure how to properly connect the saw to your building’s electrical system. Your SawStop dealer may provide electrical hookup service.
Yes. The blade must first cut through the glove and contact skin before the safety system will activate.
Yes. SawStop strongly recommends that you use a blade guard whenever possible.
The riving knife is an important safety feature that substantially reduces the chance of kick-back. The riving knife functions similar to a spreader on a blade guard assembly. The difference is that the riving knife does not extend above the top of the blade. Therefore, the riving knife can be used when making non-through cuts and other cuts where the blade guard cannot be used.
In the vast majority of cases, coming in contact with the spinning blade will result in a minor cut. However, if your hand moves into the blade at very high speed, it is possible for you to receive a serious injury.
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