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 video #9
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.
SawStop saws 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 to deactivate the safety system.
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 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 to deactivate the safety system.
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 replace the 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 on the teeth should not be used as the coating may inhibit or slow the speed at which the safety system detects skin contact.
The SawStop safety system is designed for use with standard 10″ blades with kerfs from 3/32″ to 3/16″.
Blades with kerfs much thinner than 3/32″ should not be used because those blades might not be strong enough to withstand the force applied by the brake when it activates. As a result, those blades might deform and stop more slowly in the event of an accident, resulting in a more serious injury.
Blades with kerfs much thicker than 3/16″ are heavier than standard 1/8″ kerf blades. Therefore, those blades should not be used because they may stop more slowly than standard blades in the event of an accident, resulting in a more serious injury. Similarly, stacks of 2 or more 10″ blades should never be used on your SawStop saw as the combined weight of the blades may be too heavy to stop quickly. If you need to use a blade with a kerf thicker than 3/16″, use an 8″ dado set with the optional Sawstop 8″ dado brake cartridge. The dado cartridge is designed for use with 8″ dado sets up to 13/16″ wide.
When the safety system activates, it will often damage one to two teeth on the blade. It is usually cost-effective to have high-quality blades repaired by a qualified blade sharpening service. However, less expensive blades should be discarded.
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. SawStop saws should never be taken out of the country in which they are purchased as this could compromise the operation of the saw and will void all warranties.
The answer depends on the saw configuration. See the table below.
| Type |
Electrical Power |
Rated Amps |
| ICS31230 |
3HP – 230V – single phase |
13 |
| ICS51230 |
5HP – 230V – single phase |
20.5 |
| ICS53230 |
5HP – 230V – three phase |
13 |
| ICS53480 |
5HP – 480V – three phase |
6.5 |
| ICS73230 |
7HP – 230V – three phase |
17.8 |
| ICS73480 |
7HP – 480V – three phase |
9 |
Professional Cabinet Saw 3.0HP
| Type |
Electrical Power |
Rated Amps |
| PCS31230 |
3HP – 230V – single phase |
13 |
Professional Cabinet Saw 1.75HP
| Type |
Electrical Power |
Rated Amps |
| PCS175 |
1.75HP – 110V – single phase |
14 |
| PCS175 |
1.75HP – 230V – single phase |
7.5 |
Contractor Saw
| Type |
Electrical Power |
Rated Amps |
| CNS175 |
1.75HP – 110V |
14 |
| CNS175 |
1.75HP – 230V |
7.5 |
Yes. All cabinet saws purchased with a 230V motor, 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 and
Professional Cabinet Saw mobile bases and the
contractor saw mobile base are designed to allow the saws to be moved easily over flat surfaces. In addition, the contractor saw can be mounted to a
job site cart for transport over uneven terrain. 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 table is 30 inches while the Professional cabinet and contractor saw table is 27 inches deep, 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 the depth of the table on the SawStop saw.
Yes. We are developing a complete line of SawStop woodworking tools. We will be complementing our cabinet and contractor saws with additional table saws and several other non-table saw products.
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. In addition, you will also need to purchase a zero-clearance insert for your dado set.
The Industrial cabinet saw 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.
The Professional cabinet saw does come with a power cord; it is a NEMA- 6-15 and is 2 meters long. This is a very common cord that can be easily replaced. There are instructions in the manual providing basic information on how to do this.
The Contractor saw comes with a standard power cord.
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.
No. The SawStop safety system is designed to activate when the spinning blades contacts your body regardless of whether you are grounded.
The SawStop safety system continuously performs many different self checks to ensure the components of the system are working properly. The safety system will not allow the motor to start (or to remain running) unless every component of the safety system is working properly.
No. The SawStop safety system does not interfere in any way with normal operations.
