Frequently Asked Questions

You can find an explanation of the safety system’s operation as well as watch a brief video of the safety system in action here.

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 activate the brake. If you are unsure whether 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. The red light on the control box will flash to indicate conductivity.

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 blade contacts your body regardless of whether you are grounded.

The SawStop safety system continuously performs many self-checks to ensure the components of the safety 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.

Do not wear gloves when using a SawStop saw because the glove can snag on the blade and pull your hand into the blade at high velocity. The safety system will still react as soon as your skin contacts the blade, but the resulting injury can be more severe because of the velocity of your hand.

If you activate the safety system’s brake, you will need to replace the brake cartridge and evaluate the condition of the blade for future use. Replacing the brake cartridge is simple and can take as little as 90 seconds to complete. A standard brake cartridge costs $79 USD and a dado brake cartridge $99 USD. SawStop saws are designed to absorb the force of activation and are not damaged by it.

​Yes. SawStop strongly recommends that you use a blade guard whenever possible.

Yes. You can operate the saw in Bypass Mode which deactivates the safety system’s braking feature, allowing you to cut aluminum, very wet/green wood (see above) and other known conductive materials.

​If you are unsure whether 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. The red light on the control box will flash to indicate conductivity.

SawStop saws work well in humid environments.

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.

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. To see how to change an activated cartridge, Click Here to check out our Video Vault. Select the video named “Replacing Your SawStop Cartridge is Simple.”

When the safety system activates, it will sometimes damage one or more teeth on the blade. Some users discard and replace the blade, while others choose to have their blades inspected/repaired by a qualified specialist.

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’s T-Glide Fence is a T-style fence that is well-known for accuracy and dependability. The Professional and Industrial Cabinet Saws and the Contractor Saw are all available with 36” & 52” rip capacities, each with a T-Glide Fence. The Professional Cabinet Saw’s 30” rip capacity includes the Premium Fence, a smooth-gliding T-style aluminum fence. The Contractor Saw’s 30” rip capacity choice includes a 30” Standard Fence Assembly that locks on both the front and rear rail. The Jobsite Saw includes a Jobsite T-Glide, a field-weight aluminum T-style fence.

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.

No. Some users require 12” saws for depth of cut. However, most operators are simply seeking a heavy weight and powerful tool. The Industrial Cabinet Saw is the heaviest weight 10” saw on the market, and the most powerful. Most find that this suits their needs well, and choose to replace their 12” saw with a SawStop

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.

All cabinet saws purchased with a 230V motor will accommodate 208V power. The Contractor Saw and 1.75 Professional Cabinet Saw are pre-wired for 115V power but can be re-wired for 220-240V power, which will accept 208V power. The Jobsite Saw will not run on 208V power.

Yes, it comes with its own 110v plug.

The Industrial Cabinet Saw does not include a power cord, and 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 3HP Professional Cabinet Saw does come with a power cord; it is a NEMA - 6-15 and is 9 feet long. This is a very common cord that can be easily replaced. There are instructions in the manual providing basic instructions on how to do this. The 1.75HP Professional Cabinet Saw, Contractor Saw, and Jobsite Saw all come with standard power cords.

Yes. The Jobsite Pro Saw #JSS-120A60 includes a mobile cart in the saw box. The Industrial and Professional Cabinet Saws, as well as the Contractor Saw, each offer optional mobile bases. See our Build & Price tool to view all saw options and images.

SawStop does not offer a router. Our RT-LFT router lift accommodates the most common stationary routers on the market in the US and Canada. The lift does not support plunge routers.

-Length (Front to Back)= 235.4mm +.25mm/-0.0mm

-Width (Left to Right) = 298.65mm +0.25mm/-0.0mm

-Corner Radius = 19mm +/- 0.3mm

-Cast Iron Recess Depth = 12mm +0.1mm/-0.0mm

-Phenolic Recess Depth is 11.4mm

The Large Sliding Table (TSA-SA70) was engineered with a focus on Industrial Woodworkers who are looking to cut down a high volume of larger, heavy sheet-goods (Maximum crosscut capacity 70”).

The Sliding Crosscut Table (TSA-SA48) is designed for smaller, more precise crosscuts. While it can accommodate large sheets, it is not designed for higher volume sheet good cuts. (Maximum crosscut capacity 48”).

The In-Line Router Table configurations are compatible only with the Industrial Mobile Base. The Contractor Saw’s mobile base is not compatible with the In-Line Router Table.

Maximum router diameter – 4.20”, Minimum router diameter – 3.25”. If the router is significantly smaller than the diameter of the clamp, use the router reducer collar so the clamp can hold the router more securely. Reducer collars come in 3.5” and 3.25”. We don’t have a recommended router, but hope these specifications will provide what you need.

There is a dust port integrated into the router table fence - with a 2 ½” port - as well as an optional dust collection box with a 2 ½” inlet port for the fence dust tube, and a 4” outlet port for below-table collection.

The router lift plate opening is a standard 9.25” x 11.75”. If you choose, you can provide your own router lift solution to fit that size. Standard Woodpecker and JessEm American lifts fit our table. Standard American size vs European size, which is different. Rockler Bench Dog does NOT fit as it is a proprietary size. They may be changing this in the future, but as of now, it will not work with ours.

Yes. Reducer Collars are included in the box with the RT-LFT router lift.

No. However, SawStop offers a Sliding Crosscut Table attachment and a Large Sliding Table. They are engineered to fit most SawStop cast-iron saw configurations. Learn more here.

For Professional Cabinet Saw Owners

For Industrial Cabinet Saw Owners

Yes. SawStop saws support 8” dado stacks. 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 stack.

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 (example: diamond blades). 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. However, most coated blades do not cover the blade teeth. Those blades may be used on SawStop saws. Further, blades with depth-limiting shoulders may take longer to stop in the event of an accident than standard blades, and you could receive a more serious injury. Therefore, SawStop recommends using blades without depth-limiting shoulders.

SawStop recommends only using 8” stacked dado sets, with a maximum thickness of 13/16”. “Wobble” dado sets are not recommended, as they may not engage correctly with the dado brake cartridge. Do not use dado sets with solid-plate interior chippers or blades with molding heads, as neither brake cartridge is designed to stop those blade types.

The vast majority of commercially-available blades are accurate to their advertised diameter, and work well in SawStop saws. If your blade is larger or smaller than the advertised size, SawStop cast-iron saws allow for some adjustability of the blade/brake gap to accommodate. Jobsite Saw blade/brake gap is not adjustable, so users should not operate blades more than 1/16th inch diameter over the specified blade size. Never use a blade that does not “clear” the aluminum brake pawl.

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 cartridge. The dado cartridge is designed for use with 8” dado sets up to 13/16” wide.

Check out the Build and Price feature and price out the saw that fits your needs.

SawStop products are available for purchase in the following regions:

-North America: US, Canada

-Asia: China, Mongolia, South Korea, and Taiwan

-Central/South America: Mexico, Brazil, Belize, Guatemala, Honduras El Salvador, Nicaragua, Costa Rica, Panama, Colombia, and Ecuador.

-Australia, New Zealand

-Middle East: Kuwait, Saudi Arabia, United Arab Emirates, Oman, Qatar, and Bahrain

-South Africa

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.

Replacement parts for your saw can be attained at your local dealer or online at our parts store.