SawStop to debut new table saw at AWFS

Professional Cabinet Saw will be available in two setups and comes with braking safety and dust-collection systems

A new model has been added to SawStop’s line of table saws, which all feature a patented braking safety system that instantly stops the saw blade from spinning in the event of human contact. The Professional Cabinet Saw will make its official debut in August at the AWFS Fair in Las Vegas. The saw boasts a 3-hp motor and an adjustable glide T-fence and will be available in 36" and 52" configurations. It also has a newly designed dust shroud, among other features.

SawStop marketing director Mark Pennington says the company wanted to extend its innovative safety technology to professional woodworkers and hobbyists at an affordable price compared to the company’s larger industrial saw.

“At a price under $3,000, the new Professional Cabinet Saw compares very closely in price to many other cabinet saws on the market. Customers considering a new cabinet saw have a new and safer choice in the SawStop Professional Cabinet Saw.”

Pennington says the new saw doesn’t replace the need for the company’s existing models. An architectural millwork specialist who works with a lot of hardwoods, for example, views the table saw as a crucial part of his operation and he still needs an industrial cabinet saw. Alternately, another model, the SawStop Contractor’s 1-3/4-hp motor saw is smaller and lighter than the new saw and more ideal for job-site work.

“But for somebody who may be cutting lighter stock and smaller pieces, or upgrading from a smaller saw, this would be a great saw for them.”

In 2000, inventor Steve Gass developed the award-winning braking system, which stops the blade within five milliseconds when it detects that the blade has contacted the operator’s skin. The system has prevented hundreds of serious accidents for woodworkers in thousands of businesses, schools and homes across North America, according to the company. Pennington says SawStop has registered 550 confirmed finger saves since the saws were introduced to the market in 2004.

Another highlight is the new advanced dust-collection system, which Pennington says is superior to many other saws on the market.

“We’ve done a lot of work looking at what’s going on from a particle and airflow perspective when the blade is in motion and it’s cutting wood, and we learned that it’s very turbulent. So we added a new dust shroud that turns the air into a directed stream. The air is then directed to a 4" port at the rear of the saw.”

Other standard features include a quick-release zero-clearance insert, a hands-free on/off paddle and a tool-free blade guard/riving knife system.

The Professional Cabinet Saw with a 36" fence system sells for $2,899. It sells for $2,999 with a 52" fence system. An optional integrated mobile base can be added to either configuration. SawStop is now taking orders for the saw, which will begin shipping in August.

Contact: SawStop LLC, 9564 S.W. Tualatin Road, Tualatin, OR 97062. Tel: 503-570-3200. www.sawstop.com

This article originally appeared in the July 2009 issue.