Home > Tool Review

SawStop Contractor Table Saw

There's no question that SawStop gets a lot of press.  No other table saw has had as much written about it in the past several years.  Most of what's written about it surrounds the electronic braking system.  The real stumbling block with this saw is the price. At almost $3000 for their cabinet saw, it's out of the price range for many.  As I stated, a lot has been written about this saw, and the reviews that I've read have overwhelmingly been positive.  It's a solid saw that has the safety advantage of having an electronic braking system.  By the way, if you haven't seen the hot dog demo, go to the SawStop website to see the braking system in action.  It's nothing short of impressive!  So why doesn't everyone rush out and get one of these saws?  Again, that whole thing with money remember?  Well, SawStop is introducing a contractor style table saw later this year that will be about half the cost of it's cabinet saw.  But that's still $1500 for a very basic saw which crowns it as the most expensive contractor saw on the market.  It's definitely a call you'll have to make if you're in the market for a table saw.  I don't own one and have never used one, (but did get a close up look at one during my interview with Rick Pop who loves his SawStop).  Glen Huey. an editor for one of my favorite magazines, Popular Woodworking, wrote a piece on his experience using a SawStop while teaching classes at a local Woodcraft store.  Read Glen's article before you go out and buy one of these saws.  His opinion may surprise you! 

-Craig Stevens

  2007