# I bought a SawStop JSS-MCA



## Tennessee (Jul 8, 2011)

I don't own this saw, but I have a couple questions:

Did you get a chance to look at one of these before you bought? And if you did, was that miter loose or did you possibly just get a bad one?

The other question is one that I have wondered about. Since this is a contractor's saw, it seems that the likelihood of having to cut damp or at least high moisture dimensional lumber is very high. It is not unusual for a contractor to get to a site and find that it rained the night before, without the structure being closed in, or the load of lumber was dumped by the supplier and maybe tarped, maybe not. Either way, what does SawStop say about cutting lumber that is damp or with a very high moisture content either on the surface from the weather, or just because it was a fast growth tree that was taken as soon as possible? Will it trigger the safety mechanism?

Thanks in advance…


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## TheWoodRaccoon (Nov 9, 2015)

> I don t own this saw, but I have a couple questions:
> 
> Did you get a chance to look at one of these before you bought? And if you did, was that miter loose or did you possibly just get a bad one?
> 
> ...


Cutting very wet wood above a certain moisture content can set off the saw. Also, just because it's a "Jobsite" saw doesnt mean that it will be exposed to "Jobsite" conditions. You don't have to be a contractor to buy or own a contractor or jobsite saw…..


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## johnstoneb (Jun 14, 2012)

Do you have the contractors saw or the jobsite saw. The picture you posted is the jobsite saw. I have the contractor's saw. I have not seen the perceived problems you seem to have. I had an Incra miter guage so just put that on the saw because has the adjustment to tighten in the miter slot. The table is the same size as the 113 craftsman I replaced. That seems to be pretty close to the industry standard.

Tennessee: Sawstop says high moisture will set the cartridge off and you can bypass the safety if you need to.
In bypass mode if the material is to wet the saw will shut down.


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## Dark_Lightning (Nov 20, 2009)

> Do you have the contractors saw or the jobsite saw. The picture you posted is the jobsite saw. I have the contractor s saw. I have not seen the perceived problems you seem to have. I had an Incra miter guage so just put that on the saw because has the adjustment to tighten in the miter slot. The table is the same size as the 113 craftsman I replaced. That seems to be pretty close to the industry standard.
> 
> Tennessee: Sawstop says high moisture will set the cartridge off and you can bypass the safety if you need to.
> In bypass mode if the material is to wet the saw will shut down.
> ...


I updated my original post to clarify that it is the Job Site Saw. This saw is going to be a "princess" in the garage, not taken to job sites. I want it for cutting dry wood only. The fact that I can stow it also helps, in my tiny work space.


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## MrRon (Jul 9, 2009)

Job site or contractors saws were not designed to do precision work. Sure you can use them everywhere, but don't expect it to perform like a cabinet saw. You can work around some of the short comings of those saws by creative solutions, but it will never replace all the positive attributes of a full featured cabinet saw.


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## Dark_Lightning (Nov 20, 2009)

Looks like I made a mistake, then. I'll overcome that with carefully made sleds. Unfortunately, I just do not have the room for a cabinet saw. If I did, that is what I would have bought.


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## bbasiaga (Dec 8, 2012)

On my brother's example of this saw, the fence is very straight, repeatable and accurate. The saw blade is very well aligned with the miter slot, it holds its elevation and angles very well. He built a cross cut sled right away, so I don't know about his miter gauge. It can produce very accurate, repeatable work. It does have some shortcomings compared to models with larger tables and heavier bases, but to say it can't do precision work is incorrect.

I don't think you made a mistake, or preempted any future excellent projects. You just made some tradeoffs to save space. World of difference there.

-Brian


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## CyberDyneSystems (May 29, 2012)

One of my first purchases as a contractor back int eh 1980's was a tiny P.O.S. bench-top direct drive table saw, for about $150.00 new in a clearance dept. It truly was about the worst "tablesaw" ever made. And yet, with some patience and set up, it was my only table saw for about 3 years, and I forced it to do the job of a cabinet saw on a few occasions.

First stop was as you did, made a very good custom sled for accurate cross cutting.

Next was an improved fence solution, the stock one was in fact useless. For me this was simply an "L" or "angle iron" shaped fence made from good quality cabinet grade play that I could clamp in place.

Auxiliary in-feed, outfeed and left of the fence support was next, I used a system of home made custom built wooden horses to hold everything at the right height and allow me to push 4×8 sheets of plywood through this tiny saw.

It lasted until i gave it away with the sled to a small theatre that was soldiering on trying to do rip cuts with a Craftsman Radial Arm Saw (scary!!!)

The worst incident I had with it was in fact one of those times I was trying to use it to cut plywood,. very painful kickback in the gut. that the little POS saw could move a heavy sheet of plywood that hard was a surprise,. and I'll never try that again with a bench-top saw. Instead I went back to the tried and true "Sawhorses, straight edge and good quality handheld circular saw" for panel cutting on location. If you have any aspiration for working with panels, I'd look into the modern equivalent, a track saw for that, and don;t try to use the benchtop saw.

Being a "table saw guy" I can't imagine life without a cabinet saw now,. I have a 1940's unisaw in the basement, and a industrial SawStop at work.


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## CyberDyneSystems (May 29, 2012)

As for fitting a miter gauge, even with old glorious Unisaws of yore, we used to have to "fit" the miter gauge to the slot. Now you can buy them with adjustable widths, but one used to use a punch and hammer to enlarge spots on the side of the miter gauge rail until it was a better fit.

a nice video to show the trick;


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## Dark_Lightning (Nov 20, 2009)

> One of my first purchases as a contractor back int eh 1980 s was a tiny P.O.S. bench-top direct drive table saw, for about $150.00 new in a clearance dept. It truly was about the worst "tablesaw" ever made. And yet, with some patience and set up, it was my only table saw for about 3 years, and I forced it to do the job of a cabinet saw on a few occasions.
> 
> First stop was as you did, made a very good custom sled for accurate cross cutting.
> 
> ...


I had an old RAS that would wander when I made cuts. Sold it for scrap. Some call that sacrilege, I call it making sure I have square cuts.

I checked blade runout today. .002" TIR. As I get time, I will check for parallel of the blade and the tracks. I'm expecting it to be good, as it is brand new. But I will still check, because that is how I am. The old table saw I had dialed in to within .004". I need to get some HDPE to make slides for the cross cut sled. Picking that up tomorrow.

Maybe I should start another thread, but let's see how it goes with a question here, before I do. Has anyone here put an Incra fence on their SawStop? I got one cheap, it is all there and works. But the guys at WoodCraft didn't know about doing that.

Oh, yeah- I have a long clamping bar from that I use for sheet goods. I saw that the guys demonstrating the saw were cutting a sheet of plywood, but I'm not going to do that.


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## htl (Mar 24, 2015)

Here's what I did to help the fence.
It's for the Dewalt but still should help.
http://lumberjocks.com/projects/171410


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## loupitou06 (Apr 17, 2009)

Hi,

I hope I can help with your second problem. I have used a Bosh 4100 for many years and initially suffered from the same issue of having too little room in front of the blade. Most cross-cut sleds are designed for cabinet saws with more space in front of the blade.

However I found that this particular design of cross-cut sled to work very well with your constrain - I no longer own the Bosch 4100 so I can't share the picture of the sled but here is a picture I found online :










I used 1/2 plywood for the base, a hardwood runner and a jointed piece of hardwood for the "fence", you build it larger that necessary and then trim it with the blade you use most and now you lead the wood by the fence to the blade. Once the wood is past the blade, the sled supports it.

Let me know if you need more details


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## Dark_Lightning (Nov 20, 2009)

> I don t own this saw, but I have a couple questions:
> 
> Did you get a chance to look at one of these before you bought? And if you did, was that miter loose or did you possibly just get a bad one?
> 
> ...


ooops- looks I didn't respond to you directly. I didn't check that the miter gauge fit well. Guess I had stars in my eyes at the moment. Anyway, I have an Incra 1000 HD miter gauge that I adjusted to fit the slots. I did have to dress the ends of the slots with a mill file to let the miter gauge pass with minimal interference. Any work I do, I don't want the wood to wiggle around and end up with worse saw marks than necessary, even if I do have a drum sander to clean the marks up. The miter gauge would resist at the ends, and I took off from .006" to .010" to clean them up, but only at the very ends, maybe half inch in from the edge. That would be from the forming process, I guess, or maybe excess powder coat at the edges. The miter gauge slides like butter across the entire range, so I'm good. I'm making a sled so that I will be able to have a longer entry to the start of the blade. The first cuts I wanted to make with my new saw, I could not do, because the pieces are 9-5/8" wide- the width of my new carving tool chest. I think I mentioned 9-3/8" elsewhere, that is a typo.


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## ThomasPittman (May 30, 2013)

I agree with a few of the above comments. I've looked at this saw and was told the same. It has the Sawstop brake technology, but its a jobsite saw. You can use it wherever you want, but its still classed as a jobsite saw, which is designed to certain specs, which is not comparable with high price cabinet saws. If the cheaper saw was as good as the expensive saws, who would buy the expensive ones?


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## dday (Jun 27, 2014)

That has been the problems with all three contractor/job site saws that I have owned. I just don't have room in my 9' x 9' shop for anything bigger. You have to either adjust your miter gauge with tape or pinging of dress the slot to make it smoother. I've not have any that didn't wiggle from the factory. The fences are finicky at best, horrible at worst, and I'm always jealous of the youtubers who can slide the fence to the tape for a X inch cut.  
The short throat has always been an issue too, one that I've not found a solution to. Making a sled doesn't really work, but less than half of it is supported when pulled out in front of the blade….


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## roman (Sep 28, 2007)

is there a saw out there that keeps yours and your employees fingers employees digits on

what does it cost if four of then are removed ?

not just yours

but theirs

perspective has its benefits


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## Dark_Lightning (Nov 20, 2009)

> I agree with a few of the above comments. I ve looked at this saw and was told the same. It has the Sawstop brake technology, but its a jobsite saw. You can use it wherever you want, but its still classed as a jobsite saw, which is designed to certain specs, which is not comparable with high price cabinet saws. If the cheaper saw was as good as the expensive saws, who would buy the expensive ones?
> 
> - ThomasPittman


I agree with your points. I have the mechanical ability to even modify the miter slots, if that was required, to align the blade and the slots to an arbitrary level of precision. This saw had a couple of shortcomings, but they are minor. Rattling miter gauge? I had already bought a better one for my old table saw, but the miter gauge slots weren't deep enough! I have yet to check the blade to slot angularity, but the cuts I have made so far are square, using a Starrett double square to check. I haven't quantified that, yet.


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## Dark_Lightning (Nov 20, 2009)

> That has been the problems with all three contractor/job site saws that I have owned. I just don t have room in my 9 x 9 shop for anything bigger. You have to either adjust your miter gauge with tape or pinging of dress the slot to make it smoother. I ve not have any that didn t wiggle from the factory. The fences are finicky at best, horrible at worst, and I m always jealous of the youtubers who can slide the fence to the tape for a X inch cut.
> The short throat has always been an issue too, one that I ve not found a solution to. Making a sled doesn t really work, but less than half of it is supported when pulled out in front of the blade….
> 
> - dday


I have about 64 square feet to work in, with the saw. I have to move things around just to use a particular tool. There is a never-used Legacy ornamental mill that I'm only using as a stand for my Record lathe, at the moment. I'll probably end up selling it to gain the space, and build a swiveling stand that stows the lathe when I'm not using it…which I have yet to complete a project on, in spite of having had it for 6 years. I'm working down the "honey-do" list, and will get to it before I die. I hope.

My plan for the sled is a couple of aluminum bars that I will put into the slots and anchor down so that a sled would be supported when off the table, proper. I already bought the aluminum, just need time in between all the other stuff I have on my plate. But that is only necessary for wider pieces, not all my stuff.


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## Tennessee (Jul 8, 2011)

Thanks for all the guys who answered my questions. I've been successfully using a Rigid 4512 for the last three years, but now that I am getting a bit older, (and a bit slower and forgetful), my hope is to some day get a nice cabinet saw, and the Sawstop safety system seems like a natural for an old horse that probably takes too many chances as it is. 
If I were to buy another saw, Sawstop would be right there, to be honest, so I thought I would ask since popping a cartridge is what, $65 bucks a shot?


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## Tim812 (Jan 25, 2016)

The Sawstop is almost double the price of other jobsite table saws ,do you think that the extra safety features and better quality justify the price? Guess my question really is if the Sawstop is overpriced or not.


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## Dark_Lightning (Nov 20, 2009)

I'd say that the safety feature is what drives the higher price. Looks like the same deal for the Bosch version. Their saw that looks the same as their blade-stopping version appears to be about $900 cheaper. While I am careful, and have yet to be injured by a table saw, (except for one minor kickback that the knicked my finger), I was in the market for a new saw, and sprang for the safety feature.

I will say that my SawStop was dead on square out of the box, and the blade has .002" TIR. I'm making a new tool chest (after flip-flopping on the materials and dimensions for months), and I can cut a side plate for that chest and have it square within .005" just with the stock fence. Pretty square, for my money. By the time I sand the edges, there is basically no taper. Since the drawers will be a piston-fit, I don't want to have to fiddle around with a parallelogram in any direction (within reason, of course).

Note that I have upgraded my review to 5 stars. As I use the saw, I'm finding that the placement of the tool tray and the overall ergonomics are excellent. There was a lot of thought put into the design. I used to design tools before I retired, so I have experience with having to look for ease of use and safety there, as well. This may be true with other new saws, but I haven't looked at any others since buying this one. I'm happy with it.


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## Willowman (Mar 26, 2016)

Dark_Lightning,

I have had access to friends $9000+ sliding saws and big Powermatics, but I moved. Now my little garage shop (and my bank account) wont accommodate those wonderful and accurate saws. I was looking at a Delta Hybrid, but when the Sawstop JSS showed up on CL for the same price, I went for it.

Luckily, I got an amazing deal because the front and back fence rails and far right aluminum tabletop were damaged by a forklift in the crate during delivery to the original purchaser. I assume they got a replacement saw, and this one went into the land of damaged and returned merchandise. Aside from the damage, it is brand new.

The people at Sawstop are being very helpful figuring out the parts needed for the repair, and it looks like the parts will run me $150-$200 to bring it back to new condition. As long as I have to replace the rails and table extension though, I thought I would also look into alternative fence systems that might work on this saw to improve accuracy and ease of use. Like you, mobility was not my priority in buying this saw. I just decided to sacrifice the benefits of a hybrid or cabinet saw in order to get the safety features of the Sawstop.

Have you played with the stock fence? Maybe a good sled and upgraded Miter Gauge would be enough? My budget is not unlimited, or I think I would buy the smaller Incra Fence to play with, assuming it bolts on ok. Have you found anything out about that or tried mounting yours? IT looks like the JSS's table extension is supported by the rails, so without having the Incra rails in my hand, I cannot tell if it would all bolt up ok. It does look like the extended rails wont mess with folding the saw up for storage that much, since when the cart folds, the rails will just point straight up in the air.

The options I am currently considering are:
1- Saving up for the Incra Fence ($400?) It seems BIG though, for this size saw.
2- Buying stock parts ($150-200)
3- Buying a Rossuau Portamax Jr 2600 if it fits ($155)
4- Maybe a Delta T3? ($185) I dont want it TOO big though, and weight may become an issue.

Any insights you have gained in owning this saw would be appreciated. I can't wait to bolt something on and make sawdust.

Thanks in advance.

Although I have been lurking here on Lumberjocks for the last year in order to research used saws and opinions, this is my first post as a member. If I should communicate my questions to you in another manner outside of this discussion, just let me know.


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## Dark_Lightning (Nov 20, 2009)

First, welcome to LJs! You know how great it is here, if you've been lurking.

I had an Incra Miter 1000 HD that I bought many years ago. It works great on this saw.

I made a "throat deepener" out of aluminum that I have yet to post. That will be in a different thread. I want to get a picture of it, but haven't done that. It lays in the slots and I have a larger sled that has HDPE rails routed in the bottom that ride on the aluminum bars that fit in the slots. It is dead-on.

The stock fence is, so far, dead parallel to the rails and the blade. I have no problem making cuts parallel when using it. Of course, with wear, that may be an issue, but I expect that to be many years from now.

As far as communication, here is fine. I don't see a lot of people posting about the JSS, so having the information available "in the open" is better, I think. Maybe a new thread that talks about what we've done to make the saw do things outside what it was meant to do?


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## Willowman (Mar 26, 2016)

Good idea about the new thread. I will get that going soon. It will be a good way to get started here at LJ and a good way to consolodate info about this cool saw.

I would love to see the Throat deepener and sled set up. I assume that is to make up for the lack of table in front of the blade?

As for the incra, It sounds like you use it AND the stock fence. How do you switch back and forth without swapping the rails? I really cant decide if I should stop trying to reinvent the wheel like I usually do, and just buy the Sawstop replacement parts. Maybe they designed it really well to tight tolerances. Tight enough for me anyway. That thin aluminum tube fence just doesnt "feel" as solid as any of the other aftermarket ones I have used. To be fair though, I have not been able to make a single cut on the Sawstop without making the repairs first. Let me start that other thread, so all of this can start off there. How do I link you in?


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## Willowman (Mar 26, 2016)

I started the other thread over in the Power Tool Forums.

Once it shows up, it is called:

*Sawstop Jobsite Saw (JSS) as a Shop Saw*

I copied relevant info from our discussion over there to get things started.


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## CyberDyneSystems (May 29, 2012)

> The Sawstop is almost double the price of other jobsite table saws ,do you think that the extra safety features and better quality justify the price? Guess my question really is if the Sawstop is overpriced or not.
> 
> - Tim812


I'd pay a few thousand to keep my fingers. So my answer is no, not over priced for what it can do for you. that said, affordability is relative. When i was younger I would have found SawStop boldly over priced.

Fortunately, no, I've never contacted a table saw blade. Nor have any of the dozens of students I have taught how to use a table saw (knocks on every kind of wood he can find in the shop) 
I use and teach methods that should essentially eliminate the possibility of contacting the blade without some form of catastrophic Clouseau-esque bumbling taking place. Feather-boards, (HIGHLY recommend the instantly set up MagSwitch) shop made push sticks, guards that work and/or a riving knife, etc.

For an educational application, the SawStop is almost the only TS one should buy under any circumstance, so it was a no brainer here. What I was not expecting was the additional benefits of a very well designed saw. Next to the old Unisaw the ICS is lite-years ahead. Better fence, more powerful motor, better miter gauge, better fit and finish, better placement of switches, over head guard that not only really works well, but is immediately removable and replaceable, with a riving knife for operations where the guard would not work.

So IMHO it was worth every penny.


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