# Review of the Woodcraft Anti Kickback Safety Rollers



## jap

Thanks for the review, I've been thinking about getting them for my saw.


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## mpounders

I've had mine for over 20 years and I also think they are great. I feel a bit safer when I rip boards.


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## steve_in_ohio

jap, I would definitely get them, I just attached a 2×4 to my fence and put a t-track into it and used the bolts and wing nuts to attach it, I already had the t-track and bolts so I didn't see spending the extra money to get the actual track that goes with these.


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## lumberjoe

These do not prevent kickback, they prevent pushback. There is a big difference. Push backs generally arent that bad. A kickback is when the piece makes contact with the back of the bade and is tossed backward. Only a riving knife is really going to help you there.

Also how the hell do you use a push stick with these? that picture looks like an incredibly dangerous cut/


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## steve_in_ohio

lumberjoe, for a push stick you have to use one that is short in height and pushes the material at the front instead of the back, when I used these the first time I just used a piece of 2×2 to push the piece thru, there is actually more room under the arm of the roller than the picture shows, I have a good 3 inches under them while cutting a 1" board, so there can be room for a push stick. Also I don't think anything will 100% prevent kickback but these keep the board against the fence and not let it go toward the blade and they don't roll backwards, so if set up correctly they will reduce the chance of kickback. Like I said above, anything less than 2" is too thin to use these rollers, I agree that the picture is not the greatest in showing this


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## wormil

Bet these would take a little getting used to but I'd like to try them someday. Kickback is preventable, it just takes diligence.


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## 111

I could see using them for certain cuts. 
I would take the back roller and move it in front of the front roller so that you could use a normal push stick to get the material past the blade. 
Myself, I wouldn't be using it as a kickback preventative but just to help hold material down and a little extra pull towards the fence.


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## steve_in_ohio

KevinJeffery, I agree, but with my old table saw, something is better than nothing.


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## 111

Don't get me wrong Steve. 
To each his own. If they work for you, however you use them, then right on. 
I was just saying how I would use them.


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## lj61673

*"These do not prevent kickback, they prevent pushback. There is a big difference. Push backs generally arent that bad. A kickback is when the piece makes contact with the back of the bade and is tossed backward. Only a riving knife is really going to help you there.
Also how the hell do you use a push stick with these? that picture looks like an incredibly dangerous cut"*

Correct, so much misinformation out there. It comes from ignorance about knowing what causes kickback. Only a riving knife, which is a physical metal barrier between the rip fence and saw blade, can prevent the wood from contacting and climbing up the back of the saw blade as it passes.

These items will NOT stop kickback. A 3HP tablesaw will pick up that piece of wood and rip those rollers right off the fence and throw them all back at you. At a very high rate of speed.


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## jimintx

I am always astonished at the absolute-truth approach that riving knife disciples take. If only I could add one on my 13 yr old Unisaw … !


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## CharlesA

While a riving knife is a better solution than a splitter for a number of reasons, won't a splitter also prevent kickback effectively?


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## lj61673

The difference is s splitter is a thin piece of metal, narrower than the kerf of the saw blade. It is designed to keep the cut piece of wood from closing on the blade. It keeps it "split" open. 
Because the splitter is narrower than the kerf it cannot prevent the wood from contacting the back of the blade as it passes. That is the cause of kickback.

Also a properly installed riving knife's height is set just below the height of the blade allowing it to be used on non thru cuts.


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## CharlesA

As I said, I recognize that riving knives have advantages over splitters, but I'm surprised at your assertions that splitters have no effect on possibility of kickback, particularly since there are different kinds of splitters--not all are a the piece of metal narrower than the saw kerf. Would I prefer to have a riving knife? Yes. Do I think my MJ Splitter Pro (two pieces that are not, in effect, narrower than the kerf) reduces possibility of kickback? Yes.


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## wormil

A riving knife is the same size until you change the blade.


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## lj61673

Whatever works for you. Looking at the MJ splitter I'd say the tabs were too far behind the blade to be effective. But that's just the pics I see on their website.

Any device that helps make things safer is a good thing, and I'm not advocating that everyone throw out their old saws and buy one with a riving knife. I'm just pointing out that just because a manufacturer these "anti kickback rollers" it does not make it so. They do not prevent kickback anymore than a Gripper or push stick does.


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