# another vote for SawStop



## controlfreak (Jun 29, 2019)

I was cross cutting some plywood for french cleats and went to turn off the saw before reaching over to clear some wood off the saw. My mind told me something doesn't seem right. With hearing protection and dust collection running it is hard to hear the saw. That is when I looked at what I did, I missed the off switch and pressed the locking lever to my rip fence stored next to the switch. It felt very much the same as the off switch. I need to watch that from now on


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## Redoak49 (Dec 15, 2012)

A lesson learned.


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## controlfreak (Jun 29, 2019)

At least I didn't learn a lesson the hard way.


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## bndawgs (Oct 21, 2016)

So did you touch the blade?


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## rad457 (Jun 15, 2013)

? The off switch on my Delta is a big red paddle, how can something like that be mistaken for the the lever lock on the fence, just sayin The old saying comes to mind, make everything idiot proof and you create a world of idiots
That said I have used a few Sawstops and while they are IMO a good saw, taking the cost verse function into consideration the chance of one finding its way into my shop are very small.


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## controlfreak (Jun 29, 2019)

> So did you touch the blade?
> 
> - Steve


No blade touch thank God. It kind of scared me in that once I feel the switch click I am thinking it will be stopped after wind down. So juggling cut offs and such I had intended to have the saw off for safety's sake so I guess it could happen. It was just a second of confusion after I knew I had hit the switch. Why am I hearing that noise? Wait, why is the blade spinning?


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## GR8HUNTER (Jun 13, 2016)

> ? The off switch on my Delta is a big red paddle,* how can something like that be mistaken for the the lever lock on the fence, just sayin* The old saying comes to mind, make everything idiot proof and you create a world of idiots
> 
> - Andre


+1


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## controlfreak (Jun 29, 2019)

> ? The off switch on my Delta is a big red paddle, how can something like that be mistaken for the the lever lock on the fence, just sayin The old saying comes to mind, make everything idiot proof and you create a world of idiots
> 
> - Andre


It was kind of the perfect storm. I have the stop switch well marked but the rack that holds the rip fence places the lever right next to the stop switch with the same shape and feel. My cross cut sled was blocking my sight line so I just reached under to press it. It would never have occured to me that I could find something with the exact feel and motion literally two inches from the stop switch. So by my logic if I couldn't see that coming there may be other things I don't see. Bottom line is that even though I am trying to be very careful I could have screwed up. I will now make a point to watch the blade stop before moving on to the next task.


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## SMP (Aug 29, 2018)

Yeah maybe i am misunderstanding something and the point of this post. If the off switch is poorly designed wouldn't that be a vote AGAINST it, and a vote for the $30 paddleswitch on Amazon?


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## John_ (Sep 23, 2013)

I am having a hard time visualizing this, not being a saw stop owner. So I went to their website and it looks like all their saws except the jobsite saw, has a big red paddle. The jobsite saw has a toggle type switch. Which sawstop do you own?


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## therealSteveN (Oct 29, 2016)

I'd be painting the 6" x 12" *OFF* paddle a bright *RED* color. I think you could leave the locking lever alone. Hopefully that difference wouldn't be overlooked.

Seriously. if you are mixing them up. one of them (the switch) needs to get changed, moved, or something.

I've heard a lot of saw stories in my day, never that one though. Be careful out there.


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## controlfreak (Jun 29, 2019)

> Yeah maybe i am misunderstanding something and the point of this post. If the off switch is poorly designed wouldn't that be a vote AGAINST it, and a vote for the $30 paddleswitch on Amazon?
> 
> - SMP


The switch shape, fence lever combined with fence storage location could probably a better design but I may be asking too much from a cheap Kobalt jobsite saw. I am looking into a better saw and am looking at the cost difference between sawstop TS and a equivalent saw without. I then need to do some soul searching to determine if that difference in cost is "worth" the insurance it gives me for an errant moment. I am not convinced an octagon stop paddle would have helped here. I don't feel around the switch for shape but merely press where I perceive the switch to be with two fingers. When I felt that familiar click along with the same travel movement I incorrectly "knew" I had hit the switch.


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## controlfreak (Jun 29, 2019)

Sorry I guess the title was a bit misleading or poorly chosen. What I meant to convey was after this incident happened it caused me to mentally place a check mark in the "pro" sawstop column to offset the "con" column next to price. I didn't mean for it to taken as I own a sawstop.


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## controlfreak (Jun 29, 2019)

> I d be painting the 6" x 12" *OFF* paddle a bright *RED* color. I think you could leave the locking lever alone. Hopefully that difference wouldn t be overlooked.
> 
> - therealSteveN


Color is irrelevant here as I couldn't see the switch that was blocked by my crosscut sled. If I had been able to see it I would never have had this happen. I routinely hit the switch with my knee but this time my sled had me back enough to where a knee tap would have been awkward. I will try to post a picture of the layout to clarify what I am talking about.


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## Underdog (Oct 29, 2012)

I thought, like everyone else, that you were working on your Sawstop and couldn't find that bright red paddle switch. I was thinking "Really?!! how in the world did you do that????"

Turns out you were working on a completely different saw and realized that with the SawStop you would not have had this problem. Therefore a Vote *for* Sawstop. +1 here.

I have the SawStop contractor model with the upgraded 36" fence. And I love it.

First the handle on the 36" upgrade fence isn't *anything* like the paddle switch. Well. they're both Red but that's about the extent of their similarities.

And second, the paddle switch and the fence locking handle are on *opposite* sides of the blade.

Third, the paddle switch is bright red and big enough you cannot possibly miss it. Indeed on the pro-models at my previous employer's (plural) shops you easily could bump the paddle switch with your knee…

So for those whose hobby is to hate on Sawstop for the mis-perceived reasons above, you really need to go find another hobby. You just exposed your extreme bias against a good saw- for no reason but ignorance.


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## controlfreak (Jun 29, 2019)

> So if you hate on Sawstop for the mis-perceived reasons above, you really need to go find another hobby. You just exposed your extreme bias against a good saw- for no reason but ignorance.
> 
> - Underdog


You are being a bit harsh there. I was saying that I am considering investing in SawStop and this odd event put a checkmark in the column justifying the SawStop safety features. Like many I am having to deal with a budget vs safety technology I may never need however if I needed it only once it will pay me a big dividend.

Underdog, I don't know where you pulled that I am "hating" sawstop from, maybe I phrased something poorly I don't know. I was drooling over SawStop saws in Woodcraft just over a week ago.


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## Underdog (Oct 29, 2012)

Sorry controlfreak, I realized that you might take that as being addressed to you when it wasn't. I can understand how that might make you feel.
I had already edited that comment to reflect that before you posted…as well as acknowledged the fact that you were voting FOR the Sawstop. 
See edited post above.

I was really addressing all those naysayers who wouldn't own a SS if it were given to them and who answered you out of spite for the SS.


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## Underdog (Oct 29, 2012)

I mean, you didn't say ANYTHING about a Kobalt saw until post #11. Seriously. Most of us thought you were talking about a Sawstop until then…


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## Woodmaster1 (Apr 26, 2011)

I don't like the sawstop (lol) it cost $80 at my woodworking club shop two weeks ago when I set it off. I didn't double check how close the miter was when adjusting the blade to 45 missed it by a 1/16". The club has a policy if you set it off for whatever reason cost you $80 the price of a new cartridge. It has saved three club members fingers the only thing I saved was another notch in my miter gage.


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## controlfreak (Jun 29, 2019)

> I mean, you didn t say ANYTHING about a Kobalt saw until post #11. Seriously. Most of us thought you were talking about a Sawstop until then…
> 
> - Underdog


That was me not thinking again (could be a pattern). As I saw the replies with pictures of sawstop saws I realized my F up. I was all set to get the jobsite sawstop saw so I can rollout for longer rips but now I am thinking of getting the contractor pro if I can build a deck with a minimal transition to get the saw out. The larger shop is on hold with my daughter getting married in June. it is a destination wedding too so this virus really has me worried.


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## tvrgeek (Nov 19, 2013)

If the control is confusing with the fence when stored, blind feel etc, move where you store the fence.


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## controlfreak (Jun 29, 2019)

> If the control is confusing with the fence when stored, blind feel etc, move where you store the fence.
> 
> - tvrgeek


Now that I am aware of the potential I will be more deliberate on how I turn off and verify. On the Kobalt the built in fence holder is fixed so it is there if stored on the saw and nearby if not there.


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## controlfreak (Jun 29, 2019)

Okay since I am home I can do what I probably should have done from the get go, include a picture.









If you look at the lower left of the saw you can see the blue lever for the rip fence next to the saws yellow stop button. Then imagine the crosscut sled on top pulled back to block the sight line of both. The angle of both and feel are dead on the same. Sorry if I made this that seemed so straight forward in my mind so difficult to convey in words so I hope the picture helps. Yes I think it is bad design but as I said earlier it was what I called the perfect storm. I would venture to guess that I may be the only user of this saw to encounter this.


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