Not blacksmithing, though still safety

[Marc]

So? Has anyone ponied up for this? It is amazing technology, and the points about it being cheaper than a lost finger are valid. I've read about it, and it does work exactly as advertised. It's also been rated as an excellent saw with or without the safety feature.

But it also has a potential for false triggers. If only working with dry wood, probably you'll never have this problem. I just get occasional use of my saw, and sometimes need to cut up pressure treated, damp, whatever. A false trigger not only puts you out around $200, but puts you out of business until you get it fixed.

I could see this in a cabinet shop. I would probably make it mandatory if I were running a shop. But I would seriously think hard about putting these in schools. While the immediate value is pretty clear, I would worry more about a false sense of security. Once these students hit the streets, the SawStop may not be the saw they end up using. Would it be better to really teach safety? Luckily, I'm not in such a position to decide what tools go where. This would be a tough decision to make.

But since I'm just an occasional wood mangler, I'm scared enough of my saw to be pretty careful. My only close call so far was due to a kickback, which this saw can't help with. No stitches in that one, but I'm still a little scarred and have a numb spot on my thumb.

By the way, I think it's not conductance it senses, but capacitance. Something like, or maybe exactly like, those touch lamps.