SawStop, the leader in table saw flesh-detection technology, makes a jobsite table saw, contractor table saw, and cabinet table saws. SawStop was acquired by Festool in mid-2017. (Technically, they were acquired by Festool’s parent company, TTS Tooltechnic Systems.)
Over at Coptool today, they posted an interesting sneak peek they caught via a Festool video.
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A screen-grab from the video, above, says 1000 words. But in case you want the full video, here it is:
A few years ago, there was a report that SawStop was developing a $400 table saw equipped with their flesh detection and brake technologies. However, that has not yet materialized.
If what is shown above is a SawStop-equipped Festool table saw that’s nearly ready to be announced in the [European] market, I can all but guarantee that it won’t be anywhere near $400 USD. Festool makes some great tools, but that quality doesn’t come cheap.
It should not come as a surprise that Festool developed a table saw featuring SawStop tech. After all, when the acquisition was announced, it was very clear that Festool would be utilizing SawStop’s active injury mitigation technology.
Using Google Translate, the video description says:
Our trainers are currently preparing for the Construction Fair so that they can answer any questions about the innovative SawStop technology. Experience the machine live at the construction fair from 4 to 8 February.
Oh, there are so many questions, the first two being: 1) will it be available in the USA?, and 2) how much will it cost?
So… we’re finally seeing a Festool table saw with SawStop tech. Thoughts?
Kudos to Coptool for breaking the story!
Chris
With free lifetime replacement blades!!!!
John
Sawstop was NOT acquired by Festool! Sawstop was bought by TTS Tooltechnic Systems AG & Co. KG which also happens to own many other companies, Festool being one of them.
Why does this nonsense get repeated over and over again.
Stuart
Most tool users know Festool but not TTS, and Festool is the only obvious brand that would be enhanced by the acquisition, and so I let myself be lazy about the distinction. I’ll add clarification soon, but the posts about the actual acquisiton have full details.
Jim Felt
John.
I’m curious why you feel so strongly about the holding company being acknowledged as the SawStop acquirer?
I’m pretty sure almost no one in NA knows their name or much cares.
Should we for some good and interesting reason?
No. Really. I’m (we’re?) curious.
Thanks.
EJ
My guess is he is just fed up with some certain user groups.
Chris
I’m in the us and everybody I talk to recognizes TTS. It’s ok if you are uninformed but don’t speak on behalf of orders please
T Hawk
I’m in the USA and heavily into manufacturing too, and hardly ever heard of them.
Jon
You do realize they say that in the article…
Stuart
I added the parenthetical clarification afterwards.
Billy
This is just business organization technicalities. TTS only exists because of Festool and are all still owned by the founding family. TTS is Festool.
Jon
Because functionally it’s the same damn thing: the fact that the companies are organised in some specific way for business purposes is irrelevant.
As far as the end user/customer is concerned, the company that makes Festool saws now owns Sawstop and will be using the technology in Festool saws.
Why should I care about the way they structure their business? As far as I’m concerned TTS/Festool/Sawstop are one company selling me one saw.
I don’t see anyone saying “No, McDonalds aren’t opening a store in Seattle, technically it’s the Seattle McFastFood franchise”… because nobody cares, it doesn’t matter.
Bolt
That’s one goofy looking saw though.
Arif
That is the setup for the never sold in the USA CMS system. It allows outfeeds, infeeds all sorts of crazy cool fences and equipment! It’s nuts!
Woohoo!!
NoDeuces
This makes my hotdog go oak.
Jim D
Yup… This ^ is already the best comment of 2019!
Karl
Better yet:
“That new Festool table saw makes me get wood!”
Josh
Wonder if it will be available in north America though. That table saw (minus the saw stop tech) has never been available here.
Conanthecarpenter
Yes, the lion’s share of Festool’s manufacturing is out of Germany; however, most SawStop saws and accessories are out of Taiwan. This would aid in a lower (by no means cheap, though) price point. I would guess we will see a variety of accessories (extended table, fence, attachable router table, outfeed support, etc.) right along side the launch. I’d give it another two years to hit the US market.
Jim Felt
I always think of Alexa as the forerunner of SkyNet. And John Connor. And Arnie. And then Boston Robotics.
Sorry.
Jim Felt
Oops. Boston “Dynamics”…
Marketing!
Paul
Amazon is SKYNET! LOL
MT_Noob
Another recent announcement by Festool/TTS (po-tay-toe, po-taw-toe) is that they acquired Shaper Origin. It will be interesting to see what that might yield down the road. I know the Shaper Origin might not be everyone’s cup of tea, however for those of us that jumped in and got one, it is nice to see a larger entity backing them up.
John S
Wow I didn’t know that, thats pretty big news. But I guess it isn’t that strange seeing as how closely Shaper has been working with Festool even incorporating their spindles and tech in their Origin CNC:
https://www.shapertools.com/blog/posts/july-2017-update
I had to look for the press release of that acquisition:
https://www.festoolusa.com/company/news/shaper-acquisition
Matt F
It is going to need some anti kick back pawls to come to the states. Is this an update on an existing saw? It looks different than their table saw with the crosscut pull function.
Arif
Although still roughly based on the CMS table it isn’t going to be powered by a flipped tracksaw that iis nserted as the CMS was. The CMS allowed multiple tool drop ins like router etc. If it was still modular and could actually use one table and swap out saw like CMS…that would be awesome!
Doug
That table saw design looks completely bizarre to me, as do other European table and miter saws I’ve seen. For example, why are there fence mounts on all four sides of the saw? And why such a narrow cutting surface?
Any table saw which can’t rip a sheet of plywood in half is completely useless to me. I realize they don’t use 4×8 sheets across he pond, but don’t they use the metric equivalent of 5×5, like the imported baltic birch one can find in the US? In that case one would need at least a 30” ripping capacity.
Nathan S
I would presume that since their portfolio includes pretty good track saws that can easily do the plywood ripping function, they might feel that the table saw is more useful for ripping dimensional lumber, as shown in the video.
SteveW
Nathan S is right, track saws are where it’s at for breaking down sheet goods, full stop. A full sheet of plywood on a table saw is dangerous, inaccurate, slower, and requires at least 128 square feet of space. If you’ve never tried one you owe it to yourself to give it a chance. My next move is to keep my old Sears radial arm saw, get rid of my table saw, and get a cordless track saw. That bit of kit and my mitre saw will fill all my needs for now.
ktash
Waiting patiently for the $400 saw.
Hell is starting to freeze over, I see.
ca
I’m pleased that I need not buy it.
Dave
I ask about the $400 table saw and why they misled everyone at the power tool safety committee meeting, every time I see one of their social media posts
ToolJunkie
A $400 core saw?
Yea, well if an MFT costs over $600 with a particle board top, a circular saw costs over $500 & a miter saw over $1500, then don’t hold your breath.
I’d venture to say it’s a pipe dream. You’d be better off buying the Saw Stop job site saw, unless they up the price on that, too.
Bolt
Chris Schwartz did have a great observation on Instagram about this: Of course the Germans put a hotdog in a dado for a sawstop demonstration.
SteveW
That went over my head, why is the connection of Germans, hotdogs, and dadoes a great observation?
TT
I think the idea is that the germans are so precise, they can’t just leave the hotdog on the board, they have to make a dado for it to hold it precisely
Jon
I love my Kpex and other festool tools but a rebranded SawStop is not of interest. Honestly the crap saw stop was pulling with trying to standardize their technology and create lawsuits against other table saws so they could charge a premium for their patent. Not only that but Bosh came out with a better idea that doesn’t cost an arm and a finger 😉 to replace the parts (way more than 10% different) and they some how win a lawsuit. So no, if it’s saw stop or rebranded, I won’t buy that junk. I hope festool didn’t over pay those jerks.
Jon
Sorry TTS for those it matters to
James
I’m not sure you understand how “Intellectual Property” works.
Or how much it costs to reattach a finger.
Jon
Intellectual property is only protected untimely by patents. Under the doctrine of equivalents Bosch was easily clear of any infringement.
Their system is better and thus if Saw Stop cared how much it cost to reattach a finger they would have said yay for capitalism! But instead they trolled social media for lawsuits to try and standardize their idea which would force all major table saw companies to pay royalties for their idea. As we see today it didn’t work and when competition showed up within it’s legal rights, somehow ($$$), they won the case.
I get it, what I don’t get is why anybody would stop another company from helping improve the safety of tools and employees. But I get that too, greed.
Nathan
I don’t know that the bosch system was better pre se I think it had a few issues too.
But I liked that they came out with something. I’d like some of the other companies to do the same and I’d like to see that applied to thinks like recip saws and maybe while difficult – hand held circular saws.
Anyway festool having one doesn’t surprise me – it costing a small fortune also doesn’t surprise me. Seeing them put it into something else would be a big deal.
Conanthecarpenter
Looks like the comparable Festool CS50 sells for between 1550-1860 pounds (how that may change with other currencies, I do not know). I’m guessing the $400 saw that was in-the-works a while back is still, in fact, in-the-works but might still be a good couple years out. I’d further guess that the $400 will be a basic contractor/jobsite-style saw in the line of the DeWalt DWE7480. A great, no-frills saw.
Sam
As an engineer and woodwork, I never understood the negative views from “haters ” of Sawstop/Mr. Gass…every nock on his tech and negative views seemed to come from individuals with child like reasoning and maturity levels…it’s truly wild to think, here we are in the 21 century and someone is attacked and vilified because he built the better mouse trap and, in a capitalistic society, he dares to make money and try to force and industry to modernize. There are hundreds of Ozario type cases working their way through the courts and virtually all have ruled against the manufacturers. In the end, logically, the courts are forced to rule that since the tech exists to eliminate serious injury, manufacturers are liable.
Now with Festool and Bosh incorporating flesh detection tech, the writing is on the wall for all the rest…include the tech or get penalized.
Adam
We don’t all drive Volvos’s Mercedes or BMW cars because there safer in an accident, like we don’t all buy sawstop technology because we might have an accident on a table saw.
Adam
I live in England, I like Festool but I would never buy there table saw, I don’t like the design and it’s way too expensive, and in America there’s so many other table saws on the market better designed and cheaper , and that sawstop technology, well I’ve never had an accident on a table saw, I know I could have an accident, but it’s a bit like buying the safest and most expensive car because you might have an accident.
Antti
I bet you don’t use also seatbelts in your car?
I will take all the safety equipment as fast as I can. As an orthopaedic surgeon, i have seen way too many lost fingers. It hapens almost only for experienced builders, professionals that for some reason got a bit cereless.