SawStop now has 5 different classes of table saws, all of which feature their skin-detection and blade brake technology.
I have been considering buying a workshop table saw for quite a while now, and SawStop has frequently landed at the top of my list.
There are a lot of options to think about and sort through, and I thought a quick guide might help anyone researching their own potential purchases.
Advertisement
5 Table Saw Classes
- Compact Table Saw
- Jobsite Saw Pro
- Contractor Saw
- Professional Cabinet Saw
- Industrial Cabinet Saw
SawStop Safety Technology
SawStop says that:
There is a table saw accident every 9 minutes, and more than 40,000 table saw accidents every year. SawStop has the ability for their saws to stop on contact with skin in less than 5 milliseconds and has saved the fingers of thousands of woodworkers.
SawStop’s Active Injury Mitigation (AIM) safety technology features two main aspects – skin-detection and braking.
A small electrical signal is transmitted through the blade, and changes when it comes into contact with any part or extension of the human body.
Advertisement
Once skin contact is detected, an aluminum brake springs into the path of the blade. The blade is quickly stopped and is then driven beneath the table. The saw can be reset in as little as 90 seconds.
All of the SawStop’s table saws feature their skin detection and braking technology. All of their saws also feature a test and bypass mode that can be manually engaged when cutting conductive materials or wood with high moisture content (such as pressure-treated).
Note: SawStop was a recent advertising partner. I previously received a test sample of their first-generation Jobsite Saw, and a Compact Table Saw that I am still testing.
SawStop Compact Table Saw
The Compact Table Saw, or CTS, is SawStop’s newest, most portable, and most affordable table saw.
It features a 10″ blade, rack and pinion fence, quick-tilt bevel, on-saw accessory storage, and the brand’s iconic safety system.
Our testing has shown the SawStop CTS to be a highly capable portable table saw that delivers an exceptional user experience on top of competitive cutting performance.
I particularly like the attention SawStop engineers gave the controls – seasoned pros and beginner hobbyists alike should find the saw to be intuitive and easy to use.
The bevel angle micro-adjust provides the easiest and most accurate blade angle adjustment I have seen on a portable table saw.
See Also: SawStop Compact Table Saw Review (CTS)
The CTS can be put to work quickly when paired with the optional folding stand.
SawStop took their time with this saw, but as far as I can tell so far, they did everything well.
SawStop CTS Key Specs
- 10″ blade
- 3-1/8″ max depth of cut at 0°
- 24-1/2″ max rip cut (right of blade)
- Weighs 68 lbs
Price: $899
Who is this for? Anyone looking for a portable table saw featuring SawStop’s renowned safety tech. I have found it to be a reasonably precise table saw that’s on-par with the performance and precision of competing brands’ jobsite saws.
Recommended Accessories
The folding stand, CTS-FS ($129), features non-skid feet, tool-free saw attachment, and compact storage. It’s sturdy and easy to use.
I typically avoid folding table saw stands, but I really like this one.
SawStop Jobsite Saw Pro
The Jobsite Saw Pro is – in my opinion – SawStop’s portable workhorse.
I tested this model’s predecessor, and found its rolling base to be excellent. It delivered precise cutting and an overall excellent user experience.
The JSS Pro table saw’s blade height adjustment mechanism absolutely ruined other portable table saws for me. Instead of cranking, cranking, cranking, you can raise and lower the blade with just one turn of the handwheel.
The current version has a 2″ deeper table than its predecessor, providing greater workpiece support. SawStop says that the JSS delivers a “class-leading” table depth of 24-5/8″.
It can also work with 8″ dado stacks, just be sure to pick up the appropriate safety cartridge and throat plate.
There are two dust collection ports – one at the rear of the saw, and another built into the blade guard.
SawStop JSS Pro Key Specs
- 10″ blade
- 8″ dado-compatible*
- 3-1/8″ max depth of cut at 0°
- 25-1/2″ max rip cut (right of blade)
- Weighs 113 lbs with cart
*requires optional dado safety cartridge
Price: $1579
Who is this for? Pro users who want a portable jobsite saw with SawStop safety tech. Woodworkers who don’t necessarily need the rolling stand might benefit from the larger table support surface and dado capabilities.
Recommended Accessories
You will want to consider an extra safety cartridge, dado cartridge, and zero clearance dado plate. These can always be purchased afterwards, as needed.
Be sure to read up on dado blade compatibility – SawStop has extensive guidance about this on their website. There are a number of popular options, and SawStop also has their own premium dado set with a 1/4″ to 29/32″ cutting range.
SawStop Contractor Saw
The Contractor Saw (CNS) is SawStop’s most affordable workshop-oriented model, with a larger table and greater configuration options compared to their portable saws.
Standard features include a cast iron table, steel extension wings, aluminum fence, and 30-1/2″ rip capacity. Stepping up from the 30″ size to 36″ or 52″ configurations provide a larger table with greater ripping capacity, and an upgraded T-glide fence assembly.
The Contractor Saw can be equipped with optional add-ons, including cast iron wings, a mobile base, dust collection panel, and inline router table.
SawStop CNS Key Specs (30″)
- 10″ blade
- 3-1/8″ max depth of cut at 0°
- 30-1/2″ max rip cut (right of blade)
- Weighs 245 lbs with stand
Price: Starting at $1979
Who is this for? The Contractor Saw provides greater workpiece support than either portable table saws, and at a lower price than SawStop cabinet saws.
Recommended Accessories
SawStop offers a mobile base specially made for this saw. If you choose to source your own, pay attention to the weight and footprint (25-3/4″ W x 27″ D).
SawStop Professional Cabinet Saw
The SawStop Professional Cabinet Saw, or PCS, is the brand’s top-selling cabinet saw. It’s described as delivering unmatched fit and finish and best-in-class performance.
Standard accessories include a 30″ premium fence assembly, cast iron extension wings, and 30″ rip capacity (right of blade).
Stepping up to the 36″ or 52″ models give you increased rip-cut capacity, as well as an upgraded T-Glide fence assembly.
The standard 30″ saw has a smaller footprint, with the 36″ and 52″ models including additional legs for added wing support.
There are several decisions that need to made at the time of purchase.
Power – 1.75 HP vs 3.0 HP
The standard 30″ model comes with a 1.75 HP motor that can be powered via 120V and 14A circuit. Users can also change the saw over to 230V power with an optional electrical assembly (priced at $81.65 at the time of this purchase).
Upgrading to the 3.0 HP model bumps up the price and requires a 230V circuit.
Many users have shared about their excellent experiences with the 1.75 HP model. The 3.0 HP model provides added power for cutting thicker hardwood boards.
In my opinion, 1.75 HP is the way to go if you only have 120V outlets or are under a strict budget. Users who plan to power the saw via 230V outlet might want to go with the 3.0 HP model.
Fence Style and Table Size
The 30″ model takes up less floor and shop space, whereas the 36″ and 52″ sizes give you a greater table surface and an upgraded T-Glide fence. Stepping up to the 36″ size and T-Glide fence is a $224 premium at the time of this posting.
Having checked out the T-Glide fence at a woodworking show a few years ago, that’s the one I would go with.
SawStop offers numerous dust collection options, including a dust collection guard assembly (included with the 3.0 HP saw), overarm dust collector, and floating dust collector.
Attachments include an inline router table, two sizes of sliding crosscut tables, and a folding outfeed table.
SawStop PCS Key Specs (1.75 HP 36″ T-Glide)
- 10″ blade
- 3-1/8″ max depth of cut at 0°
- 36″ max rip cut (right of blade)
- Weighs 408 lbs
Price: Starting at $2849 ($3073 for 1.75 HP with 36″ T-Glide)
Who is this for? This has become an iconic cabinet saw for hobbyist woodworkers and smaller production shops. Its weight makes it sturdier than the contractor saw.
Recommended Accessories
The integrated mobile base option can be a good choice if you don’t plan to move the saw often. The industrial mobile base is a more premium mobile base option that is widely lauded as a good ideal fit for the PCS.
In my opinion, the 36″ T-Glide (or 52″ T-Glide if you need the added rip capacity) is the best way to go unless you require free clearance under both extension wings.
The 1.75 HP option is your only choice if you don’t have any 230V electrical outlets in your shop – and many people have had great experiences with it. If you do have 230V, or can add it, the 3.0 HP upgrade is best done at the time of purchase, as you also get the guard with dust collection port.
My research has suggested that the overarm dust collection arm, which requires a 4″ dust collector, offers some benefits. There is a lot of praise for the floating arm dust collection option as well, but my research – and rough understanding of the airflow requirements – suggest that a larger dust collector is needed to take full advantage of it.
SawStop PCS PROMO – Spring 2023
A new SawStop promo is running from March 1, 2023, thru April 30, 2023:
Thousands of woodworkers get injured by table saws every day, costing them time, money, and quality of life. SawStop, known for its revolutionary table saw safety technology, is running a limited time accessory upgrade promotion with the purchase of any new Professional Cabinet Saw – SawStop’s most popular model. You can choose between an Integrated Mobile Base* or the Overarm Dust Collection system** , a $289 USD value.
*Not compatible with the In-Line Router Table
**Overarm Dust Collection requires a Dust Collection Blade Guard (TSG-DC), which is included with the 3.0HP Professional Cabinet Saw but must be purchased for the 1.75HP model.
Basically, if you buy a SawStop Professional Cabinet Saw in March or April, you get a free integrated mobile base or overarm dust collection accessory.
SawStop Industrial Cabinet Saw
The Industrial Cabinet Saw, or ICS, is SawStop’s heaviest, most powerful, and highest quality table saw.
Its standard model features a heavy gauge 36″ T-Glide fence assembly and 3.0 HP 230V motor.
The fence assembly can be upgraded to 52″, and the motor can be upgraded to 5.0 HP 230V or all the way up to 7.5 HP 480V 3-phase, with additional options in between.
The ICS weighs a whopping 700 lbs, with its hefty cast iron and steel construction delivering stability.
SawStop ICS Key Specs (3.0 HP Industrial 36″ T-Glide)
- 10″ blade
- 3-1/8″ max depth of cut at 0°
- 36-1/2″ max rip cut (right of blade)
- Weighs 635 lbs
Price: Starting at $4715 (3.0 HP, 36″ T-Glide)
Who is this for? When you need – or want – the best cabinet table saw with SawStop AIM safety tech, this is the beast to get.
Recommended Accessories
I would consider the mobile base a must-have.
Availability
SawStop Table Saws can be purchased at many tool dealers, such as:
Pricing tends to be consistent at all SawStop authorized dealers, and the same goes with shipping fees, which are not included in the base pricing. You can save on freight if or when store pickup is an option.
In my experience, SawStop products are very well packed, and they come with industry-leading setup instructions.
SawStop has a convenient and easy-to-use configuration tool on the website, where you can sort through standard upgrades, accessories, and add-ons.
Learn More
Compact Table Saw at SawStop.com
Jobsite Pro Table Saw at SawStop.com
Contractor Saw at SawStop.com
Professional Cabinet Saw at SawStop.com
Industrial Cabinet Saw at SawStop.com
Steve
I cut the cord some time ago with table saws, miter saws and such and haven’t looked back. I guess if I used it enough where a battery couldn’t keep up or if I was making cabinets, that would be a different story. Seem like some great saws though. I’d love to have the time to utilize something like this and try my hand at making some cabinets and such – sadly, I’m not sure that day ever arrives anytime soon…
Bob+Hinden
Excellent Buying Guide for SawStop saws! The only thing you might add is a discussion about the choices of mobile bases for the PCS. Whether to get the Industrial Mobile Base for PCS or the Professional Integrated Mobile Base.
I recommend the Industrial base based on my experience.
Stuart
From what I have read and heard over and over, the industrial mobile base is the way to go for the PCS, unless one has specific reasons for choosing the professional integrated base instead.
Tim
Industrial mobile is absolutely the way to go. I have it on my 3hp 36in pcs with the inline router table and can move it around the garage with no problem. Another note, if you get the inline router table the industrial base is the only one that can handle the weight.
Saulac
“The saw can be reset in as little as 90 seconds.” Are there different levels of “active” and “reset”? I believe the cartridge is still need to be replaced, once it is activated. Actually nice if the cartridge does not always have to be replaced.
Stuart
If the blade brake is activated, it needs to be replaced.
I have read that blades can be reused if inspected and found to be undamaged, but in many or most cases, the blade will be damaged and should not be used.
Resetting the saw after a blade brake activation involves replacing the brake cartridge and saw blade.
James+C
90 seconds? I don’t think I’d be able to change my underwear that fast.
Saulac
OK. So the cartridge can be replaced in 90 second. That is impressive all and by itself.
kent_skinner
With practice, the cartridge and blade could be swapped in 90 seconds.
However, most people take longer than 90 seconds to change just the blade, and this is clearly a statement made by marketing people and not people who work in a real shop under real conditions.
I guess if I kept the wrench, spare blade and spare cartridge on the saw table and had no reaction to setting off the safety system, I could get going in 90 seconds again.
In reality, you’re going to be down for 5 minutes. Starting with scaring the crap out of yourself -> being grateful you didnt just lose a finger -> getting your materials out of the way -> finding the spare blade and cartridge -> remove the throat plate -> remove the blade and cartridge -> install the new cartridge and blade -> use the feeler gage to ensure correct spacing between the cartridge and blade -> adjust of needed -> replace the throat plate -> put away the tools and spent blade.
I’ve installed cartridges, and it adds a minute to the blade change process.
Stuart
The 90 second spec might still apply to say shop teachers or shop managers that have done it before. As you say, individual users will likely need more time, especially if it’s their first activation.
Patrick
For anyone looking at the PCS, if you’re considering the portable base, I say don’t. Take the free dust collection upgrade instead and spend a little more to get the ICS base instead. There’s a version compatible with PCS saws.
It’s not that the PCS base is bad, it’s just that the ICS base is so much better. 4 swiveling casters and a built in jack make it about as low effort as possible to move.
John
I second this. Went with the ICS base for PCS many years ago. Base lifts with a foot jack and swivels in its own footprint, very useful for spaces that need mobility and adjustment.
David N.
Is the SawStop technology a patent holding? When does it run out whereas others can start to incorporate something similar?
I’m on the verge of getting one just for the technology if it won’t ever or not for a long time be available from other brands.
Sorry if you’ve answered this many times.
Stuart
Yes, it’s patented.
I would expect to see new models from other saw makers once those protections run out. We don’t know when this could happen, or how good new technologies might be.
Bonnie
Even when the safety tech comes to other brands, SawStop is up there in quality with Powermatic.
Robert
Hi David N,
on the recent article by Stuart on the CTS, “Dave” stated in comments about Sawstop patents:
“Fortunately his patent that prevents Bosch from selling their Reaxx system in the US are set to expire in 2026.”
I’ve read similar dates, but don’t know how official is this information.
Stuart
I would point out that, according to the US CPSC, Bosch licensed SawStop’s safety tech after losing their infringement lawsuit. The Reaxx never returned to market.
I used the Reaxx, and there were pros and cons behind the safety tech. A big negative was that it was highly susceptible to EM interference from cell phones.
Derek
Can you let Sawstop know an accident every 9 minutes would be 58,000 accidents a year? They can pay my consultant’s fee with a PCS delivered to my house.
Bob
According to https://www.sawinery.net/table-saw-injury-statistics/ there are 30K table saw accidents per year in the US. Based on this 58K worldwide is possible.
Blocky
And that’s potentially 58000 cartridges. Not a bad business.
Imagine a tech with rechargeable cartridges —like some motorcycle vests.
Stuart
Some commercial sliding saws in Europe have non-depletable safety mechanisms.
The Bosch Reaxx has a piston cartridge with two charges that didn’t damage the blade.
Once patent protections run out, I would expect there to be a free-for-all competition with different approaches and tech. While early adopters determine which systems work better, SawStop will remain a tried-and-true solution, at least for the first few years.
fred
I wonder if that (sawstop technology going off-patent) will also be followed with a push to require some sort of active protection technology on all saws being sold going forward. The big makers would probably not be as entrenched in opposition if they each had their own solution. They might even quietly lobby for (or at least not oppose) some sort of regulatory requirement. Insurance underwriters are already pushing, and it looks like many (if not most) school woodshops have already sold off their old saws in favor of Sawstop.
Stuart
@Fred
I definitely believe so.
The US CPSC ruling has been pending for a few years and keeps getting pushed back.
Frank D
I have the same observation and suspect a big amount of hyperbole / fear mongering.
That many hand injuries using table saws?
It was ESTIMATED to be 30000 /year a decade ago, and with every passing year it seems to go up … with vague sources at best, all pointing to?
Bonnie
There’s a CPSC report from 2017 that goes into detail about estimates and how they were calculated. They estimated 26,500 tablesaw blade-contact injuries (not counting kickbacks and others) just in 2017.
CPSC PDF
Beanhole
Sawstop’s quality is not what it once was. I ordered some different parts for my old saw recently….directly from Sawstop. Total garbage. I’ll be buying a Powermatic soon and offloading the Sawstop on Craigslist.
Stuart
Can you be more specific? What parts for which saw?
Ken
Does anyone recall if they ever do Black Friday or other sales?
Stuart
They do not.
I first asked a few years ago and have also been following their promos for a while since. The 2-month promo they’re running now, for a free-with-purchase PCS accessory (overarm dust collection port or integrated base) is the most you can find, and it usually happens once a year.
SawStop is excluded from retailers’ discount sales or promos.
Drew M
I’ll stick with my Powermatic 72 that I’ve got about $300 into.
Surplus auction, paint, blade, a few new bearings and a decent amount of elbow grease.
IronWood
I’ve used quite a few of the Industrial saws a lot. They require more frequent cleaning than traditional “dumb” saws. The blade height adjusts vertically on a set of lead screws and the dust just cakes in there until you have to address it. And this is on saws with good dust collection. The adjustment wheels also quickly get hard to turn. We’ve also replaced a power switch out of warranty, can’t remember what that cost.
When I was looking at a saw for home I found a new blemished Jet Xacta 3hp for about a third the cost of the 3hp SawStop. I got the Jet and absolutely love it. If you’re 100% set on the safety features then currently SawStop is your only choice. If you mostly want a high quality saw, then I think SawStop is way overpriced for their features and quality (brake aside). I can’t argue against people that want the safety, but I’ve always worked dangerous jobs in dangerous industries and made my peace with risk long ago. To each their own risk tolerance.
Drew M
IEC contactors are junk and simple “industrial switches” are even worse. NEMA low voltage controlled contactor or bust.
mla
I bought the jobsite pro saw a couple months ago. I really like it. Only weird thing is the angle indicator is off. The tilt indicator seems we be off by ~ 1%. It has the micro adjustment so it’s fine, but at some point would like to correct the tilt indicator.
Addison
I will never give 1 $ to Saw Stop. Lawfare must never be validated, this is a novel technology that should have licenced to ACTUAL tool manufacturers. The profit indicates how fast they are able to iterate and improve, from a saw company that made below Harbor Freight quality, to now just below Dewalt job-sight saws. It also helps to be able to fill your “R and D” budget by sueing competent tool manufacturers.