SawStop Contractor Saw Review
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Intro
I have owned the Contractor Table saw w/ 36” T-Glide for a little over a year now. I have put it through it's paces and typically use it 2-3 times a week for all kinds of projects. I have used it to rip everything from plywood, dimensional lumber and larger hardwoods. This thing is a beast and can take everything I have thrown at it. All with the added safety feature of keeping your digits safe using their proprietary blade break system.
https://www.sawstop.com/table-saws/by-model/contractor-saw
Why the Contractor vs others
While trying to decide between the 3 main offerings that SawStop has and hours of doing research, I felt like the Contractor was the perfect mix of low price point and high end features. The Sawstop Jobsite Saw is a great option if you need it to be mobile around your shop or bring it to a job site. While the Professional Cabinet has more power and weight (for stability), which has some definite benefits. But, after thinking it through. I wanted the added safety without the larger price tag of the Professional grade saw. And while I ended up getting the mobile base for my saw, it is much more stable than the Jobsite version. As well as the added opportunities for dust collection.
Accessories
There are a ton of options when you are building your SawStop saw. In my opinion some of the accessories aren't necessary, while a few listed below should be purchased when you order the saw.
Upgraded to the 36” T-Glide package ($200)
If you do nothing else, this is a must have and IMO a game changer. This not only gives you added table space on the right side of the blade, but also upgrades the fence from a highly criticized/ somewhat flimsy piece of equipment, to one of the best stock fences in the industry.
Mobile Base ($199)
This is super helpful for me since my shop is in my garage and every once in a while I want to get my car in the garage. Without this accessory, I am not sure I would be able to move it myself.
Dust Collector Panel ($59)
I would suggest this accessory to anyone that doesn't want to crawl under their saw every time they need to attach the dust hose. I would even go as far to say, I am surprised this isn't a stock item. It is a total game changer.
Other Accessories I would suggest buying
I'll get more into this when I talk about the Break System below, but I would suggest getting a moisture meter, and extra break and a replacement blade on hand.
Pricing Breakdown
Base = $1699
36” T-Glide = $200
Mobile Base = $199
Dust Collection Panel = $59
Total = $2157
Rather watch the detailed review, check it out here:
Break System
The break system is both the best feature and the biggest flaw all in one.
So far, I have triggered the break once, luckily/unluckily it was not any part of my hands that triggered the break system. It was actually a piece of treated wood :( In terms of how efficient and affective it is, it is pretty cool! It stopped the blade and sucked it into the table before I even knew what happened! If this was because of me touching it with a digit I would have been thrilled. Unfortunately, that was not the case.
Which brings me to the biggest flaw of this system, while you can turn the break system into a "standby" mode. It is not the easiest to remember how and with out a moisture meter, it is not always evident that one needs to go into bypass mode.
The main bummer is that once the break system is triggered, you pretty much have to replace the break and the blade. So, it is smart to have an extra break and a replacement blade on hand so you don't have to halt whatever project you have going until you track those down.
In terms of replacing the break and blade, it is probably about a 10-15min process. Which really isn't that much more than how long it takes to replace a blade on a different saw.
Assembly/Usability
This is not an easy project for one person to assemble. Most boxes that say you need 2 people to assemble are merrily a suggestion. This is almost impossible to assemble by your self. Mostly, due to the heavy castiron main section. While it is possible to do yourself, I almost hurt myself lifting the main body section onto the stand. The total shipping weight is 350 lbs and comes in 4 boxes. Total time for assembly was around 3.5 hours, which included all the accessories.
Lets get down to everyone's real question. Is it worth it?
Yes, and yes
So far I love everything about this saw. IMO, if you are looking for a table saw there really isn’t a better option. In terms of this vs other brands, when it came down to making the final decision, I decided to pull the trigger since it will pay for itself if it saves a digit even once. Like mentioned above, just make sure you have a moisture meter on hand to check wood moisture content so you don't have a false trigger.
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