Thread: SAWSTOP fires off again!

It could simply be a drop of sweat in the wrong place at the wrong time? Who knows?

How can one say conclusively what "caused the brake to actuate unexpectedly?"

Have a read of the 124 page manual - so many caveats about what not to do, or what may "cause the brake to actuate unexpectedly!"

Manual_PCS_300_2.pdf (sawstop.com) USA Version.

Originally Posted by Mobyturns

It could simply be a drop of sweat in the wrong place at the wrong time? Who knows?

How can one say conclusively what "caused the brake to actuate unexpectedly?"

Have a read of the 124 page manual - so many caveats about what not to do, or what may "cause the brake to actuate unexpectedly!"

Manual_PCS_300_2.pdf (sawstop.com) USA Version.

off topic but how much better is that manual then the 5 page document you get from the carbatec tools.

they even including pictures with exact measurements and bolt holes etc and its in colour.

They would want to, for what you pay!

I wonder how an extremely humid environment ( Cairns for example ) would effect a Sawstop. Would the near 100% humidity for a good portion of the year cause constant brake firings?

Originally Posted by barramonday

I wonder how an extremely humid environment ( Cairns for example ) would effect a Sawstop. Would the near 100% humidity for a good portion of the year cause constant brake firings?

No.

We still need to know what caused the witness marks on the saw blade. If that was the cause, we can see the blade dropped in about 1/4 revolution.

Please let us know the actual cause.

Originally Posted by rrich

.... If that was the cause, we can see the blade dropped in about 1/4 revolution. ...

Mmmmmm. Astute observation. ¼ revolution.

How far through a finger does ¼ of a revolution cut?

With a 315 mm blade that is 247.5 mm of blade contact - - - ouch !!!

Not quite. The blade is dropping.

So what caused those witness marks?

Originally Posted by havabeer69

you know you can actually get in contact with the place you bought your saw stop from and they can check the cartridge and prove it was a non-contact fire and send you a free cartridge.

they will also send you a free cartridge for some contact fires as well as long as it is not deliberate, i've had two free cartridges sent to me this way.

this was through carbitec, the brisbane store has the gear to test the cartidges, i believe saw stop likes them and the data to be able to make sure settings they put in the cartridges are working correctly, its basically free QA for them. it even mentions being able to send the cartidges back in the manual.

I'd definitely be getting in touch with who ever sold you the saw though and send them all the cartridges

I realise I am reviving an old thread here but I have this problem too. I’m a member of a northern NSW Mens Shed where we have had 4 misfires in about 6 months of light use despite extreme caution and lots of use of the override and a moisture meter. Carbatec Brisbane who we bought the saw from have been less than helpful despite sending them the fired cartridges and calling them multiple times, certainly no free replacements. Did you get free replacements yourself or was it something you heard about? Can you please tell me who you dealt with (pm me if you prefer). We have had to stop using the saw as it is not fit for purpose. I definitely would not recommend either Sawstop or Carbatec given our experience of their customer service so far.

If the OP sees this, could they let us know if they got their problem fixed?

Yep i got all mine my self.

Carbatec sent me a form, filled that out and sent my cartridge off to them. They assessed it and sent back a new one.

The "unintended" actuation of the saw stop cartridges seem to be common enough to be a significant factor in making an informed purchasing decision.

As a potential customer I believe that Sawstop and its agents should be more transparent about "unintended actuation" as it is as significant as the claimed benefits of the technology in the decision making process.

The whole premise of the saw stop argument and similar technology is to keep people safe & uninjured. Anyone who has had reasonable training in hazard management knows that elimination of hazards is the primary goal and that for engineered controls like the saw stop technology to be effective they must have KISS functionality. They also know that any safety system that relies upon high levels of user skill and knowledge to use effectively is unsound in hazard management. The mere fact that the technology can be over ridden on a whim makes it unsound.

Yes, the engineering is functional, however, and it is a very big however, it requires a considerable level of user skill and training to use the technology effectively and economically.

I've read the manual and am gobsmacked by the complexity of instructions and how "managers" of communal facilities such as clubs and Men's Shed's manage that training and more importantly compliance.

Brilliant summation, Mobyturns.

Originally Posted by Pajo

I realise I am reviving an old thread here but I have this problem too. I’m a member of a northern NSW Mens Shed where we have had 4 misfires in about 6 months of light use despite extreme caution and lots of use of the override and a moisture meter. ...

We have had to stop using the saw as it is not fit for purpose. ...

Hear! Hear!

Constant use of the override switch - literally switching off the safety features - probably means that that switch will eventually be left in the off position - permanently.

The logic is seriously flawed!

It's interesting to note the contrast between the accommodation havabeer (an individual owner user) and Pajo (at a communal user site) got from the same sales and service outlet (Carbatec Brisbane). Does Carbatec's policy vary depending on how many individual users a machine has? If there is no support for misfirings the ownership equation can apparently become very expensive, and this after you've paid a healthy margin over similar quality products, without the technology, to begin with.