Thread: SawStop - HUGE prices - whats going on?

I think its multiple reasons.

- Aussie dollar went down quite a lot in the past 24 months
- Money devalue anyway, current climate made it even further - Feds are printing money mad - hence your $1 today is going to worth maybe 20 cents in a few years.
- Wood working is a niche market. if you have money to spend on a Sawstop. it wont matter if its $4000 or $7000, you will buy one.

Originally Posted by Albert

I think its multiple reasons.

- Aussie dollar went down quite a lot in the past 24 months

I had to look that up as it didn't feel right
2yrs ago we were around 71.5 we are back around 71.5 right now
go back to 2016 and we were at around the same level
we climbed to around 80c during 2017 and then started falling again in early 2018

We hit a nasty low around mar this year at under 60c likely around a similar time to potential orders being done by sellers here.... bet they held off some time and hence the very limited supply of machinery we have in stock.

I only tracked against the USD but that is what the asian manufactures bill in anyway.

So on a rolling average with respect to business there has been some percentage fall over 5yrs that explains some rises... bet container costs have risen in that time and local overheads definitely have so it's no wonder pricing has creep or exploded up depending who is comparing

Originally Posted by Aussiephil

I had to look that up as it didn't feel right
2yrs ago we were around 71.5 we are back around 71.5 right now
go back to 2016 and we were at around the same level
we climbed to around 80c during 2017 and then started falling again in early 2018

I still remember the good old days before GFC when the little battler was worth more than 1 buck US. It hasn't been like that for 12 years. I promised the family that I would take everybody to Hawaii for a holiday if it ever reaches parity again. I couldn't wait any longer and told the family in February we were going to Hawaii this year. Needless to say, I still haven't made it outside of Melbourne since. Sad... but I digress.
The truth is
Screenshot_2020-10-08 AUD USD Chart - AUD USD Rate — TradingView.png
There hasn't been any significant inflation in this world, so the price rise has more to do with the exchange rate than anything else normally. But when it comes to Festool, some of us aren't always convinced. But one thing for sure, if the Aussie goes back up again against the US. Don't expect any price reduction from Festool.
Full disclosure - I own a SS.

Originally Posted by Albert

I think its multiple reasons.

- Aussie dollar went down quite a lot in the past 24 months
- Money devalue anyway, current climate made it even further - Feds are printing money mad - hence your $1 today is going to worth maybe 20 cents in a few years.
.......

??????????

Two years ago the Australian dollar was worth US$0.72, today it is worth US$0.72.
XE: AUD / USD Currency Chart. Australian Dollar to US Dollar Rates

According to the Australian Bureau of statistics for the year ended 30June 2020 the inflation rate was negative 0.3%. Stats are not yet out for the September quarter.
Consumer Price Index, Australia, June 2020 | Australian Bureau of Statistics

Originally Posted by justonething

I still remember the good old days before GFC when the little battler was worth more than 1 buck US. It hasn't been like that for 12 years. I promised the family that I would take everybody to Hawaii for a holiday if it ever reaches parity again. I couldn't wait any longer and told the family in February we were going to Hawaii this year. Needless to say, I still haven't made it outside of Melbourne since. Sad... but I digress.

This is totally apropos of nothing to do with this thread, but...

In (I think) about May I was asked what I would do immediately when "this is over" and things go back to "normal". My response at the time was: go on a holiday.

With more time for reflection, I would like to revise that.

I want to hug everyone; man, woman, child, dog, cat, ferret and hamster. I'm not particularly fussy really.

Originally Posted by Chris Parks

I valued my TS for insurance purposes and it has risen $1000 every year since I bought it about 6 years ago. In fact it would be worth more than that as I have added stuff to it over the years and there is no way I would spend that much money on a replacement if needed.

Sounds like a good retirement plane. Buy 100 table saws, leave in shipping containers, accidental fire, insurance pays out. Retire

Originally Posted by GraemeCook

Yep, same arguement as the NRA. Cannot interfer with the American's constitutional right to shoot each other.

Its highly improbable that multiple wood workers loosing a trigger finger trough a table saw amputation will affect the deaths by firearm statistics.

Pricing for SawStop from April 6th, 2016 is available here: Tablesaws - Carbatec Carbatec - Woodworking Tools and Woodworking Machines

I love the Wayback Machine

Midnight Man, thank you!

My entire premise is wrong. I was completely incorrect on my recollection and memory.

It's absolutely clear that even though there have been some small price increases, that they are really quite small, even when considered over a 4 year period.

I was sure I was right, but this time machine has shown how comprehensively incorrect I was!

Apologies to all for putting the boot to the hornets nest !

Originally Posted by woodPixel

But the "cost"-of-a-finger-hypothesis and adding on a steep price to pre-pay for that safety is absurd.

It is akin to charging $3500 for seatbelts in a car.

(aside - for those who recall, were such premiums attached to seat belts and airbags when they were first introduced? This would be illuminating)

unlike Dr Glass (?) and his attempt to make fitment of a Saw Stop device mandatory -- in Australia seatbelts were a "mandated requirement" for all vehicles sold in after 1 January 1969. Victoria may mandated seat belts a little earlier.
what I do recall is seeing seat belts individually listed as a priced "option" on a new Holden Commodore in 1979 -- >10 years after they became a compulsory fitment and 7 years after wearing them was made compulsory -- and asking the Holden dealer why? From what I remember his response was along the lines of "it's how Holden prices the vehicle. You can't opt to not get them."


air bags are a little more tricky.
at first they were only installed in the hub of the steering wheel (driver only).
I recall around 1999 an Army Reserve colleague remarking that pregnant Qantas staff were only supposed to drive vehicles fitted with a driver's side air bag.
However, the introduction of air bags in Australia roughly coincided with the start of the NCAP program -- and its star rating system -- that encouraged vehicle makers to voluntarily up the safety features installed in their vehicles. So the cost of increased air bags and other safety features was hidden in the overall cost of the vehicle. The question then became how much is a 5 star vehicle worth compared to a 1-1/2 star one? The answer to that question is complicated by changes over time to the safety features required to qualify as a "5 star" vehicle, and the absence of like-for-like comparison vehicles.

A Great Wall ute made in China and containing asbestos parts rated 2 stars when last tested.
Would you be comfortable knowing your employee was driving one when nearly all passenger cars and SUVs rate 4 or 5 stars?