First table saw: Bosch Reaxx or Sawstop PCS


TheOnlyDave

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22 minutes ago, JosephThomas said:

Shane mentions the overarm dust collector once every 3 days. I think that means it's more valuable than a Lee valley straight edge, but slightly less valuable than his festool overalls.

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Festool overalls, those run about $400?

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I think so, but that's for the denim. If you want the plaid it is 500.

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I have the plaid!

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I've been unimpressed with the overarm dust collection.  I'm in the midst of reconfiguring my dust collection to run a dedicated hose to the blade guard. 

 

(Shane, just don't hit me in the face!)

I've spent enough years eating tablesaw dust that im thoroughly impressed with it. What is it you don't like? I probably get close to 100% collection as long as it's not a cut on the edge of a board.

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8 minutes ago, shaneymack said:

 

I've spent enough years eating tablesaw dust that im thoroughly impressed with it. What is it you don't like? I probably get close to 100% collection as long as it's not a cut on the edge of a board.

 

it doesn't seem to get very good suction, misses a lot of dust and clogs easily. We'll see how a dedicated DC pickup works instead. (Plus I want a pickup for above the blade dust when using the cross cut table)

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it doesn't seem to get very good suction, misses a lot of dust and clogs easily. We'll see how a dedicated DC pickup works instead. (Plus I want a pickup for above the blade dust when using the cross cut table)

That should work better. You probably have an issue with the ducting or the dc if it is functioning that poorly and clogging. Ive never had that happen and i just have a mediocre cyclone.

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9 minutes ago, TheOnlyDave said:

So 30, 36, or 52.  

Also giving the construction time for my house is Sawstop / dealers known to do Black Friday deals?

Generally they don't have deals on price, but they do do the over arm DC and mobile base upgrade offers (free).  

If I was to buy, I would get the 36 with the T glide fence.  I have a track saw, so ability to rip to 52 inches inches isn't needed.

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15 hours ago, shaneymack said:

I highly recommend the overarm dust collection.

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This. Or if you have a duct running overhead, you can just drop a flex directly to the guard. Either way, it makes for great dust collection.

The PCS mobile base is very good, but for more money, the ICS base is more maneuverable.

Be sure to get the T-glide fence rather than the Premium fence (which isn't). 

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I am thinking all my dust collection lines will coming from overhead. Since it's all new and all open I get free reign to design what I want and how I want it.  I've narrowed it down to 3HP, and T-Glide so that means 36" or 52", for the $100 I might just go 52.  Don't think I'll need that much but for $100 more on something I'm spending this much on, it's just a drop in the bucket at this point.   I expect i'll go with the PCS base.  I don't think I'll have the need to move it much.  

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1 hour ago, TheOnlyDave said:

I've narrowed it down to 3HP, and T-Glide so that means 36" or 52", for the $100 I might just go 52.  Don't think I'll need that much but for $100 more on something I'm spending this much on, it's just a drop in the bucket at this point. 

Give that choice some thought. I went from a 52" fence to a 36" just because I rarely used the extra capacity & would rather have the extra space.

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Just another thought to add:  Since you're inside is there also a budget for air filtration along with dust collection?  You'll want to get the finer stuff.  (And wear a respirator.)

Bosch is a good company with good product and the Reaxx has apparently finally made it to the US.  Must have won/survived that patent complaint.

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On 7/18/2016 at 1:45 PM, collinb said:

Bosch is a good company with good product and the Reaxx has apparently finally made it to the US.  Must have won/survived that patent complaint.

According to the latest FWW, the suit is still in litigation despite the release.  I personally wouldn't be buying a Reaxx until I knew its fate.  They could kill it and then you'd be stuck with a saw that you can't get parts for.

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The case is still pending but it doesn't look good from SawStop's perspective. Both courts rejected an injunction and both courts rejected any type of escrow for losses or damages.   SawStop's case is pretty weak if you read what has been filed.   At the end of the day SawStop's case boils down to... we are sure you stole our tech and as soon as we get to look at your source code we can prove it.  

I've been in the tech industry, working for large multi-national software companies for almost 20 years.  While this is a table saw, this is really technology patent infringement and from that standpoint their case is weak.   It will come down to the software which to me detecting the electrical resistance of a human body isn't all that hard and there are many developers that can write that code without needing to steal it from SawStop.   The complex part of this that actual stopping of the blade is not really being pressed much as SawStop's patent explicitly states the firing of a braking mechanism into the blade.  Bosch doesn't do that at all so it'll be hard to challenge they are violating that patent.  Bosch doesn't stop the blade, they use the force of the explosive charge, plus the force of the blade to pull the spinning blade down and away from you.  That's why Bosch's version doesn't destroy the blade. 

3 hours ago, collinb said:

Just another thought to add:  Since you're inside is there also a budget for air filtration along with dust collection?  You'll want to get the finer stuff.  (And wear a respirator.)

Dust collection is very important to me.  Haven't fully decided what I'm going to do yet.  Some type of cyclone.  Not sure if I want to invest in a stock one or go with a Harbor Freight one and convert it.  

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I have often wondered how valid SawStop's patent is. I used to work in the alarm company business 40 years ago and we had touch sensitive systems to protect safes. You would put the safe on some phenolic blocks, then connect one lead to the safe and the other to the floor. It would use capacitance to detect someone touching it. SawStop obviously had to tweak the formula to make it detect humans and not wet wood, but I don't know if that is enough to make it eligible for a patent. Good thing I'm not a patent lawyer.

Having said that, I am very glad that they turned out a top quality saw. I hope to own one before the year is out.

TheOnlyDave wrote:

"Bosch doesn't stop the blade, they use the force of the explosive charge, plus the force of the blade to pull the spinning blade down and away from you.  That's why Bosch's version doesn't destroy the blade."

Robby adds: With one technology you replace the blade. With the other you replace your underwear. Not sure I want to have to do that on the job site.....:wub:

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On July 18, 2016 at 6:16 PM, Robby W said:

SawStop obviously had to tweak the formula to make it detect humans and not wet wood

Nope, it will detect wet wood.  Anything conductive, wet wood, flesh, metal.  If you really have the need to cut wet wood there is an override.

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4 hours ago, Chet K. said:

Nope, it will detect wet wood.  Anything conductive, wet wood, flesh, metal.  If you really have the need to cut wet wood there is an override.

True, Chet, but it doesn't trigger on damp wood, which the original alarm system would have done. If it was adjusted wrong, it would trigger on a spider dropping a web to it. SawStop obviously came up with a way to differentiate between wood and skin. I have wondered if that small difference was enough for an enforceable patent.

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On July 16, 2016 at 0:32 AM, Chet K. said:

It is heavy but you and a buddy with a little planning could get it down stairs.  You won't regret the SawStop, but even though the Bosch has a safety feature you will regret the job site size saw in the long run.  Buy once cry once.

Oh and welcome to the forum Dave.

I agree I don't have a cabinet saw because of the money I have a hybrid saw and love it but before that I purchased a job site / contractor saw and absolutely hated it just way to small! The saw stop will be a great machine and you won't have any regrets or missing fingers! One more thing I heard that sawstop and Bosch are actually in a legal battle right now over the whole safety feature in the reaxx so I would go #sawstop if safety is a concern for you. Just my 2 pennies worth! Chet I like the buy once cry once phrase never heard that!!! 

On July 18, 2016 at 1:11 PM, TheOnlyDave said:

I am thinking all my dust collection lines will coming from overhead. Since it's all new and all open I get free reign to design what I want and how I want it.  I've narrowed it down to 3HP, and T-Glide so that means 36" or 52", for the $100 I might just go 52.  Don't think I'll need that much but for $100 more on something I'm spending this much on, it's just a drop in the bucket at this point.   I expect i'll go with the PCS base.  I don't think I'll have the need to move it much.  

Just my personal opinion if you have the funds and the room you will not regret that biggest size table saw you can afford! I think something as important as the table saw why would you not wanna go as big as you can specially if you have the space?! Just my 2 cents! Let's us know what you decide!!

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