Sawstop Contractor Saw CNS175-SFA30

1. Wood MagazineDetails/Subscribe

A former shop teacher and woodworking magazine editor gives the SawStop Contractor Saw a perfect 5-star rating after testing it with both the aluminum and Biesemeyer-style fences and both stamped-steel and cast-iron extension wings (recommending the cast iron). The review praises the SawStop for its heavy-duty cast-iron trunnions and good dust collection as well as for its riving knife and flesh-sensing blade brake.

Review: SawStop Safety Available in a Sub-$2,000 Saw, Doug Hicks, July 2009

2. Popular WoodworkingDetails/Subscribe

This detailed review praises the SawStop Contractor Saw for from start (easy setup, near perfect fit and finish) to finish -- with kudos for "all but non-existent" vibration, quiet 81-decibel running, and excellent dust collection. He also recommends opting for cast-iron wings, and concludes that though it lacks the power of a 3-horsepower cabinet saw, the SawStop Contractor Saw competes well even with hybrid saws.

Review: Tool Test: SawStop's Contractor Saw -- At Last, Glen D. Huey, Feb. 2009

3. Woodworker's JournalDetails/Subscribe

Comparison tests of eight contractor saws give top ranking to the SawStop (based on a preproduction model), not because of its blade brake, but because of its overall quality and superior riving knife and blade guard.

Review: Tool Review: Raising the Bar on Contractor's Saws, Rob Johnstone, Oct. 2005

4. Toologics.comDetails/Subscribe

This long, detailed single-product review is accompanied by a video tour of the SawStop Contractor Saw. The review praises the saw not only for its superb safety features, but also for its smooth adjustments, easy assembly, fine fit and finish and overall great performance.

Review: Tool Review: SawStop Contractor's Saw, John White, Mar. 2008

5. Tools of the Trade Online

The SawStop Contractor Saw wins an Editors' Choice award, with high praise for its flesh-sensing blade brake and true riving knife.

Review: 2008 Editors' Choice Awards, Editors of Tools of the Trade Online, 2008

6. TollChaser.comDetails/Subscribe

This review of the SawStop Contractor Saw compares it with the SawStop Cabinet Saw, based on hands-on use of both. Though the 3-horsepower cabinet saw provides more power, the reviewer calls the SawStop Contractor Saw "a great table saw" and "the easiest saw to put together of any saw I have been exposed to."

Review: Ask Rick: How Does the SawStop Contractor Saw Compare to Other Saws?, Rick Peil, Sept. 2008

7. PopularMechanics.comDetails/Subscribe

Based on a preview model, editors name the SawStop Contractor Saw one of the best products because of its flesh-sensing blade brake.

Review: The Smartest Stuff: Breakthrough Product Awards 2006, Editors of Popular Mechanics, Nov. 2006

8. Woodcraft MagazineDetails/Subscribe

Both amateur and professional woodworkers agree here that the SawStop safety features alone make it far superior to other table saws, but the saw also earns praise for low vibration, out-of-the-box alignment, table flatness, blade run-out and parallelism.

Review: Safety First, Jim Derby, Jan. 2007

9. ConsumerReports.orgDetails/Subscribe

The SawStop blade brake is tested here to see if it really works -- testing it on hot dogs and chicken thighs to be sure it stops the blade, but also testing it on soft damp wood to check for false positives.

Review: Cutting-edge Protection for Hands and Fingers, Editors of ConsumerReports.org, June, 2007