← Back to context

Comment by rimunroe

7 months ago

To be clear: I was asking for data about relative frequencies of accidents with varying tools, not about risks from table saws.

But yes, those are all risks. Additionally, like most tools a poorly maintained table saw is more dangerous.

The table saw I grew up using was from the 1940s, so was about 50 years old by the time I started using it in the late 90s. Its fence was always around 1-3° out of alignment. Absolutely no safety features whatsoever. The motor was fairly weak too, and the surface was rough, so you needed to use a bit of force while cutting, which obviously increases the risk of slipping into the blade.

I got a SawStop last year for my new house's shop and was pleasantly surprised by how little force I needed to use to guide workpieces along it while cutting.