Wanted to post this in the usual spots so owners could be aware.

I don’t know if anyone saw a previous post about some quirks I had found as I was getting acquainted with my Sawstop Contractor.

By themselves a couple I wouldn’t consider to be major.

1. The saw doesn’t lock securely when beveled. The hand wheel locks but unless you are against a stop there is gear lash and the blade if free to move 1/32″ or so. There is no provision for adjusting the lash out nor is there an arbor lock. I just figured a well placed C-clamp when I’m cutting staves would take care of it, not thrilled but not a show-stopper.
2. There is an electronics glitch that gives an error when using a dado blade, but only when it is spinning down. Has to be reset before powering up again. They have a “smart” switch so it must have something to do with the motor spinning so much longer after power is off. The saw is running on a 25′ 12g cord until I run a new hard line so that could be it. Spins a standard blade fine so also not a show stopper.
3. This is my main beef; the carriage has a twist to it that causes to blade to move out of parallel around .020″ from low to near full cutting height. I’ve been working with their tech support to address this issue and their latest response was this.

Direct quote from e-mail “After discussing the issues with your saw with all the appropriate persons, we have decided that we are not going to be able to accomplish getting your saw back into calibration in the field. We simply do not have the procedures, and the saw is not designed to be adjusted once it leaves the factory. If you package up the saw and send it to us, we would be glad to evaluate the saw and insure that it is back into calibration, and then send it back to you. If it is determined to be defective due to a manufacturing defective we will choose to send you a new or remanufactured saw and refund your expenses for the shipping.”

WTF? The saw is not designed to be adjusted once it leaves the factory? Its a contractor saw that uses torque rods to connect front and back trunnions. They NEVER have problems? Having owned a little Grizzly that used the torque rods the dance required to readjust these is something I’m familiar with. Delta even has a service bulletin available to tell someone with a torque rod type carriage how to realign.

So all I have to do is package up my saw and send it to them from Hawaii to Portland and they will address the problem. That shouldn’t cost too much.

I put this out there for any other Sawstop Contractor owners to be aware of. If you have a tweaked carriage (this one was like this from the factory box) you will have to ship the saw to Portland to be adjusted.

I suggested I would like to predetermine if this is a factory issue (which it is) by either providing them the information or they can send someone over to determine it. No way am I paying to get this to Portland so they can “decide” if this was a factory issue. Especially on a design that is well-known to sometimes twist (torque rod carriage). BTW I learned on the Grizzly to make sure there are no obstructions when bevelling the saw and there was no cartridge brake incident.

Its just hard for me to believe that they didn’t expect to have this be a service issue so I’m a little hot.