[sevenseventen]

It's problematic as heck for a regulation to require a feature that's comprehensively patented by a single vendor, even when it's as important an innovation as the SawStop blade brake.

Other SawStop thoughts:

- Beyond the instant-stop thing - which is spectacular and really works - SawStop's are very well-made saws with solid tables, nice fences, and decent vacuum accessories; IMO, much higher quality manufacture across the board in general than a lot of competing models with similar specs.

- The brake works once, and then you have to replace the component for <$200. Much cheaper than a new thumb.

- Green wood can be wet enough to trigger the brake. You can disable the brake to cut green wood, but what if you don't? What if you cut dry wood with the brake disabled? A safety control like that is great if you know it's always on. Once you have to remember to check before every cut...it's in the same realm as planning and executing every cut carefully.

[delichon]

  SawStop To Dedicate Key U.S. Patent To The Public Upon The Effective Date Of A Rule Requiring Safety Technology On All Table Saws

https://www.sawstop.com/news/sawstop-to-dedicate-key-u-s-pat...

[sevenseventen]

They have hundreds of patents, though. One key patent - which IIRC is on the verge of expiration - does not mean that it's possible to build a saw that doesn't infringe one or more of the others.