Sawstop--the wrong marketing approach?

It just occurred to me that the replacement parts for the Sawstop could be a profit center for saw manufacturers. Especially if it falses occasionally. Probably be able to make as much margin on those as on a blade.

Wonder if he tried to sell it that way? The razor and blades approach. Give away the sawstop and figure enough people are hamfingered enough to make up the cost in consumables?

Be interesting to see some market research on that.

If there are 30,000 table-saw related injuries that require a hospital visit every year (and presumably most of those would have triggered the sawstop if it was present) how many more were there that did not require a hospital visit but would have triggered the sawstop? There seem to be about ten non-amputations for every amputation, if that carries through to non-hospital then there would be about 300,000 Sawstop activations a year. So what is that in terms of percentage of the installed base of saws?

Reply to
J. Clarke
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Would you pay $100 for everytime Sawstop fired or misfired to replace the parts? Would you be comfortable installing safety mechanisms yourself? Personally, I would answer No to both questions and therein lies the dilemma for being commercially viable in the hobbyist market. Bob

Reply to
Bob

I may be overly suspicious, but I think the saw manufacturers don't want to put it on their saws because in effect they would be admitting that their previous saws were unsafe.

Reply to
Hank Gillette

occasionally.

If there were 300,000 saws that required re-activation and new blades every year (and you are talking US only) at a cost of several hundred dollars each, you would see the price of pre-sawstop saws go through the roof.

You would also likely see a class action suit from users of expensive sawblades for damage due to false positives. I'm not sure how users on a remote site would take to having their saw shut down because someone screwed up and used it to cut a ham sandwich. Would you be willing to wait for either the saw to be shipped to an authorized service center, fixed and returned (and you still have to buy a new blade) or wait for someone to come out and fix it (and you still have to buy a new blade)?. Or would you rather wrap your knuckle in a starbucks napkin and run a few layers of masking tape over it and get on with your work?

Sure it is an interesting idea, but it doesn't have practicallity on it's side. Saw manufacturers want to sell saws. They do not want to have to deal with servicing saws. Saw buyers want to use saws. They do not want to wait for service which they can not perform themselves.

-j

Reply to
J

Have you taken a look at their website?

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're pushing their own line of contractor saws and cabinet saws now and tehy've got sawstop for bandsaws. What's next? A sawstop for my tv remote, to keep me from injuring my finger while channel surfing , maybe?

Reply to
Makinwoodchips

If the choice was that or 1600 bucks for a new saw, then the answer is obvious.

From what the sawstop people say, replacing the cartridge is in the same order of difficulty as replacing a fuse. No "installing" required beyond pull out the old one, stick in the new one. If it's more complicated than that they've got a problem.

How about in a pro market?

Reply to
J. Clarke

How many people buy a sawblade from the manufacturer of the saw when they need a replacement? Not many. A lot of woodworkers buy third party blades when the saw is new Those that leave the factory blade on their saws will most likely just drive down to the borg and buy a replacement blade when they need one.

Frank

Reply to
Frank Ketchum

Why would that be the only choice? Do you buy a new saw when you have an accident on it?

An equally valid choice would be pay $100 or have a peanut butter and jelly sandwich rammed down your throat by a purple titanium robot while you are sleeping. I hate false dilemmas.

-j

Reply to
J

That is quite true, but the "idea" you are describing here has very little relationship to what Sawstop is supposedly selling.

Reply to
GregP

If the accident does $100 worth of damage to the saw then the choice is to pay the $100 to fix it or to get a new saw. Same situation.

How is that an "equally valid choice"? It makes absolutely no sense as an analogy.

What "false dilemma"? If one has a saw equipped with a Sawstop, then the choice is to replace the cartridge for 100 bucks, replace the saw for whatever is the price of a new saw, defeat the absent cartridge, or don't saw. I don't see another option.

-j

Reply to
J. Clarke

If in fact the blade is damaged. Does the current version of the Sawstop damage the blade?

Uh, why would you not just have a replacement cartridge on the shelf? Who said that the saw has to be "shipped to an authorized service center" or that you had to "wait for someone to come out and fix it"? You don't do either of those when you blow a fuse do you?

I'm sorry, but I thought we were talking about a marketing strategy, not about my personal preferences. And if the site has a starbucks nearby then it wouldn't seem to be so remote that getting a tech to come out would be an insurmountable difficulty.

So they put the in themselves. Nobody has said anything about "waiting for service".

Reply to
J. Clarke

But who said that the cartridge has to be universal? Could be like batteries for cordless tools. And there's a much better case for it being that way than there is with cordless tools.

Reply to
J. Clarke

OK, so if it is self service, customers don't want to have to have a replacement module and extra saw blade if they don't need to. I'm not saying sawstop is a bad thing. I'm just trying to give some reasons why manufacturers might not want to include it.

-j

Reply to
J

??? really?

Hey! That is what I was trying to say!

Now you offer 4 choices. You understand that this proves that the first post with only two choices was a false dilemma, don't you?

-j

Reply to
J

That is the point he is making. You'd happily pay $100 or more if it save your finger from being amputated. Yes, you'd be very PO'd on a false reaction, but I'd put $1000 in the till if it saves a finger.

IMO, the idea if fantastic and I'd be willing to pay a premium to have it on my saw. Just like airbags in a car and life vests on a boat. BUT . . . yes, that is a BUT I want to see it as proven technology that it will save my skin and not give false tripping.

Reply to
Edwin Pawlowski

When I looked at it the answer was yes.

No, you just flip the breaker. If the breaker blows, then yes, it usually means a trip to the store plus some serious thought about why that happened. Some may want an electrician to do this.

The suggestion is that parts dealers would not be so numerous as starbucks.

You disagree with me. That is OK. I'm just glad I don't HAVE to buy one if I don't want one.

-j

Reply to
J

My problem with the saw stop is definitely their marketing approach. They designed a product, good or bad is your own choice, then they did demos and touted the product and all sorts of marketing techniques. For whatever the reason, probably cost, the woodworking community was less than enthusiastic about the product. Then, if I recall the order correctly, they tried to force the manufacturers to install the product on their product. Failing that they decided to market their own saw, at the same time lobbying to get a law passed requiring the product be put on new ( and old?) saws.

I may have some of the facts screwed up a bit but the gist of it is the same. All in all, it is NOT a product I'd have any interest in. I'm 67 years old and have been making noise and sawdust for over 40 years - still have all ten complete digits.

Just MHO,

Vic Baron

occasionally.

Reply to
Vic Baron

That happened to you TOO??

Reply to
Vic Baron

Personally I have no problem with someone trying to earn a living. Manufacturing their own line? - more power to them. It's when they try to get the legislature to force others to use it that I draw the line.

Vic

Reply to
Vic Baron

Nah, I have invented the "PurpleTitaniumRobotWithPeanutButterAndJellySandwichStop". It works great. As a side benefit, my weiner hasn't been cut off since I've had it. Currently I'm in negotiations to make it mandatory so that no one else will be traumatized again.

-j

Reply to
J

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