I do not have a Saw Stop and don't have an axe to grind---

so

 

I understand the reasoning behind dropping the blade below the table to prevent accidental contact with the blade

but

what purpose is the brake that stops the blade?

If the blade is already below the table top why do you need to stop the blade?

chances are pretty remote that any part of you is going into the opening of the plate to get cut after the blade is dropped.

it's expensive enough to have to replace the triggering cartridge, but why do you have to add the blade into the mix?

 

Somebody please educate me.

thks

 

smitty

Following 

I don't have a saw stop either.

I had always assumed that the brake is the primary function of their system, and dropping the blade is a useful byproduct of the brake.  It redirects all that momentum of the spinning blade to drop the blade out of the way when it is suddenly stopped.  Without doing that, the blade wouldn't stop as fast.

It's what John  said, the brake is the primary function, stopping the blade in micro seconds (or something really fast).  But that creates a lot of force that still has to be dissipated and at least one source i read from SS said the dropping action helps absorb a lot of that force. But here seems to be a few other reasons to have that happen, for one thing it gets the blade out the workpiece so it can be removed easily. For another the dropping action does some kind of reset so you can't possibly restart the saw without replacing the blade/cartridge  and then resetting the arbor assembly. I haven't set mine off yet, but from what I've read a few folks have just replaced everything and still couldn't get the saw to run because they didn't do that last reset.