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Electric brake on circular saws 5

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frankiee

Marine/Ocean
Jun 28, 2005
138
I live in Canada
Use to be I could buy a circular saw with an electric brake
Now I do not see them anywhere
Have they quit making them for some reason
After using a saw with an electric brake on the job site, I think they should all have brakes.
Is there a reason that the motors burnt out or something that would make them quit selling them???
 
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Just out of curiosity, why do you need an electrical brake?

My saw has a safety-shield that is spring-loaded to cover the blade as your remove it from the wood. That way you can put down the saw immediately after you finish cutting, even though it is still coasting down.

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frankiee; The electric brakes are based on electrical components... One fails and the brake malfunctions. Then some idiot gets cut, the lawyer ticks trot in, and essentially the saw maker is being sued for an electrical component they don't have any control over.

It is a better move to just always prevent human blade contact with barriers that don't care whether the blade is spinning full speed, coasting down, or stopped. So you will probably never see another new saw brake.
 
electricpete
I use to work house construction and I was the cutter.
The most apperent instance is cutting the tails off the roof. Leaning down 2 or more stories high cutting this tail and wanting to stop to take a look at the cut, I would have to wait 30 secs or so to pull the saw back out.
If drawn out while still turning then you risk a kick back.
Cutting ply is the same. I use to have a saw with a brake and it was fantastic. I could make a fast cut then almost instantly set the saw down because the blade was stopped.
Without the brake I've had the gaurd not close and the saw do a square dance around. With a brake there is no worry.
 
pennpoint
Interesting article. Thanks

itsmoked
That is so crazy that it must be true.
I will try to find a used one or two and buy them.
Thanks
 
I believe it.. Another case of something worthwhile lost to the tort system. <sniff>
 
Frankiee, this is no use to you but I feel compelled to tell you anyway - last year I worked for a company over here in the UK which manufactured such a simple motor controller (single or three phase), generally used as an add-on for saw benches. They were selling like hot-cakes because of some approaching (or past) EU regulation requiring them. The company couldn't get hold of enough components to satisfy the market.

The brake was simple DC injection, but it was very effective. Unfortunately they don't distribute in North America.
 
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