We do manufacturer an 203mm / 8” Premium Dado Set, which you can find on our on our web shop at https://sawstop.eu/product-category/accessories/blades/ . You can also use other brands of dado sets given it’s an 8” standard-tooth steel stacked dado set (max width: 23mm or 29/32”) with steel or carbide teeth. A zero-clearance insert for your dado set must also be purchased along with the required Dado Cartridge.

Do not use dado sets with solid-plate interior chippers or blades with molding heads.  We recommend against using “wobble” dado sets as the brake cartridge is not designed to stop those blade types.  We also do not recommend using blades with tooth “shoulders” (often called depth-limiting or anti-kickback shoulders), as these blades will take longer to stop in the event of an accident. 

Additionally, we recommend only using dado sets wherein the interior chippers have between two and four teeth per chipper to limit the impact of the saw during activation. 

It’s a common misconception that dado stacks are illegal in Europe. What is true is that most European saws are not designed to safely accommodate them due to arbor length, guarding, and dust collection regulations. The SawStop Professional Cabinet Saw, however, has been specifically engineered and CE-certified for use with an optional dado brake cartridge and dado insert. This, in combination with our floating guard, allows you to use dado stacks safely and in compliance with European safety standards. 

The SawStop safety system is designed for use with standard 250 or 254mm / 10” blades with kerfs from 2.4 mm to 4.8 mm (or 3/32” to 3/16”). Blades with kerfs much thinner than 2.4mm (3/32”)  should not be used because those blades might not be strong enough to withstand the force applied by the brake when it activates. As a result, those blades might deform and stop more slowly in the event of an accident, resulting in a more serious injury.  

Blades with kerfs much thicker than 4.8mm (3/16”) are heavier than standard 3.2mm (1/8”) kerf blades. Therefore, those blades should not be used because they may stop more slowly than standard blades in the event of an accident, resulting in a more serious injury.

Similarly, stacks of 2 or more 250mm or 254mm/10” blades should never be used on your SawStop saw as the combined weight of the blades may be too heavy to stop quickly. If you need to use a blade with a kerf thicker than 4.8mm (3/16”), use an 8” (203mm) dado set with the optional SawStop 8” dado cartridge. The dado cartridge is designed for use with 8” (203mm) dado sets up to 23mm (29/32”) wide and is CE-certified for safe use on the Professional Cabinet Saw. 

The brake cartridge is a single unit that requires no tools to insert and remove. It’s easy to change cartridges while you are changing blades, adding virtually no extra time to the task.

You can find an explanation of the safety system’s operation as well as watch a brief video of the safety system in action here. 

If you activate the safety system’s brake, you will need to replace the brake cartridge and evaluate the condition of the blade for future use. Replacing the brake cartridge is simple and can take as little as 90 seconds to complete. A standard TSBC-10R3-I brake cartridge costs €89 / £79, and a TSDC-8R3-I dado brake cartridge is €109 / £95. SawStop saws are designed to absorb the force of activation and are not damaged by it. 

In response to your request, when the safety system activates, it will sometimes damage one to more teeth on the blade. Some users discard and replace the blade, while others choose to have their blades inspected/repaired by a qualified specialist.  

If you are using the grey paddle to turn the blade on/off, the brake is still actively monitoring during the coast down rotation. The grey power switch is what powers the cartridge to begin monitoring the blade, so while that remains on, the cartridge will activate during coast down. 

SawStop saws cut most wet wood without a problem. However, if the wood is very green or wet (for example, wet enough to spray a mist when cutting), or if the wood is both wet and pressure treated, then the wood may be sufficiently conductive to activate the brake. If you are unsure whether the material you need to cut is conductive, you can make test cuts using Bypass Mode to determine if it will activate the safety system’s brake. The red light on the control box will flash to indicate conductivity.  If the material is conductive, you can choose to operate the saw in Bypass Mode which will disengage the saw’s safety system’s brake feature and allow you to continue cutting the material.  

If you are unsure whether the material you need to cut is conductive, you can make test cuts using Bypass Mode to determine if it will activate the safety system’s brake. When in Bypass Mode, if cutting conductive material, the white light on the control box will flash if it detects conductivity.  If the material is conductive, you can choose to operate the saw in Bypass Mode which will disengage the saw’s safety system’s brake feature and allow you to continue cutting the material. 

In response to your request, cold ambient temperatures should not affect your saw mechanics. However, your saw’s brake cartridge contains “computer-like” parts that can be affected by extreme cold. If the cartridge is stored in temperatures well below freezing, the saw won’t turn on until the cartridge warms up.  If you are in an extremely cold climate, we recommend removing the cartridge (which you can do with the blade in place) and storing it above freezing. Alternatively, some customers choose to leave the yellow “hard” power switch on all the time. This provides just enough heat to the cartridge to help ensure startup in spite of extreme ambient cold.