Weight: 78 lb.
Weight with cart and outfeed support: 133 lb.
Max rip: 25 in. Max depth of cut at 0°: 3-1/8 in.
Max depth of cut at 45°: 2-1/4 in.
Bevel: –2° to 47°
Max dado width: 13/16 in.
Price: $1500

 According to the Consumer Product Safety Commission, 67,000 people are injured every year using tablesaws, resulting in 33,000 emergency-room visits, 4000 amputations, and $2.3 billion spent on medical bills, lost wages, and pain and suffering. Back in 2002, SawStop demonstrated its first flesh-sensing, blade-stopping tablesaw to prevent finger-amputation injuries. Since then, professional woodworkers and hobbyists alike have lauded the company’s cabinet and contractor saws for their high quality and reliability. Unfortunately, these saws are significantly larger and heavier than the tablesaws normally found on job sites. For almost a decade, SawStop has promised a portable job-site tablesaw like those favored by contractors and DIYers—and it’s finally here. In February 2015, the SawStop Jobsite portable saw went on sale. Within weeks of the tool’s introduction, power-tool giant Bosch announced it would be introducing its own fingersaving saw. Bosch’s and SawStop’s saws and the technology behind them were discussed during the Carlos Osorio lawsuit, a bellwether court case that resulted in a $1.5 million judgment against TTI, the parent company of power-tool maker Ryobi. Osorio was using a Ryobi tablesaw when he nearly cut off his pinky finger and severely injured two other fingers and his thumb.

The new Bosch saw won’t be available until fall 2015, but we’ll be comparing both portable finger-saving saws in a head-to-head test in an upcoming issue. Like SawStop’s saws, Bosch’s REAXX uses the principal of capacitance to trigger its finger-saving technology, but it doesn’t stop the blade. Instead, it forces the blade below the saw table with an explosive charge produced by a small piston-shaped cartridge. Each cartridge can be used twice, with replacements selling for $99.

Like the SawStop Jobsite saw, the REAXX uses a belt drive to connect the blade arbor to the saw motor. According to Bosch product manager Craig Wilson, the belt drive is necessary because of the safety system and is similar to the drivetrain found on modern miter saws. The Bosch REAXX, which includes Bosch’s Gravity Rise folding stand, is scheduled for release in the fall with a list price of $1500.