LCHIEN
Tweet
as a matter of philosophy, many later power bench tools have some form of the keyed switch where it can't be turned on with the key removed, for safety. I think perhaps that's how evolution of the power tool companies working with the regulation/certification agencies have come around to a standard style color and operation. One issue to me is that there are many types of keys - no standard so you have to have a lot of keys around and your tool is useless w/o it and there's usually no hole so you can put it on a keychain. As I result, in my shop all the keys never leave the tools. But I also don't have any kids around (may change soon as Grandson is 2-1/2 years old).
The BT3100-1 keyed switch has the lift to turn on safety feature so that its not likely to be accidentally activated and the push to turn off so you can slap it quickly to turn off.
By contrast the BT3000 switch seems to me to be safe enough - you have to lift the cover to turn it on, when running, pushing anywhere on the cover will turn it off - I frequently use the end of my push stick to turn it off. THe cover has a loop for a small padlock for safety lockout, I suppose it requires you to have a padlock (active) vs. simply removing the yellow key (more passive). Probably most importantly it is not in alignment with industry standards which probably prompted the BT3100-1 and the subsequent underdesign of that switch's contacts. The problem with the original BT3100-1 was that the disengaging force was not strong enough and perhaps not enough plating - when interrupting the saws power (e.g. turning it off) there was an arc since the inductance of the motor resists current disruption. The resulting arc tended to weld the contacts together - ultimately they stick and the saw doesn't turn off. The later BT3100 switches had stronger springs and perhaps better plating on the contacts.
The standard for many years for stationary power tools now appears to be a red switch with means to prevent accidental actuation. Either a paddle type or raised edges on the outside of a broad toggle. The toggles or paddles are red.
Locking mechanisms are keys. The keys in the paddles are above the paddle. THe keys in the toggles are the tips pull out - having a long tail that does the actual engagment of the switch. The keys are yellow mostly but some are just red and say "remove to lock".
Just a quick survey of my shop - most of the tools are younger than the BT3000 I got in 2000.
Jet mortiser, Delta DP, Delta Jointer, Delta thickness planer, Delta BS all have the toggle with removable tip. Most of them are red tips.
Ryobi BT3000 has the hinged cover, and Ryobi OScillating spindle sander has a BT3100-1 like switch.
Hitachi DP has a paddle with yellow key, Craftsman DP (older) has a lift type padde with a yellow key, different from all the others.
The BT3100-1 keyed switch has the lift to turn on safety feature so that its not likely to be accidentally activated and the push to turn off so you can slap it quickly to turn off.
By contrast the BT3000 switch seems to me to be safe enough - you have to lift the cover to turn it on, when running, pushing anywhere on the cover will turn it off - I frequently use the end of my push stick to turn it off. THe cover has a loop for a small padlock for safety lockout, I suppose it requires you to have a padlock (active) vs. simply removing the yellow key (more passive). Probably most importantly it is not in alignment with industry standards which probably prompted the BT3100-1 and the subsequent underdesign of that switch's contacts. The problem with the original BT3100-1 was that the disengaging force was not strong enough and perhaps not enough plating - when interrupting the saws power (e.g. turning it off) there was an arc since the inductance of the motor resists current disruption. The resulting arc tended to weld the contacts together - ultimately they stick and the saw doesn't turn off. The later BT3100 switches had stronger springs and perhaps better plating on the contacts.
The standard for many years for stationary power tools now appears to be a red switch with means to prevent accidental actuation. Either a paddle type or raised edges on the outside of a broad toggle. The toggles or paddles are red.
Locking mechanisms are keys. The keys in the paddles are above the paddle. THe keys in the toggles are the tips pull out - having a long tail that does the actual engagment of the switch. The keys are yellow mostly but some are just red and say "remove to lock".
Just a quick survey of my shop - most of the tools are younger than the BT3000 I got in 2000.
Jet mortiser, Delta DP, Delta Jointer, Delta thickness planer, Delta BS all have the toggle with removable tip. Most of them are red tips.
Ryobi BT3000 has the hinged cover, and Ryobi OScillating spindle sander has a BT3100-1 like switch.
Hitachi DP has a paddle with yellow key, Craftsman DP (older) has a lift type padde with a yellow key, different from all the others.
Loring in Katy, TX USA
Comment