New table saws

[pinyonwren]

Just got the good news that my father in law( snowbird in Arizona)is going to kick in half on a new table saw.My question is about these riving knives-gimmicky or are they truly worth having.We are looking at one of the Shopfox saws.What other features are really a must?The old saw is a Craftsman model 113 from the 70's.

[BearPipes-1]

The riving knife is the feature I appreciate most on my BT3100. There are lots of other features that are important to me, safety and otherwise, but the riving knife takes top place for me because it combines effectiveness and not getting in the way.

[Whaler]

I second the importance of a riving knife.
Check Here www.leestyron.com/sharkguard.php I had one on my old BT3 and loved it. I will be adding one to my new DW746 very soon.

[Uncle Cracker]

Ditto...

[Knottscott]

A riving knife is good and so are the Shop Fox saws. They're essentially white Grizzly's sold thru dealers with a 2 year warranty.

There's some good news even for saws without a stock riving knife. A guy by the name of Bob Ross has developed a "Bolt On Ripping Knife" (BORK), that is an aftermarket riving knife for the Grizzly 1023 series and comparable Shop Fox cab saws, as well as the Craftsman and Steel City hybrids.

[drumpriest]

Both of my table saws were bought under the condition of having a riving knife. My bt3100, then my pm2000. They are important.

[leehljp]

The purpose of a riving knife is to keep the wood away from the rear of the blade as it passes through the rear of the blade. The vast majority of kickbacks occur when the wood contacts the rear side, which then lifts it up and shoves it back to the user. Riving knifes do a significant in preventing the wood from contacting the blade, but even then it is not 100% fool proof. . probably 99% though.

For most people - a riving knife is not worth it until they experience a kickback, broken hand, bruised chest or missing teeth, or worse.

[dbhost]

I am trying to grab a BT3100 because of the riving knife (and miter slot tables)... The safety function of them is WELL worth the money, and I wouldn't buy another table saw without one.

[poolhound]

I also vote for a riving knife, I dont think I would ever consider a saw without one.

I think you should be sensing a trend in the replies

[Hoover]

Well riving knives are not gimmicky. All new table saws introduced for 2009 and beyond will have a riving knife in order to be sold in USA.
I recommend that you go to the library read as many woodworking magazines as possible, for you to better acquaint yourself with features on the new saws. You can get a better idea what is out there.

[herb fellows]

Just anecdotal, but a friend has actually done better without a riving knife. He is the only 52 year old in the Vienna Boy's Choir, making money like crazy! If you ever see them, look for the tall guy with the pained expression on his face.

Yeah, get it!

[rnelson0]

Just anecdotal, but a friend has actually done better without a riving knife.

Like someone else said, it is not important until you have a kickback that does some damage or ruins expensive wood. I know I am flirting with disaster when I move between regular cuts, dado cuts, and back, and do not put my guard on because I know I will just be taking it off again soon for a dado anyway. The guard eventually goes back on, just never at the earliest moment like it should!

A riving knife would probably be a little better and handle more situations (guards on angle cuts can be a pita), if that were an option for my old discontinued saw. I have a feeling that someday soon I will be buying a better saw and at that time I will look for the riving knife. Until then, it is quite possible to go without the riving saw and not injure yourself.

[SARGE..g-47]

A riving knife is a great feature for safety but... so is a splitter which I did not see anyone mention. Unless... you don't put them on the saw and use them. But... with that said, neither are the "Holy Grail" when in use as they are only "one feature" that prevents kick-back and cannot cover several others that can cause it or prevernt injury in the event it happens.

Just as a blade brake on a Saw-stop is not the "Holy Grail". It will prevent amputation but doesn't do one thing to avoid a kick-back which can be just as damaging to a body part. My conclusion is there is no one feature that could be considered a "Holy Grail" with TS safety with the possible exception of a power feeder which takes kick-back and amputation out of the picture.

[jussi]

I've wondered why more tablesaws don't have them, especially some of the more expensive ones. It was one the things I missed from my BT when I upgraded.

[Russianwolf]

I think all saws in Europe have had them (required by law) for at least a decade. I can vouch that I've never had a kickback incident when the riving knife was on the saw. I do want to upgrade to one of Lee's shorter versions so that removing it for non-through cuts isn't required, which means I won't forget to put it back on for that one quick through cut.

A splitter is effective, but tends to be much more cumbersome in attaching removing than a riving knife. And can't compare once you get one of Lee's