twistsol
Tweet
Festool's parent company is buying SawStop. Press Release
-
Chr's
__________
An ethical man knows the right thing to do.
A moral man does it. -
Great. I can't afford one now and I will never be able to buy one once they paint them green and double the price.Joe -
Considering the price of Festool's products that will be the most expensive table saw on the market. It will cost more than the moon rover cost taxpayers!Comment
-
IN 2021 SawStop's patents expire. I'm still convinced that it is all about the money.just another brick in the wall...
Boycott McAfee. They placed an unresponsive popup on my pc.Comment
-
Aren't there ways of extending the patent by making slight modifications?I reject your reality and substitute my own.Comment
-
The term of the original patent cannot be extended, as far as I know. I've heard people claim that filings were made that extended a patent's life, but I can't figure out what they are describing... unless they mean:
One can file a new patent that describes narrow improvements or a new use for the original patent. Anybody can do this, not just the original inventor. If the new inventor doesn't own rights to the original patent, however, likely will infringe on the original patent if the inventor makes his/her new device. The new idea must be novel, not disclosed or described in the original patent or any other patent or public disclosure. So if SawStop was to improve their technology such that it makes their original patented idea essentially obsolete, and they get the new idea patented, they could effectively extend their patent protection. For example: a much less expensive protection mechanism, or one that doesn't destroy the blade. Those improvements could be patented, and would effectively make the original patent obsolete so competitors would be at a disadvantage marketing devices using that patented technology after the original patent expires.
-
-
Reading all the hype about SS I never believed he had plans to start a table saw company, rather build a better mousetrap component for the saw and hold other companies ransom with it. They built some nice saws in the process but jumped at the chance of a pile of cash while the getting was good.Comment
-
It will be interesting to see if Sawstop now comes out with a European style table saw of if one of those sliding table add ones, start being marketed with it. It is also interesting to me, that no mention of the patents being sold, so I expect Gass can entirely focus on the litigation side of his business, and now would have a defense in any "reasonable patent licensing" arguments.She couldn't tell the difference between the escape pod, and the bathroom. We had to go back for her.........................Twice.Comment
-
Gass was probably very glad to hand over the litigation drama with Bosch to Festool. I'm curious as to why Festool did this. Seems like a big headache and they could have waited the patent out.I reject your reality and substitute my own.Comment
-
Maybe Festool wants to get into larger tools. They have a small jobsite-ish TS according to this article::
If they wait too long, SS could have too much market share for them to overcome. My impression is that the Europeans are much more safety conscious and they might welcome something like the SS over there.
IMO, Festool stuff is pretty innovative. Other than the price tag, I love my Domino. It will be interesting to see where they take this.Comment
-
Is the litigation still going?
I know Bosch was ordered to stop importing their saws in (for lack of the proper term) import court, but was not sure if the patent litigation was still going. (in which case, Gass is NOT out of the drama, as both the inventor and a participant)She couldn't tell the difference between the escape pod, and the bathroom. We had to go back for her.........................Twice.Comment
-
I could be wrong about this - but Gass realizes that the value of the patent deteriorates with each passing month. Many suspect that he never really wanted to be in the "tablesaw business" trying to compete with the "big boys" - Powermatic, Jet, Delta, General, etc. His company invented a very innovative technology and hoped to sell / license it to one of the "big boys". They weren't willing to pay his price. So, in order to get some value out of the patent they started making table saws and competing with the "big boys" - otherwise the patented technology would just sit on the shelf waiting for time to pass. In my opinion, they appear to have been successful at chipping away at a fair amount of market share, given they probably didn't have a big boy marketing budget. I haven't researched any sales numbers, but I've seen a good many SawStop saws on shop floors - and talked to business owners that say they'd never own anything else, due to the piece of mind.
Festool also realizes the value of the SawStop patent is deteriorating each month. To my knowledge, Festool doesn't make a tablesaw anything like what we're used to in North America. While they sell a ton of track saws and other portable tools/accessories, this could give them an "in" to the stationary tool market. They believe that buying SawStop will give them a head start on getting competitive with the others before the patent expires (their value in what they receive by buying now exceeds the purchase price - or they would wait.). Festool already has a strong, loyal, customer base that is accustomed to paying a premium price for quality, innovative products. SawStop also has a loyal customer base accustomed to paying a premium, etc. - and there may not be much "overlap" in their respective customer bases (how many SawStop customers own Festool products, and vice verse).
(I suppose that I probably should have simply agreed with the others that said "it's about the money".) It may be a very good decision. It will be interesting to see what happens.
Last edited by os1kne; 07-03-2017, 04:33 AM.BillComment
-
regarding Sawstop, and owner Gass's efforts to have legislation or rules passed to require AIM (active Injury Mitigation) on table saws, and ways to test them - STF (substitute test Finger, e.g. a hot dog apparently)
This page shows all the actions since 2008 going on to make it a regulation. Including the UL.documents. Apparently it seems to be marching towards implementation but it also says a phase in period is required to allow companies to comply.
Loring in Katy, TX USA
If your only tool is a hammer, you tend to treat all problems as if they were nails.
BT3 FAQ - https://www.sawdustzone.org/forum/di...sked-questionsComment
-
Sadly, I seriously doubt that Festool purchasing SawStop will do anything to making the technology more affordable for the masses. Festool has proven they have zero interest in the low to mid tiers of the hobby woodworker market. So I keep throwing my change into the jar as it were hoping to eventually afford one...
The legal push that Goss is responsible for aside, I REALLY want a SawStop 3HP PCS with the 50 something inch fence...Please like and subscribe to my YouTube channel. Please check out and subscribe to my Workshop Blog.Comment
Comment