The New SawStop Bandsaw First Look
Watching on TV? See all tool links from this video
SawStop just debuted the new SawStop bandsaw at IWF, and I got hands on it about an hour after the world premiere. It is called the Professional Bandsaw, model PBS11120, and it stops the blade when it detects skin. This post covers what it does, when it ships, and what it costs.
The Short Answer
- The new SawStop bandsaw is the Professional Bandsaw, model PBS11120, with the same skin-detection safety idea SawStop built its name on.
- SawStop has not announced pricing yet. Pre-orders are expected roughly three to four months before launch.
- It ships mid 2027 in the US and Canada. International timing has not been set.
- It gives you 14 inches of resaw capacity, the most of any bandsaw running 14 inch wheels.
What Is the New SawStop Bandsaw
The new SawStop bandsaw is a 14 inch professional bandsaw with an active safety system underneath the table. The system is called Sensic. It detects contact between the blade and skin, then cuts and captures the blade in under five milliseconds.
That is the same speed target SawStop has used on its table saws for 20 years. The mechanism is different here. Instead of ramming an aluminum brake into a spinning blade, the cartridge cuts the band and traps it. When the band gets cut, the tension releases instantly. The blade springs outward against the internal cage and just pins itself in place inside the saw.
I asked about the loose end, because that was my first thought too. The blade is captured at the cartridge and it expands into empty space inside the cabinet. There is no whipping band flying at you. It is well secured.
There is a bypass key, exactly like the table saws. If you are cutting conductive material on purpose, you flip to bypass and the detection stops looking. Two bypass keys come in the box.
There is also a real reason SawStop went after a bandsaw specifically. A bandsaw sits in the middle of a lot of shops. You resaw on it, you cut curves on it, you do scroll work on it. On every one of those cuts your hands are close to the blade with no guard between you and it.
See the SawStop Professional Bandsaw at SawStop
Watch the Full Walkthrough From IWF
The video shows the parts that are hard to describe. You can watch the blade come out the front of the machine, see the cartridge under the table, and watch the on-screen indicator flag a finger touching the blade before anything happens.
SawStop Bandsaw Release Date and Price
The Professional Bandsaw is expected in stores mid 2027. Pre-orders should open roughly three to four months ahead of that. Release timing outside the US and Canada has not been decided and will be set after the North American launch.
SawStop has not put a price on it yet. I will update this post the moment they do.
Announcing a machine this far out is unusual. Most companies do it about three months from shipping. SawStop's CEO has been chasing this bandsaw since 2010 and started serious work on it in 2019, so seven years of development came out at once at IWF.
SawStop Bandsaw Specs
| Spec | SawStop Professional Bandsaw |
|---|---|
| Model | PBS11120 |
| Resaw capacity | 14 inches |
| Motor options | 1.75 HP 120V or 3 HP 230V |
| Table size | 16.9 in x 21.8 in cast iron |
| Table tilt | 45 degrees right, 9 degrees left |
| Frame weight | About 400 lb of reinforced steel |
| Dust ports | Two 4 inch ports, both below the table |
| Blade stop | Under 5 milliseconds on skin contact |
| Electronic brake | Under 2 seconds from the stop paddle |
The 400 lb figure matters more than it sounds. Mass is what kills vibration in a bandsaw, and vibration is what ruins a resaw cut. That reinforced steel frame is what lets them claim 14 inches of resaw on 14 inch wheels.
SawStop Bandsaw Blade Change
This is the feature I would actually use every week, and it is the one people are sleeping on.
Most of us have run a dull blade or the wrong blade through a cut we should have stopped for. We do it because changing a bandsaw blade is a chore. Between wrestling the band and resetting the guides, you can burn 15 to 25 minutes.
SawStop routed the blade straight out the front. Most manufacturers avoid that because opening the front risks knocking the table out of registration. SawStop added a pin that actuates and holds the table in registration while the front is open. So you swing the front open, pull the band off, drop the new one on, and reset the guides. The target is three to five minutes.
Tool-Free Blade Guides
Bandsaw guides are a religious argument. One camp gets you accuracy, the other camp gets you fast adjustment, and almost nothing gives you both. SawStop went with eccentric ball-bearing guides that adjust tool-free.
You can spin them in fast, sneak up on the final setting, and lock them without grabbing a wrench. SawStop's own claim is that these are the best guides in the business and not close. That is their words, not mine, and I want time on one before I sign off on it. What I can say is that fast guides are the other half of a fast blade change.
The Rip Fence and Blade Drift Adjustment
The fence has a 5.5 inch HDPE face that flips between a high side for resawing and a low side for small work. It mounts on either side of the blade and adjusts forward and back.
The drift adjustment is the smart part. Normally, when you dial in drift, your fence measurement changes and you remeasure. SawStop built what they call a virtual center, so the blade stays at the center point of your drift adjustment. The number you started with is still the number you have.
The fence stores in a molded nest on the back of the saw, held by a magnetic bracket. No latch, no knob, no rattling around on a shelf. It also ships with every saw, which should be obvious, but on plenty of bandsaws a real fence is an upcharge.
SawStop Bandsaw Dust Collection
Two 4 inch ports, and both of them sit below the table with custom shrouds wrapped around the blade.
Plenty of bandsaws have two ports. The difference is placement. Most dual port setups put the second one at the bottom of the cabinet as a cleanup port for everything the first one missed. SawStop skipped the cleanup port and aimed both at the point of origin instead. That creates a slight downdraft at the blade and pulls fines before they get up to your face.
They also left the blower off on purpose. A blower clears your cut line by throwing fine dust into the room you are breathing in. SawStop's position is that dust extraction above the table gets in your way, and blowers are an irresponsible answer to the shadow problem.
The Electronic Brake and the Ghost Blade Problem
The scariest thing about a bandsaw for me has nothing to do with cutting. It is the ghost blade. You shut the saw off, it goes whisper quiet, and it keeps spinning while you reach in.
The Professional Bandsaw has an electronic motor brake, separate from the safety cartridge. Hit the stop paddle and the blade is stopped in under two seconds, every single time. There is no foot brake to remember and no habit to build. That is a different system from Sensic and it works on every shutdown, not just an emergency.
The Built-In Light
The light sits above the upper blade guides, pointed straight down at the cut line. Not off to the side, not mounted up at the top of the frame where the upper wheel housing throws a shadow across your line.
SawStop was direct about this one. There was no clever engineering breakthrough involved. They knew how to do it. It was just a pain to route the wiring so nothing binds when the guide post moves. They did the work anyway, which is the whole point.
Accessories and What Comes in the Box
The saw I looked at had two add-ons. A table extension adds almost 8 inches to the right side of the cast iron table. An integrated mobile base lets you roll it around the shop.
Standard equipment includes the Hi-Low fence, the brake cartridge, a magnetic fence rail bracket, an upper dust port, a push stick with a holder, a magnetic push block, a table alignment foam block, a table insert, a wrench, hardware, the manuals, and two bypass keys.
The push stick and push block both magnet to the machine wherever you want them. Small thing. It is also the kind of small thing that determines whether you use them.
Why SawStop Changed Their Logo
SawStop rolled out a new logo alongside this saw. The mark has three elements standing for safety, innovation, and quality, and it reads like a spinning blade when it moves.
The reasoning is worth understanding if you own SawStop gear. Table saws are the foundation and they are not going anywhere. The company's position is that the brand can stretch across the rest of the shop, and the bandsaw is the first proof of that. Expect more machines wearing that mark.
All Tools From This Video
SawStop
The bandsaw is not on sale yet. This links to SawStop's bandsaw page for specs and launch updates.Want deals like these sent to you every day.
Join The Morning Cut. Free daily tool deal email from Matt.
Browse all current tool deals at 731woodworks.com.
See all tool reviews. Every post from the 731 Woodworks blog.
Frequently Asked Questions
When does the SawStop bandsaw come out
SawStop expects the Professional Bandsaw in stores mid 2027 in the US and Canada. Pre-orders should open about three to four months before that. Timing for other countries has not been set and will be worked out after the North American launch.
How much does the SawStop bandsaw cost
SawStop has not announced pricing. The saw was revealed at IWF roughly a year and a half before it ships, which is much earlier than a typical product announcement. I will update this post as soon as a number is public.
Can you retrofit SawStop safety onto an existing bandsaw
No. There is no retrofit kit and there will not be one. The safety system is built into the machine's structure, including the cartridge below the table and the internal cage that captures the band. You have to buy the saw.
Can you cut wet or pressure treated wood on the SawStop bandsaw
Wet or green wood may cut fine with the safety system active, depending on moisture content. SawStop recommends testing the board in bypass mode first. Pressure treated wood should be cut in bypass, since it often carries a lot of copper and copper is conductive.
Does SawStop replace the bandsaw brake cartridge for free
Yes, if the activation is confirmed to have been caused by accidental skin contact. That is the same policy SawStop runs on its table saws. Note the bandsaw cartridge is a different part from the table saw cartridge, even though both use the Sensic system.
How much resaw capacity does the SawStop bandsaw have
A full 14 inches, which is the most of any bandsaw running 14 inch wheels. The reinforced steel frame is what makes that possible without the machine flexing. It weighs about 400 lb, and that mass is what keeps a tall resaw cut from wandering.
How long does a blade change take on the SawStop bandsaw
SawStop is targeting three to five minutes. The blade comes out the front of the machine, and a registration pin keeps the table aligned while the front is open. Tool-free eccentric guides handle the reset. On most bandsaws the same job runs 15 to 25 minutes.
731 Woodworks may earn a small commission from links on this site. No affiliate or paid links appear in this post.
SawStop just debuted the Professional Bandsaw at IWF, and I got my hands on it an hour later. Here is what it does, when it ships, and why the blade change matters as much as the safety system.