Foot Switch....state your preference...

[Danny]

Well for my first THREE years of scrolling I also did not know what a dead mans switch was and like (Dan) (also wud like to here his theory on why he doesn't use a foot switch) just used my fingers to flip the swiches.  I FINALLY got one and there is never going to be a time that I will ever stop using one.  MY 2cents is THEY THE BEST....  Danny  :+}

[GrayBeard]

It all depends on what you get used to....I didn't use one for a long time and now can't think of not having one...also bought an extras to use on my little router table

~~~GB~~~

[jimbo]

Don't use one, I sit in a high stool and my feet are on a rest and they don't touch the ground till I get off
Jimbo

[dgman]

Don't use one, I sit in a high stool and my feet are on a rest and they don't touch the ground till I get off
Jimbo

Same thing for me. As I'm cutting, I move my feet and legs around from the cross bar on the saw stand to the ground to the foot rest on the stool. In the eighteen years that I have been scrolling, I have never lost control of my workpiece, so I have no reason to retrain myself to use one.

[woodcutter]

When I got my new saw it only had a small switch so it was hard to find in a hurry.
I bought the dead man foot switch and it works great for me.
Foot switch all the way for me.

Jim

[geneVG]

I had a dead mans switch along with my craftman saw.  It was with the saw.  WQhen I got my 40=690 I just took it off the craftman an put it on the Delta.  I would not saw with out it, just for safety reasons.

gene

[Wingnut]

I had my switch on the left hand side with my old saw for about 25 yrs.  So when I got my new saw I tried to put it at the same location as before.  I just can't see changing something that has worked for so long.  If it ain't broke, don't try to fix it.  I too sit on a high stool and move my feet around alot.
  I know there's a lot of you guys (and gals) that can't work without the deadman switch and that's fine.  Iffen that's what you like, stick with it.  It ain't broke for you either.

Dave

[tux_linux]

Hand switch. I can see that a foot switch would be a fine thing - but  to the safety thing: It's easy to take the hands off. And the blade will probably break as soon as the wood starts acting wild.

Did Someone already discover problems of this kind? I saw my finger once as I touched the blade from the front (wanted to wipe off dust...). But nothing that is even worth mentioning.

Keefie,
That is probably because of the 110V they have over there and higher security issues here also. We have those power-loose switches here in Europe, which prevent the machine to run when the power has been off. That is probably one of the reasons for the higher price.

[chief]

My first 2 scrollsaws I just used the saw switch.  My Dewalt I splurged and paid the $10 for the dead-man switch and dont know how I made it without it.  It is awesome since I can stop the saw in a split second and not take my hands of the workpiece.  In my opinion the dead-man foot switch is much safer.

[Jim Finn]

I spent too many years holding down a peddle while TIG welding.  Leg gets tired holding that peddle down all day so I have used the on /off type . I can move back away from the saw a bit when cutting long pieces without a problem.  When doing inlays (I do not do fretwork) near the end of my cut I depress the foot switch and hold it until I reach the end and then release just as you do with  a dead man type.

[bampasr]

I like the dead man.

[tux_linux]

*lol* bampsar, hat came out a bit strange...

[mrsn]

I don't use one. I picke up an off/on footswitch and pretty much hated it. I kept turning the saw off instead of using the footswitch. I tend to not have my feet actually on the ground so that is probably part of my problem.
I never use one with my Hitachi scroll saw, the switch is really big and right in front. While sawing I can turn it off with my head or sholder while cutting if my hands had to be on the workpiece. I have used the foot switch on my hegnar, because the switch is hidden a lot more and it is harder for my hands to find quickly.

[tux_linux]

While sawing I can turn it off with my head

How do I get this image out of my head

[Russ C]

I have been using the dead man type foot pedal for so long I don't know how to saw without it.