Comment from Robert Shelton

The proposed rule making is an offensive intrusion into the private affairs of individual table saw users and an inappropriate involvement of government into the competitive market place. The market place already includes the so-called SawStop technology, which a minority select for its alleged safety. Consumers are fully aware of the option of the single brand available, there is no hidden quality or safety issue involved; thus no consumer protection is required. The granting of a government sponsored monopoly to Mr. Bass in the absence of detailed price, quality and feature regulation by the United States government is wrong. Were it not for Mr. Bass' greed, the technology would already be available for all manufacturers who choose to use it. But would most manufacturers choose to use this technology for their product lines? We doubt it, because it is neither fully developed nor proven. The present design is destructive of expensive blades and subject to false triggers. Better systems can be developed which deal with stopping the spindle instead of destroying the blade needlessly. The Commission appears overly impressed by the number of table saw injuries without having considered that most of these injuries resulted from saws on which current protective features were dismantled or removed. Implementing this rule would have a serious negative consequences on the woodworking tool industry, pressing consumers into purchasing an otherwise inferior product. I am not affiliated with any table saw manufacturer or seller.