Bosch’s new Reaxx saw with flesh-sensing technology has finally arrived, and I was excited to take it for a spin. First, I should note I’ve been a longtime SawStop saw owner and user, so I was anxious to see how the Bosch saw performed, but in this review I’m not going to attempt a real head-to-head comparison. We’ll work on that for a future article.
First impressions of Reaxx
This saw mounts to the same quick-acting, rolling stand other Bosch saws use for good portability. Controls for raising and lowering the blade are standard. A counterbalanced system is used to adjust the angle of the blade without a separate wheel control.
The first differences you’ll notice are the two switches and a line of electronic status lights connected to the new safety technology. As soon as you plug in the saw, it activates the safety system. The second switch is a bypass circuit for use when cutting conductive materials without the system activating and dropping the blade.
How Bosch Reaxx saw works
In regular saw functions, the Bosch saw works just as you would expect. The 4-hp motor has what it takes to cut through construction lumber and handle most common softwood and hardwood ripping chores. The rip fence is the standard snap lock style common on jobsite saws, and a table extension allows ripping to 25 inches.
The safety technology uses gas cartridges to drop the blade instantly if it detects flesh contact. There is no blade brake. Activation causes no damage to the blade, and you can install a new cartridge to return the saw to full operation in about a minute. We purposely activated the system with a sausage simulating a finger, and it worked as expected.
The big question with this saw is whether you’ll be able to buy it. SawStop is challenging the importation of the Reaxx saw on the grounds of patent infringement. Bosch maintains the saw doesn’t violate SawStop’s patents. If Bosch prevails, it will widen the market for safety saw technology.
Learn more at www.boschtools.com.
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