SawStop Brake Cartridge for 203mm/8" Dado Set

SawStop manufactures a 203mm/8″ Premium Dado Set, and you can also use other brands provided it is an 8″ standard-tooth steel stacked dado set (max width 23mm/29/32″) with steel or carbide teeth, and you must also use a zero-clearance insert along with the required Dado Cartridge.

Do not use dado sets with solid-plate interior chippers or blades with molding heads. Avoid “wobble” dado sets, and we do not recommend blades with tooth “shoulders” (depth-limiting / anti-kickback shoulders) as these take longer to stop in an accident.

For best results, SawStop also recommends interior chippers with between two and four teeth per chipper to limit the impact of the saw during activation.

It’s a common misconception – the issue is that most European saws are not designed to safely accommodate dado stacks due to arbor length, guarding, and dust collection regulations. However, the SawStop Professional Cabinet Saw is engineered and CE-certified for use with an optional dado brake cartridge and dado insert, and when used with the floating guard it allows safe, compliant use under European safety standards.

The SawStop safety system is designed for standard 250mm or 254mm/ 0″ blades with kerfs from 2.4mm to 4.8mm (3/32″ to 3/16″). Blades significantly thinner or thicker should not be used, as they may stop more slowly or deform during activation, increasing injury risk.

Stacks of two or more 250mm or 254mm/10″ blades should never be used because the combined weight may be too heavy to stop quickly. If you need a kerf thicker than 4.8mm (3/16″), use an 8″ (203mm) dado set with the optional SawStop 8″ dado cartridge, which is CE-certified for safe use on the Professional Cabinet Saw.

The brake cartridge is a single unit that requires no tools to insert and remove, and it is easy to change while swapping blades, adding virtually no extra time to the task.

If the brake activates, you will need to replace the brake cartridge and assess the blade condition for future use. Replacing the cartridge is straightforward and can take as little as 90 seconds.

A standard TSBC-10R3-I brake cartridge costs £79 and a TSDC-8R3-I dado brake cartridge costs £95. SawStop saws are designed to absorb the activation force without being damaged.

When the safety system activates it can sometimes damage one or more teeth on the blade. Some users replace the blade, while others have it inspected and repaired by a qualified specialist.

Yes – if you turn the blade off using the grey paddle, the brake continues monitoring during coast down. While the grey power switch remains on, the cartridge can still activate during coast down rotation.

Most wet wood cuts without issue, but very green or very wet wood (especially if it sprays mist when cutting), or wet pressure-treated wood, may be conductive enough to activate the brake. If you are unsure, you can make test cuts using Bypass Mode to check conductivity.

The red light on the control box will flash to indicate conductivity. If the material is conductive you can operate in Bypass Mode to disengage the braking feature and continue cutting.

If you are unsure whether a material is conductive, make test cuts using Bypass Mode to determine whether it will activate the brake. When in Bypass Mode, the white light on the control box will flash if it detects conductivity.

If the material is conductive you can continue operating in Bypass Mode, which disengages the braking feature and allows you to cut the material.

Cold ambient temperatures should not affect the saw’s mechanics, but the brake cartridge contains electronic components that can be affected by extreme cold. If the cartridge has been stored well below freezing, the saw may not turn on until it warms up.

In very cold climates, SawStop recommends removing the cartridge and storing it above freezing. Some customers leave the yellow “hard” power switch on to provide a small amount of heat to support startup in extreme ambient cold.