# Soft-Start: take it or leave it?



## raymondinn (Feb 7, 2018)

Hey everyone! I'm new to the forum from South Dakota. 

I'm curious, what are everyone's thoughts on the soft-start function? I have an older ryobi miter saw that works great, however, it bucks like a bronc when I squeeze the trigger. It annoys the crap out of me but I cannot justify a new saw for my usage at the moment. Does anyone else have this issue like I do? If there were an aftermarket soft-start option for a decent price, would you buy one? I'm looking for feedback to see if there would be enough demand for that kind of product. 

Sorry for the long post.

Will


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## difalkner (Nov 27, 2011)

Welcome to the forum, Will! My Bosch routers have soft start but my older DeWalt miter saw does not. I wish it did but as long as it's running I won't replace it for just that, though. It's a pretty nice feature.

David


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## raymondinn (Feb 7, 2018)

Thanks for the feedback, David!


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## hawkeye10 (Feb 18, 2015)

Will, if you start the saw up before bringing the blade down it want buck near as bad.


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## raymondinn (Feb 7, 2018)

Yes that does help, but it is still loud and jumps enough that I need to re-align the cut line. I don't bother lining up the cut line until after the blade is spinning.


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## FrankC (Aug 24, 2012)

So, are you doing research for a product you have in mind?


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## Sawdustmaker99 (Feb 1, 2018)

How is your saw mounted? My old porter cable miter saw didn’t have soft start and I never had to reposition a piece to be cut. My newer Bosch router is soft start. I don’t really care since it’s table mounted, but it would be nice if you’re using it free hand. My DeWalt router that I use free hand whips pretty good on startup.


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## raymondinn (Feb 7, 2018)

FrankC said:


> So, are you doing research for a product you have in mind?


Yes I have a product idea in mind for an aftermarket soft starter. I am trying to determine how many other peoples would appreciate it as much as I do.


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## difalkner (Nov 27, 2011)

raymondinn said:


> Yes I have a product idea in mind for an aftermarket soft starter. I am trying to determine how many other peoples would appreciate it as much as I do.


Even though my old DeWalt miter saw doesn't have soft start I have never had my work piece move when I start the saw. So while it's a good idea it isn't on my top 5 list for tools like this. On a handheld router, yes, but not much else.

David


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## subroc (Jan 3, 2015)

I expect it is as good an idea as any. I doubt I would ever buy an item like that. Buying a budget saw saves money. Soft start, lights, laser lines, more power, larger blade, etc. are additional features that cost money. I expect if someone was willing to spend the extra money on these items after the fact they would be better served just buying them included in a more premium product initially. That said, I did add a Oshlun laser light to my miter saw after the fact. So, some upgrades have a place. Good luck. 

What price point are you looking at?


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## Tool Agnostic (Aug 13, 2017)

Nice idea, but I doubt anyone would buy it. As @subroc says, if I want a budget saw without soft start, I probably don't want to spend the money for an aftermarket soft start gadget, unless it is VERY cheap. If I were very frustrated with a non-soft-start saw, then I would sell it and buy a saw with soft start. 

My spouse's miter saw does not have soft start. It never seemed to bother either of us. We start the blade up high and wait until it is spinning at full speed, then bring it down on the work. I have never seen the work move at startup due to the sudden torque from the motor. Yeah, the wood can move if I use my left hand to "clamp" it to the fence, which is a no-no, but we all do it from time to time. The movement never comes from the motor startup, but just bad "holding."


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## GuitarPhotographer (Jun 26, 2015)

My miter saw does not have soft start, but it's solidly mounted to the saw bench and never moves even a fraction of an inch. Knowing what I know about electronics, I doubt you can manufacture a soft-start circuit with enough current capacity to handle a ~3/4 hp saw motor at an affordable price point that people will be willing to buy.

Your price point might be ~$30, and your cost of mfg. has to be <1/3 of that. That leaves you $10 for parts, labor, assembly, and packaging...

My $0.02 worth


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## AltcarBob (Jan 20, 2018)

You can buy a Soft Starter for your power supply
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Motor_soft_starter


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## johnep (Apr 12, 2007)

Speed controls for drills became available as separate item in the 50s. May still be available, try a google.
johnep


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## tewitt1949 (Nov 26, 2013)

*speed controlers*

Check here for speed controllers

https://www.amazon.com/s/ref=nb_sb_ss_i_1_20?url=search-alias%3Daps&field-keywords=ac+speed+controller+120v&sprefix=ac+speed+controller+%2Caps%2C326&crid=1YZUZM244UXSB&rh=i%3Aaps%2Ck%3Aac+speed+controller+120v


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