Foot Switch

[don in brooklin on]

In todays blog Steve talks about a foot switch.

I have a deadmans on my scroll saw but have a the on off type switch on my dremmel and on my sanding station.  The sanding station switch is hooked to a power bar that has the sander and the dust collector.

I got mine at Harbour Freight for less than $14 less than Amazon.

What does everyone else use?

[Jim Finn]

I have the step-on, step-off, floor switches from harbor freight also.  I have one on each of  my two scroll saws, band saw, drill press, and on two stationary sanders.  I do not want to have to hold my foot to a certain place in order to run my equipment so I did not get the switch that requires one to keep their foot on it.  I used to have to do that when TIG welding and realised what a pain that can become.

[scrappile]

I have the "dead man" type.  Have only used them on my scroll saws.  It one I like best came with my Hegner.  It is much smaller than most I have seen.  I thought I would not like it but it was not the case, it became my favorite one. 

[Wooden Lace]

I have the on-off type and love them.  I'm another one that doesn't want to have to hold my foot down the entire time I'm cutting.  I use it just like the damper pedal on the piano....my right foot lightly rests on it until needed, then I push down.  If you learn to just LIGHTLY rest the foot on the pedal, there's no need to actually move your foot off and back on.  It's always there, just waiting.  Just my way of doing it.
Nancy from Washington state

[justlarry]

I have the Harbor Freight deadman switch for my dremel plunge router for drilling the holes and the on/off for the scroll saw.  Just recently had to replace the on/off foot switch.  Figure I had the one that wore out for at least 5 years.  It made a lot of ons and offs before the plastic part broke.

Larry

[Bill Wilson]

I have the deadman switch.  Doing fretwork, I find that I rarely have the saw running continuously for more than a couple minutes at a time, before needing to stop anyway, so I don't have any issue with fatigue.  Used in that context, the press on/press off style would be a little awkward for me to use.  For other tools, with longer run cycles, I can see the benefits of the on/off type.

[rmaker]

Same here I have the Harbor Freight step on step off and it works great.