A power tool such as a table saw includes a cutting blade, a motor that drives the blade, and a dust management assembly for collecting cutting debris. The position and angle of the blade can be adjusted relative to a table top of the saw. The dust management assembly is disposed below the table top in such a way so as to change positions in concert with the blade, and includes a blade cover that surrounds a portion of the blade; a dust shield that is pivotably connected to the table top in such a way that an inner surface of the dust shield faces toward an outer wall of the blade cover; and a dust port that is detachably connected to the blade cover and is configured collect debris generated by a cutting action of the blade.

A riving knife mounting assembly rigidly and accurately positions the riving knife relative to the cutting blade by way of a simple and intuitive mechanism. Interaction between a clamping plate and a locking plate engage opposite sides of the riving knife to hold the riving knife in place, and provides a sensible indication that the two components are properly mated. A cam lever assembly allows loosening or tightening the clamping plate and locking plate together about the riving knife by simply rotation of the lever. A spring assembly maintains pressure on the riving knife even in the loosened position to maintain proper positioning of the components. The clamping plate is part of a mounting bracket that is mounted to a motor arm movable with the drive assembly, and includes adjustment screws for adjusting the orientation of the riving knife relative to the cutting blade in multiple degrees of freedom.

A power tool in one embodiment includes a swing arm assembly movable along a swing path between a first swing arm position and a second swing arm position, a latch pin pivotable between a first position and a second position, an actuator module configured to receive a plurality of actuators, a first actuating module position within the actuator module configured to align a first of the plurality of actuators with a strike plate on the swing arm assembly, a loader configured to bias a second of the plurality of actuators from a second actuating module position within the actuator module toward the first actuating module position, and a control system configured to actuate each of the plurality of actuators positioned in the first actuating module position to force the swing arm assembly away from the first swing arm position and toward the second swing arm position.

A guard device for a saw system in which the table saw is not operated without a saw blade guard, unless a user intends to make a non-through cut in a workpiece. The guard device, in one embodiment, determines whether an adjusted saw blade height corresponds to a thickness of the work piece to be cut and prevents the tool or motor driving the saw blade from operating if the saw blade is adjusted too high, in order to improve work conditions.