[michaelt]

> why does it appears as if this isn't much of a thing outside of the US?

American hobby woodworkers all have huge two- or three-car garages giving them the room needed to store and use gigantic machines like table saws. Such large homes are unusual in Europe, and mostly owned by people who don't work with their hands.

European hobby woodworkers don't lose their fingers to table saws because they're using circular saws instead.

I suspect America also has a lot more woodworkers; many of their buildings have wood frames, wood siding, and bitumen-over-wood roofs.

[bluGill]

Homes as large exist all over Europe. Get into the cities where most people live and apartments don't have enough space, but just outside there are plenty of people with large houses. (they often have tiny garages though which doesn't leave enough space for a saw like this) In the US people live in apartments without enough space for a table saw as well, but houses with large garages are common (apartments often have garages, but they are too small for these saws and usually lack power). In my experience apartments in Europe are bigger than in the US but I've haven't seen enough apartments in Europe to be confident in that.

[michaelt]

I'm not talking about apartments, I'm talking about single family homes.

If you look at the Google Maps marker for New York and go 90 minutes drive north, you get this: https://maps.app.goo.gl/RY9ebS6vcD5w8cQA6

San Francisco and go 90 minutes north: https://maps.app.goo.gl/wJQx9BV5C2d7C6iR9

You look up Berlin and go 90 minutes north: https://maps.app.goo.gl/7javF29PE1p6F4rb9

Look up Paris and go 90 minutes north: https://maps.app.goo.gl/nyHut9xD4eAZnhdn9

You look up London and go 90 minutes north: https://maps.app.goo.gl/VnEWsmNHSC5pc9H98

Europe's higher population density gives them has great, walkable cities, practical public transport, good cycle-ability and plentiful bus stops.

The trade-off is smaller homes and less parking. There's a reason nobody over there drives an F-150 truck.

[bluGill]

The space between houses is smaller, and the houses have much smaller garages. However the house themselves are similar size.

[Macha]

They really aren't. My house is a 1250 sq ft 4 bedroom house. It gets comments from friends and family for being relatively large for a 4 br here, since the norm is 1000 sq ft for a 4 bedroom. Similar style houses in the US seem to be about 2000 sq ft from a property search.

[elzbardico]

Yes, even in a lot of south american countries, for a upper middle class perspective, 1000 sq ft for a four bedroom house is a bit on the small side.

[kube-system]

In the US, a 1200 sq ft or smaller home would be a post ww2 "starter home", usually 2 or 3 bedroom. Homes of this size are pretty much not being built anymore, the average size of a new home in the US has been around 2500 sq ft for decades now. The median size of all existing homes in the US sits just north of 2000 sq ft.

[michaelt]

> the houses have much smaller garages

Yes, this is what I mean when I say few Europeans have the two- or three-car garages needed for a table saw to be practical.

[dynm]

Americans on average have much more living space than Europeans: https://www.researchgate.net/figure/Average-floor-area-per-c...

[bluGill]

Average is not a good measure - more people in the US live in larger single family houses than in Europe. However those in Europe who live in single family houses have about as much space.

[nothercastle]

How is availability and cost is raw lumber in Europe?

[Freak_NL]

Good and fairly high, respectively. That doesn't stop people from woodworking though.

[bobsyourbuncle]

Why are circular saws less prone to injury?

[jonstewart]

At least one hand is operating a circular saw and there’s often a spring loaded guard that snaps into place when the saw isn’t sawing. I’m sure plenty of people hurt themselves with circular saws, but as more of a hands-on tool you are very aware when using it. It is not nearly as precise or easy to use with large jobs as a table saw, however.

[sowbug]

On a circular saw, the hand in motion maneuvers the cutting tool. On a table saw, it pushes the thing being cut. Either saw's blade sometimes grabs the material and kicks it back. If your hand is on that material, it can also be sent in an unexpected direction.

(This is just one scenario. Both tools are capable of unwanted removal of body parts.)

[michaelt]

I don't claim they are (or aren't, I don't know either way)

I'm just saying you don't have tablesaw injuries if you don't have tablesaws.