Tex wrote:

Take a look at some of the new contactors being used to switch air
conditioning compressors on/off. Some of the new ones only have ONE
contact point, yet they switch 240 VAC on/off all the time. Personally,
I don't like it but it works because current only flows when the two
legs form a circuit.

Yes, but it still leaves one of the wires at 120V with respect to ground.

With a typical saw setup you could get a nasty shock if you turn off the
machine with a single pole switch, then start working on the motor.

Of course, for safety I'd unplug the machine anyway before working on
it, but still....

Chris