A power equipment, comprising: a riving knife including a circular mounting hole and an opening to an outer surface of the riving knife through a throat, the throat having a minimum diameter that is less than a minimum diameter of the mounting hole; an anti-kickback assembly including a generally cylindrical grooved shaft having a grooved portion with a first diameter larger than the minimum diameter of the throat and a second diameter smaller than the minimum dimension of the throat opening, and an actuating arm operably connected to the grooved shaft and configured to rotate the grooved shaft from a first position whereat the second diameter is aligned with the throat opening and a second position whereat the second diameter is not aligned with the throat; characterized in that it comprises: a body portion including a release hole; a release pin slidable with the release hole and operably connected to the actuating arm such that movement of the release pin causes rotation of the grooved shaft; at least one pawl supported by the body portion and rotatable about an axis of rotation, wherein the grooved shaft is rotatable about the axis of rotation; and at least one biasing member configured to bias the actuating arm toward an actuating arm position whereat the grooved shaft is in the second position, wherein the body portion rotably supports the grooved shaft, the power equipment, the grooved shaft includes an end portion assembly, a hole is formed in the end portion assembly offset from the shaft axle, an actuating portion of the actuating arm is positioned within the hole. a riving knife including a circular mounting hole and an opening to an outer surface of the riving knife through a throat, the throat having a minimum diameter that is less than a minimum diameter of the mounting hole; an anti-kickback assembly including a generally cylindrical grooved shaft having a grooved portion with a first diameter larger than the minimum diameter of the throat and a second diameter smaller than the minimum dimension of the throat opening, and an actuating arm operably connected to the grooved shaft and configured to rotate the grooved shaft from a first position whereat the second diameter is aligned with the throat opening and a second position whereat the second diameter is not aligned with the throat; characterized in that it comprises: a body portion including a release hole; a release pin slidable with the release hole and operably connected to the actuating arm such that movement of the release pin causes rotation of the grooved shaft; at least one pawl supported by the body portion and rotatable about an axis of rotation, wherein the grooved shaft is rotatable about the axis of rotation; and at least one biasing member configured to bias the actuating arm toward an actuating arm position whereat the grooved shaft is in the second position, wherein the body portion rotably supports the grooved shaft, the power equipment, the grooved shaft includes an end portion assembly, a hole is formed in the end portion assembly offset from the shaft axle, an actuating portion of the actuating arm is positioned within the hole. a generally cylindrical grooved shaft having a grooved portion with a first diameter larger than the minimum diameter of the throat and a second diameter smaller than the minimum dimension of the throat opening, and an actuating arm operably connected to the grooved shaft and configured to rotate the grooved shaft from a first position whereat the second diameter is aligned with the throat opening and a second position whereat the second diameter is not aligned with the throat; characterized in that it comprises: a body portion including a release hole; a release pin slidable with the release hole and operably connected to the actuating arm such that movement of the release pin causes rotation of the grooved shaft; at least one pawl supported by the body portion and rotatable about an axis of rotation, wherein the grooved shaft is rotatable about the axis of rotation; and at least one biasing member configured to bias the actuating arm toward an actuating arm position whereat the grooved shaft is in the second position, wherein the body portion rotably supports the grooved shaft, the power equipment, the grooved shaft includes an end portion assembly, a hole is formed in the end portion assembly offset from the shaft axle, an actuating portion of the actuating arm is positioned within the hole. a body portion including a release hole; a release pin slidable with the release hole and operably connected to the actuating arm such that movement of the release pin causes rotation of the grooved shaft; at least one pawl supported by the body portion and rotatable about an axis of rotation, wherein the grooved shaft is rotatable about the axis of rotation; and at least one biasing member configured to bias the actuating arm toward an actuating arm position whereat the grooved shaft is in the second position, wherein the body portion rotably supports the grooved shaft, the power equipment, the grooved shaft includes an end portion assembly, a hole is formed in the end portion assembly offset from the shaft axle, an actuating portion of the actuating arm is positioned within the hole.