Circular Saw Recommendation

[SARG]

I really like my Milwaukee LEFT HAND saw. I'm right handed but appreciate the blade being on the left side because I find it much easier to line up the cut.

 

[hydro2]

I love my Milwaukee.

 

[ustmd]

Thanks for all of the advice.

I have not made a decision. I am going to go try a bunch and see which one "feels" best in my hands.

Just as an FYI, I just put up a thread on the deck that killed the saw:

http://www.tractorbynet.com/forums/projects/221574-great-out-deck.html

 

[grsthegreat]

also..never trust a left handed carpenter.....HAHA :laughing:

 

[elginfarm]

I am partial to my Skil worm drive saw. I also have replaced a cord here and there and have one at home and a second one that I picked up at an auction for the farm.
I would look at the Rigid at Home Depot because their power tools are guaranteed for life.
Look at them all and compare the weight and feel and then get what is in your budget and what feels best for you. Good luck with your search.

 

[lovemytoys]

my next saw going to be makita 5377mg 129.00 plus shipping

 

[PapaPerk]

Here's the saw I have. Very well made and will last for years.

Amazon.com: DEWALT DW364K 7-1/4-Inch Circular Saw with Electric Brake: Home Improvement

:thumbsup::thumbsup::thumbsup:

 

[ultrarunner]

Skill 77 worm drive.

 

[PILOON]

I do renovating/construction for the last 20 yrs.
I obtained a used Milwaulkee from a pawn shop as a backup for $30. but it soon became my primary saw.
Just can't kill it! changed cord couple of times, and switch once and when I re corded it I made the cord 9-10 ft long.
I have cut steel siding, hardi board and it is just like a timex, keeps on going!

 

[Dave5264]

Ive has a "Skill" saw for ages now (15+ yrs), wasnt too expensive (its not cordless). And ive used it a Lot.

Its been very reliable.

No Idea if they're still as good.

all the new stuff I buy seems to be Dewalt

 

[bdeboer]

I bought a new Milwaukee two years ago from Home Depot, around $100. Saw doesn't seem to have alot of slop when ripping, and has plenty of power. One thing that I did notice was the made in China label.

 

[whiskywizard]

The problem I'm seeing more and more is that the new tools don't compare well with the older ones.

When somebody says "my grandfather was a such-and-such and he swears by so-and-so-make,..." it no longer means anything. Sure - the tools grampa had were great, and his recollection of them is probably correct, but they are NOT the same thing you'll buy today!

One brand may offer a good model, but you can't necessarily expect their other models to be good too. You have to look hard at each model, across a few different brands, and you have to do it every time you shop for a new portable power tool.

 

[aczlan]

The problem I'm seeing more and more is that the new tools don't compare well with the older ones.
When somebody says "my grandfather was a such-and-such and he swears by so-and-so-make,..." it no longer means anything. Sure - the tools grampa had were great, and his recollection of them is probably correct, but they are NOT the same thing you'll buy today!

Exactly.

As for what to buy, if you get a pro grade saw, there are many good brands out there. Dad has a Makita that he bought in 1990 and it has stood up well to the abuse that it has received since then.


Aaron Z

 

[JDgreen227]

My favorite saw considering price/power was a Craftsman Sawmill, Pro grade, that I purchased in 1990. It was stolen from my brother's garage two years ago. Purchased a Porter-Cable to replace it, the PC is lighter, but I actually preferred the Craftsman. However, all the saws they sell today are imported.

 

[BeezFun]

Any thoughts/experiences? Much of the info on the net is out of date/useless.

Whatever you get, I'd buy both the right and left hand version so you have both. It's much easier to switch between them when they both have the same adjustments and feel. I'm right handed and have found I much prefer a left hand saw because of visibility, but some tasks are almost impossible to do it with the wrong handed saw.

 

[Bartcephus]

I agree with those that state that the tools are different now-a-days. You really just need to go look and possibly try some out. I don't know of a big box store that has a "test drive" capability, so that makes trying one more difficult. I have a Porter Cable I bought in 2004 and love it. To me, when I made the upgrade to a professional series saw, I was amazed at the accuracy and power. I would not hesitate to spend some bucks where I am assured the product is quality and produces such good results so easily. I have Porter Cable routers and sanders and really enjoy their accuracy and power as well. Nothing really compares to a quality made tool. I'll never buy Ryobi again as I have had too many problems. The lower end stuff is also out in my toolbox, as I usually don't have the resources or time to "do it twice." (I cut that board twice and it is still too short!)

Bart

 

[ultrarunner]

Good Points...

Most of my tools... power and non power, were bought in the 70's and 80's...

I do carry a little Skill sidewinder sold as a trim saw because it takes a smaller blade...

I bought it because it is large enough to cut 2x material and small enough wattage wise that I can run it off my inverter or from my 1000 watt 1980's Honda Generator...

 

[crazyal]

I've got the Milwaukee with the tilt lock handle. It's only a few years old but I built my house and garage with it including using a Prazi Beam cutter on it. While others may be just as good I have found no faults with it and I like the plastic case it came with to protect the saw and hold a few extra blades.

Not sure if mine is made in China but my Milwaukee porta-band I think is Chinese and it's been a solid workhorse. If anything it's an improvement over the older Milwaukees I have used in the past. Also my corded screw gun is a Chinese Milwaukee and it's also never even gave a hint of being anything less than I would expect from Milwaukee.

 

[EddieWalker]

I remodel and repair homes for a living and rely on my tools to make my living. I've tried every brand listed so far in this thread and the only two brands that I would recomend are Makita and Bosch. Without going into why the others are not good enough, I will say that I've been using my Makita 7 1/4 inch saw for about five years now. I bought it at Home Depot and it came with a 4 1/2 inch grinder or a tool belt. I forget which, but if Bosch had been available instead of the Makita, I would have gone with that. I walk out of the stores if they don't have one of those two brands. Too many failures and runs to the store have tought me that lesson!!!!

I use my saw for framing, cutting angles, plywood and OSB. I also use it for Hardi with a Hardi blade, and I use it for cutting concrete with a diamond blade. The power is amazing, and in my experience, it's the best saw that I've ever owned.

Take a chance on the others, or buy quality that will last and get the job done.

Eddie

 

[JDgreen227]

I remodel and repair homes for a living and rely on my tools to make my living. I've tried every brand listed so far in this thread and the only two brands that I would recomend are Makita and Bosch. Without going into why the others are not good enough, I will say that I've been using my Makita 7 1/4 inch saw for about five years now. I bought it at Home Depot and it came with a 4 1/2 inch grinder or a tool belt. I forget which, but if Bosch had been available instead of the Makita, I would have gone with that. I walk out of the stores if they don't have one of those two brands. Too many failures and runs to the store have tought me that lesson!!!!

I use my saw for framing, cutting angles, plywood and OSB. I also use it for Hardi with a Hardi blade, and I use it for cutting concrete with a diamond blade. The power is amazing, and in my experience, it's the best saw that I've ever owned.

Take a chance on the others, or buy quality that will last and get the job done.

Eddie

I have always used my oldest saw with a diamond blade to cut concrete, rather than my good saw. The dust created by such cutting is so abrasive I am sure it will shorten the life of any saw used for that purpose, no matter how well designed and made they are.