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Tool Talk Discussion Forum

circular saws

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woodbutcher

02-28-2006 04:15:53




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I have a Makita circular saw I bought 20 years ago for about $100. No extra gadgets, no blade brake, just a good basic saw. My has decided he needs a new saw, and he's looking at a Makita. The one he's looking at has a light and a blade brake. He asked my opinion, and I told him that about five years after I bought mine, I heard that Makita had started using nylon bearings(it seems like that should be nylon bushings) but I didn't know how that had affected the quality of the saw or if it was true. It seems like the price hasn't changed much, but now Makita has a lot more options. Does anybody know the facts?
Is Makita as good as it used to be?

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Dave NE IA

03-01-2006 20:08:55




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 Re: circular saws in reply to woodbutcher, 02-28-2006 04:15:53  
Have a 7 1/4 and 8 1/4 Milwaukee's, (older modles) guys hate them, I get by ok--don't like the handle as it is hard on the wrist especialy when you should have changed the blade. Always saw dust in the face. Their tools seem to take alot of switches, and brushes. The cords were a great idea /easy to replace, but seemed to get pretty pricey. Have a Milwalkee 10 1/4 just do not use it enough to like it or hate it. Craftsman were tossed before they got the paint wore off, just alkward. Skills (low end)were ok for the money, a little short lived perhaps. Bought a older (new) Makita before they got the saftey switches etc at a auction last summer and we all fight over it. The gear drive Skills we find arn't very user friendly, in fact I don't know where two of them are as it has been so long since we used them, might have given them away. They were good for ripping on saw horses or a good solid surface, but we use the panel saw for plywood and sheet materials, and table saws for ripping, power slider miter boxes for 99% of the cross cuts. One of my biggest complaints is when using vareous skill saws is their stupid saftey switches that are so hard to use when balancing on a scaffold plank and sawing over my head as I brace for a cart wheel in mid air when it pinches. The Milwalkees are great for tipping the guard out of your way manualy. We have lots of De Walt battery drills, and a couple battery skil saws and like them pretty good for the most part. Dave NE IA

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Stray Gator

03-01-2006 18:37:50




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 Re: circular saws in reply to woodbutcher, 02-28-2006 04:15:53  
Milwaukee is the only tool I will buy now. Dewalt usually accomplishes nearly the same for slightly cheaper, but are heavier. I do not buy Dewalt because they seem to follow previous Milwaukee designs, and can't even do that right. When Milwaukee began selling Lok-Tor cordless drills which had numerous innovative features, the Dewalt XRP followed with extra weight, less torque and nearly the same price tag. You really do get what you pay for...

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Stan in Oly, WA

02-28-2006 18:26:09




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 Re: circular saws in reply to woodbutcher, 02-28-2006 04:15:53  
I totally agree with John; using worm drive saws for the last 30+ years has made it just about impossible for me to use a sidewinder, and even harder to see the point. I bought a Rockwell worm drive in about '75, a Makita hypoid (same exterior configuration, different shaped gears) in about '85, and a Skil 77 in about '90. All of them appear to be ready for another 50 years of use, although the Rockwell is semi-retired because I'm not sure who provides service for it now. Porter-Cable serviced Rockwell tools 20 years ago, but now I'm not sure.

When you get to the point where you can handle a Skil 77 with one hand, you think you're really something. Then suddenly, you're about half crippled and you realize that the something you really were was foolish. Old to soon, smart too late. I'm definitely going to get it right next time.

Stan

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woodbutcher

03-01-2006 04:32:07




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 Re: circular saws in reply to Stan in Oly, WA, 02-28-2006 18:26:09  
It seems like worm-drive might be the best way to go.
Butch



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Stan in Oly, WA

03-01-2006 08:07:37




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 Re: circular saws in reply to woodbutcher, 03-01-2006 04:32:07  
Hi Butch,

I think you'd be very satisfied. You should look at different models side by side if you can, see what feels good to you. As John mentioned, weight is a factor. The Skil 77 is the industry standard for worm drive saws, and it's so popular that you can often find it on sale somewhere for literally 1/2 the price of the spendiest brands. But it's a big, heavy piece of equipment and you'll get tired of slinging it around any day you have to use it a lot. I generally used a Skil 77 for general carpentry, and the Makita hypoid for finer work. The Makita has a plastic case rather than metal, and hypoid gears don't torque the saw sideways when you hit the trigger the way all worm drives do. Set up with a Matsushita thin-kerf blade (best finish blade for a hand saw I've ever used) or a DeWalt thin kerf blade(not as good but more available) I can work to less than a 1/16" tolerance on my cuts---essentially hold tight to a razor knife scored line---with the Makita. That's good enough to do finish work in the field, but the saw's capable of doing framing all day long, too, and it weighs 3 or 4 lbs less than the standard Skil 77.

Good luck, Stan

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Rod in Smiths Falls, ON,

02-28-2006 20:14:35




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 Re: circular saws in reply to Stan in Oly, WA, 02-28-2006 18:26:09  
For what it's worth the guy in the Ottawa factory store told me that Dewalt, which used to be called Black and Decker Industrial, bought Porter Cable. I guess that's why the newer PC's and Dewalts are so similar.



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John Garner

02-28-2006 09:21:09




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 Consider a worm-drive saw in reply to woodbutcher, 02-28-2006 04:15:53  
woodbutcher --

A Skil worm-drive saw is the professional framer's standard out here on the west coast, and like the Timex watches of yore, they just keep on ticking. WONDERFUL machines!

The Skil HD77 (or 77HD, I can never remember which) is the basic version of Old Reliable, but the magnesium cased HD77MAG is a couple pounds lighter and probably worth the extra bucks because of it.

The upscale alternative is the Bosch worm-drive saw, which puts the old Skil mechanism in a more ergonomic casing.

John

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02

02-28-2006 07:44:33




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 Re: circular saws in reply to woodbutcher, 02-28-2006 04:15:53  
I think after over 20 yrs. with the same design Makita could be in for a redesign.They are a fairly heavy,clunky, tho reliable(indestructable)saw.I personally like the Hitachi 71/4 saw.Great adjustments,lots of power,ergonomically easy to use and nice and light.



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jdemaris

02-28-2006 07:04:40




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 Re: circular saws in reply to woodbutcher, 02-28-2006 04:15:53  
I bought my Makitas around 20 years ago also - think I paid around $50 apiece, on sale. They've been great but both are cutting at a slight angle now and I cannot straighten them out. It appears the plastic housing warped. From my own experience, buying a hand-held circular saw is kind of like buying a handgun. Some fit in your hand and feel right, and some don't. You often won't know until you actually use the saw. That being said, I've bought several and hated them - they didn't feel right, I had trouble seeing the line or cutting straight, etc. Home Depot had a sale on the Rigid Model R3200. I think it was around $70. I bought it, and love it - just about the best saw I've ever used. I'm sure there are others just as good if not better, but at the price - I don't think you'll beat it. I had previously used a Bosch, Ryobi, Porter-Cable and a Sears Best and hated them all. My father-in-law uses all Dewalt and speaks highly about all their stuff. I would of tried one, but the price was more than I wanted to pay.

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woodbutcher

02-28-2006 12:34:56




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 Re: circular saws in reply to jdemaris, 02-28-2006 07:04:40  
Thanks to all for the input. Strange you should mention the slight angle you said your Makita was cutting. I finally corrected mine by filing the long curved slot behind the angle adjustment bolt, making it long enough to allow the table to square up with the blade.
Butch



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Ken Macfarlane

02-28-2006 07:02:11




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 Re: circular saws in reply to woodbutcher, 02-28-2006 04:15:53  
I have the Makita he's talking about, still a good saw. I don't think you'll find nylon bushings in it though.

We've got a little collection of Makita stuff and they make low end stuff for homeowner up to pro tools, the saw you're talking about is mid-way.

Dewalts the same, they make homeowner stuff too now all the way to pro.
Ken



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buickanddeere

02-28-2006 06:51:52




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 Re: circular saws in reply to woodbutcher, 02-28-2006 04:15:53  
The brake is a good idea.



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Kelly Campbell

02-28-2006 04:44:44




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 Re: circular saws in reply to woodbutcher, 02-28-2006 04:15:53  
DeWalt, its the only way to go!



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Vern-MI

02-28-2006 04:41:01




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 Re: circular saws in reply to woodbutcher, 02-28-2006 04:15:53  
Don't have any answers on the Makita brand but check out the Porter Cable Magnesium saw for a really light weight saw.



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van robinson

03-01-2006 02:27:39




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 Re: circular saws in reply to Vern-MI, 02-28-2006 04:41:01  
How bout milwaukee?



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woodbutcher

03-01-2006 04:35:10




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 Re: circular saws in reply to van robinson, 03-01-2006 02:27:39  
Yeah, they're good. They cost more, but I guess you get what you pay for.

Butch



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