"Jerry" wrote in message
ups.com...
Could be the saw. I had an inexpensive craftsman saw that did just
what you describe. Finally got fed up with it and threw it in the
trash and went out and got a decent Porter Cable saw. Couldn't believe
the difference -- cut true and cut like butter.....


Just for the sake of discussion - what difference does the saw make? It
doesn't. Assuming a couple of things that have not been previously
qualified...

If the motor is not lugging down on a basic cut, then the motor has enough
power. It will work.

If the shoe and the blade are not aligned it will only matter when using an
edge guide. Free hand sawing will be unaffected. It will work.

If the blade is a piece of junk it will not cut and it will burn wood. It
will not work, but this is not a fault of the saw - cheap or not. You can
put a piece of junk blade on my Milwaukee and it will burn wood just like
the cheap saw.

The saw may indeed be poorly built and it may vibrate a lot in your hand, it
may not last very long as sleeves wear quickly, and it may be of really poor
balance. Those are all good reasons to buy a better tool, but with a good
blade even a cheap "piece of junk" will cut wood just fine. I've had to cut
wood with too many lesser saws to be quick to blame bad cutting on the saw.

One of the best saws I ever owned was the cheapest Black and Decker 5 1/2
inch saws that I inherited. The thing was as poorly built as a saw gets.
It certainly would not have stood up to the rigors of being bumped around,
thrown in the back of a contractor's truck. Flat out, it was not a saw I
would ever have given $5 for. But... I put a decent blade on it and it
immediately became one of the handiest tools in my collection. Very
maneuverable - much more handy to hold onto than my Milwaukee. Quick, clean
cuts. In short, for a few years it was the handiest saw I could ask for.
As it goes with cheap tools, it didn't enjoy the longevity of life that a
good tool will and it's now rotting away in the land fill, but it sure was a
good tool for a while.

--

-Mike-