"Kickin' Ass and Takin' Names" wrote in message
...
On May 22, 4:53 am, wrote:
On Wed, 21 May 2008 21:52:31 -0600, "Bob M." wrote:
"Bob" wrote in message
...
I need to purchase a circular saw. I just need a basic middle of the
road
quality model. I like to purchase good quality items that with proper
care
and maintenance will last a long long time.

I am just an average do-it-yourselfer so nothing with all the bells and
whistles is needed.

Any recommendations as to brand/model/features/durability/etc would be
greatly appreciated.

Thanks,

Bob

Regardless of brand, get one where you can see the blade without leaning
over the saw. My cordless Makita is like that and that feature is a
must-have. (for a right-handed user, the blade is to the left of the
motor)
I don't know why other saws don't do this. Some do, but all should.

Consider a cordless too, as they are much lighter. More expensive, but
easier to maneuver. I have both, and the corded unit hardly gets used.

I wouldn't even consider a cordless circular saw unless I had to work
in a building without electricity. If you're working mostly on your
home, you have electric (unless you forgot to pay the electric bill).
Cordless tools have their place and cordless drills are pretty handy,
until the battery goes dead, and at that point they become something I
feel like tossing in the garbage. It never fails, I get up on a roof
to screw on some roofing steel, and the battery goes dead. Then I
wait 3 hours for the thing to charge again. Yeah, I have 2 batteries,
but they dont last long when you're driving 40 or 50 screws per sheet.
As the battery weakens, the screws dont go down tight, so I have to
check all of them with a nutdriver.

I finally bought a corded screwgun. Now I can stay on the roof and
keep working. It takes a few extra minutes to run the cord, but my
productivity trippled, and I've not had any roof leaks due to screws
that did not get driven in fully. My cordless drill worked great when
I had to fix my mailbox post, which is a long ways from an outlet.

I just cant imagine using a battery powered circular saw to cut a 2
inch thick hardwood plank, or even a softwood 2x12. A circular saw
demands much more power than a drill. Stopping in the middle of a cut
or coping with a blade slowing down as the battery dies, is not
anything I'd want to cope with. Then too, consider the cost of the
batteries. Just like ink for inkjet printers, it's often cheaper to
buy a whole new printer, and the same is true of most cordless tools.

Take the extra 5 minutes to string an extension cord, and forget about
all the battery charging and expensive batt replacements. The only
drawback to a corded saw is whne you cut off the cord. It's not IF
you cut it off, it's WHEN. Sooner or later everyone does it.- Hide quoted
text -

- Show quoted text -



I own and use both -- corded circular saw (Porter-Cable) and cordless
(DeWalt).

The corded saw is better for most uses -- mainly because it is more
powerful and runs at constant speed. However, there's nothing like
the cordless when I need to make a quick cut and the corded saw is
still on the truck -- just grab the cordless, make the cut, and be
done with it.
I agree, corded saws and drills are better for a long project. But for a
quick job I grab cordless.....