If you buy a commercial grade tool, it really doesn't matter much
which brand. I prefer Milwaukee, but have Porter Cable and DeWalt
and a Skil 77. If power is your primary interest, look at the
wormdrives, though you said you prefer the sidewinders.

Get a saw that fits your hands and feels good to you. They all
have plenty of power to cut 2" oak with a sharp blade.

--
______________________________
Keep the whole world singing . . . .
DanG (remove the sevens)




"LGLA" wrote in message
...
Greetings all, it's been a few years since I have been
here, I hope I can become welcome back.

I have been searching the 'net for about 1-1/2 weeks
trying to gather info on every circular saw that I
can find. I need the standard 7-1/4" sidewinder, I
have seen some old posts from the 90's and a few
years ago from this group but I fing it very hard to
find ratings of torque and horsepower. The
Milwaukees have 3-1/4hp, the yellow Dewalts have
2200 'max watts out' or less (as I have learned about),
that meaning just under 3hp... the latest standard 14-
15 amp motors with high RPMs of anywhere from 5000
to 6200 (that one is the left blade bosch cs5). I do not
want a left blader.

I have used some in store opportunity to plug in some
6 or 7 saws to hear the noise levels (as I live in an
apt-plex with outside doors. There are babies every-
where that sleep all hours of the day and night, and
I have a fenced-in patio I can work on with saw horses).
I listened to a Makita 5007, dewalt dw368, a 14 amp -
2.5hp Skil with a red handle (sells for 69.99) OSH
own make, of the same specs as the Skil (Orchard
Supply Hardware akin with Sears) and sells current sale
for 34.99. No doubt out of the same factory as the
Craftsmans.

All the saws I tried were very loud except one, the
following, was acceptably the quietest.

I cannot remember all the names but I did try only one
at Home Depot which was the Ridgid r3202, which I
mostly have my eye on because it is of highest current
specs, and lots of magnesium, upper and lower blade
guards and the shoe base as well. 15 amps and 5800rpm,
but I do not know it's HP or torque ratings, does anyone
own one of these?

I would like to effectively cut through 2" hardwoods
with a finer blade, no table saw locally capable, so
that's why I am curious about horse power and torque.
Or does it matter all that much, with circular saws?

Tall Alex
Carpinteria, SoCal