Circular saw recommendation

[Alan Tolchinsky]

Hi All, I'm looking for a light weight saw mainly for cutting 3/4" plywood. Does anybody have one they like that's decent quality? I already have one that I use for 2x wood but I find it's heavy after awhile. That's why I'm looking for something lighter. Thanks.

[Dan Mages]

I have a PC mag model with electric brake and easy blade change. It has been a wonderful saw and the blade that came with it is very nice.


Good luck!!

Dan

[Mark Singer]

PC Mag...comes right blade or left. I like left blade.

[Todd Davidson]

Craftsman has a Craftsman Professional 5 1/2" circular saw (made by Bosch for Craftsman) that is lightweight, blade left, and perfect for ripping sheet goods down to size.

[JayStPeter]

Wow, 3 responses and nobody had mentioned the Festool. The ATF55 is the ultimate saw for cutting sheet goods. And, yep, it's pretty light too.

Jay

[Jim Becker]

Wow, 3 responses and nobody had mentioned the Festool. The ATF55 is the ultimate saw for cutting sheet goods. And, yep, it's pretty light too.

Jay

Dang...Jay beat me to it! Nothing better for this job, IMHO.

[Greg Mann]

Wow, 3 responses and nobody had mentioned the Festool. The ATF55 is the ultimate saw for cutting sheet goods. And, yep, it's pretty light too.

Jay

Countin' Jim, this will be three in a row for Festool. Get it, and you will find alot more uses too. (But watch out. It's addictive!!)

Greg

[Bob Noles]

Wow, 3 responses and nobody had mentioned the Festool. The ATF55 is the ultimate saw for cutting sheet goods. And, yep, it's pretty light too.

Jay

Ouch.... I'd have to win the lottery to afford that one :eek:

[Greg Mann]

Ouch.... I'd have to win the lottery to afford that one :eek:

Well, remember, the price includes a very nice guiderail for cutting that plywood, as well as a superb blade.

[Alan Tolchinsky]

I did think of Festool but it seems like overkill just to cut down sheet goods. I think I'd recut afterwards on my table saw anyway. Thank you for you ideas. Why do you need the Festool set up if you are going to clean up the cuts on the table saw? I need a really good reason to go that route. :)

[Jim Becker]

I did think of Festool but it seems like overkill just to cut down sheet goods. I think I'd recut afterwards on my table saw anyway. Thank you for you ideas. Why do you need the Festool set up if you are going to clean up the cuts on the table saw? I need a really good reason to go that route.

Because there is no need to go back to the table saw after cutting with the Festool saw and guide. It saves time and gives you a perfect cut every time. Unless you have a sliding table saw, the GCSS is a God-send when it comes to dealing with sheet goods.

And BTW, I didn't believe it until I bought the stuff...:rolleyes:

[Greg Mann]

I agree with Jim on this one too. I never clean up GCSS cuts on my tablesaw. If the work will necessitate manhandling in any way, I use the Festool saw and a rail. Your chance of spoiling an edge is far greater on the tablesaw unless you have a slider.

Greg

[Alan Tolchinsky]

Hi Jim, Can you cut parts to, say a book case, and keep the edges parallel? I seem to remember from previous discussions that this was a little tricky. Of course on a TS it's no problem. I have thought in the past that instead of upgrading to a cabinet saw some day I would instead get a Festool set up. What do you think about that?

[Cecil Arnold]

Alan,

I would go with Jim on the Festool, and so far as the parallel problem, I think that can be easily taken care of with a simple jig. I haven't made one up yet, however if you have ever seen a parallel ruler used in small boat navigation I think the principle can be easily adapted using some lightweight angle, either steel or possibily aluminum. I wouldn't replace my TS, but for field building cabinets you can do some remarkable work with the Festool system.

[Greg Mann]

Alan,

I think the Festool system is complimentary to a table saw. Your question was about a good saw for sheet goods and I am sure this was because knocking down sheet goods on a tablesaw is a pain for you, just like it is most of us. If you want to expand the question, as Jim actually in his responses, to "Could I also replace my TS?" then the Festool system would make even more sense. None of us Festoolies would recommend that you should get rid of your TS. We are just saying you will get alot more out of the Festool than a sheet goods knockdown tool.

This was my experience. Not knowing how badly this woodworking bug would bite me, I bought a tabletop saw, a Bosch 4000, not a bad tool, but no Unisaw either. I soon leaned of its many limitations, but since I bought the Festool GCSS, it is not such a big deal. I will own a bandsaw and other necessary stationary machines before I ever upgrade to a better TS. Why? Because the Festool system gives me the luxury to achieve great, straight cuts without making the investment in a better tablesaw. The cuts are better. You would not want to re-cut them on the TS. Let's put it another way. What would I rather have, a very good cab saw only or a Festool system and a reasonably good table top saw? I'll take what I have. I would only consider a slider as better (maybe) and that would cost far more.

Greg

[Steven J Corpstein]

I just bought an EZ Smart Guide and am using a PC 324MAG circular saw and all I can say is wow!

I just have a Delta contractor saw with a Biesemeyer 31" fence, so full sheets of ply were a pain to rip down. This system makes it manageable now.

I just use a sheet of extruded Styrofoam board (3/4" x 4' x 8') on the floor with the ply on top, then use the EZ Smart Guide to get perfect dimensioned piece parts for cabinet carcasses etc..

Check it out at http://www.eurekazone.com/index.html

[Ken Fitzgerald]

PC Mag and a standard BORG straight edge and clamps have been ripping plywood all day in my shop! Like Mark....I like left blade...I can see the cutline.

[Alan Tolchinsky]

Interesting guys. It looks like there are many ways to skin the same cat. If I have to buy a new CS and a rail system then I may be close to a Festool deal. Hmmm.

[Richard Blaine]

I just bought an EZ Smart Guide and am using a PC 324MAG circular saw and all I can say is wow!


Did you put it on the ez-smart base with the double sided tape or did you use screws?

[Steven J Corpstein]

I used the double sided tape. I've got an older Makita that I'm going to use for those rare times when I cannot use the EZ SG.

[JayStPeter]

Alan,

When I first got it, I still went to the TS afterward. But, the Festool saw makes better cuts than my TS. Now the cuts I make are final. I use a simple jig to make perfectly parallel cuts.
The biggest advantage to the Festool IMO is dust collection. It's hard to believe, but after cutting down 3 sheets of MDF into 5 or 6 pieces each, there was nothing to clean up. With my old circular saw and homemade guide, I didn't even like to use it in my shop. I would wait for a nice day and go outside. Even with my big cyclone, the TS isn't nearly as clean. Sometimes I use the Festool just to avoid having to clean up.
It is a big investment. Especially because you need to add a rail to make 8' and a hose to connect to your shop vac (not to mention the fact that you'll desire the entire catalog worth of tools). But, I look at it as being pretty cheap for a panel saw.

If I was going to look at another brand to attach to the ez system, it would be a PC. Simply because they are the only other mfr that even attempts dust collection. Though they're far less efficient. I demo'ed a PC before finally deciding to buy the Festool just for its DC.

Jay

[Jim Becker]

Alan, I would not eliminate my table saw from my shop because the Festool works so well...they both have their places. The TS does a lot of things in certain ways that I find easy and enjoyable. But one of them is NOT breaking down sheet goods and even though I don't work with them very much, the Festool saw is where I go when I do at this point. I'll also say that the ATF55 and the MFT (Multi-function Table) are now what I use to crosscut wide and/or long things...'sure wish I would have had them when I was doing the cabinetry for my kitchen.

While I ultimately would love to have a Euro sliding table saw in my shop (and would have made that move this year if Dr. SWMBO and I were not embarking on another project... ;) ), I can honestly say that the Festool saw and guides (as well as the MFT) have started to make a difference in how I work. And I would not hesitate to use them as the only cutting system for things like bookcases from sheet goods. In fact, when I re-do our library/loft in the great room, I will definitely be using the Festool setup to do the cutting.

[Alan Tolchinsky]

Hi Jim and Jay, Festool really seems like a nice system that I think will be in my arsenal some day. I'm just getting into using sheet goods (previous work all solid wood and turning) and me and my contractor saw are not up to breaking down those big sheets. But I'm not sure how much money I want to spend on this especially since I'm just beginning this type of building. I appreciate your thoughts; you guys always make a lot of sense to me.

[John Foote]

Here's something I hope you might find interesting, if you're a PC Mag owner or shopper...

Moderator removed link to another public forum which is not allowed

I knew the Festool system, no matter how desireable, was simply out of my price range. This is my DIY compromise approach to that ideal, and while not exactly cheap or entirely dust-free, it does work pretty darn well.

[Alan Tolchinsky]

Here's something I hope you might find interesting, if you're a PC Mag owner or shopper...



I knew the Festool system, no matter how desireable, was simply out of my price range. This is my DIY compromise approach to that ideal, and while not exactly cheap or entirely dust-free, it does work pretty darn well.


Hey John, That's a really neat experiment you did there. And here I was thinking the dust collection on the Mag would be good right out of the box. It shows you can't take things for granted or assume anything about a product. I'm glad you brought this up. Thanks for sharing and that's very classy using such a nice rug to work on. :) Alan

[Perry Schmidt]

PC always gets good writeups - and recommendations from many as you see here. Years ago I got a DeWalt and it's been a very good saw and a work-horse for construction. But if I had to do it over again for plywood - which is what I'm mostly cutting today - I'd go for the Milwaukee w/ the tilting handle. It's also a very good saw, generally gets good writeups and the nice part is the handle tilts so it's more behind the blade and easier to push when the blade depth is shallow - like when cutting Plywood! :)

Festool is a great saw - but expensive. If you go cheaper, check out the Milwaukee.

My 2 cents

Perry

[Dino Makropoulos]

It's also a very good saw, generally gets good writeups and the nice part is the handle tilts so it's more behind the blade and easier to push when the blade depth is shallow - like when cutting Plywood! :)



Perry

For cross cutting full 48" the Milwaukee is the most ergonomic and Ez in your back.
Good point there.

[Rob Blaustein]

Hi Dino,
Any word on the EZ-Smart circular saw? How's the Milwaukee for dust collection?
-Rob

[Dino Makropoulos]

Hi Dino,
Any word on the EZ-Smart circular saw? How's the Milwaukee for dust collection?
-Rob

Hi Rob.
Working prototype is ready. To start production we need a larger customer base. And the usual patent work. Until then we can make anything to work.
And even with our own saw and routers we will continue to make the system
Universal and improve what is already outhere.
The Milwaukee is a good saw. The dust collection can be modified very EZ.
We just don't have the time to do it. May be they will????
http://www.dustmuzzle.com/ Take a look here. We're going to use the kit on the warm drives. (For stone and solid surface.)
Nice to see you Rob.
YCF Dino