Bob Borzelleri
06-22-2005, 2:19 AM
said my wife when she drove in from the 45 mile commute today. Being retired with a working wife has its ups and its not-so-ups. The obvious up is being free to do whatever I want to do pretty much every day. The not-so-up is being free to do pretty much whatever I want to do every day.
Today is day xxx of way too many days of putting up paneling in the shop. You would think that four 24 foot walls with six windows and a large roll up door wouldn't be all that time consuming, but given that I did it twice (3/8" OSB first and 3/8" pine paneling next), had to cut 22 outlets (twice), still have to trim windows and that I still have several panels to install, the old circular saw with the cord seems to have been putting on weight of late.
So off I go to the computer to search for a reasonably necessary tool, not to replace the old Makita 7 1/2", but to augment it. Several manufacturers make lighter saws than the Makita, but strange as it may seem, the cord has started feeling heavy, particularly when I cut panels on the 2x4 frame I have laid out on the concrete in front of the shop (my TS has not been visible since I started the re-wall effort). Stooping and bending with the saw turned barbell and hooking the cord around the straight edge or the cat started getting pretty old so I included a cordless trim saw into the search.
Prices for these things are all over the place even for the same saw. And then, I had to think about introducing the saw to my still working wife. Makita makes a 3+" trim saw that would probably work fine if thin paneling is all I need to cut. The 6 1/2" cordless saws are lighter than the Makita, but not by much. Enter the Dewalt DW935. Small and light, powerful enough at 14.4V and with a 5 3/8" blade, capable to cut the every so often larger than thin sheet stuff as well as a 2x4 or two.
First price I find causes palpitations ($240). I wondered if I had wandered into a Canadian web site. Then I saw a Ridgid cordless on sale for $149 at the Depot. It was a 6 1/2" saw and still a bit heavy, but at least it was a lot less than $240.
Undecided, I decided to drop in to Lowes on the way home where I ran across a kid wearing a bright yellow shirt with DeWalt patches all over it. I asked him "why the loud shirt?" and he noted that he didn't really work for DeWalt, he was a Lowes guy who drew the short straw. "OK, so other than the shirt, why are those little Dewalt cordless saws so expensive?", I asked. And, wonder of wonders, he said, "have I got a deal for you". The formerly $240 saw was now $160 with one battery and a case or in a kit with a 14.4V driver (didn't they used to be called drills?) with 2 batteries and the nifty hard case for $169.
And that was what my wife saw when she drove in tonight. That little zonker yellow and underpriced saw caught her eye as though it was a new kitten. No questions about how much it cost or "do you really need another tool?". Just a true and pure appreciation for the cute little saw that it was.
Now if only the Fein Multi thing had been yellow...
...Bob
Today is day xxx of way too many days of putting up paneling in the shop. You would think that four 24 foot walls with six windows and a large roll up door wouldn't be all that time consuming, but given that I did it twice (3/8" OSB first and 3/8" pine paneling next), had to cut 22 outlets (twice), still have to trim windows and that I still have several panels to install, the old circular saw with the cord seems to have been putting on weight of late.
So off I go to the computer to search for a reasonably necessary tool, not to replace the old Makita 7 1/2", but to augment it. Several manufacturers make lighter saws than the Makita, but strange as it may seem, the cord has started feeling heavy, particularly when I cut panels on the 2x4 frame I have laid out on the concrete in front of the shop (my TS has not been visible since I started the re-wall effort). Stooping and bending with the saw turned barbell and hooking the cord around the straight edge or the cat started getting pretty old so I included a cordless trim saw into the search.
Prices for these things are all over the place even for the same saw. And then, I had to think about introducing the saw to my still working wife. Makita makes a 3+" trim saw that would probably work fine if thin paneling is all I need to cut. The 6 1/2" cordless saws are lighter than the Makita, but not by much. Enter the Dewalt DW935. Small and light, powerful enough at 14.4V and with a 5 3/8" blade, capable to cut the every so often larger than thin sheet stuff as well as a 2x4 or two.
First price I find causes palpitations ($240). I wondered if I had wandered into a Canadian web site. Then I saw a Ridgid cordless on sale for $149 at the Depot. It was a 6 1/2" saw and still a bit heavy, but at least it was a lot less than $240.
Undecided, I decided to drop in to Lowes on the way home where I ran across a kid wearing a bright yellow shirt with DeWalt patches all over it. I asked him "why the loud shirt?" and he noted that he didn't really work for DeWalt, he was a Lowes guy who drew the short straw. "OK, so other than the shirt, why are those little Dewalt cordless saws so expensive?", I asked. And, wonder of wonders, he said, "have I got a deal for you". The formerly $240 saw was now $160 with one battery and a case or in a kit with a 14.4V driver (didn't they used to be called drills?) with 2 batteries and the nifty hard case for $169.
And that was what my wife saw when she drove in tonight. That little zonker yellow and underpriced saw caught her eye as though it was a new kitten. No questions about how much it cost or "do you really need another tool?". Just a true and pure appreciation for the cute little saw that it was.
Now if only the Fein Multi thing had been yellow...
...Bob