Aldi 18V circular saw for $39.99, how junky could it be?

[Jack Diemer]

I noticed in the Sunday paper that Aldi has an 18V Circular saw with charger for $39.99. I looked at it yesterday and it has a 1 year limited warranty. I have ALWAYS wanted a cordless circular saw, but could never justify the expense. Anyone here have any experience with the ALDI saw. It seems like it would be real easy to get $40 worth of value out of it.

[Dave Sweeney]

Where would you take it for service after the sale, the Produce Dept.?:rolleyes: :D

[Jason Roehl]

Uhhhh...actually, I think you'd have to take it to China!

[Mike Evertsen]

I bought the 18 volt drill from aldis not the best but it does work good,,,,

[John Miliunas]

Funny you should be looking at that. I've been eyeing up the 18v Grizz in their sale catalog and I figured that, even at about twice the price of the Aldi, I still can't help but wonder how good it is. The Grizz DOES have a Panasonic battery, so it's got that going for it right off the bat. Anybody have one of these beasts? :cool:

[John Christiansen]

Originally posted by John Miliunas
Funny you should be looking at that. I've been eyeing up the 18v Grizz in their sale catalog and I figured that, even at about twice the price of the Aldi, I still can't help but wonder how good it is. The Grizz DOES have a Panasonic battery, so it's got that going for it right off the bat. Anybody have one of these beasts? :cool:

Well the thread got a little mixed up and I don't know if you're asking about the Grizzly drill, or circular saw.

If it is the drill that you are refering to, then, I think they are great!! I have two of them. And will buy another one in a second, if I ever need one. Actually, I have been considering another one to keep in the camper, and it will be another one of the grizzly's.

If you are talking about the circular saw. Save your money! I bought one because I already had four batteries and two of the quick chargers. I thought it would be a nice tool to have around, just in case. Wrong!! What a worthless waste of shelf space. I can't even make two cuts through a 5/4 X 6 deck board before it overheats and shuts down.

[John Miliunas]

Thanks for the input, John. Yeah, in my reply, I was referencing the saw. I thought it would be real handy to rough-size ply or such before doing actual dimension cuts on the TS. By what you're saying, the saw is NOT up to par. I get the feeling that if I end up with a cordless saw, I will have to pony up the $$ for one of the big name units (Dewalt, Bosch, Milwaukee, etc...). Too bad. The Grizz is at the perfect price-point. :cool:

[Lars Thomas]

Jack, I've got the inside track for you . . .a good friend of mine is the tool buyer for Aldi. I know he puts a lot of effort in selecting vendors. So I'm guessing it can't be all that bad. I've offered to help him evaluate the tools . . .no such luck, yet.

I'll talk to him tonight and let you know. Lars

[Jack Diemer]

Let me know Lars, I still haven't pulled the trigger.

I suppose I could buy it, make 20 cuts on a 2x4 and return it if it doesn't work well.

I wonder if they would let me do that.

[Lars Thomas]

Jack, opps, I forgot Scott was vacationing up in Canada. I've sent him an email asking about the saw. I think they are due home over the weekend. I'll follow-up then. Lars

[Matt Meiser]

You might also look at the Ryobi at Home Depot. I bought the 14.4V with the saw, a drill, two batteries, a charger, and a flashlight for $99. I've used both quite a bit in the 2-3 weeks since I got it and the seem to be very good for the money. I made quite a few cuts in 3/4" ply before the battery got weak. They also have an 18V, but its about 2X the price for the same type of kit. I also have a 12V Porter Cable drill which cost about 25% more than this kit. I think the Ryobi feels almost as well made and at least as powerful. I'm not sure how it will last long term, but at this point I am very satisfied.