Trim Saw?

[Jack Clay]

I am looking for a trim saw; I have a craftsman battery saw that I want to replace with an eclectic one. I have looked at the Porter cable trim saw but I wanted to compare some other saws. I have read that the Skil HD5510 5-1/2-Inch had a lot of good reviews on Amazon. The only thing I want this tool for is to break down plywood sheets. So I guess the big question is if you were only going to break down plywood for the table saw what would you recommend. Thanks for the help.

[Prashun Patel]

I'd recommend a decent circular saw. Just as cheap and far more versatile.

[Peter Quinn]

Another vote for a good 7 1/4" circular saw with a carbide plywood blade, a ZCI foot plate and a straight edge. A trim saw is more appropriate for field work where the lighter weight of the saw reduces operator fatigue for a carpenter doing the job 5 days a week, or where the smaller foot print allows plunge cuts in close quarters on installed work like sink cutouts or such.

If you are seeking to break down sheet goods to a manageable size in your shop gravity is in your favor, the stock bears most of the weight of the tool, and the added blade size may make a cleaner cut.

Look for a saw with a good foot plate that squares up and stays that way, and if possible built in dust extraction. Festool is the gold standard but others can come close if properly equipped.

[Ken Belisle]

I've had the PC trim saw for years and to me, you can't beat it. Found out about a year ago that Forrest makes blades for it, so now it's splinter-free cuts on all types sheet goods.

[Prashun Patel]

I've had bad experiences with plywood blades. I've had better luck with a good ZC base and clamping the sheet tight to a bottom support along the cut line.

[Thomas Williams]

I have an older version of the Skil saw and it just does not get much use. I like the saw OK, but high quality blades are harder to come by. If I am going to stretch out a cord for the saw, I will use my Milwaukee 7 1/4 as I like the feel better.
For breaking down sheet goods, I usually use my Ridgid 18 volt with a good blade and a straight edge, which works as well as the Skil.

[J. Z. Guest]

I have to disagree with the folks who keep recommending the 7-1/4" circ saws. I had one for many years, a good 13 A Makita. It worked fine, but was not very handy for woodworking.

I'm one who recommends the Skil 5510. I use it for more than I thought I would: breaking down sheet goods is actually the more seldom use. I rip and crosscut rough lumber to rough size with it.

Rough lumber isn't safe to rip on a table saw and I don't have a bandsaw. Even if I did, rough lumber can't really be crosscut on a bandsaw, and I don't have a miter saw. (need to conserve space in my tiny shop) The Skil 5510 addresses all these issues. I've had no problems ripping 5/4 Ash with it, and decent crosscuts only require a speed square. (the little triangular ones.)

I rough crosscut lumber to an inch or so over final length, then joint one edge, then rough rip it so that it will fit my jointer. If you have boards that are less than the width of your jointer, rough ripping them before jointing means that you don't need to joint away as much wood to make one face flat. After one edge and one face are jointed, I can safely rip & crosscut it to final width on the table saw.

Get the Skil carbide-tipped rip blade for it and an edge guide for ripping, and you're golden. (it comes with a crappy steel blade) After the Skil, every 7-1/4" and larger saw feels like a big clunker.

The Porter-Cable that Norm and some folks here like has less capacity, is much more expensive, hard to find, and the blade's on the wrong side of the motor for a righty.

The only drawback to the Skil is that you're limited to 1-1/2" cutting depth, which we hardly ever need in woodworking anyhow. In those cases, I can use the jigsaw.

[Richard Spain]

I asked almost the same question not too long ago and I had some great advice from many Creekers. I was looking for the PC 314 and could not find one and Jeremy recommended the Skil 5510. It came in last week and I have used it several times and I am kicking myself in the butt for wasting so much time looking for the 314.

The light weight and small size makes it much easer for me to control the cut while moving across long pieces of ply. It's a solid saw and as Jeremy mentioned the blade that comes with it is not worth a flip. If you are looking for a small CS give it a try.

[Jack Clay]

Dose the Skil blade cut plywood clean or do you use a different blade?

[Thomas Williams]

I put a Tenryu PT 14036, 36 tooth blade on mine and it works well for breaking down plywood and is OK for cutting hardwoods.

[Brent Smith]

I've had the PC trim saw for years and to me, you can't beat it. Found out about a year ago that Forrest makes blades for it, so now it's splinter-free cuts on all types sheet goods.

Hi Ken,

Are you talking about the PC 314? And you say Forrest makes blades for this saw.....

[J. Z. Guest]

Dose the Skil blade cut plywood clean or do you use a different blade?

I haven't used it for plywood yet, only hardwood, but I don't think it will cut plywood cleanly. It is a rip blade, and the RPM of the saw is something like 4000 RPM. (compared to high end 7-1/4" saws that typically run at 5k to 5800 RPM) With fewer teeth, a smaller blade diameter, and lower RPM, the teeth are moving slower and this means the cut won't be as clean.

I think your best bet for finish cuts on plywood would be either to make a zero clearance baseplate and get a higher tooth count blade or use this saw for rough cuts and make the final cuts on the table saw with ZCI and a plywood/melamine blade.

Circ saws are usually looked upon by woodworkers as roughing-out tools, rather than finish tools. Even with an edge guide, the scoring marks left by the blade will require much more clean-up than a good table saw's.

[Jack Clay]

I have been looking at Porter Cable 314 for awhile now and bid on some on the big auction site. I am surprised at the consistent high price for this saw. Is this saw that great or is it that it is not made anymore? I am just about to give up with the prices I seen on an older saw that I have not seen or heard run. With the oil in it I wonder about the seals in an older saw leaking. Has anybody else had these problems?

[Erik Frederiksen]

I like the Festool TS55 for cutting plywood. You may even find you don't need the table saw because it "breaks down" the plywood so precisely.

[Ken Milhinch]

Here's another vote for the Festool.

[Rich Engelhardt]

Hello,

The only thing I want this tool for is to break down plywood sheets. So I guess the big question is if you were only going to break down plywood for the table saw what would you recommend

What Erik & Ken said - Festool Ts55EQ.

In the long run, considering the waste factor, the price isn't nearly as out of line as it first appears.

Prior to getting the TS55EQ, I was loosing an inch of material for ~ every 4 to 8 cuts - depending on how much I had to leave for final trimming.

@ $50 to >$100 for a sheet of ply, those waste inches add up quick.

[Jeffrey Makiel]

If you work with thin sheet stock, as does a flooring contractor, a trim saw is the way to go. Your choices are Skil, Porter Cable, Makita and Jepson. They will all set you back up to $150. If I remember correctly, the Makita and Jepson both use a 4 3/8" blade. The Skil and Porter Cable both use a 5 1/2" blade.

-Jeff :)

[Fred Hargis]

to help cover the cost of the Festool TS55. But I had used the 314 for almost 8 years, mostly to break down sheet stock, and it's hard to imagine anything handier (except the track saws). These saws are fairly expensive being of the worm gear design, but the light weight and handiness of the 314 make it a real nice saw. I sold mine for $100, with the Freud blade I had bought.

[John Thompson]

I also just went through this ordeal. I had always wanted the PC trim simply to cut down ply on the few occasions I break it down to store in smaller sheets for drawer bottoms and chest backs. I have a PC 7 1/4" 15 A which is very power-ful.. great with the nozzle that directs dust away from you and fairly light in Magnesium but.. still not as light as I would prefer.

I used the PC Saw Boss in cordless and almost went with it as I get rid of the cord.. fairly light and power-ful enough for ply with batteries. I am not sure it would cross over to an outside deck builder though? Maybe.. maybe not. The Saw-Boss in corded certainly would fill both roles.

But.. I happened to pick up a Rigid 5 1/2" Fuego at HD. Whoa... very light and it felt extremely egornomic in my hand. Only 13 A but they geared it in a way to deliver more power than my PC 7 1/4" and that is a feat in itself. I signed up for the new real deal HD cc to get $25 off the first purchase and took home the Fuego for around $95.

It works great on ply with a Freud 24 T on board and blue tape the line to avoid splinter. It also has about the same depth as the PC 7 1/4" and just as power-ful. I much prefer it for outside jobs as it is light as a feather and just well balanced IMO.

It doesn't direct dust away but I believe I can modify it to do so. I basically take sheets outside here in Georgia to cut them down anyway but will keep the PC for the rare occasions I have to break down in the winter which is really only about two months here.

Maybe not for everyone but the Fuego is a great 5 1/2" circular for both ply and standard outside work IMO. It is just so easy to control when having to lean over ply on a long rip.

Sarge..

[lowell holmes]

The saw is that great. I have my second one. The first one was stolen. When B&D acquired PC, I bought one because I was afraid they would quit making it.

[Greg Sznajdruk]

I've used this Makita for about 8 years, mostly to install 1/4 inch wall panel. Its light and easy to use. My wife calls it the "Girl Saw" it's the only one she will use.

http://www.coastaltool.com/a/makita/4200h.htm

Greg

[Brent Smith]

I have both the 314 and the TS55. The better saw... the TS55. The more manouverable and portable....the 314. If money is an object, the 314 with any straight edge is quite capable of breaking down a sheet of ply. The big difference between the 2 is the quality of cut. The TS55 leaves an almost splinter free cut, while the 314, even with a good blade, does leave some splintering on cross cuts.

[Bill Jepson]

One of the previous posters mentioned the quality of cut on the Festool TS55. I Totally agree. I have a bit larger than 8' of rail and use nothing else for plywood. Something to mention about the guide rail is the edge of the guide rail is actually cut by the saw, (it is a heavy plastic while the rail is aluminum), making the edge truly zero clearance. This edge is used to measure and square to. You almost have to be trying to cause splinters on that edge. I often use the TS 55 edge as a "finished" surface. The saw also has little plastic foot that goes against the blade on the other side of the saw to prevent splinters there too. (That isn't as excellent as the rail unless you put it tight against the wood and as such it will drag.) My only problem is getting my wife to part with some of the odd scraps. They look "too good to throw out" according to her. I'm sure there are other CS saws that work this well, but I haven't used many. The guiding feature can be duplicated with a big straight edge, but you need to be very careful. The TS guide rail prevents movement both toward and away from the rail. The zero clearance aspect is a feature I haven't seen on anything else I've tried. I'm not a big Festool guy, but the TS 55 does work as advertised.
Bill