I'm PETRIFIED of circular saws--

[Dale Thompson]

The sound gives me panic attacks. The blade is always magnetically attracted to the cord (POW!). They, "kick like a mule". (Sorry, David).

What do you folks think about the DW935K Cordless trim saw? I know that it is only a 14.4 V unit but that is as much as I want to handle with a circular saw. I tend to "reach" too far, my big belly hits the panel, the saw goes "postal" and I see another new carbide blade bite the concrete! :mad: :mad: Any comments will be appreciated. Thanks.

Dale T.

[Jim Becker]

Dale, it comes down to, "What do you want to do with it?" The cordless trim saws can be a very useful thing to have around as long as you don't expect them to cut lumber all day long. If your needs are incidental...cutting out toe-kicks, an occasional 2x4 or three, a few cuts in sheet goods, etc., you'll probably be just fine.

Cord management with a circular saw can be a "thoughtful process", but for construction work and things that are more than incidental, you really need to go with something that sucks electrons out of the little holes in the wall. It comes down to a matter of power and time.

BTW, what do you need a new circular saw in the afterworld for? Don't they have free rentals???? :p

[John Miliunas]

BTW, what do you need a new circular saw in the afterworld for? Don't they have free rentals???? :p

Hey Jim, me thinks a cordless won't do, anyway. I mean really....That's gonna' have to be one heckuva' LO_O_O_O_O_O_ONG stairway to get him from "down there", back up to the Big Guy! :D

Seriously, I'm sure he's quite happy wherever he ended up...He's just here to haunt us! :eek:

OK, down to the meat of the issue; I've got the Ryobi 18V, but that's 'cuz it came in the big kit and was purchased at a refurb outlet. Like Jim says, the cordless saws are definitely for select uses and not a tool one would tend to use all day. A buddy of mine, who does "handyman" work for a living, though, did go ahead and pick up one of the 14V Dewalts you speak of. He likes it a LOT! His main decision for buying it over the more powerful units was that it's handier and lighter. He sometimes does exterior work, requiring him to sort of be hanging off the side of a ladder to trim something up and he finds the 14V an ideal size for that, yet with enough power to do the job. :cool:

[John Weber]

Dale,

You have lots of options. If your not into a traditional 7-1/4" saw, Porter Cable has a couple smaller models a 6" Saw Boss and a 4-1/2" Trim Saw:

http://media.ptg-online.com/media/pc/Products/Tools/ExtraLarge/20021101200000_345_72dpi_500.jpg

http://media.ptg-online.com/media/pc/Products/Tools/ExtraLarge/20021101200000_314_72dpi_500.jpg

The Trim saw is one Norm uses a lot. Other options might include a traditional saw with a blade on the left, or a worm drive Skil Saw.

I have a 18v DeWalt and it is great at what it does, but battery drain is huge, and it's not up to many tasks. Depending on what you need to do, you might get away with a cordless saw. My Dad has a 14.4 volt DeWalt, it has a smaller blade, but also suffers from battery drain and only fair power.

Festool offers a saw with a retractable blade, they are expensive, but those that have them seem to love them.

Lastly, depending on the type of finish cut you need you might get away with a good jig saw, such as the new Bosch. It can give you a very good cut and is fairly safe.

Lots of options, just pick what is right for you.

John

[David Rose]

Dale? That you Dale? Why do you need a saw down there? Has he got you cutting fire wood? :D

On a less serious note, I have the 7 1/4 left hand PC. I haven't had it bite or kick yet, but I am cautious and understand your nervousness. All I do with it is cut an occasional panel. If I was doing it again, I might try to match up a cordless saw with my Makita or Milwaukee batteries. With two cordless tools, I don't plan to add a different battery size. When those die if you only have one tool for them, you might as well replace the tool in many cases. Just a thought...

David

[Kelly C. Hanna]

You guys beat me to the PC punch. I finally sold my old worm drive Skilsaw and bought the PC left blade last year....I LOVE IT! You do have to watch the cord, but that's normal.

I don't like cordless saws much due to a lack of power and the thin blades flex too much for my taste. Don't expect to cut sheet goods for long with one, either, but if you are just cutting trim pieces or a softwood or two here and there, they're fine.

[Dan Mages]

Pop Sci wrote up a quick paragraph about a circular saw that may meet your needs. The Bosch CS20 does not have a permanently attached cord. Instead, you plug an extension cord into the saws housing. If you cut the cord, grab a new one.

http://www.boschtools.com/SBPT/Bosch/images/image_packs/CS20_HERO1/web_1/CS20_HERO1.jpg
http://www.boschtools.com/Tools+and+Accessories/Tools/prod_detail.htm?item_no=CS20

Dan

[Bob_Hammond]

I have the 14v Dewalt. I bought it to cut sheets of plywood, but found it to be a waste of money. With 3/4" sheets, I couldn't even cut 1 sheet. I ended up buying one of the small PC which I like.

Bob

[Frank Pellow]

Dale, get a Festool ATF 55 E. The blade is fully enclosed. Yes, it costs more, but the saw is worth it for many reasons and I believe that you will not be afraid of it,

[Jason Tuinstra]

Dale, I have that model as well. While there are times that I wish I had a corded model, I am content with my DW. It came in a combo pack with my drill and I haven't regretted the purchase. I use it to cut up sheets of plywood without any problems. I also use it to cut longer stock into shorter sections so that I can either cut them on my chop saw or on the table saw. I have two batties and when I know that I am going to be doing a lot of cutting, I just rotate as needed. Just my .02, but I like mine so I'm giving it the ole' thumbs up.

[Bart Leetch]

Dale

It sounds like you need to hit a few construction sites & ask if you can pick up some of their free scrap plywood & 2x material. Then get someone who is skilled using one to stand by & guide you a little on usage & use your saw to cut up the scrape. Trust me this won't be a wasted effort. The material is free so you won't feel bad about cutting it up & with some good guidance from soneone who knows proper procedure you should do fine.

I used to be scared of these saws too but this is the way I learned how to use them safely. This saw still isn't my first choice of cutting tools, but I can now respectfully & safely use it.

[Tyler Howell]

Does anybody make a 3-4 battery operated circular saw?? I know Makita had something close a few years ago. I've done a lot of close quarter work,with shallow cuts lately. Something like that would have been ideal. :confused:

I have the 6" PC cordless that came in a package deal. I couldn't see why I was having trouble getting the hang of it till I figured out it's set up for a left hander. :eek: I am left handed and learned to live in the Right mans' world. Go figure. Over all the 6 with 19.2 bat gets a fair rating! A little awkward to handle.

[Dan Mages]

Does anybody make a 3-4 battery operated circular saw?? I know Makita had something close a few years ago. I've done a lot of close quarter work,with shallow cuts lately. Something like that would have been ideal. :confused:

I have the 6" PC cordless that came in a package deal. I couldn't see why I was having trouble getting the hang of it till I figured out it's set up for a left hander. :eek: I am left handed and learned to live in the Right mans' world. Go figure. Over all the 6 with 19.2 bat gets a fair rating! A little awkward to handle.

I'm also a lefty and I know what you are going through. Too bad nobody makes a left handed CMS.

Dan

[Tyler Howell]

I'm also a lefty and I know what you are going through. Too bad nobody makes a left handed CMS.

DanDan, Watch yourself buddy, They say we lefties don't live as long and have more accidents because we're trying to adapt to all that right man stuff.:o The good thing is we're in our right minds.:p :p :p

[Dale Thompson]

Gentlemen,
Thank you all for your valued inputs. I hope that a number of folks have learned a lot about circular saws. I KNOW that I did. Whatever, what can I expect from you guys! :)

I went with the DeWalt for one primary reason. I already had a spare ER battery for it which I can't use on any other tool. About a year ago, my son bought me one of those DeWalt radio/chargers. That's the tough one with the "roll bars" on it. He has apparently seen me stumble around enough to the point where he thought that the radio was appropriate. :o :rolleyes: Anyway, he also spent the money on a 14.4 Volt battery (I guess they run at close to $80). I got an excellent deal from my "hometown" dealer. The saw kit with a "spare" 24t carbide blade was $189.00. The saw will not be "heavily" used. I will be cutting 1/4" plywood, molding and other "trim" materials. As required, I may cut an occasional 2x if the option is to set up the DW 12" Slider.

Whatever, thanks again for the circular saw seminar!! :) :)

Lastly, "I take COPIOUS notes"! I have taken note of the comments regarding, "free rentals", "LOOOOONG stairway from where I AM to where I SHOULD be" and, particularly offensive, the comment on, "using the saw for cutting firewood". I know where you guys live. Sleep lightly during the next "Full" moon(s) and remember that halloween is not that far off. :eek: :eek: :eek:

Thanks again to ALL!! :) :)

Dale T.

[John Miliunas]

"Gentlemen"???? :confused: Where??? :confused:

Anyhow, I think you'll do OK by the Dewalt, though you did mess up that unwritten TOS rule by NOT posting a "Gloat"! :mad: Regardless, make sure and do a little write-up on that new piece of yours. I know that with your wide variety of projects, you'll get to try it out on many different levels. By your own admission, you're not a circular saw kind of guy, so any observations should be quite objective and that's good. :) Enjoy your new toy--l and try to keep all your fingers! ;) Oh, and I'll be sure to sleep with one eye open, just in case! :D :cool:

[David Rose]

What you really needed was a Sawzall. No comment on why. :D John, you coverin' my backside?

Use that new puppy and let us know what you think, good or bad.

David

[John Miliunas]

10-4 on the Sawzall, David. I had mine by my bedside last night, just in case Uncle Dale sent Vito or one of his other Men in Black guys over here to rough me up! Took the "safety" off the nail gun, too! :D :cool:

[Dan Mages]

Congrats on the new saw! However, never lose your fear of the saw. My grandfather was a master craftsman in Israel. He lost two fingers when he decided that he did not need his saw blade guard.

Dan

[Stan Smith]

Dale, I've never cut a cord, but always had trouble getting the line in the right place in relation to the blade. I only use one 7 1/4" to cut sheet goods so I bought the panel cutting set up from Penn State tools for $80. The saw rides on bearings and the jig rides on angled aluminum. Comes with 9' and 5' aluminum rails. I also have the PC 6" saw boss which I use for stuff outside the shop. It's really light and easy to use.

Stan

[James Carmichael]

Dale, I've never cut a cord, but always had trouble getting the line in the right place in relation to the blade. I only use one 7 1/4" to cut sheet goods so I bought the panel cutting set up from Penn State tools for $80. The saw rides on bearings and the jig rides on angled aluminum. Comes with 9' and 5' aluminum rails. I also have the PC 6" saw boss which I use for stuff outside the shop. It's really light and easy to use.

Stan

How do you like the PSI guide, Stan? I've used a variety of homemade jigs and the Johnson TruEdge for sheet goods, all of which have been fine for crosscutting, but none totally satisfactory for 8' rips and have eyed the PSI. The Johnson Truedge flexes towards the middle when the two sections are joined, I beefed mine up with some 1/4" ply. An 8' piece of mdf clamped to the workpiece works about as well as anything I've tried, but squaring it all up is a pain.

Dale,

Good luck with the DeWalt, my 18v DW circ and recip stay in their case. Cordless saws eat batteries for breakfast, lunch, dinner and between-meal snacks. I'd rather save the amp-hours for my cordless DW drill.

I have taken to using a couple of old Disston hand saws for incidental cuts.

[David Rose]

John, John, John... get an easier to release safety! I always keep some sort of gun at bedside, but always use the safety. :(

I looked for a "flesh eating" blade at the borg for the Sawzall. The best I could do was the 12" pruner. Never having carved meat with a Sawzall, will that be the best choice? It is new and sharp.

David, who figures John may have tested the Sawzall on his arm or leg :D


10-4 on the Sawzall, David. I had mine by my bedside last night, just in case Uncle Dale sent Vito or one of his other Men in Black guys over here to rough me up! Took the "safety" off the nail gun, too! :D :cool:

[Dale Thompson]

James,
I hear you loud and clear. However, I'm not the professional that you are. I am an occasional user. Wish me luck, please. It sounds like I will need it!

Dale T.

[Dale Thompson]

Gentlemen(Spring excluded at his own request),

The idiot who started this thread should be properly admonished for his/her stupidity. I and hopefully others have been properly educated in the area of circular saws (good side DOWN, right - David), both corded and uncorded.

It is also apparent that I have made my point in terms of my post mortem power. The appropriate people think that they are "prepared" for a visit from, "The Shadow". :D :D :D That plays right into the hands of fate. :eek: Keep the pressure UP in that compressor with the nail gun attached. I hear that the PC X3570 framing nailer is the ONLY one that works on "shadows". :D :D :eek: Sleep well!!

Dale T.