Circular Saw Recommendations - DIY Guy

Cordless are handy as hell, but will suck down batteries quick. How long do you plan on cutting for?

Mitchell wrote: How competent are battery-powered saws? Good for occasional use?

Yes.

But the cheap ones suck.

Thanks for the input! I have a chop saw that I use for most of my 2x4 cutting. I have a Sawzall for demo work. I have a great handsaw for quick cuts. So this saw is for...I dunno. Cutting 4 x 8 sheets I suppose. And 2 x 12s that won't fit in the chop saw. I can just about guarantee that a Chicago Electric Saw for $35 will do all of the jobs I come across. But I want something nice, you know? Sure it's overkill. But overkill is the American Way gosh darnit!

foxtrapper wrote: If you like the saw you have, I'd at least take it apart to see if it really can be fixed with $20 set of bearings.

I tend to agree with you, but my experience recently with Sears is that they don't support their older stuff with parts supply like the once did. The saw I bought 30+ years ago was a reman one then.

I bought the expensive one from Harbor Freight:

http://www.harborfreight.com/7-14-worm-drive-professional-industrial-framing-saw-68988.html

Seems like a pretty good saw (realistically probably the same saw as some other brands are selling). WARNING: it ships without oil (which is probably reasonable), so make sure to fill it before use.

It an occasional use saw for me, so HF is a reasonable choice for me.

As a pro I've tried 'em all; Dewalt, Porter Cable, Bosch, and others but always come back to a basic Makita 5007.

Makita 5007

Lightweight, smooth, accurate, powerful,durable and inexpensive with quick and easy to use adjustments for bevel and depth. Aside from the previously mentioned west coasters who for some unexplained reason like the worm drives probably 80% of the guys who wield a circular saw all day use this one. Speaking of worm drive saws, unless you're building timber frame structures you do not need one.

Take the bearing and go to a bearing store for a replacement. Though I would at least check the Sears site, sometimes they do carry parts.

Dr. Hess wrote: Years ago, I asked my friend who is a construction worker. He said that there were two types, those with bearings and those with bushings. A saw with bushings would last 1 house, then you had to pitch it. One with bearings would last years. .

This. I have a Dewalt DWE575 that has been quite good, and is easy to follow a straight line. Certainly not a production saw, but plenty good for handyman use.

foxtrapper wrote: Take the bearing and go to a bearing store for a replacement. Though I would at least check the Sears site, sometimes they do carry parts.

Sears no longer carries the bearing, not sure how old this thing is but not being able to remember probably means something.

Thanks for the Makita 5007F. That's what I am looking for...what do guys who use saws use? It that or the hypoid. Something about a saw that is longer than it is wide appeals to me.

The 5007 is the Makita direct drive I referred to.

Yeah, I've got one.

foxtrapper wrote: Take the bearing and go to a bearing store for a replacement. Though I would at least check the Sears site, sometimes they do carry parts.

I hope its a friendlier bearing store than mine. I went in with a bearing once and made the mistake of telling him it was for car. "We don't sell cars parts" and sent me on my way. Next trip in I went with the bearing number instead. They really only want to sell wholesale to industries. I had to give them my company's name, even though it was for me.

I've never had a problem with my ryobi from home depot, I'm sure it's not as good or as light as a lot of other ones. But it was like $50-60. Put a good blade on it and don't hit any nails and your golden. It also has a laser thing but that was garbage and I've never turned it on again. But the little light does come in handy.

i once needed a bearing for my tile saw. it is a really old saw. i pulled the bearing, cross referenced the part number on the timken online catalog, and found that it was the same as a 1963 thunderbird alternator rear bearing. i bought it at the parts store later that day.

try that first if you really love the old saw.

The base plate on the Makita, the part that slides on top of whatever you're cutting, is much thicker and stiffer than the one on my old Skilsaw. The plate on the Skil warped and made it impossible to cut a nice, perfect 90 degree to the surface cut. The saw would essentially rock back and forth as you cut. Made it pretty hard to follow a straight line, too.

On a similar note, the adjustment on the Skilsaw to make an off- 90 degree cut (up to 45 degrees) was flimsy and ended up breaking. The Makita's adjustment mechanism seems much beefier, and easier to use. I could make this pretty much a blanket statement about the Makita over the Skilsaw- not only is everything much more robust, but it's designed better, too. Something about form following function...

pinchvalve wrote:

foxtrapper wrote: Take the bearing and go to a bearing store for a replacement. Though I would at least check the Sears site, sometimes they do carry parts.

Sears no longer carries the bearing, not sure how old this thing is but not being able to remember probably means something. Thanks for the Makita 5007F. That's what I am looking for...what do guys who use saws use? It that or the hypoid. Something about a saw that is longer than it is wide appeals to me.

Nice old saw, those! Sealed ball bearings, which you can get anywhere.

In fact, if I got it right, Sears does carry it. $26. Your Sawmill a model 315275160?

http://www.searspartsdirect.com/partsdirect/part-number/615972-004/0009/315?pathTaken=directMatch&filterPart=&pop=flush&prst=0&shdPart=

As far as that Sears saw goes, I wouldn't have even wasted the time taking a picture of it. Chuck it. Quickly.

Nope, Craftsman 315.108220. I dropped the coin on the Hypoid Makita because in the end...I wanted it.

The Craftsman was great and I could probably deal with fixing it (I may still try then donate it) but the balance was terrible. 95% of the weight hung off the left side of the saw, and I never was comfortable with the right-side cut.

Enjoy!

Hard to go wrong with a Makita.

Drop the "k" and it's almost a Miata.

Or number 21 on the Blackhawks.

cdowd wrote: I have an old craftsman that works well. i have a porter cable compound miter saw that seem really well built. I might look at a porter cable or craftsman.

Will you share it's image?

In reply to Hirood1997:

Canoe, or old tool nut? If you are trying to find info on old tools, I'd recommend owwm.org

Seeing as this thread is over 2 years old, I'm betting canoe. No links posted yet, so no ban, but I'm keeping an eye on Hirood1997.