Circular saw reccomendation- Hi, I’m shopping for a new circular saw after my B+D 8 1/4″ super sawcat finally died. I’m looking for the most similar saw to that, meaning at least 8″ blade, and big flat thick base. I also like to have my hand more behind than on top of the saw. I also like the way you could adjust the saw parallel to the base on the sawcat, so if it was dropped, you could get it parallel again. Any ideas?
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In Calif. all we use is Skilsaw (model 77 I think it is). 7&1/4" blade, and heavy, but I use that dang thing so much its become an extension of my arm. I even use it to trim my toenails, and I may start shaving with it soon. In a pinch I've screwed it upside down under my portable workbench and used it as a table saw. But I can snap a line and cut freehand straighter than the factory edge, so that don't happen too much.
- (full o'beans as usual)
Circular saw reccomendation?
I wonder whatever happed to the Sawcat. I had one for almost 25 years till it just wasn't worth fixing anymore. It was the best saw I ever used and owned. Are they made anymore? Jonie Mitchel was right...
a friend of mine put an 8 1/4" blade on his DW worm drive. you have to remove the blade guard first, though. we call it the "circus saw". real safe.
DCS Inc.
"He who xxxxs nuns will later join the church." -The Clash
Circular saw reccomendation?
If you put an UN before Recommendation you be more on topic.
Make it Circular saw unrecommendation.
Bosch and Dewalt have good 8 1/4 circular saws.
DW????
you can't be serious???
Life is not a journey to the grave with the intention of arriving safely in a pretty and well preserved body, but rather to skid in broadside, thoroughly used up, totally worn out, and loudly proclaiming
WOW!!! What a Ride!
Contrary to opinion, all DW isn't bad :)
I really like my DW 364 circ. saw. ( 7-1/4")
So much so that when it was stolen, I bought the same thing again.
ooohhhhhttttttaaaaaayyyyyy..........
Life is not a journey to the grave with the intention of arriving safely in a pretty and well preserved body, but rather to skid in broadside, thoroughly used up, totally worn out, and loudly proclaiming
WOW!!! What a Ride!
Boy, you must really be bored.
That was one of the quickest responses I've ever gotten here.
And as far as DW tools go, all I'll say is that I have some strange preferences sometimes.
DW 364 here too :~) It's heavy, loud, yellow, and it cuts and cuts and cuts. Plus, the baseplate is stiffer than a taping knife unlike a lot of other sidewiders (what's up with that?).
The awful thing is that beauty is mysterious as well as terrible. God and the devil are fighting there, and the battlefield is the heart of man.- Fyodor Dostoyevski
I agree with the heavy, but I kinda like the feel and how it tracks. I've used some Makitas and they just feel too light and squirrely when cutting.
As far as the yellow goes, I figure it'll help keep Imerc away from my tools if he ever gets to NJ :)
I' only use few DW tools. The 10" miter saw, the 8/14" drop foot circular saw with electric brake and few drills. Never have a problem.
I use the 8 1/4" Bosch circular saw without the electric brake and i like it too.
Both saws are very good.
EZ Dino
there is so much out there that's better than the DW's....
think of what yer missing.....
Life is not a journey to the grave with the intention of arriving safely in a pretty and well preserved body, but rather to skid in broadside, thoroughly used up, totally worn out, and loudly proclaiming
WOW!!! What a Ride!
ThEZ?
In his initial post, Lighthouse mentioned the ability to adjust the saw (blade) parallel to the base. Can anyone list any saws which have that feature?
DW. But not all models.
Edited 1/14/2005 9:21 pm ET by YCFriend
I recall them telling me that DW 8¼ is a direct decendent of of the B&D..
Phill Giles
The Unionville Woodwright
Unionville, Ontario
It is, i have both a B&D and a Dewalt 8.25 and the only difference is the color now.
Dewalt kept the good features and add some more.
The adjustable shoe was one.
In the next few years we may see a new DW
with some of the new Porter Cable MAG features.
It make sense to have only one product line with the benefits of two.
I agree with Huck. I'm in North Carolina but the first builder I worked for used to frame out west so he used nothing but worm drives(Skil brand). That's what I learned on and I love them! Most carpenters around here use sidewinders and I don't know how they do it(probably going to catch some flack for this statement). I can't cut a straight line to save my life with one of those but with a worm drive I can cut straight with my eyes closed. Also my worm drive is 6 or 7 years old and still works great. The builder I've worked for the last 2 years has gone through 4-5 Makita sidewinders at over $100 dollars a pop. To me its a no brainer.
Yeah, I have a 77, but I wouldn't use it for finish work. I also have a Festool, which is the best tool of any kind that I own. Cost twice as much as the best sidewinder, and paid for itself in 1 week. But I'm looking for a strong, all purpose sidewinder for all the things that the Skil is not good at (cutting against a straight egde, for ex) and where I don't want to bring out the Festool for fear some framer might grab it and destroy it by mistake :)
Dam framers..... LOL
I think you're gonna be hard presses to replace that Sawcat with something you will be equally pleased with. Why the 8" blade? There's not much (other than TJI's) I can picture cutting with a circular saw that would give an 8" saw the advantage over a 7 1/4" saw.
I'm just thinking that if you think you can live with a 7 1/4" saw you'd open yourself up to about three times as many choices. For instance, the Milwaukee Tilt-Loc is a great saw for a sidewinder. Good stable base and the handle can be adjusted to sit behind the saw rather than on top of it. Stay away from the new Bosch CS20's or the new Porter Cable saws if you are going to do much straight edge work.... both have plastic bases which can flex when pressed to a guide. Don't know much about the new Hitachi sidewinder, except that they are very reasonable priced. Makita..... guys either love 'em or hate 'em.... I hate 'em. Tables bend easy and they were designed for someone with a big right hand and a little old left hand, just my humble opinion.
I really don't like Dewalt products in general. However, like every other tool company they do have some winners and some real lemons. One of their winners is the 8 1/4" drop foot side winder. My old boss was a barbarian with tools and that thing was a warrior. That being said, I'd probably buy the Bosch myself.... I'm pretty much sold on that company lately.
The bosch has a plastic-type shoe that flexes, but the PC has a magnesium shoe which is very stiff and doesn't flex at all.