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I got a call today here in Dallas from the DeWalt Company. It seems the service center here gave them our company phone number. They said that the new products guy for DeWalt was coming to Dallas next week and wanted to talk with our crew about the DeWalt cordless circular saw. Wanted to know what we think. To be honest with the lady, I told her that only two men out of a crew of 21 had the cordless saw, and that came with a set that they had bought. I told her that I thought the saw to be pretty much a toy that we can’t make a living with. It just won’t stand up to hard work.
Then I started thinking later……was I wrong? Do you guys out there use them to make a living and do they really work for you? I told the nice lady that we like the power tools that DeWalt makes. Hell, we own seven of the 12″ mitre saws and three of the 10″ bench table saws and various drills and such. It’s not the brand……it’s the tool.
How many of you guys use the cordless saws and do they hold up?
Just curious.
Ed. Williams
Replies
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b TVMDC
Ed, I have the 18v 1/2" drill/4-3/8" saw kit, the 18v recip and a 14.4v drill plus the radio. Just finished a small redwood deck repair and the only power cord was for the radio/charger. On larger jobs, I bring the corded sawzall, skilsaw, bigfoot (10" blade on a Mag77) and whatever other drills, roto-hammers, etc. that are needed. But for smaller or crowded job sites, cordless is the way (for me) to go.
The only thing about the 4-3/8" saw is a sharp blade and fresh battery!
Bill Pickard
*Ed, I have had the little 14.4 trim saw for about 4 or 5 years now. Got it when they first came out in the kit box with the drill. I don't use it daily, unlike the drill, but when I do I'm glad I have it! With a good blade it goes pretty well. A while back, we were buildind an addition, and for some reason left the rafter tails run long to be cut later. I was the one up on the ladder, and was glad to have the little saw and equally happy to not have a cord! It's great when the drill kit box is out, and the circular is way back in the van....and the last piece of ply needes trimmed up on the roof....or if there's only a small wall to be built. I use it when a full size saw isn't needed, and a hand saw would be too little. In remodeling that happens alot! If I bought it as a stand alone tool though, as opposed to having it there in the drill kit box, I probably wouldn't use it as much. Typical tool, nice to have, but not neccessary. Jeff
*I never bought the Dewalt saw because the blade is on the wrong side, but I did buy a Panasonic 15v cordless saw and I love it. It is a serious tool you can use with one hand while you hang on with the other. Doing only remodel type stuff, I use it every day.
*I don't own a cordless saw... yet. One of the guys that I worked with had the new PC 19.2v saw and drill kit and although I wouldn't buy that particular saw... I sure liked not having a cord. I've been looking around and I think that I might end up getting an 18v Makita saw. They are offered with the blade on the left and right-nad side and they feel really well balanced. I do like having a cordless saw around though... like Jeff and Bill said, they won't replace a larger saw but they sure are handy. Oh well.. time to go play or something - Nick
*The DeWalt 18V cordless is a great little tool. Anytime you don't have enough work to justify rolling out a cord, it's the ticket. If you need to get in a tight place or overhead it beats the crap out of a full-size saw.Doesn't take up a lot of room in the toolbox.Travels room-to-room when you're trimming.Good for running around doing the punch list.The drawbacks are: Low power-cuts clear lumber well,but not wet PT and knotty junk.Power consumption-keep some fresh batteries handy if you are going to rip a lot of stock.Miter-the 5 3/8" blade won't cut a 2x4 at 45 degrees.Junk blade- all the DeWalt blades are junk,in my opinion. If you look around, you can find an Irwin Marathon blade for the little sucker that will improve your performance by 20%.P.S. Ed, did you ever get the e-mail I sent you?
*I wonder if she was talking about the newer 24 volt 6 1/2" saw? I've got one of the smaller ones and like Jeff said, don't use it that often, but sometimes it i is the ticket. I'd tell 'em that if they really want your opinion, they should give you 3 of the saws to test drive for 3 or 4 months. I bet they won't want the used ones back!
*I bought the Dewalt 24V-6 1/2" saw this spring. Started using it for everything just to see what it could do. I was amazed the amount of work it could do, it does have its limitations, and doesn't replace your corded saws. The second battery is a must, like with any battery operated tool, of course their not cheap.
*I agree with the other posters; it supplements some of the work we used to do with a corded saw, but certainly doesn't replace it. I find my Dewalt 14.4 saw is good for cutting out roof openings for vents and chimneys before roofing, for cutting off a sheet or two of overhanging OSB, or for quickly cutting a piece of spare blocking, but I'd never think about using it instead of a corded tool. Just not enough power, and it takes too long.
*A buddy of mine was leading a house for Habitat for Humanity. Being that he is a good friend, I offered to help him trim out the house. Needless to say, I arrive and find 16 people in a 1100 sqft ranch and more extention cords running up and down the hall than you could ever imangine, and they were sanding the drywall. Anyways, every prehung door jamb has to be cut down by five eights. The first tool I reached for...my 18v trim saw. I don't use my cordless saw and paslode much at work, but I sure did appreciate having them on this job. My feeling is that virtually every power tool you own isn't necessary. You could work with all hand tools, but power tools make the job go faster and easier. The same goes for the cordless stuff.Eric
*I have the drill/saw 18 volt kit. Frankly this little box is the basis of my repair business. They are the best! No, I do not think the saw would hold up for a framer. But, for my type of work (in people's homes, small areas of siding, corner boards, trim, etc. it is great. Drawback - will not cut a 2x at 45 degrees. Also, charger reaks havoc with the radio! DeWalt charger/radio needs to have a cassette. - don't have one yet.
*I have used the 18 volt saw quite a bit now for about 3 years. I am very happy with it. It is especially good for climbing with (roofs attics etc). Sylvan
*GACC:We have been using the 18 volt circular saws for a few years now. Keep in mind that we do production finish carpentry and all we cut with them is particle board shelving and tile decking for cabinets. Our corded mitre saws make all the other cuts. They are great for us but a sharp blade and a fresh battery on the charger are a must.
*Imagine how handy one of those things would be up on scaffolding, maybe siding or putting a shake roof on a bay window or something? I'm tempted.
*I, too, bought the 14v. saw in the kit when it first came out. The best use I have found for it is when running sidewall shakes. Works great for that. And the blade does make all the difference. Buy the best blade you can, or struggle.
*I own 3 18 volt DEWALT batteries, that I use in the trim saw and drill/driver. I have already replaced 1 battery at about 14 months and now at 22 months I have to replace battery #2. The second won't last in the saw for 10 seconds, after being in the charger for 24 hours. The DEWALT service centre informed me that they have had no problems with their 18 volt batteries, although they are know recommending to drain the batteries completely before charging, even though the battery has no memory. The tools are not being used for major production work. If anyone has similar experiences or tips, please let me know. I have been very pleased with the drill/driver and the trim saw's performance. I own a dozen DEWALT products and have been very happy except for this battery problem.
*I installed beveled cedar siding using a 12-volt drill/driver and 18-volt drill/driver & trim saw. (12 volt driver + 2 battery kit and 18-volt driver/saw + 2 battery kit.)12-volt was used for pre-drilling the boards and 18-volt for driving the screws that secured the boards. Trim saw was used for ripping the boards when necessary.For shortening the lengths of the 12' boards, used the DW705 chop saw.Anyway, I own the 12-volt and 18-volt flash lights which have gotten more use then the tools and dispite a recent report on advising against fully draining the batteries I use the flashlights to run them down before charging. I also try to leave the batteries on the charger overnight.I'm guessing the 12-volt kit is going on 5 years or older and the batteries may be getting weaker but haven't noticed.
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I got a call today here in Dallas from the DeWalt Company. It seems the service center here gave them our company phone number. They said that the new products guy for DeWalt was coming to Dallas next week and wanted to talk with our crew about the DeWalt cordless circular saw. Wanted to know what we think. To be honest with the lady, I told her that only two men out of a crew of 21 had the cordless saw, and that came with a set that they had bought. I told her that I thought the saw to be pretty much a toy that we can't make a living with. It just won't stand up to hard work.
Then I started thinking later......was I wrong? Do you guys out there use them to make a living and do they really work for you? I told the nice lady that we like the power tools that DeWalt makes. Hell, we own seven of the 12" mitre saws and three of the 10" bench table saws and various drills and such. It's not the brand......it's the tool.
How many of you guys use the cordless saws and do they hold up?
Just curious.
Ed. Williams