Well now... You must have actually slogged through Part 1 if you're reading this... If not, then go read that first, or this will likely make even less sence...
Today, I'm going to go and blather on about circular saws...
Most of the rest of the tools in question fall under the heading of Saws... Of the 4 varieties (I'll get to them all) the most usefull and most heavily used one for theatre folks is the circular saw... Let me start with the Dewalt line as that is the core of my small selection... My first Dewalt was the 14.4v circular saw... My parents actually bought it for me while I was in college, and let me tell you, I got nasty looks of jelousy from some of the other carps when I showed up with it... (it had just be put on the market, and damn did it look like a great idea...) Anyway, I found out very quickly, that for once, something was as advertised... That saw rocked!... It carried a blade just over 5", so you can cut 2x material in one pass... Mostly the saw is great for working with panels like luan or other plywoods, but you can do most anything a regular sircular saw can do with that saw... A few years ago when I got the 18v gear, I got another saw, and yep... Same deal, compact unit, uses the same blade as the older saw, and runs a little longer... The added weight of the 18v saw actually is a plus in some cases if the saw starts to bind, its a little harder to have it kick back... Since then, they released an 18v version with a 6-1/2" blade... Why you ask?... Hell I don't honestly know... The bigger blade means to can cut 4x material in 2 passes, but otherwise it doesn't help... In reality, the saws with the bigger blades are less comfortable to work with as you seldomly have much blade exposed below the shoe anyway, so your grip is tilted at a less comfortable angle... They also seem to drain the batteries faster, but that's difficult to really determine... Technically the blade should last a little longer as it will have more teeth, but the 5" blades are so cheap, I've never found replaceing them to be a financial burden. Now, other manufacturers make thes units too... Makita has a good saw out there too... They went with the 6-1/2" blade, jumping over the 5" unit from their previous and long standing 3-3/8" saw that ran on the 9.6v system... I've used the 6" unit now and again, and it is absolutly fine, though I wasn't quite crazy afout the saw blade being on the right side of the saw since I'm right handed. (I prefer to hold the saw in my right hand, and then I can see where the blade is more easily on the Dewalt units since they are left side blades.) Their 3" saw is an excelent little tool for more precise work. I've had one for years, and I tend to use it for things like paneling. It sits on the shelf collecting dust at my shop as we don't do much that we need that precision for, but if you are re-modeling and are going to be putting in a lot of paneling, then this is the tool for you... I have not used the Milwalkee saw, though I have heard good things about it... It probably falls right in with the Dewalt and Makita units... As does the Porter Cable, and the Bosch... What it will come down to is two things... What side do you want the blade on, and what voltage drill do you like... You buy the saws with or after the drill, to match your existing batteries... You do not want to have to start having lots of extra batteries and different chargers...
For the weekend warrior, Ryobi will fill your needs as well... They went with the 5-1/2" sawblade, which I think is a good idea for their line... (or any line really.. but I digress) I'm not even going to go into the Skill and B&D lines here... If you want a saw, the Ryobi is as far down the list as you should go.
As a minor note, the 4th style of saw is also a circular saw of types... Some of the manufacturers have decided to make a cordless miter saw... This has got to be hands down the silliest idea ever... If you need a miter saw, then get a miter saw... You can get solid units, for far less than the cordless versions... You will never be in a place where you need a miter saw where there is no power... If you are, you should have brought a generator, since your batteries are going to need to be charged frequently... Remember... Cordless for mobility... If the tool doesnt move, get a damn cord...
Tommorow, I'm going ot try to wrap this up with type 2 and 3... Jig saws, and Recipricating saws... (Oh I'll just bet you're trembleing with anticipation now... )
Posted by Backstage at November 19, 2003 06:35 PM