What's Wrong With This Saw?

Hi Charlie

I use makita at work and have never had a problem with them over the years and i think the reason that its cheaper than the other model is the battery life we find that quite common in the uk

she likes cool to me but if you dont get on with it just post it to me i’m sure i would be able to find room for her lol

andy

-- cut it saw it scrap it

You have a shop with power outlets, right? Why?

-- Gary, East TX -- The longest journey begins with a single step.

The outlets are for battery chargers, Gary. Don’t you know anything? <g>

Seriously, I don’t use a circular saw very much, but the thing I always find most irritating is the cord getting hung up when I’m trying to make a long cut.

-- Charlie M. "Woodworking - patience = firewood"

Charlie we would all love a workshop like garys and so we all keep dreaming lol !!!!!!

-- cut it saw it scrap it

Amen to that, Pommy!

-- Charlie M. "Woodworking - patience = firewood"

I use a cheapie like that for cutting up pallets . It’s about all I use it for but if you do a bit of ight framing it’s really handy in spots where the cord is a nuisance.

Bob

-- A mind, like a home, is furnished by its owner

Charlie as for the cord do what i do run it over your shoulder and pinch a bit between your arm and chest works for me

Pommy

-- cut it saw it scrap it

I have always been fond of Makita battery powered tools. It looks like you got a handy little saw there.

-- MISSION FURNITURE-My mission is to build furniture

Or position the cord from the end of the cut. That way you are always moving toward your cord and never pulling it.

Of course angle it away from your cut so you don’t cut it.

Now I would never try to talk a fellow woodworker from buying a new tool, but with the limitations this one has (small blade diameter to make up for lack of power for one) I would buy myself a nice plug-in one instead.

It will last forever and you will never have to replace batteries.

-- Gary, East TX -- The longest journey begins with a single step.

Gary you have to remember big things grow from small acorns

but i do agree with the size of blade it would be fine for ripping sheets of ply outside if you dont have the space

Andy

-- cut it saw it scrap it

Charley, I have purchased many things (both new & reconditioned) from CPO Delta and CPO Porter Cable. CPO is a great company to deal with. The prices are great, the products are top notch and they deliver them very fast. As far as buying a cordless saw… hmmm, can’t say it has even made it to my wish list. I have a 6” PC left hand trim saw that is a dream to use. Let us know how it works out…

Tom

-- Anybody can become a woodworker, but only a Craftsman can hide his mistakes.

The only cordless tools I got is one drill and one impact driver, and I keep a corded drill just in case. Those batteries get mighty expensive…

-- There are three kinds of people... those who can count, and those who can't

I’ve let all my battery powered tools go away. They die when you need them to work. I bought a REALLY long thick gauge extension cord for less than a new battery ;)

I wouldn’t worry about this saw, Makita makes quality tools.

I have both corded, & cordless. I use both at some times.

Lately I’ve used my Dewalt cordless much more.

You don’t have to fight the cord.

The main thing is have one battery charging while using the other.

-- -** You are never to old to set another goal or to dream a new dream ****************** Dick, & Barb Cain, Hibbing, MN. http://www.woodcarvingillustrated.com/gallery/member.php?uid=3627&protype=1

That looks like a nice saw and a good deal at that price. I have purchased from CPO Porter-Cable and had good luck, but not CPO Makita. I assume it is the same company with different divisions. Good luck with the new saw.

-- Steve-o

Makita is fine. Lithium not only lasts longer, but it also charges faster and does not get dead spots from charging it before it needs it. Nicad is vanishing quickly and this may be why it was so cheap. What a great deal.

-- making sawdust....

Looks good, Charlie, I have often thought of a cordless when trying to fit my purchases in my vehicle. at the borg or elsewhere, I would think that would be handy. (I know they will cut, but find that sometimes I dont plan that far ahead :-) )

-- Fred, Springfield, Ma

Nice find…. Bet it would be great for roughing out sheet goods….

-- Chris

Yeah, Chris, that is my main intent. At any rate, for this price I don’t think it will be a bad purchase.

-- Charlie M. "Woodworking - patience = firewood"

Charlie,

I think you’ll find a good use for this tool. It won’t replace your regular circular saw or table saw, but I have an 18 volt deWalt that I’ve found to be mighty handy during remodeling projects or other site work.

‘specially when that electrical outlet is on the other end of the extension cord that is plugged in to your miter or table saw etc. Or you don’t want to drag 100 feet of extension cord up to the roof…

I also get a lot of use out of mine with a 4” diamond blade for tile or stone work.

Q

-- I don't make sawdust...I produce vast quantities of "Micro Mulch."

Charlie I have that Makita saw – you could have borrowed mine anytime, but now that you have one you won’t have to. Did I read above that Gary has outlets in his shop? What a great idea.

-- Bill - "Suit yourself and let the rest be pleased." http://www.cajunpen.com/

Charles: I just bought a battery saw. I got the Ryobi with Lithium Ion Battery.

I bought it to go to the lumber yard and to break down some Phenolic Plywood. Because I couldn’t get the 4 X 8 in my van.

I don’t plan to use it as my primary saw but i used it when I went to buy some Corian and I needed to break the sheet down for transport.

It’s a good buy.

-- Karson Southern Delaware karson_morrison@bigfoot.com

L important in these machines for qu it lasts C longer is to change regularly blade for not making heat the machine

-- jeanmarc manosque france

Cordless saws are very useful and I’m glad to see that you made a good choice !

I bought a Craftsman …such a poor battery life…takes forever to charge them and they only last for a few minutes , they give you two batteries to double your frustration !!! : ( ...My friend has a Dewalt cordless saw and he can use his for hours…I should have spent the extra money ….I’m still using my old Makita drill with the “stick style” battery …no problems : )

-- Dusty56@comcast.net

A quick word about “Nicad” batteries. # 1 – Get a spare battery. Nicads have a “memory” If you always keep them fully charged they will have a tendency to work only in that range and will drop off rapidly after they start to go down. Nicads work best if you let them “die” every once in awhile then charge back up. They will then work in the full charge range. This is usually a problem after they get some age on them. That is one of the good things about the newer “nimh” batteries, they do not have a memory. For my own personal use, I keep my cordless equipment to my hand drills and a few other small tools. When it comes to a skil saw or router I always go with AC power. I don’t like surprizes…...They are neat though, and will still make a geat addition to our toy box ! (oops!...I mean tool box.) Good tooling !! Bob Allen

Charlie,

These are nice little saws if you don’t plan on doing a lot of heavy work with them. I have two, a Rigid and a Dewalt, and use them primarily for breaking down sheet goods. I would not use these on a construction site but to break down plywood and making a quick crosscut they work great. My first option is to reach for one of these rather than one of my corded saws since I just don’t like having to deal with the extension cords.

Go for it. You won’t regret buying this saw. It is a bargain for the price you are getting it at. You will want to make sure you have two batteries for it though.

-- With God's help all things are possible- even woodworking. Woodworking is not just a hobby, it is an (expletive deleted) expensive hobby.

I’ll be on the lookout for a second battery if I can find a good deal on one. A little googling turned up a prices in the $70 range. Kinda hard to stomach when you just paid $89 for the whole shooting match. :-)

-- Charlie M. "Woodworking - patience = firewood"

I have one of those cordless saws, but it’s a Craftsman. It came with a drill “combo” that I bought. I burned my first one up, but the second one seems to run like a champ. The only problem I have with those little saws is that the blade that come with mine tends to wander. I’d do myself really good if I’d just break down and buy a decent blade.

I even do framing with mine, cut holes in roofs, etc. They’ll do fine if you just take it easy.

-- As iron sharpens iron, so one man sharpens another. (Proverbs 27:17)

Thin kerf blades extend the battery life, so you probably want to pickup a good one of those.

A cordless circular saw would be my choice only after i already had a corded one. Having both is the best of all!

-- miles125, Alabama.."Architecture is frozen music""