# The perfect saw for my needs and space



## Surfside

This is a very detailed review. I think it's a good saw.


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## Tedstor

Great review.

I actually have the Craftsman 7 1/4" CSMS that I 'think' you almost bought. It'll handle 95% of my x-cutting needs with a cheaper circular saw blade. Its light and easily portable. But I also have a table saw and bandsaw to cut bigger stuff if necessary. If I didn't have larger machines, I'd definitely gone with the 10".


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## MrRon

Despite the negative reviews about Craftsman tools, I wish you a lot of luck.


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## ajw1978

Thanks. I'm finding most of my issues with Craftsman so far are the inability to find the remaining American-made items and abhorrent customer service and online experience.


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## muleskinner

I'll grant that there's some pretty crappy Craftsman products but they've all got to be taken on there own merit. I know people like to dismiss the entire brand but some of their products are as good as the other consumer brands. I have a couple of Craftsman routers of recent vintage that are perfectly capable medium duty routers. Other brands have their dogs too. The worst POS table saw I've used had a Delta label on it. More useless than any Craftsman TS I ever saw.


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## ajw1978

Very true. As "light" as I use my power tools, the price is right and the return on investment is good enough. Hand tools, I've stuck with Craftsman mainly because I end up with a boatload of rewards points, so I've managed to fill the basics of my tool box (hammers, screwdrivers, pliers, wreches, etc) with the Made in the USA stuff. I've also had some good luck with Harbor Freight items for lower-level stuff. The $15 reciprocating saw gets the job done on the occasion I need it and I even wound up jumping on a $20 jigsaw from Aldi that, with a couple of Bosch blades, is just as good as the Milwaukee I had on long-term loan from a friend. I think once I've got the basics covered, I might start merging brands.


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## Tedstor

I think there are many gems among the Craftsman line. Yes, there are some turds too. But in too many cases, I think people judge Craftsman under the same lens that they might judge Makita or Milwaukee. Not really a fair comparison. Craftsman is a value line. Its intended for light/occasional use by harry homeowner. In most cases, Craftsman products serve that market segment VERY well. 
Serious amateurs and professionals bemoan craftsman products because they don't live-up to their needs. Well duhhhh…..they weren't designed to. I worked as a professional car mechanic for 5 years. I broke 2-3 Craftsman 10mm sockets in the first 18-24 months, as I used that socket to remove/install ~100 10mm fasteners everyday with a cordless impact wrench. I eventually bought a set of snap-on sockets (to include a 10mm) and never broke another socket from then on. I also paid a king's ransom for that snap-on set. 
That said, professionals and serious amateurs crap all over Craftsman…..and that reputation has obviously influenced the rest of the tool buying market, to include harry homeowner. 
To be clear, I too have been burned by a bad craftsman power tool. I bought a cordless drill that sucked from day one. I could have returned it for a refund, but waited too long and the refund window had closed. And many other people have a craftsman horror story. But craftsman has also sold eleventy-gagillion tools over the past 20 years alone. The law of averages dictates there will be some tales of disappointment. If Makita sold even 5% as many tools as craftsman (and they haven't)......there would probably be a mentionable list of PO'd customers too. 
But that cordless drill aside, the other 10 or so Craftsman power tools I've purchased have served their intended purpose in my shop VERY well. 
The Nextec drill and driver have been solid and were bought for a song. 
I also bought a Craftsman biscuit joiner that gets occasional use and was WAY less expensive than competing models. I'm glad I had the option of buying a 'pretty good' Craftsman for $95, rather than a 'really good' $250 Porter Cable. I simply didn't need THAT much additional quality in a biscuit joiner that would barely see the light of day.


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## Magnum

Very nice in depth Review. That's some pretty heavy cutting capacity for a 10" Mitre Saw! Glad you put that in there. Thanks!

Rick


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## moggsy5744

I bought a Second hand Black and Decker bandsaw off eBay UK. It did not come with a manual / user guide and my initial thought Google would provide didnt turn out. As an avid You Tuber I came across a guy showing how to set up his Craftsman bandsaw. Got it in one, same bandsaw, different Badge. B& D now rebranded DeWalt in UK. The UK has a huge specialist magazine provison and it pays to ignore the brandname and compare the photo and specs. in the many pages of adverts in the various mags. Time after time rebadged benchtop tools are on sale at wildy different prices. The more prestigious the brand or the supplier the higher the price, so it maybe thay the guy who gets much better results from his Acme De Lux is actually using the same saw in every respect apart from the badge or on occaisions paint job. . Might be worth a thought. Please Please dont let there be an Acme De Lux brand in the States. Extradition and time in State Penitentiary a no no at my age.


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## doitforfun

I used to have a craftsman drill that had a very handy design feature I haven't seen much lately: a bit holder. As silly as that minor thing was, it was the most useful thing ever. I think their new ones come with it too. The little things matter sometimes.


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## mandatory66

The old Craftsman tools seem to be as good as any, I am still using a 3/8 drill that I purchased in 1965 for $9.00. I still have a 1/2 inch drill & jig saw that are 31 years old & still in use. The import trade & plastic has change it all. I agree that the new stuff is made to a price point and specific market, which may not be all all bad.


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## ajw1978

I know in digging through my mother's basement and stumbling on tools my father left behind when they divorced, and by some of the tools in the basements of my grandfathers, there is a noticeable difference in materials. How much that relates to quality, I have no clue. But I'm impressed at how durable those old tools are-especially Opa's late-60s table saw, which cut beautifully with a new blade. But as mandatory 66 said, and others have alluded to; Craftsman tools are geared toward a specific genre of tool buyers: beginners and light DIYers, IMHO. For now, they do the trick. Were I a daily tool user, with more of an actual shop then a bunch of storage tubs in the closet, and knew what I was doing-not to mention a little better-off financially-I'd probably go with Ridgid. In fact, I'm already drooling over a refurb drill/driver/saw package at Direct Tools Outlet. The warranty intrigues me. But for now, I'm going to go with the best price combined with lasting ability. I figure, if I get five years out of what I have (taking into account the myriad errors that come from being a novice), I'll be in good shape.


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## mandatory66

AJW
Buy the best you can afford and put them to work,learn the needed skills and start building something. The satisfaction is in the creation and the tools are only a means to get there. You don't need expensive fancy tools, get a some hand tools as well,an old stanley plane & a hand saw.


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## ajw1978

I guess I'm on the right path because I actually spent part of the morning looking at planes and hand saws as I filled out my Christmas wish list. Going to check out a lot of garage/rummage/estate sales once Wisconsin thaws and everybody crawls out of their bunkers and see what I can find in terms of second-hand hand tools in the spring. But for now, just working on upgrading my box with the basics: proper hammer, mallet, small hack saw, proper screwdrivers, wrenches, pliers …. the basics for minor repairs around the house. And when the sun returns, it's game on again.


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