Circular Saws?

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durbien
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Circular Saws?

Sun Dec 14, 2014 4:32 pm

I am starting my first Roof Framing class this Spring, and was looking for advice on circular saws. This is a western, stick-framing class, not timberframing, though eventually I would like to move on to heavier stuff as I gain experience.

Here in California the worm-drive Skilsaw is king. I've seen a lot of positive stuff written about Makita and Hitachi sidewinders; are any of these worth looking into for framing/future timberframing tasks? From what others have written in Amazon reviews, there's a difference between US and Japan-spec saws.. New models compared to old "good" models, etc. If there's nothing commercially available here worth buying then I will just go the Skilsaw route - I'm already the "guy with the funny tools" in my Finish Carpentry class.

Any help would be appreciated!

ps, Would love to have one of the Mafell KSS saws, and might buy one for my own use, but I have a feeling it will walk off the school site without me.
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Steve
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Re: Circular Saws?

Mon Dec 15, 2014 3:42 pm

A good back up to what ever circular saw you chose would be a Makita chain saw. Fast and accurate enough for rough framing. I know - my nice beam saw stayed in the box because we had a good chainsaw man helping on my house last summer.
Cole
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Re: Circular Saws?

Mon Dec 15, 2014 3:52 pm

I can't tell you how much I love all of my Mafell equipment. They are just a joy to work with and well worth the $$$.
durbien
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Re: Circular Saws?

Mon Dec 15, 2014 4:37 pm

Oh, I like the look of all that Mafell kit - I'm just sure it would get stolen on our school worksite. Last semester a finish nailer and router disappeared out of people's tool buckets. I'm already worried about losing a $250 saw; I can't imagine worrying about a $1000 saw. One factor in my decision is since everyone else has Skils, if I had a bright green or blue saw it would obviously stand out - though as I said most of the guys out here use worm drive saws.

Anyone have any experience with US-spec Hitachis or Makitas? There are a bunch of Christmas sales going on now, but all the different model numbers are confusing, given they all have similar features. I understand from Chris' blog that Ryobi in Japan has a much better reputation than their export stuff has here. I see a lot of Makita drills around, and Hitachi nailers are very popular here. Not sure if any of that translates to sawing..
Last edited by durbien on Mon Dec 15, 2014 8:14 pm, edited 1 time in total.
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Paul Atzenweiler
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Re: Circular Saws?

Mon Dec 15, 2014 7:50 pm

I have been a wood worker my whole life (49yrs) on and off professionally. Since graduating from high school in 1984 I have gone through 3 worm drive Skilsaws (that I can remember). They certainly can take a beating and are probably the best tool that Skil makes anymore. I also have 2 of their small professional sidewinders (5150?) that take a 5 1/2" blade. I also have a Makita and a Dewalt sidewinder. I really like the Dewalt and the small Skils. I had a "chainsaw" beam cutting attachment for the Dewalt that would let me cut up to 12" but gave it to a friend as it did not leave a good enough cut for me. The wormdrive Skils are great saws - they are just very heavy and they made my elbow hurt after a long day when I did remodels and rough-ins. I had a Milwawkee 10" that worked very well and a 15" Makita that worked before "the accident".
Blah, blah, blah? Anyway I like my Dewalt for general cutting and it leaves a very clean cut. I use it for breaking down large boards before handsaws and/or machines. I also love the small Skils but they are wearing out after many years - they are very light, powerful, and leave a great cut (I use a homemade straight edge similar to the Festool).
Did I say Festool? I would love to have one of them, but for what I would use it for- it is to pricey (I bow to the Festool Gods).

On a side note about what you said about the Ryobi tools being better in Japan than here, I have a Ryobi drillpress that is a small beast. It is very well made and all metal. I don't know where it came from as I bought it from a friend. A small piece broke on the height adjuster and the local parts store scoffed at me when I wanted a part. I had to order it from Japan and the tool works very well. It is the only Ryobi tool that I have seen that is made well.
ernest dubois
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Re: Circular Saws?

Tue Dec 16, 2014 4:17 am

I understand the draw of the worm drive, it looks so cool. I never did go for one though because when I started out with carpentry it was pointed out to me that the worm drive always gives a jolt when the trigger gets pulled, enough to skid it from the right point to begin a cut. It seemed a big sacrifice for the sake of sex appeal. Being in California though you got that inverted prioritization.
Matt J
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Re: Circular Saws?

Tue Dec 16, 2014 9:35 am

I think the biggest difference between worm drives and sidewinders (besides cost, power, and weight) is which side the blade is on. If you use the saw with your right hand, a sidewinder will blow dust away from you, while a worm drive will blow it towards you. It also affects your view of the blade as you cut- some saws have better sight lines than others. You can probably find a left bladed sidewinder or a right bladed worm drive, but the convention is the other way around. It's your call which better suits your use.

I own a Milwaukee sidewinder and it's OK... It only sees light use but I've never had a problem. I do very little framing so most of the time I use my cordless Makita. I know a few people who have had problems with corded Makita saws, both the 5007 sidewinder and the Hypoid, so I wouldn't recommend those despite the positive reviews on Amazon. I hear good things about DeWalt circ saws, both styles. Bosch looks promising, but are less common in my area and I haven't used one.

I own a Festool tracksaw but drool over the Mafell- the KSS 300 is on my "someday" list.
durbien
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Re: Circular Saws?

Tue Dec 16, 2014 5:22 pm

Yeah, not really in a position to argue the merits of worm drive vs. direct drive; I just wanted to know if anyone could recommend US-spec Hitachis or Makitas. So far no one is really singing their praises. Perhaps I should have titled the thread "JAPANESE Circular Saws?".
De
Dennis

Re: Circular Saws?

Tue Dec 16, 2014 11:10 pm

I am not knowledgable about circular saws, but I can say that I burned up a Hitachi saw in a couple months using it for cutting thick hardwoods, where my ancient Skill worm drive is still wanting to cut without problem after a lifetime of use. I am so thankful to it that I even changed the oil in the gear box. I think that there is a big difference between the anticipated longevity of a saw, depending upon whether you are cutting hard or softer material. The Skill worm drives if still made in the same order that they once were, are kind of beasts that shout out for more when ripping through tough wood. The Japanese saws I see carpenters putting to good use, but once again, in thinner and softer material. They will pick up a piece of wood and almost seem to cut it in the same motion, they require lighter saws.
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Steve
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Re: Circular Saws?

Wed Dec 17, 2014 12:29 am

One more thing to consider - the worm drive has a lower profile, and is a little longer than sidewinder. Tack 4 sheets of half inch plywood together and take a rip. You will probably find yourself using a worm drive. But, say you are a couple of stories up on scaffolding cutting siding - a cordless Makita with a thin kerf blade is what you will want.

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