Circular Saws?

[Yxoc]

Well ...

The price for the saw plus an extra blade and shipping to Oz was 1210.00 Euros. After Paypal raped me on the exchange rate (giving about four cents less than the official exchange rate) the figure in Australian dollars became $1910.00AUD. This is over the $1000 mark where duties are payable for imported goods, and I knew this. I had heard that the customs department were a little inconsistent with collection and that I might get away with it. I also thought that if I didn't, then the duty would be the same as GST which is 10%.

I was wrong on both counts, in that customs came to collect and that the import duty was 20%. So an extra $283 dollars later and it has cost me about $2200!

Nice saw though...

[nyamo_iaint]

The price for the saw plus an extra blade and shipping to Oz was 1210.00 Euros. After Paypal raped me on the exchange rate (giving about four cents less than the official exchange rate) the figure in Australian dollars became $1910.00AUD. This is over the $1000 mark where duties are payable for imported goods, and I knew this. I had heard that the customs department were a little inconsistent with collection and that I might get away with it. I also thought that if I didn't, then the duty would be the same as GST which is 10%.

I was wrong on both counts, in that customs came to collect and that the import duty was 20%. So an extra $283 dollars later and it has cost me about $2200!

This surprised me, but should not have. Apparently you have to pay 10% + some random customs processing fee which is $90 for when they stick it on the box and $50 if done electronically. Or so I just read on the Internet. Attempting to find any useful information on the actual Government website is a complete waste of time.

I wonder if they are going to charge those kinds of exorbitant rates once they reduce the import threshold. (Can't even remember if that is happening...)
I will need to keep this in mind should I ever decide to buy some extra nice Japanese chisels...

Nice saw though...

At least you got something good for your money

Iain

[Yxoc]

Thanks Iain,
I have no complaints about the saw, it's a very nice piece of engineering, very adjustable and a decent cut capacity.

Don't get me started on Australian import laws.

Regards

Derek

[durbien]

Have been hankerin' to go cordless (not a big fan of walking joists trailing a cord).. Found this online FYI:

https://www.protoolreviews.com/buying-g ... out/30463/

That new Makita looks stout (though very cheeky design that's not a worm drive but looks like one). Not badly priced at under $200 bare tool.. The little 6-1/4" Makita looks good too.. Hmm might get two saws, one for framing/ripping and one for little trim tasks.. Poor man's KSS 40..

Surprisingly respectable showings from Milwaukee, esp. the 6-1/4" saw (which I'd heard actually uses the same motor as the 7-1/4" saw, but is driving a smaller blade). Even though I own a Milwaukee cordless Sawzall and love it, I was really unimpressed with the 7-1/4" circular saw doing real life tasks (e.g. cutting wet 2X).. Though tbf it was not running a fully charged 9.0 battery.

Also, I went to the OCC swaps the other day (huge REAL JUNK swap meet in Southern CA) and there were literally piles of dead Milwaukee tools people were selling, lol. I mean, of course it's a function of how cheap they are and how many are sold to tradesmen here (and subsequently abused). And of course there were other makes there too; plenty of blue and yellow and orange livery to be found.. But it was like that scene in 300 where the Spartans come upon the tree made up of dead people, lol..

[Chris Pyle]

I'm revisiting this topic because I need to cut up some 6x6s to make a garden bed. There is a company near me that sells 6x6 oak ties that are treated without arsenic. I picked up 6 of them but would like to split them in half so I can reduce the number needed. 3" material should be plenty sufficient for this purpose and I recognize the treatment likely doesn't go all the way to center.

So with that said, i'm looking for a saw to help. I don't know if I should go for the Skilsaw Sawsquatch and double cut it or jump up to the Makita. The hard part is these are rough ties so reference surfaces could make double cuts difficult. The Makita scares me - both in price and size.

We are planning to buy quite a few more this fall for a full-scale garden build (with fence because we have loads of wildlife around). Are there any other options?

[Yxoc]

Chris,
A bandsaw springs to mind. Are your Oak beams too heavy to feed through the bandsaw?

As you say, getting the two saw kerfs to line up from opposite sides of the beam will be challenging with rough cut timber.

Derek

[Chris Hall]

Maybe take it to a guy with a Woodmizer?

[Jonnishida]

I tend to use the tools I have on hand rather than buy big, new expensive tools ( I know, what's wrong with that guy?).
That being said, my approach would be; 1) snap center lines along the length and ends 2). Kerf the lengths with a skilsaw at max depth 3) saw out the middle with a sawzall and 4) clean up the cut with a power planer if necessary.

If I had to split a couple dozen beams then I'd probably use Chris H's suggestion. (Or borrow a chainsaw)

Jon