Best used circular saw to look for?

[sheslostcontrol]

I was in Home Depot looking at saws yesterday.. then I wondered whether I couldn't find a better deal on a used circular saw on Craigslist.

That's where you come in!

What brands/models of saws should I look for? Any I should stay away from? I'm not asking about the condition which varies from saw to saw, but the overall brand/model quality.

thanks

 

[Homoudont]

I really like my Dewalt Circular saw, it's feels well balanced and has more then enough power for what I use it for. Which is mainly to cut 2X4's a hair too short.

I have a Porter Cable circular saw that I absolutely love except for the guard mechanism doesn't spring back. I currently use it to cut backer board (cement board) with a special CBU blade on it. Cut's through the cement board like a hot knife through butter. You can see my thread on this porter cable right here

The contractor and friend that rebuilt my mother's house use a very nice looking Hilti Circular saw. He loves it, but I've never used it so can't provide a review on it. I am keeping my eyes open for a Worm drive circular saw, not because I need one, but because I WANT one.

 

[Rickster]

There can be only one; Skil

 

[first64]

I have a Skil and a Rigid. I prefer the Rigid because it's a worm drive. PC makes great saws. I'd look for a worm drive myself.

 

[K5blazer83]

I have two that I use:

Ridgid R3210 Worm Drive Saw and a Dewalt DW364K and I love both. I wouldn't use any other circular saws.

 

[heelsroll]

Have a Craftsman Pro (Made in USA, closeout when they transitioned to offshore a couple years ago) worm drive and would never go back to a standard.

Local pawns seem to have Skil's for $25 or less as far as the eye can see.

J

 

[Ign]

Skil 77.

..

 

[mjozefow]

The older direct drive Milwaukee saws are REALLY powerful. IMO they are almost as powerful as a Skil worm drive, but not nearly as awkward.

That is not to say the old Milwaukee's are light!

http://cgi.ebay.com/Milwaukee-6365-...emQQptZLH_DefaultDomain_0?hash=item20b00bfa41

Obviously this one is beat to hell, but my dad and I both have this saw, and it puts the DeWalts and Porter Cables to shame! Even at only 13A it pulls harder than any 15A saw I have used.

 

[Packard V8]

Condition, condition, condition. Any of the top brands, Milwaukee, Skil, Makita, DeWalt, Porter Cable, will do the job for you. Since they've all gone to plastic handles, it is much easier to assess condition. The old metal handles would be shiny when the armature was worn out. Take the blade off, run it up and down, listen for noise from the gears, bearings and armature.

There are literally dozens of used saws on craigslist every week. Don't buy one from a pawn shop, contractor or framer unless it is NIB. Find one from a homeowner who is moving or broke.

thnx, jack vines

 

[nate379]

Mag 77. That is pretty much "the" saw IMO. Around $200 new.

 

[lbgradwell]

Don't buy one from a pawn shop, contractor or framer unless it is NIB. Find one from a homeowner who is moving or broke.

Good advice.

What model Skils are you guys talking about?! Apart from the worm-drives, Skil hasn't made a pro saw in years...

As far as the sidewinders are concerned, I'd go Milwaukee before any of the others:

6390
6391
6394

 

[MarcSeattle]

Depends upon what you're using it for. A lot of guys want the most power and if you're sawing all day that's the best course. On the other hand, if you're twenty feet in the air up in the rafters, something small, light and with not a lot of kick will do better than a Skil 77.

 

[06wt]

skil worm gear

 

[Underdog]

For all around work I like the Makita 71/4" model 5007 NB or its new equivalent. Simple no bells or whistles but gets the job done.

 

[MattT]

I've got a worm drive Makita. It's a real nice saw but way more power and weight than you need a lot of times. I've also got a Milwaukee V18 cordless and use it way more often than the Makita. It's nowhere near as powerful but way lighter and no cord to drag around.

 

[FredB]

Black and Decker SawCat, one model became the Dewalt DW364K with a yellow body rather than the Black body.

FredB

 

[gabeancounter]

Makita 5007. That is what all the framers around us seem to use. I've had mine for about 7 yrs but rarely use it (plywood) since I got a makita slider. I would drop the $100 bucks for a new one. Unless you found some super deal on a like new.The ATL CL is full of junk black and decker for $30-50.

 

[64merc]

Have a Craftsman Pro (Made in USA, closeout when they transitioned to offshore a couple years ago) worm drive and would never go back to a standard.

Local pawns seem to have Skil's for $25 or less as far as the eye can see.

J

Hey, me too! I've mostly used it to cut plywood so far. I'm not sure if I like it for cutting 2x lumber, since I haven't done much lately.

BTW, I also bought the Cman Pro trim saw on clearance. I really like it, and it comes in handy quite a bit. The only thing is that I haven't been able to figure out exactly how to change the blade. The stop doesn't seem to engage properly.

 

[Gary S]

It is hard to beat a new cheap saw.
Back in 1980 I bought a cheap Black and Decker circular saw. I used it to build an addition on my house, build my cabinets, and every little thing I needed after that. In 1992, I built a garage with it, and in 2003, I built a second garage with it. The saw cost me about $30 new.
By the time I finished the exterior of my second garage, the bearings in the saw were full of sawdust and dragging. Rather than try to fix it, I threw it away and bought a new Skil brand one in 2004 for $35. I figure this one should be good for another 20 years.
Why mess with used junk that needs work at that price?

 

[Mickey O]

In my opinion the best are the older Porter Cable and Milwaukee saws.

 

[rockchucker]

No questions asked...Skilsaw Mag77. I have used Skilsaw ever since my Dad taught me how to cut wood. With 20 years of Working Construction experience and being on the jobsite for my whole life I have seen all types of saw's come and go. The only one that has stayed true is the Skilsaw.

Rebuildable. Good Construction. Worm Drive. Oil-filled.

You can get them for pretty cheap at pawn shops. Check for Bearing quality and sound. When you pull the Trigger it should take just a second to wind up and it should be pretty torquey.At full speed if you feel or hear any vibrations then your Bearings will need to be replaced. Check for being dropped damage and damage to the Foot Base. If it is all bent out of whack then it probably has been dropped. Take a Straight Edge with you to check the Deck. Look for cracks in the Housing also. The Handle with the Trigger in it is usually broken after a drop or two also.


Most of them you can find will need the Oil changed and you should be good to go though.


http://www.skiltools.com/en/AllTools/Category/Product/default.htm?pid=SHD77M-72&cid=

 

[pl_silverado]

skil hd77 wormdrive,

find a good used one that says made in the USA on the label. all the new ones at lowes and home depot have been outsourced and now say made in china.

I got lucky when they were changing and picked mine up as a display model in home depot brand new for $ 40 bucks.

 

[KEH]

I have a DeWalt,bought used, and like it. Whatever major brand is probably good, the thing to look for is a 15 amp motor.

KEH

 

[HankMurphy]

The Skil 77 family is best for framing and general construction IMHO. I would not go back to a sidewinder style. If you do this for a living, a Mag 77 is probably better. If you do a lot of sawing in the rafters, a Skil 677 (6-1/2 inch blade) may be a good choice.

The basic 77 is heavy. It tracks truer than a light sidewinder as a result IMHO.

Lots of them to choose from. No real reason to buy anything else, I think.

Good luck,

Hank Murphy

 

[Underdog]

The Skil 77 family is best for framing and general construction IMHO. I would not go back to a sidewinder style. If you do this for a living, a Mag 77 is probably better. If you do a lot of sawing in the rafters, a Skil 677 (6-1/2 inch blade) may be a good choice.

The basic 77 is heavy. It tracks truer than a light sidewinder as a result IMHO.

Lots of them to choose from. No real reason to buy anything else, I think.

Good luck,

Hank Murphy

Typical response from California, They like like worm drive saws and those axe handle hammers. Down south 9 out of 10 guys use sidewinders and normal hammers, Also you framers wear those tool belts that look like you got half the truck tools in em. We would die of the heat wearing them things.

 

[never enuf time]

Milwaukee or Porter cable

 

[slip knot]

I've got a B&D from the early 80's that still works great. My Craftsman pro finally cut its last piece of Hardy last summer and I replaced it with a Porter cable mag423. Big mistake, The quick change blade bolt didn't last thru the first blade and was junk. Had to spend $30? bucks for a regular blade bolt kit. Then the saw fell of the saw horse in a front yard and broke the magnesium blade gaurd. JB'ed it back together but still dont trust it too much. Needless to say when I get a job that needs panels cut I grab the B&D. So much for buying name brands.

 

[Jared]

I have an old metal case porter cable 6 1/2 inch and a fairly new makita 8 1/4 both seem very well made.

 

[lawfarm]

I've gotta vote for the worm drive skilsaw too. The Mag77 is the best, no doubt. You need to get used to the initial torque when you squeeze the trigger, but otherwise, they're awesome.

 

[msnow]

I like the bosch worm drives they have a ton of power and are pretty light, one thing that is funny about circ saws is that depending on which coast you are on seems to be a major difference in preference. West coast guys love the worm drives and the east coast guys use the direct drives. I carry both but if I was in a situation I could only pick one it would be worm drive all the way.

 

[Merkava_4]

There can be only one; Skil

+1 . . . A worm drive Skil is all I'll ever use.

 

[fordbroncodave]

worm drive makita (new price is $150) used price ranges from $75-120

for conventional circular saw i suggest the skil classic ( i think its a brown/copper color) costs about $50 new if i remember right

 

[Shocker]

Probably not the popular choice but I have been running along just fine with a Ryobi I bought new about 10 years ago. 13 amp motor.

I have cut hundreds of sheets of plywood and osb with it. 2xWhatevers etc. Remodeled a house top to bottom and I am on my second. Still working great.

 

[boiler7904]

My choices
Sidewinder = Milwaukee or Makita - would also consider looking at DeWalt. Hitachi gets decent ratings if budget was a big concern and I wanted new
Worm Drive = Skil 77 or Bosch 1677 (Skil 77 equivalent)

New Porter Cables (since the merger with DeWalt a year or two ago) are nothing more than B&D saws rebadged and at a higher price. The American Made Mag 324 and 325 saws from a couple of years ago are decent if you can still find one.

 

[cheap bastard]

I recently picked up a used Hitachi for $20 with a mag plate. It has plenty of power for the work I normally do, but the tilt angle adjustment lock will allow movement after a while. My old American made Poprter Cable was the best saw I ever owned.

 

[Danglerb]

Skil worm drive, and get a good blade that has been sharpened etc.

I am giving real serious thought to buying a HF chop saw for a coming bath and kitchen remodel. Too many angles for me otherwise.

 

[Monte]

Festool & Mafell

 

[azotto]

I vote Milwaukee.
I've got one that's about 25 years old that I don't use that much. It's more than enough, sometimes even scares me. Also have a V28 cordless that I use all the time.

 

[moparmuscle88]

skilsaw mag77 or hd77 the mag is magneaium housing and weighs a little less, the hd77 is aluminum and is $20 cheaper

has the power to rip through anything too

 

[moparmuscle88]

forgot to say that they are $200 new for the mag, and you can get them in used good condition in the pawnshop for $75 - 100