Why do you have so many circular saws?

[jgromada]

So some may be immediately bored by such a thread and there may be some that have a lot more than this. Actually i do too, but this is just my regular corded circular saws and not my cordless saws or my worm drive Skilsaw or my Porter Cable 314 4.5in trim saw. . My wife saw them on the shelf in my shop one day and made the comment in the title of this thread. Frankly I'm kind of trying to figure out an answer to her.

I just thought it might be an interesting pic to post since it kind of represents a number of generations of saws dating back to the 1960s.

1. the Black& Decker U-130 is vintage 1964 and was a thrown in when i bought my table saw from a coworker of my wife. It still runs but real thin kerf blades seem to get loose really quickly. Why am i keeping this except it is an antique?
2. The ugly Craftsman is vintage 1982-84 and was all of $5 at the thrift store. It still runs too. A step up from the B&D but a sort of rudimentary design.
3. The Craftsman Sawmill is kind of nice. I think around a 1992 vintage. Another $10 pickup it runs and is very powerful. I'm looking for something to purpose it for, like just cutting flooring. I have a big flooring job coming up .
4. The newest Craftsman is pre-SBD (maybe around 2011 or2012) but has all the bells & whistles like laser guidelines, and an area work light feature. I want to add some attachment for dust collection and i will dedicate this to my panel cutting table. Put on the perfect blade for fine panel cutting and the attachments i have for panel cutting and it will be great. This one i can blame on my wife, she asked me to sell it for a coworker. I put it up on ebay and did sell it ,but didn't realize what shipping to Wyoming would be so i quickly had to cancel and decided to keep it. I has the most comfortable feel of all the saws.
5. The magnesium SkilSaw is one i bought. I love it! it is light and powerful for really heavy duty use i have my worm drive, but the rest of this time this is my go to.

I think #2 will go. Its not interesting enough to keep and can't even give it to my neighbor or my BIL since i gave them Circular Saws already. Still trying to figure out that answer to tell my wife!

 

[toolmiser]

You should never put duplicate tools where your wife will be able to see them. That was your first mistake. The one in the case should have been closed so you can just tell her you stored nuts and bolts in that one.

 

[Downwindtracker 2]

I have worn out three. When that happened I was without a skilsaw. Now I always have two . One has a 40t and the other 24t .

 

[Robinson1]

Different saws for different applications in different locations.

On the truck:
6 1/2" cordless dewalt for thequick stuff.
Porter Cable 324 Mag (one of the best saws ever made by the way) for bigger jobs.

On the job trailer:

Another 324 Mag always has a 40 tooth blade on it.

Dewalt 364 for general use

Old Skil Mag 77 for heavy duty stuff

An older Hitachi corded saw that was $10 at a pawn shop. Usually has an abrasive blade in it.

Shop:

Dewalt track saw

Old Craftsman I sometimes use for breaking down sheet goods

 

[dwcon1431]

So some may be immediately bored by such a thread and there may be some that have a lot more than this. Actually i do too, but this is just my regular corded circular saws and not my cordless saws or my worm drive Skilsaw or my Porter Cable 314 4.5in trim saw. . My wife saw them on the shelf in my shop one day and made the comment in the title of this thread. Frankly I'm kind of trying to figure out an answer to her.



I just thought it might be an interesting pic to post since it kind of represents a number of generations of saws dating back to the 1960s.



1. the Black& Decker U-130 is vintage 1964 and was a thrown in when i bought my table saw from a coworker of my wife. It still runs but real thin kerf blades seem to get loose really quickly. Why am i keeping this except it is an antique?

2. The ugly Craftsman is vintage 1982-84 and was all of $5 at the thrift store. It still runs too. A step up from the B&D but a sort of rudimentary design.

3. The Craftsman Sawmill is kind of nice. I think around a 1992 vintage. Another $10 pickup it runs and is very powerful. I'm looking for something to purpose it for, like just cutting flooring. I have a big flooring job coming up .

4. The newest Craftsman is pre-SBD (maybe around 2011 or2012) but has all the bells & whistles like laser guidelines, and an area work light feature. I want to add some attachment for dust collection and i will dedicate this to my panel cutting table. Put on the perfect blade for fine panel cutting and the attachments i have for panel cutting and it will be great. This one i can blame on my wife, she asked me to sell it for a coworker. I put it up on ebay and did sell it ,but didn't realize what shipping to Wyoming would be so i quickly had to cancel and decided to keep it. I has the most comfortable feel of all the saws.

5. The magnesium SkilSaw is one i bought. I love it! it is light and powerful for really heavy duty use i have my worm drive, but the rest of this time this is my go to.



I think #2 will go. Its not interesting enough to keep and can't even give it to my neighbor or my BIL since i gave them Circular Saws already. Still trying to figure out that answer to tell my wife!

Unfortunately for me, my wife seems to know when I aquire a duplicate tool. My shop has taken over the whole garage, which is why I'm glad she doesn't drive anymore, as her car would be in it! When I do come upon a tool that I already have, I have a grandson that is following in my footsteps who I can give it to. Problem is, he's 2400 miles away, and the bigger the tool, the more it costs to send it to him. Some day, I expect him to inherit all of my tools. Then it will be his problem to get them home.

Sent from my SM-A102U using Tapatalk

 

[BukitCase]

If she's like a lotta wives, ask her about her SHOES ... Steve

 

[ZRX61]

"They all have different blades for different wood/finish"

 

[Bigblockyeti]

Half mine (maybe a little less are pictured in my avatar. My wife asked me why I have so many, I asked her why she keeps buying art, my hobby is cheaper.

 

[speed bump]

Skil 77 because I cant think of another corded saw to own and there wasn't a legitimate cordless saw when I bought it.

DeWalt Atomic 4.5" saw, handy for panel cutting

DeWalt 20v 7.25" saw because cordless. Will probably eventually sell this in favor of the 60v worm drive looking saw. I don't think I touched a sidewinder for most of my life and I still can't get used to it.

 

[dwcon1431]

If she's like a lotta wives, ask her about her SHOES ... Steve

Don't even go there. She only wears Birkenstocks and has so many that I had to build an under the bed drawer for them!

Sent from my SM-A102U using Tapatalk

 

[dwcon1431]

Different saws for different applications in different locations.

On the truck:
6 1/2" cordless dewalt for thequick stuff.
Porter Cable 324 Mag (one of the best saws ever made by the way) for bigger jobs.

On the job trailer:

Another 324 Mag always has a 40 tooth blade on it.

Dewalt 364 for general use

Old Skil Mag 77 for heavy duty stuff

An older Hitachi corded saw that was $10 at a pawn shop. Usually has an abrasive blade in it.

Shop:

Dewalt track saw

Old Craftsman I sometimes use for breaking down sheet goods

I'm glad I'm retired. At this point, all I need is one circular saw with different blades.

Sent from my SM-A102U using Tapatalk

 

[M635_Guy]

If she's like a lotta wives, ask her about her SHOES ... Steve

Unfortunatley, I have two or three times more shoes than my wife...

 

[Leaflessshadetree]

1 to use and 1 to abuse.

 

[dwcon1431]

Unfortunatley, I have two or three times more shoes than my wife...

Shhhh. You're embarrassing yourself in front of all these guys. lol

Sent from my SM-A102U using Tapatalk

 

[Kev442]

1 to use and 1 to abuse.

Stop making sense. This is the GJ, we don't do that here!
I picked up one of the last made in USA Skil sidewinders when i was worried my 1982 B&D might give up on a big project I had. Now 13 years on, the old one is in the basement, the other in the pole building. At least they both saw use this year.

 

[CJM8515]

I got 2, an old metal case craftsman my grandfather had I got when he died and a decent makita. I dont cut much so they are fine.

 

[zeke67]

I have four. A Skil home owner grade, steel foot, lighted blade (an homeowner gimmick, it does't work any more), about 15 years old. A DeWalt cast aluminum foot. I bought it for some Kreg tools, nice saw, 3 years old. A Skil or maybe Craftsman entry level cheep saw, about 5 years old. A Porter Cable I got from my FIL, unknown vintage. Very nice saw, cuts very clean and smooth.

 

[ssdave]

....

 

[M635_Guy]

Shhhh. You're embarrassing yourself in front of all these guys. lol

LoL - well I have a lot of tools too

As for circular saws, I have a Makita Hypoid and the Milwaukee M18 rear-handle (which probably replaces the Makita, and yet it's still here...)

 

[SuperCat]

I have 2 Craftsman 7 1/4" circular saws, one I bought and one my Dad gave me. I keep mine for woodworking projects since it is newer, and my Dad's saw has been around a long time, so I use it to cut 2x4's and tree limbs. Both of them show no sign of problems, so I guess I'll keep using them until I can't. I also have a small cordless Makita circular saw I bought a long time ago to redo the exterior window frames on my house. I haven't used it in a very long time, so I am sure the NiCad batteries are toast. I don't know if I can get batteries for it, but if there are lithium ion replacements, I would buy a set. It is a handy sized saw, did a great job when I needed it for the window project. So, I have 3. Some things I like to keep duplicates, and the circular saw is one of them. If I am working on a project, and I hose up the saw, I want to be able to grab the spare and go back to work and finish up.

 

[ZRX61]

....

 

[ChevyEFI]

I had a HF orange one. It earned its keep. Then, when building a basketball shelf, I dropped it, broke a toe, and cracked the saw. For safetys sake, and when last year's Fuel 7.25 +8.0ah battery deal popped up, I went cordless. The end.

 

[BDT/NWMN]

Rather than changing blades; I favor a saw for each type of blade..

 

[nerraw117]

I have 2 of them crappy older craftsman units lol. I just replaced it with a fuel rear handle 7 1/4. I couldn't believe the difference!

 

[redwrench60]

I have 3 that cover my needs without having to fuss with blade changes for different work. This works out pretty well and gives me some spares.

A Skill 77 worm drive I use for most things.

A Makita 5007 sidewinder with a fine tooth blade.

An older Skill sidewinder with a metal cutting blade.

 

[joshmodelskidoo]

I have a corded hitachi that replaced a burnt up skill and a dewalt atomic for most things i do. My first cordless saw was a b&d firestorm 14.4v i ended up with (probably free)when i found out the dewalt battery could be used in it. It was great for quick cuts and even though it was gutless by today’s standard I loved it. That’s when I decided I would always have a cordless circular saw

 

[brownbagg]

i got a skil saw that i hate, the one with the safety switch in the handle, it only purpose is to lend to my friends when they need a saw, if it never came back, it would not be an issue

 

[guitarbutt]

#3
Corded Ryobi with 40 teeth, cordless Ryobi because it's cordless, old Black & Decker from the USA days with 24 teeth. The latter is really powerful

 

[jollygreengiant]

I currently have two. My main go-to saw is a 6.5" Makita 18V cordless. The lack of a cord and its light weight makes it very handy for most jobs. The only job where it falls on its face is any long/ripping cuts. That's where the Mastercraft 7.25" corded saw gets brought out. It's an older one, late 90's or early 2000's so back when they were still decent quality. It doesn't have any of the modern features like a laser or worklight but it has lots of power. I've been using this saw to rip pine boards into battens for my workshop project, and with a new thin kerf blade it cuts through these boards like a knife through butter.

Honestly for what I do currently (homeowner level projects) these two saws are probably good enough. There are times where I would like to have the power of the Mastercraft without the cord, but so far it's not a very common occurrence. Maybe someday I'll splurge and get a fancy 7.25" rear handle/worm drive but in the meantime there are lots of other things that need the attention of my tool budget first.

 

[jeepinerdeep]

I've got 4 and I don't even like woodworking. It's just a natural phenomenon.

 

[Crazyjake8493]

I only have two, and could get by with just one. I use a Milwaukee M18 7-1/4" saw for pretty much everything, and a corded Ryobi 7-1/4" that I pretty much just use for cutting concrete or dirty stuff now.

I'm not a framer or anything though. I just use mine to break down sheet goods or cut boards to length, then make the finish cuts on the table saw.

 

[larry_g]

I've got two. However if you want to talk drilling holes....

lg
no neat sig line

 

[Muttly]

Welll... I might have two or three... of the same saw...

Porter Cable Mag Base 15 amp, it's 1-1/2" from the edge to the cut line, great for clamping a straight edge for ripping sheet goods. 15 amp will cut through multiple sheets of OSB without issues.

I even own one in wrong side blade.

If I see one in good shape, I buy it now, I've given a couple away to people who appreciate them.

Still have the first new saw I bought in 1990:

It's on it's third chord and second switch, but still runs like new.

For cutting 4x4 I have this:

I had a job where I needed to cut several hundred 4x4's and instead of carrying them to a chop saw, I cut off the bunk or forklift forks. It's a workhorse and makes deck building a breeze.

I used to be a heavy timber specialist and used this way too much:

Yeah, that's a 16" blade, better have the saw base firmly on the work and hold on tight when you run it, it'll gyroscope out of control if you're not careful. Works good for trimming posts on a pole barn after the carriers are on, you can cut a 6x6 off flush with the top of the wall.

I hand built 6 60' timber-frame scissor trusses for a church with just that saw and a large clamp on drill.

I've owned a few cordless saws as well, from the original 3" Makita 9.6v that did an okay job of trimming osb on the roof to 18 volt NMH Makita, Dewalt 20 volt, to now 6-1/2" Milwaukee fuel and the Milwaukee fuel steel saw.

I probably should post in the chainsaw thread next, I'm down to 4 of them oh wait, six of them

 

[Bigblockyeti]

Here's a couple better pictures of some of my collection, they each serve a purpose, but since I collect them, many are redundant. I've done some timber framing in the past and the right tool make a world of difference. A well sharpened hand saw is a pleasure to use but a big circular saw is still faster 9/10 times.

 

[theoldwizard1]

MY buddy has almost a dozen, all cheapo ones. He shops auction and if a lot won't sell, they just combine it with the next lot. He gets lots of junk that way !

 

[KnurledNut]

“This one’s for rips...”
“This one’s for crosscuts...”
“This one’s for bevels...”
“This one’s for compound mitres...”
“This one’s for plunge cuts...”

 

[M635_Guy]

This thread has convinced me to keep my Makita...

 

[mikegt4]

I have probably 6 circular saws, one of which I bought back in the 70's, a big DeWalt that my son found in the truck of a car traded in at the dealership where he works and the rest (all Craftsman) that I inherited from my Dad. I don't know why I keep them, I very rarely use them and in general find circular saws useless for anything other than making curved cuts in proximity to nice straight pencil marks.

 

[jgromada]

Here's a couple better pictures of some of my collection, they each serve a purpose, but since I collect them, many are redundant. I've done some timber framing in the past and the right tool make a world of difference. A well sharpened hand saw is a pleasure to use but a big circular saw is still faster 9/10 times.

You win. You interested in a 1964 B&D?

 

[Bigblockyeti]

You win. You interested in a 1964 B&D?

Maybe, pictures?