Power Supplies Reviews

This saw may be lighter but at the expense of strenght. Any saw will get damaged if it is used/abused, but this saw's foot plate (shoe?) is easily damaged if not treated with kid gloves. If you use a speed square to ride the edge of the shoe along for cross cuts, or you like to use the v-cut in the front for rips like I do then you know how important it is that it be in alignment (paralel)with the blade. The shoe on this saw will not take much of a bump before it gets out of alignment. Not only that, but because the shoe is made from aluminum, the bottom of the shoe scratches easily and will then leave marks on the wood that you are cutting; especially bad if you are trimming a door. I like the color, and yes it's a little lighter, but the saw that has proven throught the test of time is still the Skil HD77.

I have owned one of these for ten years, and a have cut everything you can think of from soft wood, to metal, to asphault and concrete this`saw is virtually indestructable.

I work construction and do plenty of research on tools. Skil currently makes less then par products, but with this exception. This saw is the industry standard. I see the MAG77 and the regular HD77 on every constructon site. I like the HD77 because it is a little heavier then the MAG77 due to the casing, which means no kickback and a stonger, more solid feel. Both saws are incredible and either purchase is an investment. Buy this saw if you plan on cutting a lot of lumber.

As a petite woman and DIYer I needed a saw that was easy to use and control. I was given this saw as a gift and it has been great.

The original Skilsaw is the classic tough wormdrive saw, and has never been equaled for longevity or durability by any other circular saw. In fact, I would say this saw's greatest competition is older versions of the same model - since they never seem to break, at least when maintained and operated properly.

My own Skilsaw was an older 77, it lay battered and dusty in a used tool shop where contractors often dump tools to rust and die. It cost all of $70, complete with broken top handle and torn power cord. I replaced the cord and handle, cleaned the motor and put in fresh lubricant and have been cutting away ever since (10 years now). It cuts like a new saw. I have only used wood and masonry blades on it, no breakdowns, no problems. It is virtually impossible to overheat this thing as long as you are using a proper gauge extension cord and change the lubricant. Best power tool I own.

I'm a builder and without a doubt, this is the most powerful "hand tool" I bring to a job site. It's also the scariest tool and I cringe when a novice grabs this thing thinking that it's a run of the mill circular saw. I have a 30+ year old Craftsman circular that doesn't know when to quit, but when the going gets tough, I bring out the worm drive. It's heavy, but that means that you only have to guide the beast and not push it. Buy good blades. Use it for trimming just one large deck and it's already paid for itself, but be careful and don't forget to change the oil.

easy to use, blade changing is simple, heavy duty for most all home jobs, great ergonomics , excellent tool for the price.

This saw is the one tool everyone needs to have...it's the tool that seems like it can cut anything that needs to be cut, except maybe for mouldings. So much power, light-weight, blade changes are way easier than they used to be, and it's an American-made Milwaukee so you know it'll last. Enough said.

I had used recip saws over the years, but never enough to really justify purchasing one, or so I thought. That all changed when I got the 10-amp Sawzall listed here. I've found this saw to be useful for all sorts of home improvement cutting chores.

This tool is very smooth, quite a bit less vibration than I have experienced with other recip saws. All the Milwaukee blades I have tried are high quality and work well. Ten amps is more than enough power for what I need, and this models seems to be a nice compromise in weight/power.

I avoided the big box stores after hearing stories of 'price-leader' models, and went to a tool dealer to get a reconditioned version. My 'remanufactured' Sawzall appeared to have never been used. No breakage, no complaints in the two years I've owned it.

I'm not a brand snob - at least when it comes to deciding between the larger, reputable name brands, and have had good luck with Makita drills and saws in particular. But honestly it never occurred to me to buy anything other than a real Sawzall. Like the original Skilsaw, they're just that good.

Perfect size and more than enough power for the DIY homeowner. No complaints with this tool. Bosch does it again!

There are better and there are definately worse angle grinders out there. There are also some more expensive and a lot of cheaper ones.

I have owned several grinders, worn out some, some just broke. I can confidently say that this model is right where I need for most every job I have to tackle. It is well worth the money, dont wind up with a junk grinder just to save yourself $20. The more expensive ones are nice, but they dont really do anything this one wont.

From my experience, this one fits perfectly in cost vs. performance equation.

I couldn't beleive how fast it got here. Just in time for a welding class I was taking. Not too big,not too small, with enough power to get the job done. I used the grinding wheel and a wire wheel. It also pugged into the welder's DC outlet, no extra cords.

I shopped (data and spec-wise)around for this style of tool and finally decided on the DeWalt 14.4v. As a professional cabinet installer for 4 national manufacturers, I rely on my tools for my income and my high quality reputation million dollar plus homeowners demand. I think I have every DeWalt 14.4v tool made. Even a DeWalt 14.4 bisquet joiner. I like the professional grade 14.4v because it is light enough to use all day long and because most pro grade 14.4v drivers and drills won't "over torque" the screws. I know most contractors like the 18 volt, and I agree for circular trim and recip saws. But, the 18's can take me all the through a cabinet and the outside wall of the house before I can let go of the trigger (not a good thing). I have a couple Bosch 18 volt for heavy drilling in concrete, but all the DeWalt 14.4's have more that enough power to take a 2-1/2" hole saw thru a 2x4 or neatly drill a 1-1/4" forcner bit into hickory and still break off the heads of screws if you want! Back to the DeWalt 14.4 volt IMPACT DRIVER. A really sweet tool and drives the screw straight and slightly countersunk without splitting face frames or braking the heads off the screws. Well balanced, nice weight for all day use on a single charge (XRP) but, a bit loud (actually they all are). BUT...Unfortunately, I only had the tool for about 10 days before it and all the rest of my DeWalt 14.4 tools (all neatly placed in thier cases with xtra batteries and chargers)and a couple brand new XRP batteries, were stolen. %#@!*&^$%$!!! I had to replace this new tool immediately and local resources had none (DeWalt 14.4 any way). So, I ended up with a Makita 14.4v (it was my orginal 2nd choice) and I can tell you, I liked the DeWalt better. The quick release is much smoother for single finger releases (the Makita actually takes two hands to change a bit), slightly quieter and felt better in hand than the Makita. The flat bottom of 14.4 battery held it upright and stable on inclined surfaces. Suffice it to say, the impact driver is THE tool for driving screws, and the DeWalt 14.4v is the front runner in my opinion.

I was a bit skeptical about this tool after I purchased it, and I took a lot of ribbing at the jobsite because of its size and the noise it made, but after it drove 4 inch wood screws into a door frame they shut up. It takes a little getting used to if you want to us it to fasten drywall, but it isn't hard. You also go through a lot of bits because it is so powerfull it shatters them. You also have to buy a chuck if you want to drill with it.

For the money, I don't think I have ever bought a better drill/screw gun. We burn out a lot of drills on the jobsite and when I finally wear this on out I will definately buy another to replace it.

I had recently used a friend's DeWalt 12v impact driver (and loved it), so when I had the opportunity to pick this 14.4v driver up cheap I jumped at the chance. I expected great things from this tool and I have not been disappointed.

Whenever I can't get good leverage on my regular 14.4v DeWalt drill/driver it tends to strip the screw heads towards the end of the drive. Not so with this baby. If you are starting with a new or undamaged screw, this driver will sink it into anything short of concrete without stripping the head. Other benefits include the small size of the driver itself and a really nifty chuck device.

As for downsides: You hear this a lot, but when this thing goes into "impact mode" it is loud. If you happen to be in a small room such as a bathroom you will really notice how loud it is. Also, you have to use hex headed bits and drivers with this thing, and that could lead to a bit of expense if you don't have any already.

Before buying this impact driver I was in a pretty common situation. I already owned a 14.4v drill/driver and had to wonder if I needed this one too. I am sure a lot of people who will read this review are in the same boat. My answer to this is yes and no. You can get by forever with just a drill/driver, so you don't NEED this tool. But speaking from a convenience point of view, once you buy this and cease to strip screw heads no matter what material you are screwing into, and once you get used to applying about 1/4 of the pressure that a drill/driver takes, you will love this tool forever.

I made sure that my drill/driver and my impact driver were of the same voltage so they could share batteries and now use the drill for drilling (duh) and the impact driver for driving and spend a lot less time swapping back and forth between drill bits and driver bits.

I highly recommend this as a well made and high performing tool.

A great tool for driving fasteners. Our batteries last much longer than a drill driver!

I work installing overhead door and gates and tool exeeds my spectation one thing I love the most is that the battery last a long time

no problems, this is the best screw gun. I'm sold

This is my second Makita hypoid saw. The first one was still going strong after 12 years of moderate use before it was stolen. It is annoying that there is no tool case with this saw. I purchased a steel Milwaukee worm drive saw case, which works well, but it is another $55. I have also used Skill worm drive saws and I prefer the feel of the Makita. It has plenty of power and will cut through anything as long as the blade is reasonably sharp and not pinched/binded in the kerf. Both saws (and all worm/hypoid saws) are heavy and thus not easy to use in awkward positions (overhead, sideways, etc.).

I asked Dan what he thought and he said this was the best saw ever made. In fact, he said he'd trade his wife for this saw. I'm sold!

I'm a framer. I was really skeptical about buying this saw, I couldn't stand the earlier models. I've strictly used Skil, and recently the new Bosche. My Bosche gave out in less than 2 years. I got this Makita to back up my (back up)Mag 77, but after one day at work it is my primary saw. Just as powerful as the worm drives, but way smoother!!!. And cheaper to boot!

I have found this saw to be very dependable and comfortable for professional everyday use. The only problem is with the toolless quick-change blade system. This may be fine for homeowner use, but for a professional tool which I use every day, I would prefer the old-fashioned bolt and wrench.

The reason I selected this saw is that I had decided to get a circular saw and router precision guide system for my home shop. I have so little room that table tools are a problem. Anyway, while looking at the precision guide systems, I noticed that every single vendor pictured their guide system being used with this saw. I asked a couple of them about that and was told that the precision, power, ability to plunge cut and dust collection (if you hook it to a vacuum) rivals the Festool at less than half the price. So I got one and I am extremely pleased with it.

After my last Black and Decker toy bit the dust -- in the middle of a small backyard fence job -- I swore that I had finally learned my lesson with cheap, 3-month wonder immitation power tools.

So after shopping around for a quality replacement, I finally settled on the Porter-Cable. The fact that I didn't have to pay a quality price for it on Amazon was an added bonus. I can't believe how much saw just a little more money can buy.

After using this lightweight, well-balanced, powerhouse for the first time last weekend, I'm already spending more time looking around the ranch for new projects than I was previously in avoiding them.

One of the problems I'd always had with the cheap saws was the even cheaper blades that came with them. After only a few uses, it was usually used up. Ripping a board was always a hit-or-miss exercise in frustration. Until now. This P-C made me look good the first time out with a line so true it appeared as if I did it on a table saw. And as for power, I sliced right through a pressurized 4x6 like a hot knife through butter. Sweet.

I didn't buy this saw for the blade-change system, but it's nice to know that when the time -- or the right job -- comes around it will be a snap to swap it out. To me, that's just another example of the well-planned design that went into this outstanding American-made product.

One of my all-time favorite tools. The variable speed is perfect, as it always is on Hitachi tools. At slower speeds the unit will tighten precisely one click at a time, giving you perfect control over setting screw depth/torque. Hitachi cordless tools use rare-earth magnets in their motors giving them a performance advantage over the competition, more lightweight, quieter, and more powerful. It will easily break driver tips and screw heads! Plenty of power but if you want to drive 3"+ deck screws without drilling pilot holes (I ALWAYS drill pilot holes) then I would suggest the 18 volt model, it will really slam them in fast.
The convenient belt hook/light and the minimal weight of just over 3 pounds make this tool extremely portable and handy at your side.
The 2.0ah batteries, quick charger, exclusive belt hook/light, compact carrying case and overall quality product make this a steal at under $200. The carrying case is a great no-frustration rigid plastic case in which all items are easily retrieved and stored. You will really like it!

I have used several of these impacts on job sites and have been wanting one for some time. I have had it for about a month I guess and although I don't use it every day I am still useing the first battery I put in when it got here. That was kind of unexpected because the other ones I have used went through their charges a little quicker than this one, cool! I just can't say enough about this tool. Its the only thing I have found that does a nice job on tapcons into concrete, and does it without twisting your wrist off, try that with your 18 volt dewalt. It is light to work with so it doesn't wear out your arm, the hook is very handy especially when on a ladder, and the built in light is just as handy. I have had people come up to me to see what the noise is that they are hearing, ussually they want to try it out and are immediatly sold on it, which brings me to the only drawback that I have found with this tool, everybody is always borrowing it.

This is a great tool. It is compact, well balanced, powerful and long lasting. The light and the belt hook are great features. Works better than the other impact drivers that I have used.

I am a owner of this battery charger. The quick charge time is very nice, but the battery feels a bit hot to the touch after the charge. I always wondered if the battery is going to last long.

Rayovac has discontinued production of this battery type. In a few month the supply of batteries would have disappeared. If you are still interested, make sure you buy a few extra batteries because you will not be able to purchase them after the supply runs out.

I'm really impressed by the way this product has worked so far, it did exactly what it was supposed to do. After 15 mins or so, the batteries are fully charged and quite hot though.
I've found that these batteries doesn't work with some appliances such as digital clocks, maybe because they have an output of only 1.2 volts, instead of 1.5 alkaline batteries have.

THese batteries work better and last longer than any other brand of tyoe I've ever used. I haven't charged mine for 3 days, and I've used them in my camera constantly. You'r batteries died? It will charge them in 15 minutes or less - no joke. It does make a whining noise, but only for 15 minutes.