Power Tool Accessories Reviews

Great product. Installed in a bench dog cast iron table as an attachment to old rockwell/craftsman saw using a "Rousseau Plate" and a new MT12 Hitachi Router. Caveat.. takes longer to install then you initially think..to get it perfect... but works great. The steel "button" to cover the dust port in a router table setup is brilliant to keep the dust out. Not sure long term if the steel on steel threads will gum up with wood dust with the supplied grease, probably a "dry" lubricant will be better. Great product, reasonable price.

I bought the router raizer through Amazon and delivery was as promised. The Router Raizer was better than promised. I have a new Hitachi M12V that I was going to install in a Wolfcraft aluminum topped, ribbed router table. Installation of the Raizer on the router was very easy and helped by great phone support by Bob, who I understand is the owner also. He was especially helpful with my problem of getting the router installed in the table since none of the predrilled screw holes would fit the Hitachi. I also got the extender and it worked very well to allow bit changing above the table. There was no vibration and runout was only about .003". Few tools work as well as advertised, this one works better.

First let me say that most businesses can learn a thing or two from this company's support.
Bob is Awesome.
Second, Ignore what one of the reviewers said about loosing plunge height. That only will happen if you didn't follow the perfect EZ instructions and cut the main rod too short.
This is a fantastic, high quality product and if you use the router in the table, it's a must have. If you don't, it still makes height adjustment a breeze.
I will be getting a second one.

This is actually my first Milwaukee power tool and I was very impressed with the build, as well as fit and finish. The above table height adjustment is great and really seems to raise and lower the router much more smoothly than the Freud plunge base router I used to have. Seems much more powerful than the Freud also.

I give it five stars, but almost gave it 4 for not including a 1/4" collet. At the $300 or so price range of this router you would expect a 1/4" collet, which they want to gig you an additional $20 for.

I bought this router specifically for mounting in a router table. It has perform admirably in that role. It has ample power to spin large panel raising bits. It is capable of hogging through a raised panel cut with one pass but multiple passes give cleaner results. With the above the table adjustment I am able to change depth to withing 1/124" of precision.

I have only used this router mounted in a table, but the handles that came on it are well designed. Although the router is heavy, the handles make it easy to hold and I don't think it would be much of a stretch to use this router as a handheld.

Overall, this is an excellent machine.

I've owned this router for almost a year and mainly use it with my router table. A router of this magnitude is defintely made for those who want superior quality, power, and the abilty to handle the largest of router bits. Well worth the money, especially since this will be the last router I will ever buy.

Bot 3 sets Lechmere closeout 10 years ago. Use sporadically and have experience that batteries last 4 years plus/minus. Buy a new one each year, keep 3-4 going. Inside batt are two industrial "C" Ni-Cads - older ones develop memory. To utilize best, discharge to 5% remain, then full. Not user replaceable. The torgue is enough to twist the unit out of a strong grip, but they are best for light/medium assembling, not all day heavy duty
unless a few charged batteries on hand. 1-10 Torque settings are useful with more delicate materials. Unit will turn to torque then click to prevent over tightening. High voltage drills are for all day house-building. 10 years use, units built to industrial strength, built to last. Package is good deal as retail batts are $30 and charger $40+.

I have no idea when Milwaukee first came out with this cordless screwdrive. I may have had one of the first made. All I know for sure is that, 10 years later, the darn thing still works great. The batteries have held up just fine; I've never had to replace one. It has great torque, and does everything you'd want a cordless screwdriver to do. If this thing every gives up the ghost, you can be sure I'll buy another. It's been a tremendous value.

First, let me state that I don't work for Milwaukee or any of their competitors. I'm just a consumer like you are. I couldn't decide if I wanted this Milwaukee cordless screwdriver or the Panasonic. When you compare what you get for your money and what you want to use your cordless screwdriver for, well, it's a no brainer. Unless you need a cordless screwdriver to drive hundreds of 4 inch screws into 2x6's, stay away from the Panasonic. You only get one battery and a charger with the Panasonic. With this red beauty you get not 1, but two 2.4volt batteries, a one hour charger, a package of bits for drilling and driving, a keyed chuck which is something I'm always needing (especially when I need to drive small pilot holes) and a beautiful red carry case embossed with the name Milwaukee on it. It's a very impressive package and it works. It also bends into a pistol type driver so you can get into those hard to reach areas. It is also very powerful at 26in./lbs of torque. This is the little red engine that works and works and works and.....Buy it. You won't be sorry and it will quickly become your favorite tool...

After 7 years of use, it was finally time to upgrade my Skil portable saw. I did a lot of research into different models, including the Jet, Delta, and Powermatic. Finally I went to a woodworking show and talked to the man who literally "wrote the book" on table saws, and he recommended the DeWalt DW746. It was a little more than I wanted to spend on a saw, but he said it should be the last saw I ever buy. I ordered it and the 30" rails from Amazon, and ordered the mobile base from Tyler (Amazon had a long back order and Tyler was cheaper).

The suggestion made by someone else here to assemble the base first, then attach it to the feet while the saw was still upside down in the crate was on the money. Can't imagine trying to attach it afterwards.

* Pros:

Assembly took a few hours, and was very straightforward.

The table was very flat, and everything but the splitter was well aligned.

I had to resaw some 5/4 x 5 Poplar, and the saw never bogged down at all. Plus it made surprisingly smooth and well aligned cuts for having to flip the wood over to make 2 passes.

Dust collection works surprisingly well. I had to rig up a 2-1/2 to 4" adapter, but it removes 90% of the dust. A little dust still blows off the blade.

Very smooth running, no vibration. The internal motor and wide belt lend a lot to that.

Takes up a lot less space than most other saws, since the motor is inside the frame.

The 30" rails were flat and true.

* Cons:

Removing the guard is a pain, and it's a little hard to get at one of the nuts.

The blade that comes with it is lousy. Replaced it with a Freud and it's like night and day.

Needs a 20A line, as it occasionally trips a 15A breaker on startup. I'm going to switch it to 240v soon. Should be smoother.

The miter guage does not have any holes in it for mounting accessories and jigs. I took care of that.

The assembly instructions (as others have mentioned) could stand some improvement. The photos were not matched up with the text, and in some places the text started next to the picture then wrapped under it, making it very hard to follow. This should be a simple fix for DeWalt.

* Overall:

I'm hoping the author was correct that it will be my last saw. So far I have been very impressed with it.

I've taught high school woodshop for 13 yrs and have used contractor saws in my home shop and 2 Unisaws in the school shop. Needing to upgrade the saw at home I researched the options. A Unisaw was my first choice but if I bought it I was short on funds for an upgrade fence (Beisemeyer) and sliding table. Looking at the hybrid saws brought me to the Jet and the Dewalt. Reviews of the Jet spoke of a quailty machine but with a few shortcomings such as the link belt for blade adjustment. The DW was newer on the market than the Jet so didn't have many reviews. I decided to purchase a recon unit from Toolking for just under 800.00.

The saw arrived in sturdy packing and there was nothing to make me believe it had been reconditioned for any reason. No sawdust, dents, dings etc. A few hours to assemble with decent directions. I had also purchased the 30" Beisemeyer commercial fence and Delta sliding table and Forrest blade. All this took me to under 1500.00 which was the entry level price for the Unisaw.

The saw has seen hundreds of feet of cherry and tiger maple. I built an entire set of kitchen cabinets with melamine boxes and cherry doors. The sliding table was easy to install on the Dewalt. I have not had one single problem or noticed any lack of power or performance.

I made some zero clearance inserts and a large side and outfeed table. The saw comes with some steel units that are rather light weight. The factory fence looks decent although I have never installed it.

My only recommendations for improvement would be to add a 4" or 6" dust port and larger handwheels for blade adjustment. All in all its a great value for the money. Lance A, Chico CA

My woodworking hobby outgrew my starter saw a few years ago, but circumstances did not allow me to buy a new saw until this year. Since I really wanted to take my time with this decision, I studied the market, put my hands on every saw I could, and read everything I could find on the web about table saw features. Since I work in a library, I also had access to every table saw review in most of the woodworking magazines.

Eventually I came up with the following criteria:

- I have a one car garage for a workshop, so space was a big issue. I was only looking at saws with 30" capacity to the right of the blade. I also limited my search to saws that could be pushed flat against a wall if need be. This left only hybrids and cabinet saws to consider.

- I wanted the most powerful motor I could get without having to switch to 240 volts, yet have the option to rewire the saw for 240v later if I so choose (thus eliminating 3hp saws).

- I wanted a solid fence that was accurate and DID NOT DEFLECT when locked down.

- I wanted some decent dust collection abilities.

- I wanted a quieter saw with less vibration than my old Delta contractor's saw.

- I wanted to spend less than $1000 to get the saw, yet have lots of options for upgrading/outfitting later.

Eventually I chose the DeWalt 746, and here are my observations:

The saw package arrived in relatively undamaged crating (seven days after I ordered it from Amazon), and the saw was in perfect condition. Here's a tip - I ordered this saw over the phone and was given the option to pay $25 to have the saw delivered on the ground in my shop - well worth it! Assembly was not too bad (3 hrs), but the manual could have been a bit better. In my mind it was a bit too small and the illustrations corresponding to each step of assembly were not always on the same page! This saw is heavy and the cabinet/stand is very stiff and strong. I feel that the base of this saw is a much better design than the open stand of my old Delta. The saw also runs very smoothly - it is A LOT quieter than my last saw and vibration is at a minimum. The motor is about as powerful as you can get while running 120v without popping breakers left and right (which I have read is a common problem with the 2hp motors running 120v). I have not had any problems ripping 8/4 white oak with a good sharp blade... Speaking of blades, the one that came with this saw is inferior. I will keep it just for those instances where I want to cut treated lumber for outside projects or some other such task not requiring precision or smooth cuts. I have always wanted a Biesenmeyer fence, but I read good things about the DeWalt fence on this saw and was eager to try it for myself. I am pleased to say that it is a very sturdy (and heavy) fence with some ingenious features. Most importantly this fence operates very smoothly, it does not deflect when locked down, it was easy to adjust square to the miter slot and blade, and zeroing the fence scale could not have been easier. I did have to fuss with it a bit to get the fence face set 90 degree to the table, but once I got it there it seems to hold the setting well. Dust collection on this saw is absolutely excellent. I hooked up my Fein Turbo II vacuum and basically no significant sawdust escapes. I couldn't be happier in that department. As for safety features, I like splitters and hate blade guards so I was pleased to find that the splitter/blade guard on this saw is able to be separated (I did just that). The splitter is easily adjustable and works well.

As far as downsides go... Well, as I mentioned earlier the assembly manual could have been way better and the blade that came with the saw is junk. Also (and I read this several places ahead of time) the table is not absolutely flat. Using a straightedge I found a couple of hollows in the surface. I don't think they are significant enough to throw off the accuracy of what I am doing with this saw, but be forwarned that if you use a tablesaw to cut something more intricate than tenons you may have a problem with this. Unlike other reviewers I didn't have too much of a problem with the steel extension wings that came with this saw. When installed properly are they perfectly level to the main table? Yes. Are they perfectly flat? No, but acceptible for what they are. I wanted a good saw that could be upgraded and these are good enough for temporary use. In fact there are a host of great accessories/upgrades available for this saw. I already installed a cast iron router table wing (made by Bench Dog) and soon I plan to order the DeWalt cast iron wing for the other side of the saw.

When it comes down to it, I am very pleased with this saw. The features all met or exceeded my personal needs. This is important, because I have no doubt I could have gotten a saw that performed nearly as well for a lot less money, but it would have failed to meet one or more of MY criteria. As for the price - I bought mine at a time when the saw was on sale and the mobile base was included (see my separate review of the mobile base). The sale price coupled with Amazon's ongoing deal of 25 dollars off any order over 199 gave me this saw at more than a seventy dollar discount. If your needs are similar to mine, then take a close look at this saw. I highly recommend it!

Not only did i get the ts350 $60 cheaper than the ts300, it was delivered right to my garage door. I am extremely happy I read the reviews posted on the ts350 as well as the ts300 they were instrumental in my decisionmaking process.
The machine arrived at 1PM and I had it put together by 2. The directions were easy to understand and all the parts were included. One suggestion to assemblers: flip over the rubber spacers below the blade cover plate to facilitate proper flushness to tabletop, a small dot of superglue applied to the spacers will also keep them from falling into saw guts during blade changes. Cosmetically, i would have thought they could get the front and rear chamfer of the extensions to match that of the tabletop. WD40 disolves the antirust wax on the bare metal tabletop. For a lifetime of rustfree use apply plain old turtle wax now and then, it's worked on my other saw for 20 years.

I have a small shop and needed to replace a small Craftsman table saw. I wanted a cast iron top for the stability. After looking at many saws and many different prices, I came across the TS350 at Lowes for $399,99. I compared this to Amazon and discovered I could get it for #268.99 with the discounts being offered plus no shippoing and no tax. Lowes refused to match the price although they had a big sign saying that they would. I was pleased to be able to get a smaller table top. My needs were for making small items and I dont plan to be in a commercial business of ripping large pieces of wood. I did read the complaints about the small table top and wondered why anyone who wanted a large top would buy a smaller saw and then complain ablut it. I read the directions through before assembly and had no problems with the assembly. I was up and running in a very short time. Read the directions and look at the pictures and you should have no problems. If you cant assemble this saw from the instructions, you probably shouldnt be allowed to play with tools. My only complaint is that it is pretty heavy and I got some help to set it upright when I was through with assembling the base and putting on the dust collector, but thats a good thing I think. Very stable and a solid table saw for a small shop. I was prepared to pay as much as 4 times the price I paid for this unit and am very pleased at getting a quality and very stable saw with a cast iron top and a smaller footprint in my smaller shop. It is a direct drive and not a pully drive so I dont know how that will effect me in the long run but there is nothing sticking out the back to bump into so I am glad about that so far.

I don't know why so many people said it took them 6 hours to set up this saw. I had it up and running in 2 hours by myself. It has plenty of power for a weekend warrior but the lack of brake can be a little annoying as it takes this saw forever to stop spinning. The model a step down comes with a dust collection bag but with this one, you are on your own. Someone else mentioned a 1/4 inch of play in the back of the rip fence but I found it to be very sturdy and stable. I am very happy with this saw.

Let me start off by saying that this is the last table saw you will ever own. It is powerful, smooth and solid as a rock (it weights just slight less than a sizeable boulder). Put a Forrest Woodworker II blade on it and you will get cuts so smooth you could probably sell your jointer.

Assembly is a bit of a chore, the direction could be better and the extension fence could be easier to mount to the saw. Plan on investing a good portion of an afternoon to get it together. However, once you do, hitting the on/off switch that first time will make you glad you made the investment.

If I could rate the saw in different categories I would give it 3 stars for the set up and 5 stars for its performance. Here are some of the problems I had. I couldn't easily tell which cast iron extension wing went on the left and which on the right. The wings aren't marked. After researching and analyzing the picture in the manuals in great detail I finally figured out that the left one has a countersunk screw hole in it. Also two of the pretapped holes in the guide tube were misaligned. This wasn't that big a deal because there are a bunch of other holes in the guide tube to use to attach to the front rail. In general there are a lot of holes in the rails and no explicit directions about where they should line up with the cast iron tables. This was easy to address but still mildly irritating. By holding the rails to the table and sliding it left or right I could figure out where to align it. One major objection I have is that the Z bracket system isn't used to attach the extension table to the cast iron wing in the Biesenmeyer model. It's used for the Unifence model. It would really simplify the stabilization and attachment of the extension table. It was a struggle to attach the extension table. In order to align the extension table flush to the cast iron table one person has to hold the extension table up while another one clamps it together. But the underside of the wings and table don't have a convenient surface to clamp together so it ended being misaligned a lot. I eventually just put a long clamp across the table, essentially squeezing the front and back rail against the extension table which held it in place. So the assembly was irritating but it's just a minor inconvenience. Another issue I had was the side extension table is substantially shorter than the one pictured on the box and in the manual. It barely was long enough to get the 50" distance from the saw blade. I was impressed that the Biesenmeyer face was absolutely parallel to the saw blade right out of the box. Also I was pleasantly suprised that the witness line on the fence was only 1/16" off. I think Delta does a good job in aligning things properly at the factory. Overall it was a frustrating set up but the blade/fence are parallel, the table top is flat and stable which is what really matters to me. I didn't go to the lengths that other reviews did in checking the flatness of the cast iron surface. All I did was put a straight edge on the table top and adjusted things to keep the surfaces flush. If your livelihood depended on it I guess such minute differences would matter but I'm a DIY/woodworking hobbiest.

I am the envy of my woodworking friends! ;-)
This thing rocks. Solid and powerfull, this thing handles everything I've thrown at it. The accessories that came with it are great, as well. And the Biesemeyer fence is fantastic! Having the rolling base is a plus, as well. On the downside, it was tough to put it all together because it is HEAVY and there are many parts. Plus, the bags that held all of the screws fell apart so I spent some time just sorting the screws, washers, nuts, etc into piles. Things would have been much easier with an extra set of hands - especially when installing the cast iron extensions. But, once it's all in place, aligned and square it is fantastic!

Nice saw with impressive power from the 18V batteries. Good ergonomics and handling with the following exception: Narrow blade opening in the table and the ample blade guard makes it a bit difficult to get a good view of the blade and your cut line while cutting. I thought a saw with the blade on the left would minimize this problem, yet with some adjustment from my usual cutting position, it still works pretty good.... its just in those situations when you don't have the 'ideal' position to make your cut that you really notice it. Charger recharges drained batteries fairly quickly, and as a bonus... the 18V batteries also fit my Milwaukee reciprocating sawzall.

After checking and trying several options including 3& 4 piece "package Deals" I decided I did not need the other items and this was the best saw for my purpose, it was also made in the USA. I am pleased with my decision.

You simply can't bog this guy down. I compared this to a Hitachi C6DC and although the Hitachi was slightly more comfortable, I couldn't get used to the blade on the right and the Milwaukee seemed to get through 2x8s effortlessly. The Hitachi could get the same job done, but it was worked harder than the Mil. Great tool.

Like his corded brother this saw is top notch as far as the mechanical aspects go. There is a definate problem though with the batteries. They do not stay charged for very long, and unfortunately for me I purchaced before I read the reviews of other customers explaining that the batteries are only good for about a year. Hopefully Milwaukee will design a better system soon.

one of the best saws for light demo , when your crawling through a tight space or a long run from an outlet.
I still carry a corded monster for big stuff.

I already have a super sawzall but there are places I need a sawzall where I can't get to electricity (like up in a tree). I bought this saw for the small stuff including pruning small branches, roots, etc.. This is a lot better than having to drag out the chain saw. If you don't need a sawzall very often, this is an excellent quality saw for the homeowner. I have other Milwaukee tools and am very satisfied with them also.

I am sure it's just me, but I was a little disappointed- if I wanted a copy of a Milwaukee, I would have bought a Makita. The chuck is cheesy (sorry) the cord seems borrowed from a cheap TV, the direction switch feels like it's gonna break each time I use it. Maybe the Milwaukee 3/8 I remember using a while back was an older model. I am sure the essential guts and geabox in this unit are still bulletproof, but the daily details have been neglected and it was this I noticed immediately and unrelentingly. So for another $30 or so I can buy a proper cord and a nice Jacobs chuck and have.. what?

This drill has great torque, it will twist your hand off if you use the the old "hold the lock ring while you spin the chuck to tighten the bit" method. I could do that with my battery powered Dewalt 18 volt drill without incident. Using this drill you better not do it!

This drill will handle anything you throw at it, but I greatly dislike the chuck. You can not get it as tight as a normal keyed chuck and some of the materials I drill though cause the bit to slip. It is especially prevalent with the small sized bits.

I would give this drill 5 stars if the chuck was keyed!

Over the years I have owned a great number of drills. My first ever drill was a 3/8 Milwaukee hole shooter, is still my favorite and in 18 yrs is still working as good as ever with a cord change the only maintenance required. I purchased this new drill hoping for the same quality and was pleased to find it still there.

This is a good product. It is stupid easy to get put together and on the router. The nicest part isn't even a feature of the guide but the router case, it has slots for the guide arms and a whole for the head molded in. That's convenient. The only thing I wish it had was longer arms. I'd be happy with a couple more inches. Better yet, if it came with 4 pieces that could screw into one another, getting twice the length. But otherwise it's great, holds to the side of the work piece and stays true.

This is a good product. It is like "all other" edge guides; it must be adjusted and double checked if you are doing precision work. I would recommend its use with Dewalt routers.

I have used routers for over thirty years. And during that time I have used edge guides at times. This edge guide is better than most for two reasons. First it has a fine adjust to get precision cuts. And second it has a dust collection which connects to a shop vac to clear the work area so you can see what you are doing. I have used it on several projects now and am very happy with it.