Power Saws Reviews

This is the last saw you will ever need. The saw came in 8 boxes and took a full day to assemble but was well worth the time. The fence was easy to adjust and the square up directions are well layed out. The only complaint was the extention table board had a slight warp in it, but a small c clamp fixed it. With all the extras you get, you can't find a better deal. If you are looking for a cabinet saw then this is the one to get. Add the jet(NOT THE DELTA) sliding tabel and htc outfeed to have the perfect tool

I have used the saw for a couple of weeks and couldn't be happier with its performance. All of the tolerances were very close and the fit and finish of the machine were excellent. The only issue with assembly was a slight warp in the extension table. Jet's customer service (which I have found to be the best in the business) replaced it with no questions asked. The cabinet gives plenty of storage and is also setup to be used as a free-standing router table. It is a great saw and the accessories make it worth the extra price.

The saw is awesome. I had some concerns from reading the other reviews, expecially pertaing to shipping damage, wrong pieces, poor manuals, etc. However I found all the manuals to be satifactory, not exclent but more than satisfactory, all pieces fit together nicely, however there were a few fasteners that were a lottle bit different than those described in the manual, but nothing that effected the final product- specificaly there were some bolts that held the tube that the fence rides on that were hex head bolts on my saw, but were shown to be flat head screws that would fit into countersinks in the rail- causing only a very minor cosmetic change. The palet that the saw came on had a retaining rim that fit tightly around the base of the saw and caused some very minor scuffs around the base. Again very minor, no one but me has even noticed them. Now to the shipping pain in the butt. I ordered the saw online and was estimated to recerive it in 2 weeks, after 3 weeks I got a shipment delay statement, and then 2 weeks later a cancelation statement. I then called the tool customer support line. They were very helpful, I would recomend calling to reorder from them, instead of online. The saw has gone up $500 since I ordered it and they honoerd the price at the time I ordered it, as well as shiping direct from the manufactuer. When it got to my freight dock there was a freight charge due, anoter call to the customer support took care of this problem too. I was out no money through the whole shipping ordeal, just frustration. Over all I would buy it again from Amazon, the price is the best anywhere, if I bought it localy I still would have paid freight, sales tax, and had to wait for delivery. The Saw is Awesome, Period.

I just finished assembling this saw and making some test cuts and I have to say it's a great piece of machinery! Should provide a lifetime of fun projects. Here are my likes, dislikes and some helpful hints from my experience:

Likes:
Fit & Finish are great. All parts arrived in good condition. All hardware was included and assembly went smoothly. Instructions were good (some pictures), and in logical order. However, since the saw, fence, rails, table, cabinet and lift all come separately (5 boxes), each has it's own instructions - you have to figure out the overall order - pretty intuitive (I'll cover later). Great Power - a little noisy but that's the price of having a real powertool. Alignment was good out of the box. Fence action is smooth and locks solidly. Good adjustability on all parts. Using saw with Forrest WWII and it cuts like glass - see all the Forrest reviews - they're true!

Dislikes:
Plastic legs on cabinet are flimsy but functional. Since I'm using with a ShopFox mobile base, I'll end up making my own legs to fit the base extension anyway.

Watch out - Amazon free shipping ain't so free. Since this thing is 450lbs you will need to make arrangements with shipper - Amazon doesn't. Unless you're Arnold Schwarzenegger, you'll want to arrange for a truck with a liftgate and pallet dolly. While I'd think that after spending this much on a tool Amazon/Toolcrib would cover the *appropriate* shipping, my shipper (ABF Freight) ended up being cool and arranged to do so for free. Thanks to them :)

Assembly Recommendations:
Order of Assembly - 1)Saw/Extension Wings, 2)Fence Rails, 3)Cabinet (so you can set the tabletop on the cabinet to level it), 4)mountExtention Table to fence rails, 5) screw cabinet to tabletop, 6) Fence Guide/Fence/Blade Guard, 6) cabinet door/external shelf, 7) Router Lift

You have to wire the plug (220v - 20A)

WARNING - If installing the table shelf between the cabinet and the saw, double-check the template that is supplied (last page of manual). If I hadn't checked it by assembling the shelf with the mounting brackets and screws and holding it up to the saw, I would have ended up drilling 4 holes in my new table saw that resulted in a crooked/unlevel shelf (by 1/2")

Don't use the screws in the plastic door handle on the cabinet as the instructions suggest - just glue it in. The screws are too close to the surface and split the melamine face on the door

Be careful tightening the screws holding the fence guide to the front fence rail - I stripped one of the 5 even though I wasn't overtightening.

That's it. All in all I'm very pleased. Looked at Jet, Delta, DeWalt. Went with the Jet - felt I got more for the money compared to Delta and a higher performing tool compared to DeWalt, but was a little apprehensive of quality compared to Delta from other reviews. However, now that I have it, I can heartily recommend/endorse JET - any fears appear to be unfounded. Also have the JET air filter and 1100CFM dust collector and they're good too. After years of using an old radial arm saw for all my projects, my shop is off to a good start.

If you want to cut steel, Aluminum, or just about any metal this is the brand you want to use. Any hole saw can cut wood (so can these) but cutting steel is a different story. They are the longest lasting hole saws I have found on the market.

I PURCHASED THE WHOLE SAW KIT AND WAS A LITTLE NERVOUSE UNTIL I WAS ABLE TO USE IT FOR THE FIRST TIME. THE CUTS ARE OFCOURSE A LITTLE ROUGH BUT THE HOLES COME OUT FAST WITH MINIMAL LABOR ON YOUR PART.

Well made makita tools always does its job.

I use this to cut tile and making a notch on glass. The factory blade works great and last fairly well. However do not use the blade to cut glass. It will chip it.

Buy Diamond blade without segment wheel if you have planning to cut glass.

Overall this saw does what it promise and more.

This saw is so useful and works like a charm

I have a 10 year-old B&D saw I received several years ago free from a friend (and quickly found out why). A dinosaur of a tool, it shrieks an ear piercing scream at startup and plods along at a brontosaurus' pace ripping 3/4" or even 1/2" plywood. Rip a 2x4 or hardwood stock? Uhmmm...no thank you, I think I'll watch the shellac dry on my last project instead. These labored cuts were made with a new, carbide combo. blade. Occasionally I need to cut-down large sheets of ply for my table saw and cutoff 2x4's, 2x6's etc. for framing workbenches, stands and shelving. A quality circular saw I thought could have it's place, albeit a small one in my shop. So the search began.

The qualities I looked for was cost, convenience, quality of build and quietness of operation, not necessarily in that order. I looked at cordless 18v models first, until the price..ouch!! (Would the store accept one of my kidneys for it?) A 13/15amp contractor grade (P.C., DeWalt, Bosch, Makita etc.) was a bit overkill. A wormdrive was definitely out of the question. I didn't need a sledge hammer to swat a fly. I seemed to be in a unique category. I wanted professional grade yet unless you buy a Skill, B&D, Ryobi etc., the "big boys" were $100+.

The 5740NBX is a full size, professional quality saw but on a diet. This is not a tool you will use to power through your next rip or cross cut. If this were pro football think Jerry Rice, not Refrigerator Perry. You want power? Not here, look at a Skill/Bosch worm drive or Makita's 15 amp hypoid and pay upwards of $$. The included thin-kerf MakEdge 16T combo blade with 10 amps, ripped 3/4 plywood 1.5x-2x faster than my B&D. Marvelous! The cuts were very clean and accurate (providing my mind and hand didn't wander. Don't worry I still have ten fingers...yes, the number I was born with). At under 8 lbs, it's effortless to guide and control compared to my B&D. Quieter than most, starting a circular saw used to incur a grimace on my face anticipating an ear-piercing scream. No longer. At start up it's not much louder than my jigsaw running at full speed. Music to my ears, a nice replacement to that constant ringing (I know I should use hearing protection...I do, when I don't forget).

A lightweight pro with some heavyweight features, the 5740NBX comes with a heavy duty solid aluminum base and bevel adjustments, I believe the same or similar as the popular 5007 series (don't quote me here). A design for use/abuse. My only performance complaint is the height adjustment. A curved stamped metal track rides inside the upper blade guard and constantly rubs against it, creating sticking points during up/down adjustments. My 10 year old B&D had a better more efficient design. Go figure? The lower blade guard is made out of metal (magnesium?). Surprising! They could have used plastic but didn't. Good job Makita. (I forgive you for the fair height adj.) An extra MForce 24T blade is included but the MakEdge works great.


This is not a contractor's saw and I wouldn't recommend it for one, although used as a trim saw or used under awkward, difficult situations it might have a purpose. I am a woodworker and this saw is ideal for the limited tasks I ask of it. Anything else goes to my tablesaw for supreme accuracy or MAYBE deligated to my mitersaw. The 5740NBX had a safety recall several years ago. The lower blade guard was sticking in the "up" position. Provided you buy a newer saw and/or the serial number has an "N" preceding it, you'll be fine. It has been a Consumer Reports pick for "best buy".

THE PROS:

***Quality/speed of cut (compared to my B&D)
***Lightweight of 7.7lbs
***Quieter than most
***Price under $
***Two blades (1-MakEdge 16T and 1-MForce 24T)

THE CONS:

***Case??
***Only right-sided blade configuration
***Fair height adj. design (Bevel adj. excellent)

Summary: Less weight, price and noise equals more enjoyment. Hmmm...now this is math I like.

I really like this saw. I was looking for a saw to have in my woodshop to cut plywood down to size before running it through the table saw. I wanted something light weight so as to go easy on my bad elbow. It's a stong and accurate little saw. I now take it to the job sites to do finish work. It's not tough enough for framing though (wouldn't survive a fall off the roof too well) and might bog down when cutting 4x, but if you do finish work it's a hell of a deal.

The light weight makes handling this saw in awkward positions much easier and safer. 10.5 amps is plenty . This saw is a workhorse . Good pro saw

Do not let the modest 10.5 amp power rating or this saws lightweight of 7.7 pounds disuade you- this saw means business.
I like the lightweight and the low noise of just 84 decibels as they make this saw a pleasure to use for long periods. The only thing I will not use this saw for is concrete- my craftsman has to be good for something

Well, after reading all the reviews and checking them out in person at local suppliers, I bought the Makita AN611. Sweet!!!!

It's about 1 pound lighter than the Bostitch, makes it easier to carry and use. It load easily and operating it is quite easy. I was especially impressed with the ability to adjust the depth setting of the nails without needing a tool. I'm working with cedar. I drove a few and make my adjustment and drove some more. No muss, no fuss.

Love a tool that lives up to it's billing. Mine cost $350. at a local supplier. For that amount of money, when I'm done I can resell it for 50% and feel great.

I have found MAKITA to be superior of those other brands that seem to breakdown at the worst possible times! ! ! !

MAKITA stays on the Job after Job after JOB. I rate reliability supperior to none

R.markum

If you are going to be doing any serious wiring around your house buy one of these drills, don't argue with me, don't cavil and whine that's it's too expensive, just buy the drill. Now Drilling between joists, or up into wall cavities, tasks which are a complete pain in the neck with a standard drill are almost effortless with the 3002. I had to run a bundle of wires through 12 floor joists, with this drill it took me about 15 minutes to drill all of the holes I needed and run the wires. Like every other Milwaukee product the drill is very well built and durable and if taken care of will last forever.

I use this drill at work on a daily bases and it has never let me down. The extra long handle is great when your dilling overhead. This model has a higher rpm than the standard right angle dill kit. The higher rpm's make drilling wood a lot easier. I only wish Milwaukee would have put the Quik-Lok cord on this model. No tool is perfect but this one comes close.

I had spent 6 years procrastinating, using my 18v cordless drill to drill for my wiring jobs. I borrowed my plumbers right angle drill (a beat-up Old Milwaukee)and on my way home that night I stopped at my local home improvement store and bought one. Wow what a time saver. The Old Milmaukee FEELS heavy duty. Great torque. Im sure I'll be passing this one down some day. And this is from a Dewalt user...

This is a very good drill well built and durable.

This hole saw kit contains all the common sizes you will need as a general contractor provided you are not running large plumbing lines. Case, hole saws, and arbors measure up to Milwaukee quality standards. Priced right too!

I was in the market for a versatile hole-saw kit that was favorably priced for diverse applications. Although there are specific kits on the market for electrical, plumbing or heavy contractor work, this kit for engaging in remodeling and small construction jobs lends itself to most of these needs. It is a quality tool, constructed of durable material and user friendly. The one downside is that the larger quick change arbor, 49-56-7140, has a 7/16" hexagonal shaft thus it will not fit in a 3/8" drill chuck. With work space permitting it can be adapted to a 3/8" chuck or simply utilize a 1/2" chuck drill. Overall this kit is a practical and cost effective addition to a jobbers or home owner's inventory.

I have had this set for over 3 years, everytime time I think I am in a pinch I look in the kit and there is the size I need. It is a complete set all the tools needed with the most popular sizes. I use the hole saws over and over and they never seem to quit. Everyone on the job site always comes to me when they need a hole drilled. They are great!