Power Saws Reviews

This saw is great once it is set up. Like almost everyone else on here says, the directions pretty much stink! I am a mechanical engineer with a strong practical background working with machines. It took me the better part of a day to set it up. The hardest part was leveling and ensuring flatness and being parallel of the tables. Once I tapped the feet and inserted leveling bolts, the problem was fixed. I don't know how you would level it otherwise! I bought an upgraded saw blade ahead of time. It is definitely worth it!

Max Tools did a terrible job communicating with me regarding order shipment. First they say the product will ship in 1-2 days. Baloney! It took over a week for it to ship. Then they gave me the shipment tracking order for the free appreciation gift rather than the saw! When I called back to get the right tracking order, they couldn't help me. It turns out that this drop ships directly from DeWalt. Next time I will order directly from my local Woodcraft store. The trouble wasn't worth the $50 I saved.

After 13 years, I decided it was time to upgrade from my Ryobi BT3000. After much research, and fondling every brand I could get my hands on, I bought this saw package from Amazon.

I could not be happier with the result. The basic DW746 saw plus the sliding table and super trick miter gage and cast iron extension wing make a package nobody else can touch for price and features. This saw is quiet, vibration free and as powerful as you can get from a 110 volt motor. I don't have a machinist's
ruler to gage table flatness, but I do have a Lie Neilsen #7 jointer plane that is dead nuts flat, and setting the plane tilted on edge on the table shows the table flat in all directions within .005".

Be advised this saw does not fall into my defininition of portable. It's one heavy puppy. It took two of us to wrestle the basic saw down to the basement. I was able to get the cast iron extension on by myself, but I could not even pick up the sliding table by myself, much less install it on the table.

Also, this package comes with instructions for putting the basic saw together, and separate instructions for putting on the sliding table. DO NOT start with the instructions for putting the basic saw together like I did. After I spent three hours getting the front and rear rails on and level, I had to completely disassemble EVERYTHING because the sliding table has a bunch of parts that must go on first. If you begin assembly following the instructions for installing the sliding table, you will get it right the first time.

I work in a school district maintenance shop. We do all kinds of projects with all kinds of wood. We needed a blade that was a standard kerf (not thin kerf) that would take the use and abuse we give. We have had the blade for a year now after seeing it at a Woodworking show and then ordering it from Amazon.com. The blade still cuts true and since it is a standard kerf we haven't seen any deflection on cuts. You can spend another $50 and buy those blades that you have to send back to the manufacturer to have sharpened but I don't see that much difference.

This tool is great.Perfect for ferrous and non ferrous metals.Makes a small kerf with an fairly easy to guide blade.Cuts stainless steel pipe clean and accurate.No need in getting out the Plasma arc when you own this tool, unless you are cutting a large length of plate. The only downside is it uses up abrasive wheels fast like any other abrasive wheel.
"Worth every penny"

DeWalt DW861W Wet/Dry Masonry Saw

This tool appeared on Amazon.com in September 2005, but DeWalt first made it available in February 2006, which is when I bought one. It was worth the wait...

Pros:

- Unusually powerful motor for a small saw (12.5 amps)
- Blade spins at 11,500 RPMs for efficient cutting
- 4.5" blade included with saw is excellent. Described as extended performance (XP) "450x longer life than abrasive blades", suitable for "tile, porcelain, and other masonry products", part number 626708-00. Retail price is about $30.
- Two-pronged rubber electric cord has a built-in GFCI, is 13' long, and is soft/pliable rubber.
- 1/4" clear water line has built-in 5-PSI regulator (at house pressure, water line would burst or pop off the water "manifold"), is 13' long, and is clear & pliable. Water regulator has female threads to receive male end of a garden hose.
- Manifold has valve to control water-volume spray onto both sides of blade, and is blued brass. Setup keeps the blade very wet.
- Cuts 0 to 45 degrees, just like a wood-working circular saw
- Comfortable handle with no sharp spots; fits my large hand
- Tool is easy to control
- Push-button option to lock switch to the ON position for long cuts
- Steel sole-plate has thick nickle-plating
- Suitable for production use at a stone/granite/slate fabrication shop; with the proper blade, can cut the hardest stone-like materials: concrete, concrete-stucco, patio-pavers, brick, porcelain, marble, granite, or any tile.

Cons:

- Does not include a carrying case, probably to keep the price lower. Unfortunately, if you transport or store this tool, it really needs one. Portable wet saws have no blade guard, as it would obstruct the water manifold. Even with the blade fully raised, it still extends past the sole-plate by about 1/8", so you have to be careful setting the tool down so as to not damage the blade. Also, 13' water & electric lines, with a bulky GFCI and regulator on their ends, make the tool a bit unwieldy to carry. I made a carrying case out of wood.

Other:

- My saw has no serial number. The spot on the tool after the words "serial number", is blank?
- The saw is loud; no doubt due to the very high RPMs.

Summary:

The Makita 4101RH is also a professional-brand portable wet saw, but it:

- costs $100 more
- has a cheap-looking plastic water "manifold", vs. brass on the DeWalt
- has less powerful motor (7.9 amps vs. 12.5 amps for the DeWalt)
- comes with a cheaper blade than the DeWalt

The DeWalt DW861W is a fine choice for the professional tile-setter, or the serious Do-It-Yourselfer.

I got this tool free when I purchased the 18v xrp combo kit. I laughed when I first saw it and quickly told my wife that it was her drill. Well, I picked it up one day to hang some blinds as it fit better into the space than my 18v drill and couldn't believe how well it worked. Since then I have used it for everything from driving drywall screws to driving 4 inch deck screws. That's right -- 4 inch deck screws! And it has very good battery life. I reach for it now instead of my 9.6v makita when I have small jobs. I just wish this thing the ability to hold drill bits because it would be great for small jobs. Overall I am very pleased and demand quality from everything. I have no patience for poor engineering or workmanship and this did not let me down.

I have used this saw for 2 years and have had no problems. It has good power for a 14.4v. It's light and extremely durable. I have found it very easy to handle. The keyless blade change is great! It saves a lot of time. My only complaint is that the shoe is not adjustable. Otherwise it's a great tool to have around when you need it.

I bought this set in early 2002 because I was a couple hours away from my cordless drill, which I needed, and this set was on sale. What a great purchase! The saw is as powerful as any reciprocating saw out there, cordless or otherwise. I especially appreciate DeWalt's easy blade changing method (no tools required, just flip the yellow lever by the blade). The drill is the best cordless drill on the market that I've yet seen. For normal at-home use, the battery life will never be a problem, but as has been said in other cordless reviews (for ANY brand), the batteries will wear out more quickly with heavy use. Keep them charged and pick up a spare or two if you can. Like I already said, you won't find anything better without a cord, and both are better than most with cords.

excellent saw for any metal working job no starter holes no deburring conduit and pipe sheet metal

I have had this drill for a year and love it. I use it for mixing mortar and drilling large holes where a lot of torque is needed. Do NOT buy this drill for making small holes. The drill speed is a very slow 550 rpm's. You will need a much faster drill for most drilling. Works great!