Power Saws Reviews

I used to use a Bosch in a cabinet shop that I loved using.
Since I have a lot of Porter-cable tools so when PC came out with this I thought it was going to be more like a gray version of the Bosch I loved with improvements. Since everyone is in competition with each other it must be so.
When I had to change my first blade I was in horror. I think I have it down now but boy is it still a royal pain. I dread blade changes but I'm getting better at it. Maybe my fingers are just getting increadibly strong.
It has a lot of power and looks great.
Dust blower, nice feature, blows dust directly in front of the line you're trying to cut on.
If I have to start using this more I might sell it on ebay and get a new Bosch.

I have used my saw for several close projects. I find it very confortable to handle. With the 4 settings for the amount of blade orbiting you can get a pretty nice cut and excellant control of where you're going. The switch has good travel to allow you to control the speed of the cut without any surprises. The most difficult item with the saw is changing or taking out the blade. While it is a keyless manuver, it can be trying and you need to be careful while working to free the blade (they are very sharp).

The only complaint I paid any attention to is the dust issue. Went to Porter Cable's wesite to see if they resolved that issue. They have a dust-shield. It is part number '886775' and costs $7.05 (http://www.porter-cable.com/index.asp?e=4937). I'm Canadian, BUY NORTH AMERICAN!!

I purchased a Bosch 24-volt combo tool kit from International Tool Corporation on the Internet. Form the very first time I used the Bosch kit, I was very disappointed in the Bosch cordless tool performance. I have used many Bosch corded tools with great performance and success. This is the first cordless tool I have used by Bosch and it is the worst performing cordless tool system I have ever used. Being a contractor I use a wide variety of tools and in buying the Bosch system I feel like I have been misled and used. The Bosch kit was more expensive, the batteries that are provided with the kit have short run times, it is difficult to find additional batteries and the longer run time batteries that I have found on-line indicate that I will have to wait weeks to receive them. In general, the performance of the tools is sub-standard at best. I feel I have bought into a tool system that will have to be replaced within a year, and combo kits are supposed to last at least 3 years. It will be a long time, if ever, that I will purchase Bosch tools again.

i am a contractor, i thought finally a cordless set with enough power to justify putting it in the truck and pulling it out on a job. it works great, plenty of power. one of my workers was pulling out a screw on a float over the water and the chuck backed off and fell in,(1 month old) a bosch mechanic said that bosch wouldn't replace it. the drill has to much power to use in reverse over the water, was what was told to me. after alot of anger they finally replaced it.the second thing is i bought it in june 2002 and was told the it was a higher price because you get a free sawzall. WRONG that ended april 2002 and BOSCH wont do anything about it. bottom line is no free sawzall

I am a contractor and I use these tools everyday. I have had this set for a couple of years now and I can say without hesitation it was a very wise purchase, I have no regrets. BOSCH is quality equipment and work flawlessly. I am still using the original batteries that came with the set and they are still going strong. I especially like the fact that the batteries recharge in just one hour and that they are Ni-MH.

I now have all the BOSCH 24 volt tools except the new jig saw, but will probably have it this spring. I would recommend these tools to anyone who wants quality well built tools.

I bought my 3812 and paid $337. Feel like I got a good saw for the $. Saw was otriginally delivered damaged - Not by UPS. There was a severe dent in the front rail that jammed the whole motor housing out of alignment. No damage to the box, which means it was packaged that way and sent out! That saw was immediately returned and replaced with a new one. The second - All set-up measurements were in-line, bevel proper, miter gauge accurate. Only had to adjust the blade insert elevation. After that 15 second task - went right to work milling down lumber for door jambs. Light and manueverable taking to job sites. More than enough power. In short - no problems/complaints with operation. Only a suggestion - the 4 bolts that hold saw to folding stand .... loose the nuts/washers ....... use wing nuts.

I received my saw about 6 weeks ago and other than the lousy packing or I should say the lack of it everything has been A OK. I checked all settings and they were right on the money.Its a lot quieter than my old craftsman,which I will give to my son in law.I have ripped 1 pc of maple, some plywood and several 2x4 s.I bought the 3812 without the stand as I had one that I made. Paid 355.00 for it on amazon.They better start filling the box with more foam,as the letters I have read all complain about the damage to their saws. Mine had a 2 inch hole in one end but no damage. Bob,Upstate N.Y.

I purchased the Porter-Cable 3812 with the folding stand and within 30 minutes of the box arriving at my house, had it setup and cutting wood. The stand is very stable and bolts to the base of the saw providing good support even on uneven surfaces. The saw rips through heavy stock with little hesitation. The sawdust is expelled out the back and it was easy to rig a PVC elbow to direct the shavings into a bin. The safety guard does not flip out of the way but it does have a spring steel retaining clip that provides for quick and easy removal of the unit. The outfeed support is a worthwhile addition to provide more room for material to be fed to the blade. The stock blade is adequate but a new Freud 50 tooth combo blade will provide a worthwhile upgrade. At $355 including the stand and shipping, the saw is a good value for the money.

"Flush Cutting" means the blade literally slides on the surface and cuts protruding wood to that level - e.g., I've used it on many a stud poking out too far. Of course, you can cut above the "surface", as when shortening door-jambs because you are now installing ceramic tile. In such cases, this little gem of a tool is a God-send. I'm not aware of a competing electric tool, and although a manual saw could work in a pinch, this saw does a much better and faster job. The flush-cutting blades are quickly reversible, so you can cut right to left or left to right; depending on which is more convenient. Accessories include other types of blades, with rougher teeth or for ferrous metal (aluminum, brass, copper) cutting.

The 1640VS has no tool case.
The 1640VSK has a nice case, the miter "box" accessory, and several clamps.

In my opinion, the miter box is only useful in an emergency. The piece of wood to be cut vibrates too much, even when clamped, for a quality cut. It might do a passable job, if you plan to grout the joints, and paint the work, but don't use it for stained/varnished trim. Basically, the blades and tool design just aren't for finish carpentry. (I'm used to glass smooth cuts from my professional radial-arm-saw, or sliding compound miter saw.) For sure, any electric miter saw would do a significantly better job than this tiny miter box; in fact, any quality manual miter box would be preferable. Having said that, I'd still get the kit, just to get the nice tool box and small clamps.

The saw itself is mainly for remodelers or serious do-it-yourself types, since it's a speciality saw you won't use every day. When you need it, however, you'll be mighty glad you own one. Highly recommended.

5 stars for the saw and tool box - 1 star for the miter box.

Powerful and very steady balance. I have used this to cut door jams for laying tile. When I first turned it on, I was a bit skeptical; not wanting to loose a digit. Amazing power for such a small unit, but the balance of it at full power allows for an amazingly clean, and even cut w/ no kick back.
Expensive for a niche tool, but you would be amazed at the labour time it saves.
For door jams, you basically have to eye the amount to cut. I would suggest cutting the jam at least 2 times, the cut is so clean that if you over estimate the tile height, your can use one of your cuttings, to glue back after the fact.
I have also used this unit to "shave" interior window trim, that came out a hair too long on a miter saw.
This is a must have for a tile or window installer, for a homeowner; you will find uses for it.

I've used this particular saw before, but did not have one in my personal arsenal of trim tools. I like its ease of use. Actually, the job I purchased to used it on this go-round, I wound up not doing by recommendation of a professional trim carpenter friend of mine.

I had 4 windows and a door with jambs that needed to be built out to match the sheetrock for trimming. All required pine fill pieces, some of which went from 3/4" to 0" over a 6' length. The thought of cutting these huge "shims" with any accuracy on the table saw was a bit daunting. So, I figured I could easily cut myself 1" pieces, glue it into place, and come back later with the Bosch 1640 and flush cut them.

My friend discouraged me from doing so do to the fact that my 1" addition would require a "rip" cut rather than a crosscut for which the saw is actually designed. He also pointed out that the supplied blades were not conducive to rip cutting. Knowing the wood was going to be ultimately enameled, I knew there was a fudge factor involved where any small gaps could be spackled, and I opted to attempt cutting the necessary "shims" on the table saw. All worked well and the finished paint job looks wonderful.

However, I'm wondering if anyone has attempted longer rip cutting in a similar situation with hardwoods, (e.g., oak or maple that will be stain/seal/varnished) with any success? Also, do they make a "toothier" blade for the 1640 that one might be able to get reasonable preliminary rip cuts accomplished in harder woods?

I have owned this saw nearly a year and have just started using it extensively. It is like anything else in life I guess, it has it's good points, and it's bad ones.

The good news is that it does do a beutiful job of cutting. Clean, burr free, and quick. The bad news is that the blades are terribly expensive and not nearly as long lived as advertised. I would estimate that I get about 3-4 abrasive blades worth of cutting out if it before it is time to think about sharpening it. In my neck of the woods it costs nearly 50 cents a tooth ($36.00) to sharpen, so I can't say that it is cost effective. The material holding vice doesn't seem to be strong enough for the amount of vibrations you can sometimes get with this saw. (Mine is held on with a snap ring that sometimes falls off without warning). Push it a little too fast through some small diameter rod (5/16" in my case) and it will rip it right out of the holder, total the blade, and scare the heck out of anyone misfortunate enough to be standing where the material got tossed. (Only happened once, very light down pressure is essential, but they don't tell you that in manual that came with mine.)

I tried using Freud blades but was told by their factory tech support that they do not allow re-sharpening of their blades, and that the 14" Speed Demon was not sold in the U.S. but boot legged in through a third party.

Regardless, the theory is great. If they could just come up with longer lasting blades (yes even with very light pressure, they wear out quick) and possibly a better vice arangement (The one that came with my Dewalt abrasive blade chop saw is better designed and more durable), I could recommend them whole heartedly. Right now I could only say that it depends on what you are using it for. If you have a lot of cutting to do and your time is expensive, you might be able to justify the expense by the time savings and prep savings (No grinding to remove burrs, at least until it gets dull). For the rest of us that just wanted a good cost effective way to cut lots of steel, the abrasive blade seems to be the better way to go for now.

I got tired of burning through band saw blades so I figured I'd give this saw a try. The cuts are very nice with little blade deflection. The speed is better than any other type of saw I've used. I've made about 50 cuts on medium to heavy gauge tube, pipe, bar, and angle, and the blade is shot. Completely my own fault, as I became more confident with the saw I was putting too much pressure on the blade, material got hot, started throwing sparks, and stopped cutting. I don't like the fact that it only takes one minor mistake to waste a very expensive blade. I have a new blade on the way and I'll get the original one sharpened as a spare, but I'm not getting rid of the old band saw yet. Overall I'm happy with the saw, but I don't think it's worth the extra cost. There is no reason this saw should cost 4X the price of an abrasive chop saw. For the price of the saw it should have a cast base and a better clamping system. The material clamp works OK, but the backrest has a lot of deflection when the material is clamped down tight. I think they should also reduce the blade speed and ship with a 90 tooth blade.

Clean, fast cuts. Be careful and DO NOT force it through the piece TOO FAST. It still cuts steel pipe faster than anything before it. Take all needed precautions for flying debris and make sure the work is held securely. And, don't let your welder use it if they do not how to, first. Otherwise you get missing teeth and a bent blade. All-in-all: It paid for itself in 2 days as I saved two days of additional welding (using fittings and cut pipe instead of just pipe cut on a 45s or 22s). And, since the blades are servicable, it costs way less over time.
Point-of-reference: I was cutting 3" Sch 10 galv steel pipe for exterior mounted gutter downspouts @ Las Lomas HS, Wlnut Creek, CA. I am a plumbing contractor.

I have owned this product for a year. Like most Jet equipment I own, this one arrived with minor (nuisance type) damage from being dropped. I am wondering if Tool Crib purchases the damaged equipment from Jet at a reduced price to garner higher profit margins.
The saw performs adequately although the accompanying blade did not have a long useful life. The rip fence is low quality and does not permit easy minor adjustments. The miter gauge is also poor quality. Maybe I'm spoiled by the more accurate fence on my table saw but for [price] I expected more attention to detail.
I am using the saw at the lower power level although it can be rewired for higher power.
I like the nice sized cast iron table but plan to build something larger to accommodate more intricate cutting.
The blade guides are not high quality and you should plan to purchase a better quality set.

Purchased my Jet 18" bandsaw with 3/4", 4 tooth blade bout a year ago. Before purchasing this saw I searched for as much info on bandsaws that was available. I am 100% satisfied with it.
Everything I cut is hard wood. I have cut up to 6" thick and even with the 3/4" blade, it was no problem for this saw.
The table surface area is one of the largest on any saw. That's nice! It's easy to clean and the hand wheel adjustments for the cutting height and blade tensioner makes life good.
I don't believe there is a better 18" saw out there for the money.

I, too, have had my 18" Jet bandsaw for almost a year, and it has been a pleasure to use in every respect. Mine arrived without damage or problem, and other than the difficulty of moving a 6' tall wooden crate weighing almost 400 pounds around, setup was straightforward and worked first time out.

I had some problems with blade drift (i.e., trouble cutting a straight line), which seemed to vary with the kind of wood, the blade used, and the tension. I finally made two purchases which I *highly* commend, both from Ittura Designs, a bandsaw supply company that provides an amazing range of accessories and expertise. The first is a tension gauge, to tell you how many psi you're really putting on the blade (note to experts: the Jet has no problem tensioning to 30,000 psi), but the turning point was a Lenox ProMaster iI carbide blade. This thing isn't cheap---over $100 for a single blade---but what an unbelievable difference! The tolerances and sharpness of this blade have made drift a thing of the past: I now cut through everything like a heated knife through butter. If you spend this much on a bandsaw, spend the extra $100 on one of these blades, otherwise you're wasting your time and your wood.

The finish on the saw seems good to these relatively inexperienced eyes; the dust collection works terrifically, and while the lower guides are indeed tough to adjust, the Euro-style rollers work well and seem to hold their adjustments. (One aside: a lot of bandsaw accessories, like zero-clearance inserts and Cool Blocks etc., don't seem to be available for the 18" Jet, so if you're a tweaker, you might want to look elsewhere).

In summary, this is my favorite tool in my workshop. When I started woodworking, I followed closely the "do you need a tablesaw, or can you make do with a bandsaw only" argument, and now that I've had my Jet for a year, with the ProMaster II carbide blade, I have no regrets about my decision to leave a tablesaw behind.

This was a lot of saw for the money so I dove in. Had it a month, used it twice, the fence broke where it clamps to the rail. Bought a 50 inch fence that doesn't shift an eighth to the right when set. Running with dado blades, saw stopped. Wasn't motor. The arbor seized up. Could spin it backwards but not forwards. It tightened like a screw. Maybe there's something I don't know but it seems that that is one thing a table saw should never ever ever do. Unimpressed and worried what's next. Should have spent the extra for the 2hp General.

I've owned this saw for three years now and love using it.

Pros: Great price for a belt drive, contractors saw! Extremely accurate rip fence! Plenty of power for the hobbyist. 30" rip capacity. Came fairly true right out of the box (needed little adjustment). Durability (mine's been in my garage for three years and no problems with climate change, etc.). Switch placement (I can turn off the saw with a bump of my hip or leg without having to reach for it. Greatly improves the safety of operation). Can be wired for 240v.

Cons: Rip fence flexes a little. Miter gage not extremely accurate.

Many people have complained about the splitter and blade guard. I've found that, once you get the splitter aligned properly, it works just fine and only takes two bolts to remove.

Buying a quality saw blade is a requirement with any new saw. I'd bet I'd still want to buy a few nice blades even if I bought a Unisaw.

You absolutely cannot beat this saw for the price. I will be upgrading the fence and the miter gauge and then I have no doubt that this saw will be with me for years to come!

I purchased this saw because it looked like a good saw for my money. Assembly was a breeze as well as alignment. Saw cut extremely smooth until one day the locking handle broke on the fence. Apparently it is made of a very poor quality Chinese cast metal. Upon calling for a warranty replacement I was informed that it would be at least six weeks before I could get a new one. That is not what a professional woodworker likes to hear.

I researched for months and found the reviews at Amazon made me decide on this saw. Almost bought the 8 1/2" Hitachi but comment about D Handle is right on. The vertical handle Hitachi has is awkwade and unconfortable to use. A lot of cutting fatigues the wrist. D Handle is great. Blade with the Dewalt cuts beautiful, cutting MDF 3/4" like butter and clean. Also crosscutting 24" stock with full 12" pass and fliping material. The slide makes it easy to line up exact ( no power on first to allign after flip). I like all the notches in the adjusting curve and I adjusted the 90 degree, easy with wrench that came with saw. Has a depth gauge that can be adjusted if you want to cut groves and not go through material. Easy flips out of way. Asked Carpenters in my development why they use Dewalt, answer, they like the saws and they are accurate, good enough for me. I am cutting material for finish carpentry and love the saw. Weight is very important to me and this saw is portable and light.
Saw came in 2 days with the free shipping, can't beat that!
Tony - Hamilton, NJ

I've been pleased with the saw's performance so far. However, I would suggest swapping out the included factory blade immediately. It tends to leave wood "feathers" at the end of your cuts. Swapping to a 60 tooth took care of the problem.

I do finish carpentry. Have used most of the saws made. This one is lite and is a nice saw. Only complant is that the right side has more distance then the left side for holding wood squaire against the fence. I use my left hand to hold the wood and right hand on the handle. Guess the engineer at Dewalt is left handed.

I ordered this saw on March 12, Amazon said that it would ship within a couple weeks, 7 weeks later I received a notice today that it would be delayed another 4 weeks. What a damn joke. I have bought my last item from Amazon!

My wife bought this Miter Saw for my birthday and WOW! I've worked with a lot of tools of varying quality and I have to say this is a very nice saw.

The upfront bevel controls and the ease of changing angles make this a dream to work with. Combine that with the clamp, crown stops and the fact it can be angled left or right with an ambidextrious locking control button - it takes all the guess work out of crown moulding. I love it!

I did have trouble with the laser. The laser is not built-in, it attaches to the side of the blade. It didn't seem to want to work properly, the light kinda flickered on then off for a few seconds, then on, all the while I had the blad spining. Changed the batteries and still same thing.

I called Bosch and they sent a replacement laser, no questions asked. I was highly impressed with the level of service. The lady said there really isn't a lot of troubleshooting because there is only one way to mount the laser.

My only con about this unit is the laser, and not because it flickered, but because there is only 1 and it was an afterthought of engineering not a built-in. I have worked with saws that have lasers on both sides of the blade and the fact that this unit only has it on the left is disappointing, but still workable. I'm sure I'll still be able to use the laser to make precision cuts, I'm just spoiled. :P

I highly recommend this product.

I already own one 4212L and I was encouraged to purchase another by the great Amazon deal fron early March '06 and the Bosch rebate of a free jigsaw. I was getting a little nervous as the saw was still not in stock as the deadline for the Bosch rebate was drawing near. I contacted Amazon, and then Bosch with the number they gave me. Good news! Bosch has extended the jigsaw rebate(both purchase deadline and postmark deadline) for 30 days. So you have until April 30, '06 to buy if you want in on the deal. Bosch said that the delay in shipping was their fault, not Amazons, and they expected to have these excellent saws back in retail channels by mid April. This is an excellent saw at full retail price and well worth a wait unless your need is dire. Throw in a free jigsaw (the best jigsaw on the market BTW) and what's not to love. Hope this info helps.

Now if they'd just offer a sweet deal on the Bosch miter saw stand, I'd be all set. First saw is on a PortaMate PM4400 which is a solid stand and a great value, but I wanted something a little more full featured for the new saw. And No!, I don't work for Bosch, but you'd never know it to look at my tool collection.

If you have a very light-duty trimming project, I'm sure this product will do fine. But I have a 10' laurel privacy hedge and it just wasn't up to the task.

I bought the NPT318 a week ago and I put it to the test this past weekend. The back of my parents yard is lined with Arborvitae 8-10' high and 4-5' wide. The cost of getting landscapers to trim them run $1500- $2000. It's a 2 day job. The last time I trimmed them I used an exta long electric hedge trimmer and a ladder. This year I used the B&D Pole Hedge Trimmer. Now the comments about the weight. The time I minded the weight a little was the second straight day I used it. Standing on the ground got most, but not all of the branches. On a few of the Arborvitae, I had to get on a ladder and extend across to get the tops. It seemed heavy at the time because I used the trimmer for at least 6 hr. straight the day before. But I liked the trimmer overall. It made it pretty darn easy to prune the sides and most of the top. There are a few suggestions made by others I read that I would suggest also for B&D.
1. Increase the voltage. The hedge trimmer did stop when it got to the heavy branches
2. Have the motor on the bottom with just the blade on the top.

Also I bought the B&D quick charger which came in handy. Having 2 batteries comes in handy. I had 3 batteries and worked the whole day keeping 2 batteries charging while using the other. I am glad I purchased it and I feel it was well worth the money.

I bought this Trimmer even after reading some of the negative reviews about it. Some folks complained their arms hurt quickly, well I will agree with another reviewer who said those folks may not have good upperbody strength. I use a wheelchair for daily life and I suppose my upperbody strength is better then most, I had no troubles with the weight of this trimmer even with using it for an hour.(Even after an hour the arms start to get sore). It's well balanced, easy enough to use, even to reach some pretty high places. The adjustable angle is a very nice feature and it came with a nifty blade cover and carrying bag. The length of time the charge on the battery lasted, was more then acceptable. Over all I am very pleased with this product.