Power Saws Reviews

I ordered three of these blades thinking I was going to receive the Permashield coated blades. I got the standard bare metal finish. They work fine just not what I expected/wanted.

I have the TKR407 on a Dewalt 12" double bevel compound sliding miter saw. The TKR407 is a good blade (better than the 60 tooth dewalt that came with the saw by a long shot) for general purpose work and mdf etc, however recently I have been using it for hemlock trim and the amount of tearout is too much for my liking, tearout seems to be less in harder woods such as oak and maple. If you are looking for a blade for finer work I suggest you look seriously at higher end blades instead, such as the Freud LU85 or Forrest chopmaster, they cost twice as much but perform better. I am a fan of Freud's blades in general, they may cost a little more than some, but I think they offer good value when you take into account that these blades last longer than the cheaper ones.

Overall this Makita JR180DWB is a good sawzall, but lacks refinement.

Cons:
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In use, it's not as powerful as its DeWalt 18v NiCad counterpart. This is surprising since, if I remember correctly, DeWalt's NiCad 18v batteries don't support the same amperage as Makita's NiMH 18v at 2.2 Ah. And although the batteries (18v 2.2Ah) will last apx. 4 minutes under continuous use when you first get them, don't expect that level of power to remain. I've had mine for about 18 months now and am lucky to get 2.5 mins. out of them.

In tight quarters or just unusual circumstances, the trigger release safety buttons can be cumbersome, even though it should be noted that the buttons are placed on either side of the handle for left or right handed use. (I deactivated mine.)

The plastic moulding of the body lacks Makita's usual level of refinement and the battery is notably difficult to remove, so much so that my last laborer kept handing it to me whenever it needed a new battery.

Pros:
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When I bought mine it was the only cordless sawzall with NiMH batteries, and I believe these batteries are a little better than typical NiCad. Although they are definetely not all they're trumped up to be by Makita, they do seem to hold up better to varying charge cycles, which is important if you're at work sites where your power cords get unplugged frequently, due, for example, to the usual cacophony of subcontractors trying to work simultaneously, or in my case, when I inadvertenly [angered] a fellow carpenter, only to suffer from the fact that he was working close to the turtle and I was 2 cords away. :(

The quick-release blade change system is easier to use than Milwakee's or Porter Cable's. My only concern about it, is that like the Porter Cable's it seems to wear faster than traditional hex-key systems. It's quick to use though and once you get spoiled, it's hard to go back.

The shoe adjustment is also toolless, but of a mediocre design that requires re-tightening over time.

Synopsis
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In all, I highly recommmend having a cordless sawzall. You may vary well be surprised at the diversity of applications it can be used for and it's one of my tools that someone usually grabs first. However you cannot have it as your only sawzall. It really can only serve as an alternative for a corded model at this point. But to weigh all matters, don't be too concerned by the fact that the batteries only last a couple minutes. Remember, that's of "continuous" use. To illustrate the point, my brother just filled a small 64 sq. ft. dumpster with branches with the use of only two batteries. I'd guess he made at least 30 cuts. The real bonus is in the hassle saved lugging around and rerouting cords. :) I purchased this model to have compatible batteries with my half-dozen other 18v cordless tools, but in all, this sazall is just in the middle of the pack.

Good deal for the price but not the best on the market. Take your cuts slower than normal, I have had bad luck with blade twist and the soft platic blade guide on this saw. It does seem to have a decent motor, plenty of power, and is nice and heavy. Just should be built a little more heavy duty up front.*****Addendum***** DO NOT BUY THIS SAW***** I thought it was ok, just kinda cheap, but on my fourth use, the front end of the saw totally fell apart leaving me stranded in the middle of nowhere Montana, with out a jig saw, on a big carpentry project. This thing is abosolutely worthless which is suprising because I'm pretty happy with my other Rigid cordless tools so far. Buyer beware this is a swing and miss for Rigid...maybe that is why they discontinued this item.TOTAL LET DOWN. WILL NOT BUY ANY MORE RIGID TOOLS...SORRY HOME DEPOT. I am a professional finish carpenter and take great care with my tools this was not misuse or abuse just an inferior tool.

This is a pricey set of wheels, but it does make it easy to move the panel saw around.

If you're looking to buy a jigsaw, this isn't one that you want. You've got to put a lot of pressure on it to make the cuts. You have to be so careful when applying pressure not to lean to the side or else the saw will tilt and your line won't be straight. Even if you only want a jigsaw for around the house projects, don't buy this one. Spend a bit more money on a different brand.

As a timber framer, I bought it to fill in between my Dewalt 8 1/4" and Makita 16". The thing that came in my shiny red box is all but useless as a tool. Some part of me hopes to read that Milwaukee never made a 10 1/4" saw and that what I bought was a backstreet knock-off. As others have said, the saw cannot be used for accurate deep cuts. If accuracy is not important, and your just looking for greater depth of cut, save some money and buy a cheap chainsaw. You will be happier with the results. I wish I had ponied up the money (about $465) for the Makita 10 1/4 the first time around, but here I go now. If after reading this you are still interested in this saw, I've got one for sale!

No offense to Taiwainese folks, I'm just big on domestic tools. Hey Amazon! Your Technical Data link says USA for Coutry of Manufacture. (I've noted in several instances of tools I know to be imported that the listing says they were made here.) The box, maybe but the saw was made in Taiwan. Maybe that was just the couple of these I've seen and used and the rest are made here (doubt it). Gave it two stars because even though it's junk, it's a Milwaukee and it's powerful. Not accurate like everyone else has said. Buy a Big Foot!

Complaints are overblown. I've used this for framing, fencing and decking without significant problems -- just a bit of fettling prior to each use.

Depth adjustment is by a WEIRD post-mount system -- never saw such a BIZARRE thing before. It's imperfect, but I can't suggest a better way to rigidly fix the position of blade-to-saw and get every bit of blade exposed for the deepest cuts.

Gauge of the base plate is a trade-off on weight (& balance) vs. durability. If I felt I couldn't rely on it, I'd have a steel plate base fabricated and fitted, but so far it works great.

Careful setup and periodic realignment are VITAL for accuracy on this beast (esp. as to pitch of cut -- that post-mount can shift), but take no real time once you learn the saw. [Hint: Take five minutes and fabricate a calibration slot block to keep the blade perpendicular to the base while tightening that crazy post-mount. Make extra calibration blocks for all angles you routinely use. Add a wide stand slot beside the blade calibration slot to provide a base to set the saw on between cuts, rather than dropping it on the ground to warp the plate, gall the plate and knock the saw out of alignment. Stop being a lazy, whinny dummy.]

I also use the Makita 5402NA 16-15/16" saw and the Skil HD5860 wormdrive 8-1/5" (as well as other great Bosch, Makita and Porter-Cable saws). Each one, like this, is a 5-star NICHE tool but only a 4-star GENERAL tool. Savvy?

I purchased this BS100 band saw as NEW from Amazon.com. I received in its place a used and damaged band saw. An attempt had been made - unsuccessfully - to repair the damaged top of the table. The plastic insert around the saw blade was damaged and discolored. The table top had huge saw marks in the table top slot. It appears that Amazon must be getting these Delta products from a gray market source that repackages used, damaged and defective products. Delta advised me that they do not ship saws in this condition. The Amazon motto should be "Let the buyer beware".

Hello , this saw works like a charm, I purchased another blade ( $10 HomeDepot ) which will cut a tighter radius, the saw comes with a very good blade. The Owners manual covers everthing well but it's hard to understand even if you know what you're doing ( fortunately I do so I was able to set-up the blade mechanism which is particularlly difficult on belt saws ). My wife uses this saw to cut out the grandchildren's initials as do my grandchildren, we keep a basket of scrap wood pieces nearby and have fun cutting things. The saw is quiet, fun, the light works wonderfully and is a fine asset. This saw is hard to be without if you are the person that likes making little things and fiddling round , we keep ours handy and wish that we had one 30 years ago. Amazon just about gives these things away, so I'm thinking about giving them as presents, it's hard to set up but it's worth the effort in that it is a great tool that is at the ready and very capable. This is a tool that I can't seem to do without but have done without all these years , that is my only regret.

I have had my BS100 Shopmaster for 4 years now, and I am a very satisfied user. I feel I have enough experience with the saw to see its shortcomings and virtues. It IS a great saw when you know and accept its limitations which are: (some can be overcome...)

1) Saw is designed and made for small scale woodworking. Period.
2) Low "power" for resawing or cutting thick hardwood stock (not designed for this, see 1).)
3) Blade wander can be a problem if saw used right out of the box with original guides and original blade (and in general, especially when using 1/4" blade).
4) This saw requires high quality blades to perform its best (not found in ordinary hardware stores).
5) Its small table is not sturdy enough for large, heavy workpieces, but will do for smaller pieces. (I have however used my saw for ripping 6'long 1 1/2" birch into smaller, straight strips, using a roller stand).
6) The saw is not ready to go out of the box - will require tuning for best performance.

I believe most of the problems people encounter with this saw are due to lack of experience with bandsaws because the 9" Delta is often their first saw. Problems are related to:

1) how to use the saw in general (use the saw for what it was intended for; some jobs are better done on other machines; some jobs are TOO BIG for this saw etc etc)
2) proper selection of blade for the job at hand as well as proper tensioning the blade.
3) set-up and tuning of the saw including wheel alignment, guide set up etc.
4) not knowing that there are different quality blades out there. Some are cheap, some are expensive - some are good, some are bad. You probably wouldn't want to buy the cheapest brand tires for your Porsche, right?
5) No gauge or guide can be used with any powertool without setting it up and checking, resetting and rechecking. So it goes with this bandsaw. The miter gauge and fence will have to be corrected for blade drift as for any other bandsaw on the market.

This review is rather long, but I think the saw deserves a thorough review to address some of the issues typical to many bandsaws, not only this 9" Delta. A bandsaw is more of a delicate "cutting instrument" than a cutting machine and requires tuning for top performance... Some experience is required to master the band saw to get the most out of it as with any instrument.

I don't have space for a large bandsaw, and I don't need the power of one either. If I were to buy another band saw, it would only be because I would be scaling up my woodworking to large pieces or heavy resawing, or to get another machine and set it up for a specialized task for one blade only... I would still keep my 9" Delta. It is too good of a saw to give away (read: sell used for cheap).

The saw will work pretty much out of the box, but if you don't take the time to tune it properly, you will most likely be disappointed. Realize that this is not a saw made for heavy resawing (though resawing of stock can be done using a proper blade). It is a small, quiet benchtop saw suited for small scale woodworking and this it can do very well. And its worklight is very handy.

Many of the "shortcomings" of a small saw like this can be overcome by tuning the wheels and setting the saw up properly e.g. like suggested in the Bandsaw Handbook by Mark Duginske or The Bandsaw Book by Lonnie Bird. Both are highly recommended. Before you buy any bandsaw, go through either of these two books and learn how to set up a band saw properly, including using the mitre gauge and setting the saw up for perfect mitre cuts and how to rip and resaw. This will also help you realize that straight cuts, resawing etc does require certain techniques whether you have a 9" Delta or a 36" RotoMatic industrial band saw with 2" blade. Both books will show you how to make an adjustable rip fence and other jigs helping you getting the most out of any bandsaw.

How to maximize its performance (or the performance of ANY bandsaw for that matter):

1) Throw away the blade that came with the saw, and buy a high quality blade e.g. Timberwolf. For resawing (yes - it can be done!) I use a 1/2" Woodslicer for resawing or ripping stock for boxmaking: Koa, oak, rosewood, maple etc. Works great, but feed slowly and the saw will not stall! The blade is rather expensive, but worth any penny if you need to resaw or do long rip cuts using this bandsaw. It also has a thin kerf so you won't overtension the saw. This blade will also make it easy to cut straight. Using the original blade or Delta's own blade or any other "regular" blades found in ordinary hardware stores WILL be a disappointment on this saw. I have never found Delta's own blades to be satisfying, but for somebody else, they might do. (Sorry Delta!)

2) Replace the guideblocks with Coolblocks (Woodcraft, Rockler etc). If you can't find the right size, buy oversize and file/grind it to fit (that is what I did). These will support and help clean and lubricate the blade. You could also make your own hardwood guides, but I found the Coolblocks to be the best. These guideblocks will also help support the blade for cutting curves.

3) Tune the saw when you have a high quality blade and coolblocks for your saw. Saw will run smoother, quieter and have more of its power available for sawing after the tuning. Tuning will also help stabilize the blade and avoid drift to the left or right. With proper setup, this saw IS capable of cutting straight! And vibration can mostly be eliminated by balancing and truing wheels! The saw is in itself very light and won't "absorb" or dampen the vibration as well as a large, cast iron machine. Mounting it to a heavy base is also advised.

4) Use slow feedrates and be gentle - it is a delicate machine - don't force-feed it.

5) Use the correct blade for the job. Don't use an 1/8" or 1/4" 14 TPI blade for resawing/ripping, and don't use the 3 TPI blade for cutting intricate patterns 1/8" thick stock....

6) Correct tensioning of the saw blade as well as proper wheel alignment/adjustment will avoid blade coming off the wheel by itself. A rough cutting technique can also cause the blade to come off.

7) Proper maintenance will keep the saw in top shape....

I would also suggest replacing the throatplate with one you make yourself (discussed in the books mentioned earlier).

The saw can very well handle a high quality 1/8" blade, but only after coolblocks and tuning. Don't even bother with 1/8" blade on a stock 9". (Others might disagree here.) Be aware that setting up the saw with an 1/8" blade is a little tricky until you learn how to prepare the saw for it.


I will rate this saw 5 stars. One star could have been taken away because if the saw had been equipped with a high quality blade and guide blocks, many problems would have been gone!!!! But then again, most bandsaws on the market are delivered with inferior blades and guides anyway. Recommended upgrades (Coolblocks, good blade) is about $35, and will greatly improve the performance. If you decide to buy this saw, buy one or the other of the recommended books mentioned as well. They will become your best manual and guide whether it is for tuning and setup, choosing the right blade or ideas for small projects!

This nailer has some design flaws that need to be addressed. I usually do extensive research on any tool before I purchase it but this was an impluse buy and I paid for it.

First off you should never try driving brads with this gun because the firing head is the width of a staple and leaves huge depressions in the wood for driving a brad. Might be fine for paint grade furniture or trim, but not stained.

Secondly, don't try driving 5/8" brads with this gun, constantly jambs because the nails have to travel on a track inside the loading rail and they don't quite make it to the firing pin.

Third, not enough power to countersink staples into plywood.

Fourth, it is difficult to aim where a brad is going because the firing pin is really designed for staples.

Fifth, after using it for awhile driving brads you will find that the staple will recieve uneven pressure driving the staple on either side because of the firing pin being worn on one side by the brads.

Spend the money and buy a seperate staple and brad gun. Stanley Bostitch is a great company but unfortunately with this product they fell short.

I got the 2 in 1 free when I purchased a Bostitch 15 gauge finish nailer. I haven't used it as a brad nailer, only as a stapler. I would have to say I am a bit disapointed. This gun rarely counter sinks into any materials I've tried it on. It leaves the staples flush with the surface or slightly protruding. The 2 in 1 one has never jammed on me, but I can't in good conscience recommend it either. If I had not gotten it for free I would have returned it for a dedicated finish stapler.

This is a lightweight nailer/stapler that can handle narrow staples and light gauge brads of up to 2 inches.

I have not used this tool much but about a third of my time so far has been spent fixing jams and the loading assembly. The loading magazine spring popped out, the magazine does not secure positively and it jams from time to time.

This is the worst Stanley branded tool I own. Looking for a replacement.

I have this saw. You can't put any pressure on the saw because it will kick the breaker. It vibrates unbelievably. The threads on the vise screw got messed up the very first time I used it. I've only had it for a couple of years with little use and the motor burned out already. I'm looking to buy a new chop saw and it will not be a Dewalt.

I bought the dewalt 871 14" chop saw because I was told it would cut metal. It cuts thin walled stock, but it doesn't cut a 3" mechanical tubing with 1/2" wall or 3" solid stock like promised. I could barely put pressure on the blade to keep it cutting. I don't feel like replacing the motor again.

I've had this for ~ a couple of years now. It's ok, and has decent power. It trips the ciruit breaker constantly when I try to cut through 1/4" square though, which gets annoying. It'll cut angle or thin stuff pretty quickly though.

But worst of all, is that weak miter clamp. First, it's hard to set it at the angle you want b/c you're never sure if you're exactly hitting the angle you want.. But when you do finally set it, after you tighten the work down, the whole clamp will move, and now you're at a different angle. Cheap!