Power Tools Reviews

I bought this scissors to use for cutting recycled clothing into rags for our job shop. In recent years I've found my hands won't take that kind of repetative work for any length of time without pain, so I went searching for a tool that would spare my aging hands. I chose Black and Decker's version of the electric scissors because of the company's reputation and because their scissors included a mounting bracket, making it possible for me to mount the scissors on a table and "feed" the material through it, effortlessly cutting it to whatever shape and size desired. I am SO IMPRESSED with the quality and power of this scissors, in such a small pkg and at such a reasonable price, that I've already decided to give it to several people on my list next Christmas. Wheather for heavier cutting jobs or light weight household chores, if you're looking for an excellent general purpose electric scissors, I don't believe you can go wrong with Black and Decker's Cordless Power Scissors. Every household should have at least one!

These are the greatest thing since sliced bread! I make purses out of heavy upholstery fabric, and these have saved my hands. They zip through any thickness without hesitation and came with a second scissor blade with a flat bottom just for fabric. The different scissor blades (there are two) snap off and on, don't make the mistake I did and try to unscrew them to change them...duh...I love these things. I would buy them again and again and again. They are easy to control, you can even cut sideways! I used to use a rotary cutter but these have sped up my work by at least 100%.

I am speachless. They cut out the armhole of a childs size 2 garment or 3 pair of denim shorts at once. Can't say more than that!

Having used many different brands of cordless drill/drivers over the past 15 years, I was curious about this new wave of impact drivers. I had the chance to use this DeWalt driver (a friend's) and I can report that I was extremely impressed with it. In all fairness, this isn't a comparison since I have never used any of the competitor's impact drivers, but the DeWalt was more than I thought it would be.

Power - there's all you would ever want here. I was driving 3" screws into treated lumber and quickly noticed two things. The driver didn't hesitate while driving the screws home and compared to my standard drill/driver I had to apply much less pressure on the rear of the gun to keep the bit from slipping on the screw head.

Size/Weight - You don't notice how much a good drill/driver weighs until you use something like this that is more powerful and yet weighs less. Though the size is tiny compared to what I am used to, it doesn't feel unnaturally so.

Value - though this is probably the best tool I have ever used to drive a screw, it is expensive so the vaulue per dollar isn't what it could be. If I were starting from scratch on a collection of tools, I would think seriously about this one. As it is, I already have two DeWalt drill/drivers and will probably not justify replacing them at this cost.

Overall, this is a great tool that I feel justifies the impact driver craze that is currently going on. If you build decks for a living, run to buy one of these. If you are a weekend warrior, get more bang for your buck by getting a good deal on a 12-14.4 volt drill/driver instead...

This tool is great. It has high speed (~2200 rpm) until you need high torque, and then it has that too. I use it for almost everything rotary from 1.5" spade bits to little twist drills to driving big screws. It has most of the torque and speed of the 18V unit yet it is small and light and compact. I've owned battery operated drills for ~25 years and this impact driver is a big leap forward. The only issue I have with these is that they are NOISY.

I remodelled my deck last summer, and used this to fasten the new decking (5/4" x 6" Trex boards). With a fresh charge, I found I could drive about 50 2-1/2" composite deck screws, with no predrilling, before the battery needed recharging. It's not the ideal tool for someone who does this professionally, but it worked great for me. Since then, it has come in handy for dozens of things around the house. In particular, it's very good at driving Tapcon concrete screws. The impact action produces a great deal of torque for its small size, but it lacks a clutch, which makes it easy to twist the heads off screws. That aside, it has lived up to all of my expectations, so I think it merits 5 stars.

My first circular saw and I like it a lot. Easy to use. I replaced the blade with a diamond edge masnory blade to cut 2 inch think flagstones, it cuts like butter. Great saw.

I am obsessive about researching my purchases, especially with tools. Not wanting (or needing) a heavy worm-drive saw, I narrowed my search to the Hitachi (well-rated), Milwaukee 6391 (top-rated by many magazines), Bosch CS20 (also top-rated), and Porter-Cable MAG (again, top-rated). However, I also take most magazine reviews with a grain of salt - always get actual consumer reviews and get your hands on the item.

While the Milwaukee is a great saw with a great reputation, the Tilt-lok seems like a nice "bonus" feature but I usually believe "The simpler the better" principle (less stuff to break down or cause issues) and wanted something a bit lighter. I didn't like the "composite plastic" Bosch plate and have seen other durability issues (see reviews on Amazon). The Porter-Cable was a front-runner (I love PC tools), but again there seemed to be some durability issues in some reviews, wondered about the fancy plastic dust port clogging, and the price was $50 more (is it worth 50% more money??). So, after handling all of these saws at the store, I really liked the Hitachi best - plus a perfect 5 star rating here at Amazon (until the guy who posted incorrectly about the warranty). I couln't find any faults - it is very light, powerful and accurate (dead-on 90 degrees and 45 degrees out of the box). The blade brake isn't as fast as I hoped, but still several seconds faster than without (and those several seconds could make the difference between "Ouch!" and "Take me to the emergency room!"). The stock blade is better-than-average, the plate is rock-solid and nicely designed, nice dust control and it has great visibility. Some people might not like that the plate tilt does not have any markings to tell what depth it is set at - however, I usually "eye-ball" the blade depth for a cut anyway, and if I really needed to be accurate I would actually measure the depth instead of relying on the rough measures on the tool (plus, the bar used to raise/lower the plate is enclosed - so it won't collect sawdust and dirt). To top it off, it does carry a 5-year warranty (unlike a previous poster stated), plus the brushes are replaceable for extended life.
I'm sure all the saws I mentioned would be a great choice, but for the money I betting on the Hitachi!

I first bought a Skil 5750-01, thinking that the laser guide would be great. I liked having the extended line of sight, but that was the only plus to that particular piece of equipment. I immediately returned it, and bought the Hitachi. Wow, was that a good idea. Perfect 90 degrees at catch, the other measurements for angle are off, though, and it doesn't tilt all the way to the 55 degree miter. The first thing I did was change the blade, a snap with the tool provided in the case from the factory (nice touch, Hitachi!), store the old one on the gripping spindle in the case (another thoughtful addition) and cut through a piece of 3/4" 7-layer birch plywood. Perfect performance, and the brake isn't too hard, so there's almost no kickback when you drop the trigger.

There is no denying that this is the best plate joiner on the market. It can produce repeatable, accurate and precise joinery in ways that the other plate joiners simply can't match. The laminated card with settings that allow precise centering of biscuit slots for varying thicknesses of wood will be really handy. I have zero complaints about this machine...except...when I ordered it from Amazon I was sent a unit that had obviously been opened and resealed. On delivery the wooden case was severely damaged (the bottom was pushed off and the center divider was fractured) and the angled dust chute guide had been mounted on the machine, and was broken. I tried to repair the case, but then why should I settle for damaged goods? I have to send the unit back for a replacement. I appreciate Amazon's return policy, but I really don't think I should have to go through this. There was no damage to the outer box it was shipped in, or any visible damage to the manufacturers box. I think this machine was damaged before shipment. I don't think we expect to receive "refurbished/damaged" goods when buying from Amazon, and I'm disappointed. I'll reserve final judgement until after I get a "new" unit.

Great product, delivers consistant result at all the time. cons: No dust bag. I mean it doesn't come with one. You may have to order from the company, and the dust outlet has a plastic holder. Mine was broken when I received it. I'm going to glue it back on.
I haven't contact Amason.com about it,but that outlet should have been a better material anyway. It comes strongly Recommended. You want a good product? as a civil engineer I strongly recommends it.

Lovely machine and as smooth as advertised. glad I purchased. The wood case is a little much. It just holds the joiner loosly. Not at all a custom fit. Would have thought this expensive a toy would be cradled somehow rather than left to just rattle around.. Oh well, hope it didn't represent a major $ amount in the purchase 'cause it's kind of "cheesy"

I bought this vacuum in March 2002 in an attempt to find the best of both worlds - my husband prefers an upright, I prefer a cannister. The vacuum does an excellent job in cleaning. I especially appreciate the filtration of the bags and the filter. The air in the house does not smell or feel dusty after vacuuming as it did with all of our other vacuums and the house stays cleaner longer. This vacuum is extremely noisy compared to my old Eureka cannister. My husband says it is quieter than most uprights and that I find it noisy because I'm used to a cannister model. With an upright, the motor is in front of me, so I hear the roar all the time. With the cannister, the motor was several feet behind me when I cleaned. Even in Lift Off mode, the loud motor is always next to me. My compromise is to wear those foam ear plugs to buffer the sound while cleaning. I am not able to vaccum underneath the furniture as well with this Lift Off model because it has a higher profile than the powerhead on my old cannister. Overall we are happy with our purchase and feel that this is a good value. Would I buy this model again? Probably not. When this one wears out I'll look for a cannister model with the filtrete clean air technology (or similar).

***update***
This vacuum cleaner caught fire and started spewing smoke after 2 1/2 years of use. I would have needed to pay for the shipping to have it repaired under the warranty. The shipping costs were almost as much as the vacuum. We threw it out and bought a Miele. What a difference!

I have always had truble with vacumes! This one is soooooo powerful and I've had it for about a year now and its still great

I liked my first cannister/upright Bissel vacuum so much that I purchased a second one. This is the best vacuum, for the home, on the market. Believe me, I have tried them all. The bags are expensive but the vacuum is so good that I tolerate the price of the bags, plus the cost of the vacuum is very inexpensive considering the quality. A very nice feature is the long cord. You can plug it in and vacuum several rooms without having to unplug, then plug in again. It is a quiet vacuum, has wonderful suction, snaps apart easily for the cannister so you can vacuum the stairs, and is very durable. My older one is about ten years old and just as good as the day I got it. My second one is one year old and I am sure it will last many years.

I really like this tool. The plunge release/lock mechanism is th ebest around. MUCH nicer than dewalt's or PorterCable's. The motor is smooth and the micro-adjust mechanism works beautifully. My only complaint is that the top is not flat and bit changes are a little less convenient as a result. Pretty minor compared to the tool's overall performance.

It was either this one or the Dewalt DW621, the two best routers in this class. For the readers sake I will compare its features to the Dewalt. Both machines are 2HP, both have a smooth plunge but the Dewalt wins in this respect. They both have dust extraction, Bosch via an attachment and the Dewalt built into one of the plunge posts. If you do not hook up the Dewalt's dust extraction you will inhale the dust and eat the chips. They both employ Soft Start and are variable speed with constant speed technology. As for motor noise the Bosch certainly wins, it has half the noise of the Dewalt, and is comfortable to operate without hearing protection. Both machines have micro adjustment knobs, the Bosch's can be adjusted while the plunge is locked, the Dewalt's cannot. The micro gauge reading on the Bosch is much easier to understand than on the Dewalt. I like the 1/8 step graduations on the depth stop rather than the three post adjustable on the Dewalt. This feature is a user preference you can make your own assumption. The base on the Bosch is larger and more conventional than the Dewalt's. As for quality you can't go wrong with either, time will tell. Bosch makes an excellent product, take the quality for the best and study the features you need.

It was either this one or the Dewalt DW621, the two best routers in this class. For the readers sake I will compare its features to the Dewalt. Both machines are 2HP, both have a smooth plunge but the Dewalt wins in this respect. They both have dust extraction, Bosch via an attachment and the Dewalt built into one of the plunge posts. If you do not hook up the Dewalt's dust extraction you will inhale the dust and eat the chips. They both employ Soft Start and are variable speed with constant speed technology. As for motor noise the Bosch certainly wins, it has half the noise of the Dewalt, and is comfortable to operate without hearing protection. Both machines have micro adjustment knobs, the Bosch's can be adjusted while the plunge is locked, the Dewalt's cannot. The micro gauge reading on the Bosch is much easier to understand than on the Dewalt. I like the 1/8 step graduations on the depth stop rather than the three post adjustable on the Dewalt. This feature is a user preference you can make your own assumption. The base on the Bosch is larger and more conventional than the Dewalt's. As for quality you can't go wrong with either, time will tell. Bosch makes an excellent product, take the quality for the best and study the features you need.

A great tool for driving fasteners. Our batteries last much longer than a drill driver!

I work installing overhead door and gates and tool exeeds my spectation one thing I love the most is that the battery last a long time

no problems, this is the best screw gun. I'm sold

Received mine and have been setting it up for a while now.

Electrics -
Ran 220V from the dryer outlet, probably violating code. Don't try this yourself unless you understand what single phase means. The unit comes with bare wires ready to be hard-wired. Was unable to find a 220V extension cord, so made one myself. 20 amp wire and NEMA connectors.

Breakage in Transit -
The unit had tipped over in shipment. I noticed a ding in the fan cover. Actually, I noticed a loud racket when I tried turning the blade by hand. The fan was rubbing the shroud. A little work with a hammer and pliers fixed that. But I didn't know that there was a related problem until I tried to set the blade to 90 degrees. Stuck my head inside to see what the problem was and found ... a three once chunk of cast iron that had snapped off the flange that holds one of the main trunnion shafts. This was the point that gave out when the whole unit fell on the motor. Thank goodness I hadn't turned it on yet. The blade had a good chance of rotating into the table when I tilted it.

Cleaning -
Removing the preservative is actually easy, once you find the right solvent. Instructions call for a degreaser or citrus based cleanser. I had a "Clean Off" between a degreaser, an orange-based cleanser and Goof Off. the first two didn't even make a dent. Goof Off removed it very effectively, but have a lot of ventilation if you use it.

Support -
Grizzly is sending me a new flange and says I will have no problem replacing the broken piece. Very good interaction with them. I was worried I would have to ship the whole unit back. Getting it into the basement almost gave me a hernia.

Will update this after I get to actually cut wood.

When shipped, they shipped the wrong fence, wrong rails, and incorrect bolt bags for the optional sliding table. After about a week, I had all the parts needed to assemble the saw. Customer service was great. Nothing but good things to say about that.

The shipping was faster then expected. I ordered the saw on a Monday, and it was in my shop on Wednesday PM. No issues other then the missing/wrong compenents. Mistakes happen. Not a big deal.

The pro's have all been mentioned in other reviews. Simply: It's a great saw. To me, it's just as good as the Unisaw, which I've also used. I like to say that overall, The Unisaw and PM66 are production saws meant to cut 1000's of board ft a day. The G1023S is also a production saw, but only good for about 500 board ft a day. That's the only difference in performance that I can see.

The Cons:
The shop-fox fence: It's always compared to the Biesmeyer T-Square, but I can tell you - It's only in appearance - not performance. The cam lock on the shopfox is flimsy, and has serveral reports of breaking off with moderate pressure. It's not as heavy, and it uses a pesky guide foot that slides across the rear-rail. This foot gets bound up when the real rail is full of sawdust - something saw's are known to create! The good news is - the guide tube DOES fit real Beismeyer fence - which is how mine is set up. The hex nuts to square the ShopFox weren't real tight on mine, and require lock-tite to keep em in place. I think it's worth noting that I already owned the Beisemeyer commerical fence. I'm not sure If I would be as particular if I didn't have it in house to compare.


The optional sliding table looked like a good idea - but after giving it a real effort to align it square with the table, it lacks the capability to remain aligned. The roller guides have too much play in them to remain sqaure, and if tightened, they will often bind up when making a cut. If set too loose, the table will fall off.

You're also required to cut 12" off the left side of the fence guide tube to attach the sliding table. This kind of permenent alteration needs to be concidered. That end 12" portion is where the power switch was designed to mount. When the switch was re-mounted further in on the tube, it get's in the way of the blade hieght wheel when the blade is beveled over 45 degrees. Still workable, but making these types of alterations to a new machine just doesnt seem right.

If you're planing of ripping large format stock (anything over 24" square) the sliding table needs to be removed because it only has 24" from it's butt end to the first toe of the blade. It's setup also requires the sliding table to be set 1/16" above the saw table so the fence clears. This in of itself will cause any cross-cuts to have a 1/16" unintended bevel - almost defeating the purpose of the sliding table!!

For ANY dust collector to work properly, it needs a defined air-flow path. This means you absolutely need the optional motor cover! This is something I think Grizzly should include as part of the package. Without it, your only collect dust that happens to pass over the 4" hole - if your lucky.

Overall - I wouldn't trade this saw for anything less then a Robland X31. Which is a very unlikely purchase.

I'm not sure how you could find a better saw for the money than this. Sure, the cardboard box and flimsy pallet needs improvement, but the company/freight line will stand by any issues....at least they did in my case...had some damage to one of the extension wings...Grizzly took right care of it.

The saw set up perfectly right out of the box. Blade parallel to miter slots. Straight up 90 and perfect 45 stops were right on. Extension wings bolted on and were flat on first try. Fit and finish were very nice on the cabinet. Holy Mackerel this sucker is POWERFUL. If you are a home hobbiest, this is all the saw you will ever need and it seriously overlaps into the professional saw space as well. Loved the Shop Fox fence. Miter gauge is pretty standard.

Well done Grizzly....just protect your fine product a bit better in shipment.....

I've had this drill for about a month, and used it to drill 3/8" cast iron plate. This drill has plenty of power and torque, it will not bog down. It has a very comfortable fit in your hand, and has a two finger trigger which is very nice. If you need a strong hand drill, you won't disappointed.

One thing to watch out for is the trigger lock, if you don't pay attention you can set it without knowing it, and if the drill bit binds. You can not hold this DRILL, other than that, for the money a excellent drill

We've never owned a really good drill before so this one was such a pleasure to use. It just works. I haven't had reason to use the detatchable driving handle much but it's nice to have. The best part is the electric brake. It has prevented a lot of stripping. This thing is heavy and without a strong hand, the mixture of the powerful torque and something like a hole saw could rip this drill right out of your hand; that's where the electric brake comes in but watch your wrist. So, hold on tight because this is a great drill.

I just got this drill and used it to secure some oak planking on a bridge we are building. The drill had plenty of power to sink 4" lag screws through the 2" thick oak planks (after drilling pilot holes, of course) and into the underlying structure. An older Craftsman drill that another guy had couldn't even get the screws started into the hard oak planks.

The removable side handle is a must in situations where you need a lot of torque. I let someone else try to use this drill and the first time it spun itself right out of their hands. The grip is very comfortable with just a little bit of rubber to help prevent slipping and I really like the two finger trigger. As another reviewer mentioned, the brake works well and the drill stops quickly. Overall an excellent drill, I am very pleased with my purchase.

The Dust Hood was exactly what I expected, was packed well and delivered as promised--Thank you. bogie sends

I have two DW733 planers. I bought one new and it came with a plastic hood. Nice because you could just snap it on and off. But it would sometimes fall off from the vibration. I ordered this hood for my 2nd planer which I bought used and didn't come with a hood. Much nicer! Screws on SOLID and won't vibrate off. Ok, so you have to unscrew it to access the knives...but how often is that done anyways?

i just hooked this hood up to my planer and shop vac and ran a cedar board through from 3/4 to 1/2 inch .the amount of shavings it didnt collect was negligable compared to the deluge of shavings i used to sweep up,the hood is made of steel and installs easily with the screws supplied.as i previously stated,,,why did i wait so long to get this??? i highly reccommend this item.