Power Tools Reviews

This saw was not designed for the homeowner but for the professional carpenter.

It will be too heavy for the casual board cutter and the great design features will only be apparent to skilled pro's.

Circular saws have been built following the same basic design for years. Expensive circular saws had strong, durable motors and heavy duty fences while the cheapies had poor fences and poor motors. The depth and angle adjustments in either group were at best a suggestion of precision.

Dewalt to their credit decided to build a better saw and succeeded masterfully. The other saw manufacturers are still doing things the same old way.

What's great - Heavy duty fence, clear view of the cut point from the left hand side of the saw, notch to position power cord so it is out of the way on rips, clear and precise depth and angle adjustment, unbelievably smooth and powerful motor.

What's not - it's heavy yet it's mass makes it very stable

Several years ago I had a chance to use a friend's Dewalt DW364. It was so amazing that I hoped my venerable Makita 8 1/4" contractor saw would die. The Makita is still running strong (it's 22 years old) but I finally bought a DW364 anyway.

The makita gets used for framing - the dewalt for finish work.

As a side note - I have never seen a professional carpenter use a rip fence.

Caslo

Its a bit heavy, but it is also the best circular saw I've ever owned!

Way back in '89 I destroyed a worm gear drive saw. I replaced it with a major brand, big discount store, consumer grade saw,,, then 2 more. Finally I realized that I had spent as much as a nice commercial grade saw would have cost, in just 4 years !! So I began studying and researching and found this saw. I never did like the way that the worm drive saw would torque to the side when I pulled the trigger. The saw wasn't hard to control after the initial start-up but that sideways jump annoyed me. So I didn't even consider another worm drive saw. This saw looked rugged enough and the base plate was precisely adjustable for paralell to the blade. I was sold. It self destructed in '04.
I did a short overview of what was available and still couldn't find anything I liked better,,so, in '04 I bought another one. This time though the saw has been upgraded to 15 amps from the previous 13 amps, and I couldn't be happier. 10 or 11 years from now if this one goes out again, I'll buy another one gladly. The smoothest running, straightest cutting, easiest to control saw I've ever seen has no competition. Well,,, maybe the 8 1/4 inch version of the same saw.

I bought this drill last April, and used it few times, and then it stopped working last week. I was a bit surprise it broke so soon. Took it to the DeWalt service center for repair. After it was examined, I was asked where I bought. I told them it was from Amazon. And then I was told they have found inside parts that were broken and cheap, and not genuine DeWalt parts. They suspected someone just simply rebuilt the drill with cheap parts. Anyway, they fixed the drill for me. So be warned.

I am very pleased with the quality of the drill. I was disappointed when I opened the box, because I had assumed that a kit would also include the bits. A short walk to home depot, and $18 fixed my problem, and it's still a great bargain even when you add the price for the bits.

I am usually suspect about reconditioned tools, but this tool looks exactly like the brand new model I bought my brother for Christmas, and the performance is identical. A great drill for the price with a case included.

I love the Hitachi 10" and 8 1/2" sliding compound saws for their lightness, compactness, and portability. The power and accuracy is all one could ask for. The range of motion, mitering 57 degrees to the right, is awesome. Sounds good so far, right? Well, no . . . I will never buy another unless they change one thing:

That miter scale, with those idiotic 10th pitch marks (It's the USA, folks, and we do some things different!), crown miter marks and preset angle marks crowded on an already hard-to-read scale with poorly cast markings, is impossible to read. Many other finish carpenters agree.

I complained to a Hitachi rep. at a big tool exhibit about this and he actually told me that Hitachi wasn't going to change their tool "just for me." OK, fine! I'll take my business elsewhere.

It's too bad. It's a pretty good tool with one huge flaw that, in my opinion, makes it too-much-hassle to use.

I've owned my saw for about 5 years. It was recommended to me by a friend who is a professional chippy (his boss later bought two of them). I use it for home projects so it doesn't get the thrashing a professional might have given it. I'm very happy with it's accurate and clean cuts, and with its smooth action. I've bought a second spindle and bolt for the vise clamp so I have one on each side (saves the time and hassle of unscrewing that long thread when changing sides).

On the downside: the angles are a little hard to read; I've broken one orange plastic indicator on the bevel scale; and I find the depth adjustment bolt cumbersome to use. I suspect it is not robust enough to withstand being dropped although with the rear "holder" fitted it shows no tendancy to tip over backwards (a problem another reviewer mentioned). These are not enough to take away my enjoyment.

Ironically, here in New Zealand it's sold as a 10 1/4" saw and comes standard with a 262mm blade, although the instructions state categorically "Never attempt to install saw blades larger than 255mm (10") in diameter." - I wonder if the warranty was void before I left the shop!

This is a great tool. I bought it when it first came out and heve been the most impressed from day one. It is 6 years old now and cuts as good now as ever. It is light years more accurate that the dewalt or makita saws. I suggest buying a black paint pen with the saw and putting the pen on the 0 mark and every slash mark along the angle scale at every ten degree marks then the angle scale is easy to see. One of the nicest things is that the detents are easy to adjust minutely from for finish work and still work well enough for framing. IF the bevel marker brakes making a new one from colored tin is easy and then the tin can be bent closer to the scale for faster more accurate bevel settings. I wish I had done that sooner.

I purchased this nailer about 2 years ago for my father, Ive used many times, until Igot used to it I did change the trigger. The bump trigger is great once you've practiced with this thing. Its very light and can drive almost anything. But, only use stanley nails. I used another brand from the local lumber yard and they did not fit and almost broke the nailer.
I would rocommend this nailer for any task dealing with construction or remodel. However Id recommend a coil framing nailer for sheeting, stick nailers dont hold enough nails for sheeting work.

I am a framing contractor in the northeast. I have been using Bostitch N80 nail guns for the last 15 years. From 90 degree temps in the summer to zero degrees in the winter, they always work. I have a total of 22 Bostitch guns, some being as old as 15 years. The framing nailers I get at least 5 years of day after day service. The most common break down is either lack of oil or breakage from the guns being dropped. (they have to really be dropped from high up onto a hard surface such as a concrete slab) All of the production framers in this area use Bostitch, the best of the best. Thank you Stanley for making a product that enables us contractors to make our living with a minimum amount of headaches.
Claude Post Jr, Saugerties, New York

A rugged tool that will last a long time with a couple drops of oil in the morning. Minor double firing, usual with all guns with this type trigger. If you don't have one, get one, you won't be sorry.

Nice saw with impressive power from the 18V batteries. Good ergonomics and handling with the following exception: Narrow blade opening in the table and the ample blade guard makes it a bit difficult to get a good view of the blade and your cut line while cutting. I thought a saw with the blade on the left would minimize this problem, yet with some adjustment from my usual cutting position, it still works pretty good.... its just in those situations when you don't have the 'ideal' position to make your cut that you really notice it. Charger recharges drained batteries fairly quickly, and as a bonus... the 18V batteries also fit my Milwaukee reciprocating sawzall.

After checking and trying several options including 3& 4 piece "package Deals" I decided I did not need the other items and this was the best saw for my purpose, it was also made in the USA. I am pleased with my decision.

You simply can't bog this guy down. I compared this to a Hitachi C6DC and although the Hitachi was slightly more comfortable, I couldn't get used to the blade on the right and the Milwaukee seemed to get through 2x8s effortlessly. The Hitachi could get the same job done, but it was worked harder than the Mil. Great tool.

Like his corded brother this saw is top notch as far as the mechanical aspects go. There is a definate problem though with the batteries. They do not stay charged for very long, and unfortunately for me I purchaced before I read the reviews of other customers explaining that the batteries are only good for about a year. Hopefully Milwaukee will design a better system soon.

one of the best saws for light demo , when your crawling through a tight space or a long run from an outlet.
I still carry a corded monster for big stuff.

I already have a super sawzall but there are places I need a sawzall where I can't get to electricity (like up in a tree). I bought this saw for the small stuff including pruning small branches, roots, etc.. This is a lot better than having to drag out the chain saw. If you don't need a sawzall very often, this is an excellent quality saw for the homeowner. I have other Milwaukee tools and am very satisfied with them also.

I am disappointed with this purchase.

I was looking forward to having a great new tool to work with this weekend. I've never owned anything by Porter-Cable, so I was looking forward to a quality tool. But I disovered problems that made me spend a couple hours trying to figure out what if anything is wrong. Now I'm going to have to find out how to get it repaired or just send it back. This, I'm sure, will take another couple hours and maybe I won't have the tool for several weeks.

The problem is that the extended blade guard rubs up against the saw blade. The edge of the saw blade comes very close to this guard. It has very little clearance on one side and a lot of clearance on the other side. It makes contact when adjusting the depth of cut. I really don't want to see what happens when the blade is spinning at 4,500 RPM and hits this guard. Not to mention if I get a blade with thicker carbide teeth.

Other problems: I had to add a little oil. After following instuctions to check oil level, I determined that some gear oil was needed. Also, there is some cheesy looking stop bolt on the bottom of the saw body that contacts the sole plate at the deepest cut setting. This looks like it doesn't belong.

The manual is very poor. The diagrams are hard to read. I had trouble identifying parts. I had assumed that Porter-Cable would be made in the US. Wrong. Made in Mexico.

I wish someone made a quality corded trim saw. I'm probably not going to use it enough to justify a rechargeable system. Also, I think I would be a little more careless with a cordless cutting tool.

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One very usefull little trim saw! Worm drive works very well and seems to handle anything lite. You can not cut a 2x4 with this so don't buy it thinking you can.

The only thing porter cable should have done with it is to have provided a box for it!!

The saw is much to easy to break or bend if not placed in some kind of box when transporting it. The size of this saw makes it very hard to find just the right size box as well....

But we have to give the tool itself 5 star because it works very very well!

A bit on the "To high priced side" with out a storage box however!

I purcahsed this saw a few months back after salivating for it for a few years now. I couldn't justify purchasing this saw when my table saw and circular saw more than do the job, but finally I got sick of using those bigger tools for small jobs and that's I finally gave in to this purchase.

Now this item isn't the cheapest option available out there but by far in my eyes it's the best and worth every penny. Right out the box with the stock blade the saw does a good job on various thicknesses of wood. I haven't had the pleasure of using it on plexigass yet but I'll get there. Overall though, I definitely recommend this saw but remember this is a trim saw. You have your regular circular saw and or table saw for the big jobs. This saw is more for the small little jobs or cutting trim, etc. Enjoy!

PS... My only complaint is that this tool does not come with a case. In my eyes, every power tool should come with its own case.

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Bosch invented them, black and decker destroyed Em!

This is the most accurate barrel grip we have in our cabinet and door company. This tool is just outstanding! I have a small problem with my right hand, turning my wrist is getting harder the more I build!

The ease of this tool in rotation gives me dead on cuts every time. If your working out a large template on a 4 X 8 sheet of 9 ply not a problem this tool will eat wood all day long!

The very problem most cabinet makers have is the saw dust getting on the cut line... Not with this tool. Directional air blows the lines clean for a perfect cut every time!

I have to give this tool a 9.5 out of 10.
Worth every dime!!

Having always used top handle jig saws in the past,
I thought I would replace my stolen jig saw with
this inovative barrel grip style.
It is everything as advertised. The barrel grip is
easy to hold and control, better in my opinion that
top handle styles. This saw is powerful and easily powers
through stock.
The only thing I could suggest improvement on is the Power
Switch. It is a thin surface mounted switch that is a bit
difficult to operate. For me, in one handed operation, it requires me to extend my thumb an unnatural distance to turn
it on and the same to turn it off. So with the saw running, I
have to extend my arm and contortion my thumb to turn it off.
This issue is minor trust me, the saw in total more than makes
up for it.

Someone finally got it right!

Starting with the blade install/removal. You push the blade into place. That's it, no tools, no twists, no turns or other mechanicions. Removal is even easier! Slide the release lever and the blade is ejected! This is the perfect blade handling system!!

The barrel design offers better control than traditional "top handle" models. For some this may be a matter of preference. This tool is an extension of my hand.

The (retractable) blade guide offers excellent stability for the blade. This is especially useful when cutting thicker (over 3/4") stock. This feature greatly reduces the blades tendency to "wonder" to the outside of a curve cut. This feature would typically not be used for sheet metal.

At over 6 amps, the 1591 is among the most powerful jig saws made. Despite the power, this unit is relatively vibration free. This is especially important for a barrel grip design, where you are basically holding the motor body. I have found this tool to be powerful enough to replace many reciprocating saw applications, while offering lighter weight and greater control.

The lone drawback to this design is the slide switch. While the speed is thumb wheel variable, it does not offer the variable speed trigger, common in top handle models (aka Bosch 1590). I have (and love) both models, but usually reach for the barrel grip model.

If a variable speed trigger were available on the barrel grip model, the saw would be perfect.

This saw will cut. We have 5 of them. We cut 3/8" aluminum plate with no problem and have yet to burn one out or break a gear box in 2 years.

The draw backs are we have to keep a stock of the arms for the blade guard. They are plastic a keep breaking. If the saw is dropped the cast aluminum arms that hold the base on can break. To fix it the whole gear box housing has to be replaced.

I compared this saw to a Milwaukee 6390. Advantages of this model are the rear pivot (you don't need to adjust the handle to keep it close to the shoe, it's always where you want it) and the blade brake. The brake stops the blade in 2 to3 seconds, the Milwaukee has no brake and takes 3 times that long. If I had bought this saw first and never tried the Milwaukee, I never would have looked back. This saw is a bit heavy, but it balances well, feels solid, and cuts very very well.

In the end this saw gets second place for two reasons. First, although there is a nice big notch in the upper blade guard to let you see your cut line, the front-mounted height adjustment is in the way so you have to lean forward to get a peek. Second, the Milwaukee just turns wood to vapor. The Dewalt is a very strong saw and never bogged down a bit. But the 6390 feels like magic when it cuts. It's not just the blade, I swapped them and while the Endurance blade is far superior to the DeWalt, either way the Milwaukee just makes you want to cut your picnic table in pieces for the sheer joy of it.

Well I had this saw for 10 years now and I love it. The flat alum base doesnt scratch the work and the adjustment works well. I've used this saw on a plywood base like a tablesaw and it preformed well. The electric brake continues to work, it's a nice safety feature. It is a professional quality saw and I would buy this saw again.

I have the anniversary model (gold rather than green) of this nailer, purchased new. For my purposes, lack of depth control is not an issue. I wanted a sequential trigger to avoid doubling when used by other community-service volunteers who are inexperienced with bouncing the nailer to place one nail at each location. The price for a single-fire trigger has dropped to about $57, but that's still pricey.
Here's the alternative: Most commercial framing crews want a bounce-fire-only trigger in the newer NR83A2's which come with selective actuation triggers. Some owners of the older NR83A would like to have selective actuation (or at least single-shot capability). The triggers are swappable. I now have a NR83A with the NR83A2 trigger. I did not have to purchase another trigger, since it was traded to the other nailer.

I have to admit I am a home improvement retard and not a professional. But, I have done basically all my work myself with my own tools, with the guidance of friends involved in various trades. That said, starting out framing, I grew tired of borrowing guns so I decided to look into buying one. I asked around and I looked at what framers who work with their tools day in and day out where using. 99% of the ones I came accross where using the NR83A and said if it ever became unusable they would immediately buy another. I borrowed Sencos and Hitachis. I found the Senco a pain in the a** to clear a jam from, other than that a great gun. I have a Senco finish nailer and a stapler, their stuff is excellent too but, the Hitachi couldn't be easier to load, to clear a jam I've never had to do more than pull the spring back that keeps pressure on the nails and give the gun a good shake. 99% of jams are due to nails coming out of their plastic racking. I've used the gun for basic framing, fastening plywood or osb, T1-11 siding, mounting windows, and building wood fences. If your a pro or just a home improvement slave like me, this is the gun that will last and still have a good resale value should you no longer need it.

PS. The gun works so much better without the spring installed. I had a pro carpenter tell me it's an OSHA violation to have it removed. I also have seen guys use these guns to beat beams into place. One so badly, the exhaust tin was pounded completely flat, void of almost all paint and rattling with each shot. This is by no means a tool to be taken lightly, it's possibly one of the most dangerous handheld construction power tools you can use, but it's also one of the most productive and time saving tools you can buy.

I wrote a review four years ago on this tool. I am still using the same NR83A, and have not yet had it in for repair. Your friends and neighbors will ask to borrow it. Tell them to get their own. You will not want to give this thing up. As for the Safety Aspects, you should understand that this is a SERIOUS tool. Why do you think they call it a GUN???!!! You wear eye protection and you start out slow and careful. Get the feel of the tool. Learn how it bounces when you skip-fire. Know how to release the trigger in tight spots so that you don't double fire it. It's all about knowing your tool, as if it were an extention of your own body.

If you are a homeowner, I would tell you to stick with the 16 oz. Home Depot special hammer. If you are a professional carpenter and you do any framing, you want no other gun but the NR83A.

(By the way, I take the safety spring out as well, I think it's actually safer to not have it. Just my opinion...)