Comfort
and Handling
First and foremost, a saw has to be comfortable, well balanced,
and easy to use. And it has to fit the way you work. The comfort
level of a saw is highly subjective, but it became obvious very
quickly that our carpenters gravitated to the same tools over
and over. Everyone really liked the way the Porter-Cable
saws handled and operated--they just felt right to us. The Hitachi,
Milwaukee,
and Makita also get high marks in this area.
Framers either
love or hate wormdrive saws; it mostly depends on where they learned
the trade. DeWalt's
hybrid saw, the DW378G, is probably somewhere between a wormdrive
and what has become known generically as a "skilsaw,"
but it seemed like a wormdrive to us. Even though we don't use
wormdrives, we were impressed by the excellent handling characteristics
of this saw. We liked it a lot.
Convenience
and Ease of Use
All of the saws we tested had both positive and negative features
in terms of convenience. One of our pet peeves is the bevel adjustment.
We like clean, easy-to-read bevel scales with markings from 0
to 50 degrees by 5-degree increments, plus a mark at 22-1/2 degrees.
We find that adjusters with lever-style locks work better than
those with wing nut locks. We liked the adjusters on the Milwaukee,
DeWalt,
and Makita saws best.
Another important
feature is the visibility of the blade during a cut. If you can
watch what the blade is doing, it's easier to control the saw
and make accurate cuts. The saws with the blade on the left side
of the motor housing scored best in this area; the Porter-Cable
743K and the DeWalt had the best visibility of the bunch.
A smooth blade
depth adjustment is another feature that we look for. Though we
set the blade depth more often by eye than by reading the scale
printed on the saw, a quick, easy-to-lock adjustment lever is
crucial.
A key element
of our evaluation of these saws was the size and composition of
the table, or shoe plate. Tables that are too small, too short,
or made out of thin material lost points rapidly. Our favorite
saws had a table that supported the saw properly without getting
in the way. The Porter-Cable
saws and the Milwaukee
saw all have an excellent balance between saw size and table size.
We also liked
the timesaving feature of having the blade-change wrench mounted
on the saw. This makes changing blades the simple, quick process
it should be, rather than the search-for-a-wrench process it often
is. We found this feature on both Porter-Cable saws, the Bosch,
and the Skil. We also found that the most convenient location
for the spindle lock button is on top of the saw.
The lever
that raises the lower guard is another thing we're picky about.
When you make a plunge cut, you need to reach back with a thumb
and pull the lever forward, but manufacturers put the lever in
a variety of positions. On some saws it's down low near the back
of the blade and on others it's mounted a little higher. We find
that guard levers that are raised 1 or 2 inches are much easier
to use than the levers that are mounted lower down. The Ryobi,
DeWalt,
Porter-Cable, and Milwaukee all had levers in easy-to-reach positions.
The Bosch
saw also has a very useful top lever, right beside the front handle,
which raises the lower guard. This is a great feature and certainly
got its share of praise from the crew.
Power and
Noise
All the saws we tested had adequate power to get the job done.
We were especially impressed by the power of the Hitachi
and Milwaukee tools. It seems that all the manufacturers are on
target with their power-to-weight ratios.
Noise is another
matter. I know my hearing isn't what it used to be, and I attribute
that to the many hours I spent running a circular saw without
adequate hearing protection. The saws in this test varied from
the quiet, industrial-sounding purr of the Makita to the noisy
rattle of the Milwaukee.
All the saws
that we buy for our company must have blade brakes. We have found
that this cost-effective safety device really helps prevent injuries.
While it was not a determining factor in this evaluation, we did
like the brakes featured on the Hitachi,
Makita, and Bosch saws. I would personally recommend that you
strongly consider buying a model with a blade brake.
The Milwaukee
adjustable handle was a very interesting feature. Because you
adjust the height of the handle separately from adjusting the
depth of cut, you never run into the problem of having the handle
too high during a shallow cut. The adjustment was easy and remained
very stable during cutting. Past Milwaukee saws have been uncomfortable
for me and therefore I never bought one, but this new feature
allows each individual to adjust the handle geometry to fit personal
taste. We liked this feature, but some concern was raised about
how it would stand up over time.
Our Favorites
Not surprisingly, the results that came in from the field were
just as varied as the individuals out there doing the testing.
By averaging the results of the field test with those we got in
the shop, we ended up with a pretty good idea of which saws we
preferred. Remember that these are our opinions and that you may
have different likes and dislikes.
Our overall
favorite was the left-bladed Porter-Cable
743K. It handled well, was balanced nicely, and the blade
was visible at any angle. It had the best combination of all the
features that we were looking for and it was competitively priced.
Its right-bladed brother, Porter-Cable 347K, stacked up next;
reduced blade visibility was its only detriment.
The DeWalt
and Hitachi
saws followed closely behind. The DeWalt saw could easily compete
for top honors in a wormdrive market. The DeWalt saw that we tested
developed a noisy rattle after the first week on the job, but
we think that this was just an isolated incident. An identical
DeWalt tool owned by one of our carpenters has been running fine
for several months. The Hitachi ranked very high in the group
and was picked as the top saw by some of our testers. It's a first-class
unit.
Next came
the Milwaukee.
This powerful, well-balanced saw had many nice features, including
the tilt-back handle and nice bevel and depth controls. One of
our guys said it was the most powerful circ saw he had ever used.
The Makita
lines up next. It has some excellent features in a deluxe arrangement.
It would have ranked quite a bit higher if it were not noticeably
heavier than its competitors. The Bosch,
Skil, Ryobi, and Jepson round out the pack. While they are all
great saws and can do the job admirably, our favorites had more
of the features that we preferred.
