My circular saw is dying

Mike Gabbay

Member
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180
Location
Herndon VA
My 10 year old Black and Decker circular saw is dying. I've been doing a deck tear down and I think I've reached its useful life :(. Now when I cut a piece of 3/4" plywood it bogs down.

So I'm looking to replace it. Any recommendations on a good saw that will last? I was looking at the Millwaukee 15 amp saw. Is worm drive overkill since I don't use it that much except for light construction and rough cutting plywood before I take it to the table saw?
 
If you are going to get a new one fine, but have your checked the brushes on the old B&D? if they are worn out, could be your problem.

I have a Festool as my main circular saw now, but I also have an old 7 1/4" Makita, that for the life of me, I cannot kill :D We had an old steel frame storage building that I used this saw with an abrasive blade on it to cut up, went through a couple dozen abrasive blades, and that saw never missed a beat.

Others do make great circular saws, I do think that the worm drive saw is a bit overkill, as they do work well, but man they are a boat anchor if you don't need that power.

Is the saw size important for you? I mean if you have a few blades for the old B&D, would be nice to stay in the same size blade.

A cast aluminum base is nice too, the stamped steel ones can and do get bent out of shape.

I'm sure the others will jump in with their recommendations.

:wave:

Cheers!
 
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since i never do anything heavy or thicker than a 2x4 and also being left handed, i replaced my craftsman 7 1/2 with the 6" left hand porter cable. lots of power, light weight and quiet. plus i can see what i am doing.
 
The Milwaukee tools that I have are first class so I would not hesitate to buy anything they have if it is what I need. As tod says, the PC Mag77 has to be a great tool also.

If you do not need a worm drive saw and 7 1/4" is large enough the PC 325Mag, or left hand version of that saw, might just fit the bill. I have one and really like it so far.
 
Yes, Milwaukee makes excellent tools, but let me throw this in.

The group of men that framed our house back in '02 used only Mikita circular saws. They claimed that they beat anything else they had used, including Milwaukee. These boys used their saws hard, and they just kept running. They also used Marathon blades from HD because they worked well, didn't cost a fortune, and were readily available at any HD.

Just another voice....
 
My dad gave me a makita for christmas about 7 or 8 years ago...not used every day, but plenty of use with no problems whatsoever!
 
The Makita worm drives are pretty much indestructable, but they're heavy - and expensive.

Since you're replacing a B&D - not a worm drive, I'd suggest the Makita 7¼". HD has it for a bit over $100.00.

Another one - my personal favorite - is the Porter-Cable 6" SawBoss. Great little saw; left blade; 6" blade will cut a 2 X 4 at 45°; and it's light weight and easier to handle than the bigger saws.
 
My very old, inherited, no-name El Cheapo, has died. A new one was put on the 'new' tool list, behind a Barracuda 3 or 4 chuck. But, last week, when I took a friend to Little Rock for tests at the hospital, we were talking wood working and I mentioned my dead saw. He said since he has to give up all physical tasks he wants to give me his saw. I don't even know what kind it is. But it's a nice gesture and I know about the laws prohibiting refusal of free tools. ;) So, I accepted. (same law applies to wood) Will try to get over to get it this week.
 
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My very old, inherited, no-man El Cheapo, has died. A new one was put on the 'new' tool list, behind a Barracuda 3 or 4 chuck. But, last week, when I took a friend to Little Rock for tests at the hospital, we were talking wood working and I mentioned my dead saw. He said since he has to give up all physical tasks he wants to give me his saw. I don't even know what kind it is. But it's a nice gesture and I know about the laws prohibiting refusal of free tools. ;) So, I accepted. (same law applies to wood) Will try to get over to get it this week.
Free is an excellent price.:thumb:
 
Like someone else said, i'd check the brushes before springing for a new saw. I'd also make sure the blade was sharp and fresh - dull blades can make the thing labor. They're pretty basic tools. If it's really dead, hopefully you got your money's worth. I've got a contractor friend who claims the only tools that earn their keep are the ones he wears out. It's the only way he feels he got his money's worth.
I've got a basic 7-1/4" Skil saw that sees occassional hard use. It's nothing special, but it's gone for about 10 years now with no problems. I've replaced the blade a couple of times and the brushes once. If it dies tomorrow, i'd be happy with another one just like it.
I'd say that, unless you're using it in a commercial setting, a worm drive probably won't be worth the investment. You won't be able to do anything with one of those that you couldn't do with a standard direct drive model. Just my 2 cents - i have more fun using tools than owning them, so i prefer to splurge on more wood and supplies.
Paul Hubbman
 
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