Skilsaw 5750-01 Circular Saw Review

A good circular saw is a loyal companion to every carpenter, woodworker, and handyman. They are found on thousands of jobsites and thousands of shops, cutting every type of material imaginable from a myriad of sheet goods to boards of all sizes and species. They are the poor man’s table saw. They are a somewhat iconic image that is closely associated with carpenter, much like the chainsaw is associated with the lumberjack. Parallel to this relationship is the association between the circular saw and the brand Skil. Skil has been making the famous Skilsaw since the 1920’s. Like Kleenex or Q-Tip, Skilsaw has become a synonym for the circular saw itself.


The Skilsaw 5750-01 is a 7-1/4” circular saw with a street price around $75. It comes with a carry case, 18-tooth carbide tipped blade, blade wrench, and manual. The Skil 5750-01 is a large saw with a powerful 13-amp motor, which has a maximum output of 2.5 horsepower. The saw weighs just over 12lbs. however its comfortable handles offset much of that heft. The rear handle is rubberized while the top handle is plastic. Both are textured to improve grip and they are sized well. This circular saw features a laser guide, which is easily activated when depressing the safety switch. The saw body is a combination of metal and plastic. The base plate is sufficiently thick unlike cheaper stamped base plates. Blade changing is easy with the spindle lock feature. On the negative side, the blade guard lift lever is plastic, which raises concerns that such a frequently touched part may break off. Also, the power cord is only 6’ long, so grab your extension cord, especially when ripping a sheet of plywood.

Circular saws are made for one thing: cutting wood, the Skilsaw 5750-01 does just that. Powering the saw up for the first time and pushing it into a sheet of plywood, I found that the saw cut smoothly and with plenty of power. Like most circular it was easy to control and follow my pencil line. The blade guard functions well and quickly slides into place after completing a cut. The laser guide is about as useful as any other out there. After a slight adjustment, following the laser got me fairly close to my pencil line, however greater accuracy was achieved by sighting the saw manually. Of course, this is true of most laser-guided tools. Bevel angle adjusts easily, although I would prefer the thumbscrew to be metal instead of plastic. The depth of cut can be adjusted to a maximum of 2-7/16” by lifting a plastic lever. Releasing this lever requires a bit too much force and that fact that it is plastic causes a concern of breakage. There is an easy to read scale on the back of the saw to measure the depth of cut. A nice little touch is that the blade wrench stores inside of the base plate so that it cannot be lost. Conversely, while the carry case is a solid and comfortable way to tote the saw around, it takes a little trial and error to learn the very exact way the saw must sit inside the case. You should be able to simply throw the saw in the case when done, not fiddle with it for a minute or two.

To some degree a circular saw is a circular saw as long as it has enough power, and the Skilsaw 5750-01 has plenty of power. The real question is whether this $75 saw can compete with those grey, yellow, and other guys whose brands have a bit more clout. While some of these other brands have 15 amp motors and heftier price tags ($100 to $140), the Skilsaw can go cut for cut with them. While there is a little too much plastic on the Skil's adjustment knobs and levers, many of these other brands suffer from the same thing. Save your money and buy the Skil, then spend that cash on another tool. Because it is a strong performing tool, but does not do anything revolutionary the Skilsaw 5750-01 gets an average 3 hammer rating, however it also wins a Shallow Pocket award for its great value and The Beast award for its ample power.



Pros:
Lots of power
Great price
Comfortable handles

Cons:
Some plastic parts
Depth of cut level hard to release
Short power cord
Confusing carry case

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Porter Cable 347K Circular Saw Review

Recently I had several small projects that needed to get done. Ideally, a large part of the cutting required for these would have been done with my table saw. Unfortunately, my table saw is still in the box it came in, hibernating in the garage. Matt really gets a kick out of that since I went on and on about buying the darn thing. I can't say I blame him - it's pretty pathetic. Anyhow...

Out comes my Porter Cable 347K Circular Saw. I've had this saw for a few years and until now never realized how versatile it is (or for that matter, any circular saw is). It's primary duty had been cutting blue stone and concrete blocks for the 750+ sf of patio I built in the yard. Seriously, I cut a lot of stone with it, and it worked really well. I also used it for a couple of demo projects and some rough cutting of wood for various other exterior projects.

What's in the box? The saw comes packed in a handy plastic carry case with handle and includes a general purpose 7 1/4" 18T carbide tipped wood blade, dust exhaust nozzle (chute) and a blade wrench conveniently tucked up in the handle for ready access. This circular saw is very solidly built, I own a number of Porter Cable power tools and haven't had much bad to say about any of them. It weighs about 11lbs. Only the motor housing and the handle are plastic, the rest of the saw is solid metal. This saw features a magnesium base, the manufacturer claims this accounts for it's light weight(for a heavy-duty circular saw). The base edges are 1-1/2"(1 7/8" from outside blade edge) and 5" from the the blade. A great feature is the 9' long power cord which is flexible and easy to roll back up when storing the saw in its case.

Using the 347K Circular Saw. When I first plugged this puppy in I was a little intimidated because I had never used a circular saw as hefty as this one. Since I used it to cut a difficult material like stone initially, I got very comfortable with it quickly. This saw has plenty of power and never had trouble cutting stone up to 2" thick. When I finally used this saw for some 'finer' work, actually cutting wood, it didn't disappoint there either. When teamed up with an inexpensive aluminum cutting edge this circular saw proved the perfect tool for building my bookshelf. It buzzed through sheets of 3/4" MDF and 1/2" plywood with ease. My cuts were nice and square, no tear-out to speak of. I should note that I did switch the blade out for this project. I used a cheap-o $7 plywood/composite material blade to ensure the cuts were cleaner.

Swapping out blades is not a problem on the 347K. There's a spindle lock that when depressed prevents the blade from spinning so the switch is quick and painless. The saw also features a depth adjustment so the blades can be lowered to 2-1/4" below the base. One complaint here, the blade adjustment lever is difficult to unlock when in it's extreme position. Lastly, there is a bevel cutting adjustment (up to 45 degrees) which I don't use - I use my mitre saw for those cuts.

Final Cuts. There's no way I wouldn't recommend this saw. It's not the cheapest choice (retailed around $120) but, I have absolutely no complaints. It's well built, problem free after some pretty serious use and believe it or not, made here in the USA. If shopping for a circular saw I encourage you to check out Matt's review of his Skilsaw Circular Saw which he loves. It retails around $75 - so some cash could be saved. I'm giving this saw 4 hammers - It cuts stone!

Pros:
Tank-like construction
No unnecessary or gimmicky features
Plenty of power
Easy to adjust

Cons:
Pricey


manufacturer: SPECS
* Power: 120 VAC, 25-60 HZ/120 VDC
* Motor Amps: 15
* Speed: 5,800 RPM
* Blade Size: 7 1/4"
* Arbor Hole: 5/8"
* Capacity: 45°: 1 13/16" 90°: 2 5/16"
* Length: 13"
* Height: 7 3/4"
* Net Weight: 10 3/4 lbs.

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Bosch Jigsaw 1590EVSK Review

From the small corner of a garage or basement to a full-size production facility, no workshop is complete without a handheld jigsaw. Most of us have used a jigsaw or two before as they are so common, and it is safe to say that most of us have had mixed experiences with this tool depending upon the model that was used. Some jigsaws vibrate violently, cut poorly, and even blow dust in your face. In the past I had a real beauty that did all three of these simultaneously and to top it off it frequently dropped the blade from its holder too. This jigsaw and other like it are almost completely useless. On the other end of the scale you have jigsaws like the Bosch Jigsaw 1590EVSK.

The Bosch 1590EVSK Jig Saw lists for $312 but you can pick it up for around $160 at most retailers. The box contains the jigsaw, carry case, no-mar base plate, anti-splinter inset, three blades, and manual. Upon opening the carry case I found a large and hefty jigsaw (about 6lbs.). The saw body is a combination of metal and plastic and it features a rubber to grip, which is comfortable and does not attract too much sawdust. The various buttons, levers, and switches are located logically, operate smoothly, and are sized equally well for big or small hands.

Making the first cut revealed and extremely smooth cutting and easy handling tool. Perhaps the extra size and weight dampens the vibration inherent in all jigsaws. Both straight and curved cuts had relatively smooth edges and the variable speed feature made it easy to dial in the correct setting. Splintering was kept to a minimum, which means less sanding time. The 6.4 amp motor has plenty of power and never seemed to bog down when hitting knots or cutting through thick material. The only real disappointment was the integrated dust blower. While it did blow some of the sawdust off of my pencil line, there was still enough dust to necessitate the old-fashioned bend down and blow.

Bosch included several features on this saw that add to its versatility and ease of use. While many of these features are common on other jigsaws, rarely are they executed so well. The foremost example is the toolless blade change. Pulling a large lever on the front of the saw ejects the blade from its holder. Gently press a new blade into the holder and after a positive click you are ready to go. I would liken the Bosch’s toolless blade change to the best keyless drill chucks; it is simple, easy, and fast. Bosch also included a precision control feature that is engaged by pressing a button on the side of the saw. Two metal guides press against the blade to help keep it straight when cutting through thick or extra hard material. In addition you can select from three orbital cutting strokes as well as the standard vertical cutting motion. The bevel angle is adjusted with the flick of a lever and at 90° the base plate can be shifted back to allow for flush cuts in tight spaces.

When the sawdust has settled, the Bosch Jigsaw 1590EVSK is a clear winner when compared to the majority of its competitors. While it is a large and hefty saw it cuts smoothly and handles extremely well. It has comfortable ergonomics and a well-rounded feature set. The Bosch Jigsaw 1590EVSK receives an very strong 4 hammer rating.

Pros:
Powerful motor
Smooth cutting on straight and curved cuts
Less vibration than most jigsaws
Good ergonomics
Toolless blade change is quick and easy

Cons:
Dust blower is not adequate
Dust collection with a shop-vac requires the purchase of optional parts

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