which chopsaw to buy today

[Trevor]

i'm going in a little bit today to buy a chop saw i was wondering on oppinions on two saws dewalt $199,,,,,, or the millwalkee for $179,,,,,,,,,,,,,, these are my two choices cause i got a gift card from lowes and thats the two saws that they got any pros or cons on the two saws would be great thanks in advance
Trevor

[Sberry]

I just got a new one after foolishly overheating my old one,, finally found a Ridgid at HD with a trigger lock. No lock,,, no good for me. I use the saw several times a day and like the lock for deburing. New Dewalts didnt have locks.

[Trevor]

GOT THE DEWALT

[pontiac]

Well I was going to Vote for the Milwaukee saw..
I like my Milwaukee for the cast iron base and 3 mounting positions for the clamp backing plate.

Does the DeWalt have a cast iron base?

[Guest]

I'd vote for the Milwaukee, too...my DeWalt sucks!

Scott where is Gig Harbor?? What is it?

[pontiac]

Gig Harbor is a little town west of Tacoma, Wa. It's across the Tacoma Narrows Bridge.. (You remember that bridge in the old news reels rockin around then falling in the water?.. it's that one)

I got my Milwaukee about a month ago at Home Depot on sale for $168

[Scott V]

RockyD,my Dewalt sucks also,but if you take it off the base it cuts concrete better than steel. That right there made the thing worth owning.

[Trevor]

THIS IS THE ONE I GOT

http://www.lowes.com/lkn?action=productDetail&productId=74276-000049975-DW871

[cope]

Sounds like its too late to offer this advice to Trevor, but my vote goes to Makita. I have seen DeWalt used in industrial setting and fail; same for Ryobi. Makita and Milwaukee seem to hold up the best.

[Danco]

go milwaukee. not only for the cast iron base, motor is strong and has a stay-on switch. great for deburring parts after the cut.

[Pat]

My vote would have been for the Milwaukee. I used mine yesterday while making a version of Rocky D's "OL MAN" for bending flat stock. I cut 2 pieces of 1" x 5" bar stock and the Milwaukee did a pretty good job. It cut all but 1/8" through the first piece before I had to flip it over to finish the cut. 3/4 way through the 2nd piece it tripped the circuit breaker. Let it cool approx 20 minutes, then flipped the piece over and finished the cut. It may have cut all the way through without flipping it over, but I did'nt want to chance tearing up the big washer that holds the abrasive wheel on. The one thing I don't like about the Milwaukee is the less than accurate angle gauge. I have to use another angle gauge to set it with, then crank the angle gauge bolts down tight and hope it dosn't start walking....which it has a tendancy to do.

[Guest]

Originally posted by Scott V
RockyD,my Dewalt sucks also,but if you take it off the base it cuts concrete better than steel. That right there made the thing worth owning.

I'll have to explore that possibility...by george, you may be on to something!

[pontiac]

Pat I agree on the angle markings being worthless..
It's easy enough to set with a small triangle or angle finder.

I didn't have any problems with triping the breakers but I do have it pluged into a 20a circuit.

[Guest]

Originally posted by Trevor
THIS IS THE ONE I GOT
http://www.lowes.com/lkn?action=prod...00049975-DW871

It's not too late to take it back. That's the same one I have here's my cmplaints with it.

I have never gotten a straight cut with it

The base flexes and the blade will drift to the outside.
The 'tooless' clamp also flexes and won't hold a piece of steel...I took mine and removed the rod that makes it 'tooless' and just use the bolts. I had to put gussets behind the clamp to keep it from bending.
The BIG design flaw in it is where the motor assembly attaches to the base....it should attach at the corners...instead it attaches too close to the center. Tha handle being off blade center causes the blade to cam out.

It does have a great motor, and a housing lock, makes it easy to carry....I have to use it on a 20 amp circuit, cause it trips a 15.


Dewalt does make a chop saw that is OK, but not the 871.

[Arbo]

I'm sure that most of you already know this, but I'll pass it along anyway for those who don't know. Black and Decker and Dewalt are presently the same company. The Dewalt trade name WAS the industrial grade of a B&D power tool. B&D has been putting out JUNK for some years now. My take on it is that they are downgrading some of the Dewalt tools now and will gradually phase out the B&D name all together. As Rocky said, there are different Dewalt models out there. Buyer beware, some of them are inferior B&D quality. For more info, check out the web site, they have all the tools listed there. My personal experience...Dewalt currently makes the better cordless tools in their industrial line, and Milwaukee and Metabo are making the superior electric tools. My two cents.