Good brands for saws? Lowe's or Home Depot?

[Atheus]

I used to work on building sites and this is what I know about buying tools:

1) Price. You get exactly what you pay for. All plastics are not created equal and cheap ones will definately break.
2) Weight. Heavy is good for power tools, it means the internal gears and gizmos are made of good steel and the motor is wound with plenty of copper, etc.
3) Cordless tools are toys. Any convenience you might gain from the easy portability of such tools is quickly overshadowed by the fact you can't cut through 2 layers of bread and butter - especially when you run out of battery after half an hour.

 

[Elbryn]

Originally posted by: Atheus
I used to work on building sites and this is what I know about buying tools:

1) Price. You get exactly what you pay for. All plastics are not created equal and cheap ones will definately break.
2) Weight. Heavy is good for power tools, it means the internal gears and gizmos are made of good steel and the motor is wound with plenty of copper, etc.
3) Cordless tools are toys. Any convenience you might gain from the easy portability of such tools is quickly overshadowed by the fact you can't cut through 2 layers of bread and butter - especially when you run out of battery after half an hour.

What he says is true.. but if you're a diy weekend warrior, the cheapies work just fine. i buy alot of stuff from harbor freight now. its dirt cheap, does the work i needed it to do and if it breaks three weeks from now, i dont care. besides i can typically buy 2-3 of the same tool at harbor freight than i can of a brand name. the tool is likely to sit in storage for long times in between uses anyway. If your doing this stuff for a living, get the brand names. if you're doing it for home stuff, get the cheap stuff, you'll never see the difference.

 

[MikeyIs4Dcats]

Originally posted by: Atheus
I used to work on building sites and this is what I know about buying tools:

1) Price. You get exactly what you pay for. All plastics are not created equal and cheap ones will definately break.
2) Weight. Heavy is good for power tools, it means the internal gears and gizmos are made of good steel and the motor is wound with plenty of copper, etc.
3) Cordless tools are toys. Any convenience you might gain from the easy portability of such tools is quickly overshadowed by the fact you can't cut through 2 layers of bread and butter - especially when you run out of battery after half an hour.

as a building contractor, I can say that cordless tools have plenty of uses. Each of our carpenters has a cordless kit with a cordless drill and impact. Cordless trim saws can also be useful on projects where only a small amount of cutting may be needed.

 

[MikeyIs4Dcats]

oh, and for a homeowner, Ridgid is great as they offer a lifetime battery guarantee. Batteries dies as much from non-use as use. One day you will walk out to your hardly used tool and the battery WILL be shot. Ridgid will replace it free.

 

[OdiN]

Around what house?

Did you go back home? Thought you were still out travelling.

 

[vi edit]

Originally posted by: fuzzybabybunny
Well, I ended up getting a couple of Ridgids (Home Depot's house brand I assume?)

Jigsaw: figured this would be better for making cuts that aren't straight
http://www.homedepot.com/webap...&N=10000003+90401+1600

Circular Saw
http://www.homedepot.com/webap...&N=10000003+90401+1600

Hand Miter Saw

Did I screw up? I got the Ridgids in large part because of their lifetime warranty.

Ridgid is good stuff, but depending on how much you are doing, you really want a power mitre saw (compound in particular). Even a $150 Ryobi 10" would be a good bet. It's just a lot easier to put it on the saw table and drop it down than it is to try and clamp it on sawhorse and cut it with a jig or circular. If you are doing a couple thousand square feet a compound mitre saw can save you quite a bit of time & frustration.

 

[BigJ]

Originally posted by: MikeyIs4Dcats
oh, and for a homeowner, Ridgid is great as they offer a lifetime battery guarantee. Batteries dies as much from non-use as use. One day you will walk out to your hardly used tool and the battery WILL be shot. Ridgid will replace it free.

Remember to register your products and that Ridgid, not Home Depot, is the one responsible to replace the battery.

 

[Nitemare]

Originally posted by: rudeguy
This is where I chime in and say how much I love Makita and everyone else chimes in and says to get Dewalt.

DeWalt sucks ass now especially the cordless stuff. The batteries die just by looking at them
If you are buying from Home Depot I'd go with Ridgid. Anywhere else... Bosch, Makita, Hitachi

Originally posted by: Kelemvor
To trim off my door jams I used one of the things where the small disk blade thing spins around real fast. Can use to cut through anything. Can't think of what it's called though...

Rotozip

 

[MikeyIs4Dcats]

Originally posted by: Nitemare

Originally posted by: rudeguy
This is where I chime in and say how much I love Makita and everyone else chimes in and says to get Dewalt.

DeWalt sucks ass now especially the cordless stuff. The batteries die just by looking at them
If you are buying from Home Depot I'd go with Ridgid. Anywhere else... Bosch, Makita, Hitachi

Originally posted by: Kelemvor
To trim off my door jams I used one of the things where the small disk blade thing spins around real fast. Can use to cut through anything. Can't think of what it's called though...

Rotozip

no, a rotozip is a cutting router. the other poster was right is saying it's a Dremel he's talking about.

 

[nonameo]

Originally posted by: BigJ

Originally posted by: MikeyIs4Dcats
oh, and for a homeowner, Ridgid is great as they offer a lifetime battery guarantee. Batteries dies as much from non-use as use. One day you will walk out to your hardly used tool and the battery WILL be shot. Ridgid will replace it free.

Remember to register your products and that Ridgid, not Home Depot, is the one responsible to replace the battery.

QFMFT. I get this all the time.

 

[IHateMyJob2004]

Most of what HD and Lowes sells is crap. Or equal.

If you buy a miter saw, only buy one in the next 20 years. That means buy a 12" model, not a 10". Also buy one of those things they attach to. It is a one time expense that will last you your lifetime and helps out alot. You can get a full setup for $250-$300 after taxes. And be sure to buy a blade for fine cutting!

The thing is, if this is all you plan on doing, you just need a circular saw that costs maybe $70. Just take your time cutting things square if you do that.

 

[IHateMyJob2004]

Originally posted by: fuzzybabybunny

Originally posted by: AnonymouseUser

Originally posted by: rudeguy
This is where I chime in and say how much I love Makita and everyone chimes in and says to get Dewalt.

I always say Milwaukee, Makita, and Bosch, but to fit his budget he'll (most likely) be getting DeWalt. FWIW, DeWalt's power tools are much better than their cordless tools.

Actually for jigsaws at Home Depot it looks like Bosch is the cheapest.

I have a Bosch Jigsaw at home. I am very happy with it.

 

[IHateMyJob2004]

Originally posted by: foghorn67
Seriously, for homeowners that just do the projects that come up, almost any of the decent brand names will not let you down. Nothing wrong with spending more for stuff like Milwaukee or Makita...but Ryobi and Craftsman will fit your needs.

I don't know if I'd ever gets a saws all that is not a Milwaukee.

 

[Nitemare]

Originally posted by: MikeyIs4Dcats

Originally posted by: Nitemare

Originally posted by: rudeguy
This is where I chime in and say how much I love Makita and everyone else chimes in and says to get Dewalt.

DeWalt sucks ass now especially the cordless stuff. The batteries die just by looking at them
If you are buying from Home Depot I'd go with Ridgid. Anywhere else... Bosch, Makita, Hitachi

Originally posted by: Kelemvor
To trim off my door jams I used one of the things where the small disk blade thing spins around real fast. Can use to cut through anything. Can't think of what it's called though...

Rotozip

no, a rotozip is a cutting router. the other poster was right is saying it's a Dremel he's talking about.

they have blade attachments for rotozip that will cut through door jambs 10x faster then trying to do it with a dremel.

http://www.amazon.com/Rotozip-...ng-Wheel/dp/B000VZLEXG

 

[Homerboy]

Obviously the OP is a weekend warrior and thus does not need $450 Milwaukee or DeWalt etc. You can CERTAINLY get by just fine with a "lesser" brand like Rigid, Mikata etc when you are doing 1 project a month and not a GC building a house every other week.

That being said FOR SURE get a 12" saw. 10" is just a tease and useless in many applications. I myself LOVE my Rigid 12" from Home Depot (and I likely use it almost EVERY weekend). Keep it clean after every use and it will suffice just fine and save you $100s

 

[alkemyst]

Originally posted by: MikeyIs4Dcats

Originally posted by: Atheus
I used to work on building sites and this is what I know about buying tools:

1) Price. You get exactly what you pay for. All plastics are not created equal and cheap ones will definately break.
2) Weight. Heavy is good for power tools, it means the internal gears and gizmos are made of good steel and the motor is wound with plenty of copper, etc.
3) Cordless tools are toys. Any convenience you might gain from the easy portability of such tools is quickly overshadowed by the fact you can't cut through 2 layers of bread and butter - especially when you run out of battery after half an hour.

as a building contractor, I can say that cordless tools have plenty of uses. Each of our carpenters has a cordless kit with a cordless drill and impact. Cordless trim saws can also be useful on projects where only a small amount of cutting may be needed.

maybe he worked on building sites back in the 40's.

OP you project is heading for fail.

This is definitely not a subject for ATOT. Time and time again you will get misinformation.

I'd go to a woodworking forum. More than likely they will have you rent tools that will be far more efficient and lead to a better finished project.

If you were on a budget the best bet would have been craigslist for gray market flooring that usually is quoted installed for less than the price of materials only at a home depot/lowes for the same material.

 

[ManyBeers]

Originally posted by: Atheus
I used to work on building sites and this is what I know about buying tools:

1) Price. You get exactly what you pay for. All plastics are not created equal and cheap ones will definately break.
2) Weight. Heavy is good for power tools, it means the internal gears and gizmos are made of good steel and the motor is wound with plenty of copper, etc.
3) Cordless tools are toys. Any convenience you might gain from the easy portability of such tools is quickly overshadowed by the fact you can't cut through 2 layers of bread and butter - especially when you run out of battery after half an hour.

Your 1st and 2nd points are fine, buy I don't agree with no.3 at all. I have used my cordless drill countless times on numerous jobs and it is indispensable. Also I never run out of battery power because my drills charger always charges the spare before the main runs out. In fact one of the main differences between better and cheaper cordless stuff is the charger. The cheap stuff's chargers take much longer to charge. Avoid them.

 

[Sluggo]

Originally posted by: Kelemvor
To trim off my door jams I used one of the things where the small disk blade thing spins around real fast. Can use to cut through anything. Can't think of what it's called though...

I think what you are talking about is what most refer to as a Jamb Saw, or Undercut Saw. Not really a tool to buy unless, you do flooring for a living, but I'm sure you can rent them, or buy a manual one.

Jamb Saws.