Site Work
The shop tests provided a good baseline look at each tool and its individual features, but in the field no two cuts are alike and demo-ing a variety of materials really pushes the tools, calling on everything in their designs to work in unison to meet the challenges of bringing down the house.
Balance and Orbital Action. All the tools in the group run at about 2,800 strokes per minute (SPM), according to the manufacturers, so blade speed wasn’t a distinguishing factor in site performance. What did make the difference for the work I did was a combination of the tools’ weight distribution, orbital cutting action, and balance. The better-balanced tools–Makita, Milwaukee, Hilti, Hitachi, and Bosch–felt smoother and more powerful under stress, muscling through more cuts with less effort; again, the Makita was the smoothest. Each snagged less or launched itself off the work less frequently than the others if the blade bound up or caught.
The saws whose blades best powered through the toughest cuts–Makita, Milwaukee, and Hitachi–all have orbital cutting action as part of their feature set. While tearing through gnarly old framing, the orbital action really enabled these three saws in particular to rip. What was also nice about these three saws was that I could shut the orbital action off when necessary for work in iron or galvanized pipe and plaster where a straight reciprocating action cuts best.
Variable Speed. While all the tools tested enable you to control shaft speed with a variable-speed trigger, I liked the units that allow for both a dial control and trigger pressure to control blade speed like on the Bosch, Hitachi, Makita, and Milwaukee. Of these four, Bosch is limited to a high and low adjustment while the other three have a dial adjustment that allows much greater control of the tools’ SPM. I like this feature for strategic cuts, such as for crown molding or other trim where I’m removing part of the trim for tie-in work.
The ability to control the cut speed can mean a big difference between a nice clean cut and getting the trim all marred up because the blade bounced around. The Craftsman, DeWalt, Hilti, Porter-Cable, Ridgid, and Worx have a variable-speed trigger only, which relies on touch to keep the blade cutting at the desired speed.
Work Lights. The Bosch and Worx have a new feature for this category: LED lights. They’re bright enough to illuminate the work area, and I found them great for task lighting, especially tucked up in a crawl space or rafter bay where the work lights on site just don’t shine.
One-Off Features
In addition to helpful features like tool-free blade changing, a number of the saws also have unique design details. None of them makes the tool cut any better, but they do add to their overall ease of use.
Trigger Lock. I liked Makita’s trigger lock, which allows you to keep the tool operating while repositioning your hand for better control in odd cutting positions.
Handles. Milwaukee and Worx have adjustable handles. Milwaukee’s handle is adjustable to numerous positions on a 360-degree pivot, perpendicular to the tool body. I found this useful depending on the position I needed during a cut. The Worx handle adjusts in an arc from 12 o’clock to 6 o’clock, which enables you to dial-in a position best suited for your hand.
Cord. The Bosch tool has the company’s new Direct Connect cord management system that lets you plug an extension cord directly into the body of the saw. I liked this feature on their circular saw, and I liked it equally on this tool.
Safety Trigger. Hilti has the only safety trigger in the group. To start the tool, you have to lift upward with your trigger finger slightly then pull back. This was awkward at first but quickly became a natural motion and helped eliminate accidentally starting-up the tool when grabbing it off the floor or elsewhere. I wish they all had this feature.
Rafter Hook. Unique to the Bosch tool is a rafter hook. I love any tool that I can hang–on a sawhorse, ladder, scaffolding, or lumber. Anything beats laying a tool on the ground.
Cases. The best carrying case was Makita’s. The large steel case has plenty of room for the tool, its cord, and loads of blades–the perfect design. Ridgid provides a tool bag, much like a rigger’s bag, that has plenty of room for the tool and extra slots to carry other demo tools, blades, etc. I liked both options better than the standard plastic box the remaining tools ship in where I find myself fighting with the cord to get the plastic tabs to lock.
Winners
From my test the clear winner is the Makita. Its design combines all the best features. The stroke speed is adjustable, and the stroke motion has multiple adjustments. The tool has a built-in anti-vibration technology that clearly worked. I liked the way the locking collar on the blade shaft stayed locked open when there wasn’t a blade in the tool and clicked shut when the blade was inserted. And the tool consistently cut better and faster with the least amount of wear and tear on the most important part of the test–me.
Another very strong tool and my second choice is the Milwaukee. Consistently at the top of its game in this category, this is a great tool. It also combines all my favorite features and worked well. I liked the 360-degree handle and the flexibility that it allowed when operating in odd spots. Third is Hitachi followed by Hilti, Bosch, Porter-Cable, and Worx, all of which worked dependably and are fine choices.
The no-frills tools in this test were the Ridgid and the DeWalt. They’re both down-and-dirty, basic tools that performed well. Plus they have something I like that the others don’t offer: They cost less than a hundred dollars. If I knew laborers were going to beat my tools up then these are the saws I’d probably buy because I’d expect to toss them rather than repair them.
Finally came the Craftsman.
–Steve Veroneau owns Transformations LLC in Falls Church, Va., and is a contributing editor for Tools of the Trade.
Thanks to Lenox for providing blades for this test.
Sources of Supply
Bosch
RS20: $150
877-267-2499
www.boschtools.com
Craftsman
26672: $110
800-377-7414
www.craftsman.com
DeWalt
304PK: $99
800-433-9258
www.dewalt.com
Hilti
WSR 1250-PE: $269
800-879-8000
www.us.hilti.com
Hitachi
CR13VA: $149
800-829-4752
www.hitachipowertools.com
Makita
JR3070CT: $179
800-462-5482
www.makitatools.com
Milwaukee Electric Tool Corp.
6523-21: $199
800-729-3878
www.milwaukeetool.com
Porter-Cable
9747: $159
800-487-8665
www.portercable.com
Ridgid
R3001: $90
800-474-3443
www.ridgid.com
Worx
WT401K: $169
866-533-8811
www.worxpowertools.com