"First Saw" advice to a younger man...

[UncleDave]

Any of you had this conversation?
This was a surprise conversation with my boy that I never suspected would come up.
I'm curious what this group would recommend to a younger man who is realizing that with once you have a garage and some space - a saw becomes really handy. I didnt focus on brands but focuses on footprint and power source

I boiled it down to these...

Corded 7.5 (skil mag 77) vs Battery 7.5
Corded 6.5 VS Battery 6.5
Other....(jig/recip...)

Any of you that had this Im curious where it went.

Thanks.

 

[tnt_motorsports]

My in-laws bought me a circular saw, jig saw, sander and drill as a gift when my wife and I got married 23 years ago tomorrow so I was lucky I guess. They were corded black and decker and still being used to this day.

I’d say it depends on what he has plans for and needs for. You gotta start somewhere but I’d say a jig saw is probably one of the more versatile tools if he can only get one.

Just my $0.02

 

[supton]

You just slowly get more tools... first set I wouldn't spend too much, one never knows how much they will use it.

Will say, my Makita cordless circular saw is almost quiet enough to not need earplugs. Very nice. Wouldn't want to build a house with it, but not having to drag out cords is nice too. At this point, it's more like, pick a tool brand and battery, and get the tools as you go--there are combo deals but get them as needed.

I'm not sure if corded now has the same quality, since everything is a race to the bottom on cost, since everything is going cordless today. But I don't plan on tossing my corded saw any time soon (it can sit on the shelf like anything else).

Jig saw can make complex shapes, but can't cut a straight line. I'd say I used my circular saw far more as a home owner. But a circular saw won't do fancy cuts... then again, a band saw works better yet, but is a bit less portable, and has issues of its own (throat). And a table saw works best for rip cutting and attempting square ends. Kinda collected used tools as I went. But man, the cordless drill and impact driver, absolutely worth buying new, I will never swing a hammer again, construction screws all the way.

 

[JHZR2]

I wouldn’t start with a battery saw. A corded one is a durable enough good that you need only buy one for a very long time.

At some point if one is doing lots of cuts all over the place, they’ll know when they need one. Low voltage battery saws aren’t worth it. I have a Milwaukee m12 that is almost worthless. My makita 36v is great but heavy. I use it when doing work in an odd location.

I’d get a skil 77 and call it a day.

 

[UncleDave]

My in-laws bought me a circular saw, jig saw, sander and drill as a gift when my wife and I got married 23 years ago tomorrow so I was lucky I guess. They were corded black and decker and still being used to this day.

I’d say it depends on what he has plans for and needs for. You gotta start somewhere but I’d say a jig saw is probably one of the more versatile tools if he can only get one.

Just my $0.02

I was surprised by the number of people that received tools as wedding gifts. It's quite a practical thing.

I pondered recommending the jigsaw.

I built a deck with a jigsaw once, I used other boards as guides and it was a bit slow compared to a circular but I got it done.

 

[UncleDave]

You just slowly get more tools... first set I wouldn't spend too much, one never knows how much they will use it.

Will say, my Makita cordless circular saw is almost quiet enough to not need earplugs. Very nice. Wouldn't want to build a house with it, but not having to drag out cords is nice too. At this point, it's more like, pick a tool brand and battery, and get the tools as you go--there are combo deals but get them as needed.

I'm not sure if corded now has the same quality, since everything is a race to the bottom on cost, since everything is going cordless today. But I don't plan on tossing my corded saw any time soon (it can sit on the shelf like anything else).

Jig saw can make complex shapes, but can't cut a straight line. I'd say I used my circular saw far more as a home owner. But a circular saw won't do fancy cuts... then again, a band saw works better yet, but is a bit less portable, and has issues of its own (throat). And a table saw works best for rip cutting and attempting square ends. Kinda collected used tools as I went. But man, the cordless drill and impact driver, absolutely worth buying new, I will never swing a hammer again, construction screws all the way.

Slow deliberate acquisition is how I moved, but I did much more mechanically than he did.

Makita has been my goto platform for 40 years. Not that the other guys dont make good stuff, but thats just my preference.
As I teenager I latched onto the 7.2 and 9.6V screwdrivers and put a zillion screws through them as a handyman helper.

I bought a new mag 77 a a few project ago and it's the best iteration of the classic yet. A very common recommendation and no lose on many levels.

Id love a table saw.....

 

[UncleDave]

I wouldn’t start with a battery saw. A corded one is a durable enough good that you need only buy one for a very long time.

At some point if one is doing lots of cuts all over the place, they’ll know when they need one. Low voltage battery saws aren’t worth it. I have a Milwaukee m12 that is almost worthless. My makita 36v is great but heavy. I use it when doing work in an odd location.

I’d get a skil 77 and call it a day.

If you had to pick one forever it's really hard to beat a mag 77.
Worked for Grandpa, worked for dad, worked for my neighbors, works for pros every day.
Can build a house, shed, or bench. Heavy. powerful.

I thought about this one long and hard and through dozens of projects and I went the other way recommending the cordless 6.5 18 which pack way more punch than the 12's do. There is no possibility he will be able to outrun one.

The way this came down for me is that he is likely to undertake creating anything with wood larger than 2x4's and plywood and you can do that and a 45 bevel on a 6.5 and rip plywood all day long with a much smaller easier to manage saw. If he needs more strength he can just double up vs buy larger stock.

Having a battery saw gives him the option of using it remotely without a generator (an item he doenst have) for anything else thant comes up and if you do have power great just swap and charge.

The majority pick the mag 77.

 

[UncleDave]

...and besides - you get to change oil in a 77!

 

[JHZR2]

If you had to pick one forever it's really hard to beat a mag 77.
Worked for Grandpa, worked for dad, worked for my neighbors, works for pros every day.
Can build a house, shed, or bench. Heavy. powerful.

I thought about this one long and hard and through dozens of projects and I went the other way recommending the cordless 6.5 18 which pack way more punch than the 12's do. There is no possibility he will be able to outrun one.

The way this came down for me is that he is likely to undertake creating anything with wood larger than 2x4's and plywood and you can do that and a 45 bevel on a 6.5 and rip plywood all day long with a much smaller easier to manage saw. If he needs more strength he can just double up vs buy larger stock.

Having a battery saw gives him the option of using it remotely without a generator (an item he doenst have) for anything else thant comes up and if you do have power great just swap and charge.

The majority pick the mag 77.

The only thing with the battery saw for a low use person is that the amortized per cut cost is extreme, and the tool is all but guaranteed obsolete at some point.

A plug in saw will never be obsolete. Will never lose its power source. And if it was only used twice, may bring good resale value.

A battery saw? Smoke em if you’ve got ‘em.

 

[slo town]

I’d get a skil 77 and call it a day.

I bought my Skil 77 in the early '80s. I've used the snot out of that thing and it's probably been dragged a mile through dirt while doing extensive foundation and subfloor repair work under the crawl space of our Los Gatos home. Other than replacing blades (of course), the power cord twice (and not because I cut them), and one oil change for the worm gear drive, it still works perfectly. Truly one of the best tools I've ever owned. And it never misbehaves or complains.

Scott

 

[ecotourist]

How about a good hand saw as a first saw? Cross cut probably. Nice to start with the basics. Maybe even consider a Japanese style (cuts on the pull stroke) type.

I use a table saw, band saw and sliding miter saw all the time, occasionally a jig saw, but rarely use a circular saw.

I find one of the most valuable tools is a belt and disc bench sander. Makes all my cuts square and straight.

 

[IndyIan]

I think a good mitre saw would be the first one to get, after a decent handsaw. Minimum would be a 10" single bevel sliding, and I'm sure no one who's bought a 12" dual bevel one has regretted it.
I did most of the trim, hardwood floor, board and batten siding and the porch deck on the house with the mitre and table saw, and for the odd cut a hand saw. I don't think I used a circular saw at all?
I have a corded skil saw, but I hardly ever use it for wood, most of the time the blade is on backwards so I can cut stuff you shouldn't with it.(tires, plastic, sheet metal...)
Probably I'd use a cordless skil saw more if I had one, but I like the mitre saw with a homemade wood stand so I can set up a jig and cut 20 boards the exact same way in 2 minutes.
I guess for framing, not many guys would bother with a mitre saw for everything, but for a deck where most cuts are seen at some angle, a mitre works well for homeowner.

 

[D60]

Meh I just tell everyone to get a couple 4.5" grinders and a 115V wire feed

Wood is for heat so you need a chainsaw (plus you can terrorize neighborhood children with it!)

 

[UncleDave]

The only thing with the battery saw for a low use person is that the amortized per cut cost is extreme, and the tool is all but guaranteed obsolete at some point.

A plug in saw will never be obsolete. Will never lose its power source. And if it was only used twice, may bring good resale value.

A battery saw? Smoke em if you’ve got ‘em.

For sure with a higher starting cost - especially jumping into a platform the price per cut never work out in favor of the battery saw.
For sure some platform get lost along the way and if you bought into that - you are guaranteed to be handed a loss.


On obsolescence - thats not really my concern with his vendor choices
I'm uncertain that with the level of primary and aftermarket battery support major platforms ever really become obsolete.

Example: I can buy brand new 9.6V stick batteries for my 30+ year old Makita screwdriver.

On the power source - if you are on a hot site that doesn't go down you wont run out of power with either.

If your site doesnt have it to start with you either need to buy, transport, store, fuel, and maintain a genset big enough to power a mag77 under load.


Now Im curious can you run and fully load one on a honda 2K?

 

[supton]

Slow deliberate acquisition is how I moved, but I did much more mechanically than he did.

My first house (got a couple years after marriage), I did few projects "needing" saws, drills, etc. I mean, I had a cordless drill but the batteries aged out, not wore out. I went over 10 years before I finally gave in and got a corded circular saw--I will say, it was life transforming, I was amazed at how much quicker I could be at poorly cutting wood. Second house, way more tool usage, but I wound up building a home office and a other things of that nature. It was years before I "needed" them.

How about a good hand saw as a first saw? Cross cut probably. Nice to start with the basics. Maybe even consider a Japanese style (cuts on the pull stroke) type.

Hand saw, meh, takes too long to cut wood wrong. Just get it over with, not going to get it right on the first try either way... at least I never do. No matter how many times I cut a board, it's always too short.

There might be a reason why I live behind a computer, as I still don't understand why the control-z app is not programmed into any of my tools yet. Works great in my EDA tools but not on my chainsaw.

 

[JHZR2]

Now Im curious can you run and fully load one on a honda 2K?

When I was rebuilding my 10 bay garage, I’m pretty sure I blew out the inverter board on my Robin Subaru 1800 inverter board (variable speed switched off) due to sawzall and other toys like that…

 

[UncleDave]

When I was rebuilding my 10 bay garage, I’m pretty sure I blew out the inverter board on my Robin Subaru 1800 inverter board (variable speed switched off) due to sawzall and other toys like that…

couple thoughts come to mind.

Dude...gotta see that. garage. Start a thread or maybe you already did?
Dude..aww man, I guess that kind of load and unload is going to be hard, Ive heard of some Robin /Subarus running 30K hours. I heard they sold out though and at some point became very compromised.

I've run 4 dual 18V chargers off a honda 2K. You can keep a lot of tools running off a small genset this way as although it was a roaring little beast most of time vs the cute burbling unit at idle.

I helped a guy build a small tractor/ big mower storage and it was something like 500 feet away from a 110 plug rathe than running cords we just used all cordless stuff.

 

[UncleDave]

I went over 10 years before I finally gave in and got a corded circular saw--I will say, it was life transforming, I was amazed at how much quicker I could be at poorly cutting wood.

Lol!

They never increased my skill any either.
It was a much faster way to cut short compared to making do with a jig.

 

[Redright9]

Skill Mag 77!!! They seem to be the one that is always in demand and have/hold value. (Many pawn shops I visit say its the only one they would lend money on)

 

[DriveHard]

Corded circular saw and corded jig saw