Are cordless power tools really needed? Should you invest in a portable miter saw? We will consider which types of saws make a solid investment.
With spring starting are you making plans for some home renovations in 2018? A skilled handyman can cost more than $60 per hour. Many times, what you are truly paying for is for someone that has the right tool for the job and not so much for the working knowledge.
Now there are many affordable power saws for virtually any type of project. From jobs that require fine woodworking skills to cutting demolishing an old kitchen, cabinet by cabinet. Below we list the five most important power saws needed in every home garage or workshop for home renovations and general repairs.
Circular Saw
The circular saw is possibly the most useful of all power saws. A portable, versatile handheld saw with a mighty rotating blade. Circular saws are the ideal option for cutting wood along the grain or across the grain. There are various blade options on how they can be configured. Most circular saws can be used to cut through ceramic tiles and masonry work, just as long as high precision isn’t required.
Circular saws are like most of today’s tools available in two forms, cordless (battery) and corded styles. Their blade sizes range from about 5″ to over 7″ inches in diameter. When looking for a circular saw, it’s important to consider the raw power. The raw power of cordless circular saws is measured in volts and while corded saws are measured in amps. The reason that the power of the saw is crucial is that when you are cutting things pieces such as thick hardwood or wet lumber, they can slow down the motor. When the motor is slowed down, the blade will get hot and lose its sharpness quickly.
So how much power should you look for?
Cordless saws should have a minimum of 18 volts. Corded saws should have a minimum of 13 amps – 15 amps.
Some manufacturers offer tools without the battery so should you consider getting the tool without the battery?
An individual lithium-ion battery can cost between $70 to $100. If you are presently beginning to build your tools collection, its always better to get the bundled sets that include the batteries and save money.
Table Saw
A table saw can be described of as an upside-down circular saw with a permanently attached housing. If one had to choose the most used tool is almost any wood shop, it could very quickly be said, the table saw of course. In most workshops and home garage shops, the table saw is the most used tool. Now it seems that there are countless types of table saw designs. From the most basic tabletop version to a GC’s (general contractor) version to a top of the line, cabinet saw.
Why are table saws the productive tools in most shops?
This single tool can cross-cut, rip, miter, square, dado, rabbet, and even apply shapes to edges of wood stock. Learning how to use a table saw properly, and its many specialties should be considered when choosing what is usually the most used woodworking tool in the shop.
Three simple rules of thumb for the majority of home table saws: the larger the table area, the better. The weight of a table saw can vary significantly by manufacturer. If you need a more portable table saw, make sure the collapsible platform is adequate to your needs. If you are not going to be moving the table saw, always choose the heavier one.
Miter Saw
The miter saw (also called mitre saw in the UK) can sometimes also be called a chop saw. The miter saws is a tool used to make fast, precise crosscuts in a workpiece. They are mostly used to cut wood, although they can undoubtedly cut plastics and many light metals. Many miter saws can be set on dual planes; this allows you to make the compound cuts that are required for wall trim and interior corners.
Miter saws vary in styles and sizes; the width of the saw blade normally ranges from approximately 7″ to 12 inches.
Reciprocating Saw
The reciprocating saw is regularly associated with demolition and construction since it has a powerful push-and-pull reciprocating blade in combination in a robust and rugged housing. If you are going to do any notable demo work you surely need this saw.
As with most tools nowadays, they come in both corded and cordless versions. Most home weekend DIYers, really shouldn’t waste the $150+ on a cordless version. Corded reciprocating saws usually cost much less and are lighter, so that makes working with them much more manageable. They have a good number of options, an orbital action is a big help is many jobs as well as being able to control the speed with a variable speed motor.
Jig Saw
While the reciprocating saw is the tough demo tool, the jig saw is a better considered the tool for clean and refined cuts. Jig saws are a much lighter tool than the rest of this list. The blade is thin and perfect for making curves in any wood. If you need to make elaborate holes in drywall or follow a stenciled design in wood, the jig saw is the tool you need.
Similar to the other woodworking tools in this list with the proper blade, jigs saws can also be used on some metals, ceramics, and plastics.
One feature that will allow you to use the jigsaw with other materials such as light metals is an orbital blade motion. We consider this important since it will make the tool much more versatile. Other features we like are variable speeds motor for better control; some units have powerful lights to brighten the area you are cutting. Also, nowadays many jig saws have laser line, though at first, this might seem to be an over complication, they truly help with precision cuts. So if in the future, you will be performing many precision cuts, you cant’ go wrong with this valuable feature.
Conclusion
With these five saws, you should be able to handle almost any job around the house and workshop. And maybe even help out a buddy or two. Remember to tell them to have a cold 12 pack ready for when the project is finished!