UK Circular Saws - Any Advice?

[cbjroms]

I am in the UK and have just purchased the EZ Smart from Eurekazone. I love the product and have many uses for it in my sign-making business.

But I cannot decide which circular saw to buy. I like both the Skil Orca and a similar sized Makita. I guess that my preference is for the Orca but I am woriied about its lack of a Riving Knife. As this saw will be used by my employees, safety features very high in my list of required attributes.

So my question for you experts is whether the lack of a Riving Knife makes a circular saw any more dangerous than one which has one fitted?

Grateful for your advice.

Chris (Hampshire - UK)

[badger]

Metabo industrial and don't forget 110V for commercial use.

Niel, also Hampshire

[Limey Lurker]

A riving knife is essential when ripping natural timber along the grain,but is not neccesary when sawing natural timber across the grain, or sawing man-made products e.g. MDF, ply, chipboard, plastic etc..

110v is not neccesary in workshop or on site; it depends on company policy and the company's insurers.

[Andy Dingley]

I would have said Hitachi, but I spent far too much of this afternoon taking a C7U almost entirely apart, just so that I could bend the riving knife bracket back straight again. An annoying and totally pointless job that should never have have been necessary.

If you do have one of these saws, if you ever adjust the riving knife then _always_ use two spanners, one on the back. Don't just use one on the front and put force on the bracket, otherwise you'll bend the flimsy piece of crap and you can't get access to bend it straight again.

The _big_ framing saws are now Makitas (235mm blade) Haven't broken one of those yet.