Craftsman 8.0 amp Reciprocating Saw Sears item #00917173000 Mfr. model #17173
that's the model and during the black friday thanksgiving sale it's price is apparantly going to be $49.95. pretty damn cheap. my question, of course, is whether it's going to be okay for occassional use or should i just fork over $119 for the cheapest milwaukee? thoughts?
I bought one for occasional use 20 yrs ago, it still works, I cant say if the quality is the same. but I can say 20 years ago I would blow out a sears pad sander a day, after 6 or so they refunded my money. If you are easy on the saw, dont force it, it should last.
For occasional light use, it should be OK. You wont see one in the tool box of a pro, but he may use one for hours every week. Most of us at home use it an hour a year.
You already have 2 opinions and mine is the same.
Also, who is to say that Milwaukee doesn't make the Craftsman anyway?
If your sales associate is any good, he/she should be able to tell you the manufacturer. The two digits, if I remember right, after the 009 (division # for hardware) should be the manufacturer's code telling who it is.
On the box, the # will probably read - 009 17-17300 . The 17 is the manufacturer code.
well, i went out and got it. put the blade for metal in, pulled the trigger, touched the blade to metal and bingobango the blade snapped right in half. put another blade in, tried to go at a piece of wood at a slight angle, pulled the trigger, felt something wrong, stopped, looked at the blade and twas bent to one side. maybe it's the blades? guess i'll go back and get some bimetal ones. see how they do.....
That sucks!
Take the blades back and tell Sears that you didn't even get to use them and you want them replaced...
That could be good or bad...
Agreed. I saw the installer next door using one to take out the old (1979) window frames, when my neighbor bought new windows. (2 to 5 minutes per window frame -- 3 frames)
But I'm keeping my windows, so I didn't even get my one hour this year.
Remove NOPSAM to email me. Please let me know if you have posted also.
You want the blade and the saw snugged up to the "target" before turning the saw on....its not a chain saw......also try to start the saw slowly (variable speed) until the cut digs in.....otherwise you'll break a bunch of blades.....Rod
Not a bad saw for the price, but its a matter of how much you'll use it. I'd buy it and see how well it works. If its 80% plastic, i'd stay away from it.
I've had pretty good luck with my 99.00 porter cable unit. I beat it up pretty darn good over the years and it still works fine. Others mileage may vary.
Tom
Also, you're not guaranteed quality with name brand either. I ploughed down about $120 a few years ago for a Porter Cable reciprocating saw, I'd say it was used on and off for about 2 years during various home remodelling projects, one time I went to twist the blade release collar and everything just fell apart, the collar came off a ball bearing went missing as did a spring. Unfortunately at $50 for the service center to just look at it, it made more sense for me to throw $100 at a new DeWalt.
The problem is on the end of the saw opposite from the blade. You'll break more blades till you get that fixed. You fix it through experience.
Basically, anytime the blade tip encounters an immovable object head-on, the blade will bend or snap unless it is already sufficiently buried and supported in the sawcut.
Work as close to the "foot" of the saw as you can, where the blade is attached to the saw, and you'll decreease the tendency to break blades. Don't start the saw with the blade way out in the air and then attempt to bring the blade in contact with the work piece, as you're more likely to walk the blade out of the cut and jackhammer it. Make light contact with the work piece first, then squeeze the trigger, and balance the applied pressure with the saw speed.
Blind cuts where the tip gets buried are the hardest to master.
you're right as rain -- a total case of operator error. since figuring that out, i've done much better. thanks!
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