Circular Saw with Laser Line or Not?

[weft2]

I purchased a Skil Circular Saw 7.25", 2.4 HP, 13 amp AccuSight as a gift for a relative. I now see that the same store has a sale on a virtually similar Skil Circular Saw, but with Laser Guide, for $100 ($20 more than what I paid for the first saw at $80 Can.) My questions are: is the laser guide saw better value for money, and how much better (or worse) is the laser guide than a regular saw with a plastic and metal guide line? I believe both these saws are made in the US, though definitely the one I bought is, if that makes any difference.

[AL]

A laser on a miter saw is very useful, but is questionable on other tools (drill press, circular saw, jig saw, etc.). I just don't see the need.

[Chris]

Not an answer but a comment. I for one would never buy any circular saw claiming to have 2.4hp. It is about time the consumers stop this madness and stop purchasing this crap.

Not jumping on the OP. I just feel that companies that claim this are playing the consumer as a chump. With that it makes any other claims they make about the saw useless. Even Skill's own specs contradict themselves.

Chris

[Robatoy]

Amen...been saying that for years. Like in the 70's..a 1000 watt amplifier running on a 12-volt battery with a 5 amp fuse.

[Robatoy]

Not to mention that the lines they project are FAT and basically useless.

[SonomaProducts.com]

If the laser is strong enough to do some cutting then yes, otherwise its a cute gimmick.

[BillyBob]

Great idea! saves some wear on the blade. :-)

[Modat22]

I still can't get folks to see the irony, even when I hook up a primitive meter and show them peaks of 100 watts on that 1000 watt amp.

[Chris]

Funny thing is nothing is never done about it. Do we not have consumer protection laws in this country? What about false advertising?

There was a class action suit a couple years back was there not? Something similar, yet with air compressors. I can only imagine that it was a slap on the wrist to the manufactures. One of those $50 off your next purchase settlements. That and $18mil in lawyer fees.

I am still waiting to hear what Sears means by "Maximum Developed Horsepower". To me that means nothing more than: Come here sucker and buy our tool. Does Sears not have a 16hp shop vac?

Chris

[Robatoy]

LOL..I wouldn't be a bit surprised. Is that the one with 300 MPH wind in the nozzle?

Btw.. I have a "One Million Candle Power" flash light. It was written on the blister pack it which it was displayed. MUST be true.

[CW]

98% of consumers don't know the difference. You going to change that?

How often have you seen discussions of 3.25 horsepower routers on here? Every router that draws more than 12 amps is billed as 3.25 horsepower. So, you're saying that no one should by one of these because the power claims are BS? Look around here.

[Chris]

So that justifies manufactures to outright lie to us????????? This is just the ignorant attitude that got us into this situation.

Pretty simple I do not buy the thing, period. Very happy with my Festool at, IIRC, 8.5amps, which I will gladly compare to any claimed 3.25HP router. Being somewhat familiar with German consumer laws, I would trust the Festool rating.

Chris

[AL]

Manufacturers exaggerate practically everything. Gas mileage of a car. Size of computer monitors (eg. 21" but only 19" viewable). Capacity of diskettes (2mb, but only 1.44mb formatted). Dimensions of lumber (2x4 instead of 1.5x3.5). Thickness of plywood. Length and width of particleboard.

I think very few people trust the numbers.

The only spec I can remember that was actually larger than stated was the inside dimension of my Gorilla racks. They claimed 8' but the clearance was actually 98".

[John Girouard]

I got burned by this just a couple of weeks ago. I bought some composite decking to replace the deck of my utility trailer. Composite. Man-made stuff. AFAIK, these things don't start at a 'rough' dimension and then get planed down. 6" decking, so I figured 5 1/2" ought to be the extreme LOW end of what to expect when I was figuring out how many to buy. Turns out 5 1/4" is more like it. Ugh.

-John

[CW]

Nothing ignorent at all. I know they're lying. I ask again, what are you going to do about it?

The amp rating on American tools is reliable too. It has to be. Horsepower ratings are BS but tell the consumer (or a lot of people on here ) that. Damn few people know what horsepower is. Even fewer an amp or watt. Big numbers sell.

[Chris]

That is my point. Do not buy it. I don't and if we had everyone on the same sheet (very unlikely) than it would force them stop lieing.

You can go ahead and think that saw will draw 13 amps running. Given 13amps they are claiming 1.91HP.

Chris

[Morris Dovey]

| questions are: is the laser guide saw better value for money, and | how much better (or worse) is the laser guide than a regular saw | with a plastic and metal guide line? I believe both these saws are | made in the US, though definitely the one I bought is, if that | makes any difference.

It's impossible to provide a meaningful answer withut knowing what you're planning to do with the saw. If you'll be using it for framing, you /might/ find the laser guide convenient - but if you'll be using it to cut parts for furniture, it probably won't be much help.

The last time I used my circular saw, I spent about five minutes with a digital depth gauge setting up a clamped aluminum saw guide to within +/- 0.0005" (the result was worth the trouble) - a level of accuracy just not obtainable using a "fat" laser line.

If you consider the work you'll be doing with the saw and look at the width of the laser line, you can probably draw your own conclusion as to whether or not the additional $20 in cost will provide $20 in benefits.

-- Morris Dovey DeSoto Solar DeSoto, Iowa USA

[AL]

Do you have any proof?

My US made Marathon motor on my Delta contractor's saw claims 12 amps at

120V. Under what conditions? Startup? Full load? I measured with a clamp-on ammeter and got 3 amps (running with a blade but not cutting anything).

[Chris]

Al, What is the HP rating on the motor? 3 amps does seem low, although clamp-ons are not all that reliable. That does work out to be about .48 HP. I would imagine you have plenty more than that.

BTW he already gave proof, i.e. "It has to be". This is the same "It has to be" that justifies the 16HP Sears shop vac rating.

Chris

[bridger]

process drive by disallowed.

you gotta tell us what it is....