Looking for a brand and model recommendation on a rotary saw. I was shopping for a jigsaw but the rotary saws have caught my eye. They appear to be much easier for cutting curved shapes and I would assume just as easy for straight cuts. I want one primarily for small woodworking projects and I plan on finishing a basement and garage soon so will likely use on sheetrock for outlet box cutouts. Any info, opinions or recommendation would be appreciated!
-Mark
Well, they're pretty much all junk, as far as I'm concerned. If you need a jigsaw, then buy a jigsaw. Rotozips and their ilk were high on the list in the "most useless tool" thread recently.
BTW, you'll want to be extra careful with that Rotozip and outlet boxes, particularly if you're doing the wiring. YMMV.
-Phil Crow
DON"T DO IT !!. Pleae don't buy "rotary saws", it only encourages companys to keep making these useless tools.
they work for a short time well in wood but they are very light duty tools.In sheetrock they work well if you use with plastic boxes but they get clogged with dust.
A rotary saw is not a substitute for a jigsaw. If it is a substitute for anything it is a substitute for a small router, and for casual use they can fill that role reasonably well. Some can also with accessories do most of what a small angle grinder or a Dremel can do.
The intended use is in cutting openings for electrical outlets and the like in old work where you have to cut the opening in a wall that is already in place. The ability to control the depth of cut is what makes them desirable for this purpose--you can cut the plaster or sheetrock or whatever without cutting into whatever is behind it. Th small diameter bits they use for cutting most materials results in a low cutting speed, so they don't run away from you like a conventional router would--working handheld against a vertical surface this is a real concern with a conventional router and bit, which could otherwise do most of what a rotary saw does.
Another benefit is that if the rotary saw is getting full of plaster dust and what not then your jigsaw, which is a more expensive tool if it is a decent one, is not getting full of it.
The folks who claim that the rotary saw is of no utility and that one should not encourage their production have clearly never tried to cut an opening for an electrical outlet in a plaster wall using a jigsaw. It can be done, but it's not pleasant. With a Rotozip it's quick and easy.
Quick and easy yes, and sloppy. Ever had to repair rotozip holes around electrical boxes? I can't count the number of vapour barriers I've seen destroyed with drywallers using these things. I can't imagine using a jigsaw in drywall. A small drywall saw makes less dust, does a better job, and is actually quicker.
Sloppy if it's used in a sloppy manner.
So what tool do you advocate for this purpose that will be more precise?
In drywall perhaps. Now, try that same "small drywall saw" on metal-lath plaster and see how many you go through for each box. Rotozip goes right through it just as neat as you please.
HomeOwnersHub website is not affiliated with any of the manufacturers or service providers discussed here. All logos and trade names are the property of their respective owners.