Metal circular saw for cheap

[monte55]

Metal cutting circular saw at TSC for $99 & change..........has a 36 tooth carbide blade..............about $33 off reg price...............has a 5 year warranty. Anyone know of this beast?????????????? It may be worth a shot if you don't make it a daily worker.

[monte55]

Nobody?????????

[welderman23]

if i knew i would buy 10 of them

[84ZMike]

Northern tool has one.....(probably made in the same place).... I have read good reviews about it.
Mike

[monte55]

TSC metal cutting circular saw $99 on sale

Ok, I went ahead a bought one. It looks the same as Northern, Clarke Etc. It's made by Alltrade. It looks ok, has adjustable depth as usual and has adjustable handle angle as well. It comes with a 7 1/4 36 tooth carbide blade, adjustable edge guide, blade wrench and all fits into a decent blow molded
case. I've only made one cut so far on a piece 3/4 x 3/8 stock and the cut was very smooth. The speed is 3500 rpm, 11 amp, long nice cord. The arbor is 5/8 which will let you buy and use other blades also. Some arbors are 20mm and some have claimed it's hard to find the blades easily. TSC price for the replacement blade is about $29 and my local has them in store. Not bad if it will last. The blade instructions stated not to install the blade on a higher rpm wood saw. The saw has a 5 year non commercial warranty and I can return to store for replacement. I asked them this 3 times, 3 different people and they all said the same. This saw is TSC's brand and that's why they can do it. But what's funny is there was a tag on the saw stating that a 1 year replacement warranty could be purchaced for $19.95. I asked the sales person why would I buy a 1 year policy on a 5 year warranted saw. He said it must be a mistake. As I use the saw more I'll give a quality report. I will say this.........I think these saws take a little getting use to because the visibilty
of the cutting blade is terrible. I believe this is due to safety issues.
Another issue.........the saw has a duty cycle. For example..........cutting 3/8"
plate......about 15" of cut then let the saw cool for 6 min running or 60 min off. I don't know if the better saws have a duty cycle.....later
Nick

[Fishy Jim]

Even the Milwaukee I have has a duty cycle rating.

It didn't mind at all when I chopped out 6 8x8x1/2" hot rolled plate squares from various sized drops. I had a cut edge on 3 sides of most of them, and all 4 on a couple. Cranked it out in no time.

What you want to do about the visibility issue is make a rip fence on anything you need precision cuts on. I just take a piece of angle or thicker flat stock and clamp it down. The Milwaukee has 2.5" off one side of the base to the edge of cut, so it's really easy to set up a guide.