Thread: Advice on drop saw vs scms, please

I would go for a decent SCMS, Makita aren't the only ones out there. Hitachi and DeWalt make good SCMS as well and are usually a bit cheaper then the Makita.

At the end of the day you will save time and will do a far better cut then you'll ever do with a CS and cutting guides

Richard

We all love the better brands but I think for the work you want it to do the GMC SCMS would do the job and it does have a two year replacement warranty. I have a Makita drop saw the first one they ever made all cast iron an heavy as hell that was a killer to cart around and used to take it on to building sites to cut aluminium shop fronts with.

I also have a Ryobi SCMS which does the job adequately and would have no hesitation in using for what you are doing.

After all if it does spit the dummy you wont be out of pocket that much.

I would team it up with the Ozitso saw stand to save your back working on the ground.

Originally Posted by Barry_White

Richard

We all love the better brands but I think for the work you want it to do the GMC SCMS would do the job and it does have a two year replacement warranty.

Barry, the 2 year guarantee only applies to private use, not trade use.


Peter.

Originally Posted by Sturdee

Barry, the 2 year guarantee only applies to private use, not trade use.


Peter.

Yes we all know that Peter but when you go in and buy it you wear a suit and tie and when you take it back you wear your suit and tie again.

Originally Posted by Barry_White

Yes we all know that Peter but when you go in and buy it you wear a suit and tie and when you take it back you wear your suit and tie again.

Wouldn't that make them think you had been using the saw at the office though?

Originally Posted by Barry_White

Yes we all know that Peter but when you go in and buy it you wear a suit and tie and when you take it back you wear your suit and tie again.

Remember the 30 days satisfaction guarantee was dropped because of similar kind of abuse of the system.

Anyway, after 7 days, you don't take it back to place of purchase any more but you have to contact GMC direct who will deliver and pickup direct from your place. If it's a business with signs etc they will immediately know that the guarantee claim is invalid and an attempt at fraud.


Peter.

Originally Posted by Sturdee

Remember the 30 days satisfaction guarantee was dropped because of similar kind of abuse of the system.

Anyway, after 7 days, you don't take it back to place of purchase any more but you have to contact GMC direct who will deliver and pickup direct from your place. If it's a business with signs etc they will immediately know that the guarantee claim is invalid and an attempt at fraud.


Peter.

If you were going to pull the rort you wouldn't give them your business address and I think just about everybody lives in a house. I live 55klms from any where. Do you think they would come to my house to pick up something worth a $100 or less. Apart from the fact that when I tell friends where I live and how to get here they still can't find me.

Rhancock I do varied work as you do, and tried the cheaper option with a GMC drop saw that was NEVER accurate. I eventually bit the bullet bought the LS1013, shopping around for prices (unfortunately Bunnies dont sell that model to use their 10% cheaper offer) and got one for $699 at a Tradies Expo some months ago. They are the bees knees over GMC rubbish (which was binned).

They aren't as bulky/heavy as the larger 305mm model (the more expensive one Bunnies sell) to move around. I've adapted an area in my over-full van for it. I'm sorry I never bought one years ago.

The Bosch is a cheaper saw and works very well if you dont want to spend nearly a grand. I have the SCMS that only tilts to the right which suits my purposes and budget (I spent around $450 new). I have used mine to build my new shed (weatherboard), I have lost count of the number of cuts I have made. The saw still cuts dead straight.

In my opinion for the sort of work you do you are much better off with a SCMS but dont waste your money on crap, you will regret it.

regards

Marios

Originally Posted by rhancock

Buy a decent Circular saw and work harder on straight cuts and mitres. eg N5900B-2 for $300

I've got one of those about twenty years old, and I can't kill it no matter how much of a hiding I've given it over the years. It's a heavy son of a bitch, and the pressed steel base plate is a disappointment, as are all pressed steel base plates. They just don't stay straight, and your accuracy goes out the window.
I also have a 5007NB that's about fifteen years old, and it's copped a good hiding as well. But it has an aluminium baseplate that's as straight as the day I bought it.

But if you need to go through 3", then you'll want a 235mm, so I'd get the 5902B if you can, or I'd buy a Hitachi. They're a good saw as well, and I believe that they all have alloy base plates. Don't get one with a steel base plate.

Then I'd buy a nice lightweight 165mm with an alloy base plate for cutting 4x2s, decking, skirtings and architraves, fascias etc. It basically does everything except go through 3", or 2" on a mitre. I'd use it to cut 4" sleepers as well (from both sides). Something like this looks good. I've had a few 165mm Makitas, but again the problem with the pressed steel base plate let them down. They're not as powerful and reliable as the big workhorses, but they're not all that expensive, and they are so light and easy to use that it's worth it replacing them when they eventually blow up.

Then buy yourself a decent protractor, and forget about the SCMS. With a steady hand, you can do anything with just as much accuracy, and you won't have to lug the beast around. Of course if you're doing a lot of carpentry, then they do come in handy and save a bit of time, but not that much.

Thanks for all the advice, guys.

I think I would hate myself for buying a cheaper option, and will end up buying another one in 2 years time.

I can't justify more than $500 on an scms, which I think is possible, but I can't see how I'm going to fit it in the car, plus a stand, unless I leave everything else at home! When I get a trailer maybe.

But I will need a better circular saw anyway, so I think I'll spend the money on a makita - with an alloy base plate.

The only option no ones talked about is buying second hand. Are they out there? A five year old makita scms, thats not had toom much abuse would be great. Anyone have any "good" experience with decent second hand equipment? I was thinking maybe industrial auctions like grays maybe, rather than crime converters or epay.

There's a brand new Hitachi C9 on Ebay for $275 + $15 postage.It has a "Rigid nickel alloy base", and it has good reviews from other members here if you read this thread

Edit: Another important consideration when buying a circular saw is your line of sight from the motor side. I've been (regretfully) tempted in the past to buy some 'budget' saws that inevitably blow up under any substantial workload. The problem with some saws is that when they are adjusted to full depth, you cant see the cutting edge of the blade from the motor side, unless you grind a window out of the guard.
Check this out if you're looking at saws in a shop. Some have much better visibility than others.
Accurate calibrated height adjustment is another plus. I know the Festool is good at this if you can afford it, but I believe there's a Hitachi plunge model with accurate vertical height adjustment as well. Of course you can get accurate height for trenching by testing on a scrap, but calibrations save time.

Edit 2: Here's an old Makita 185mm in Brisbane that you might get for a bit more than $20. It's the same lightweight saw as the 165mm, with a slightly bigger blade that will (just) go through a 90x45 on a mitre (but it leaves a small triangle that needs to be chiselled/planed off). The downside is the steel base plate, and this one looks well used. They don't last forever, but it's cheap. Those small lightweight saws are great for just about everything (until they blow up). You'll hardly ever use a 'beast' again when you get used to a little gem. Get this one if you're buying new.

Thanks for the Ebay links, Pawnhead. Although I have a very old blue makita drill and a makita jigsaw which is pretty ancient, I can't bring myself to buy a circular saw from so far back! I'm sure there have been a few improvements over the years (eg there was a recall to correct a flaw in the safety guard a few years ago). I think buying a cheap second hand will just mean putting up with a couple ofr years of frustration before I go through all this again and buy a new one.

So I think I'll go for a Makita 5007NB which currently comes with a couple of extra blades, a bag and a cap! It's 185mm, 1500w, 60mm cutting capacity, aluminium base. It weighs in at 5kg, but I think this will be offset by the extra power.

Then I will set up a decent portable saw bench system with some pre set cutting guides to make square and mitre cuts easier - any tips anyone?

Originally Posted by rhancock

So I think I'll go for a Makita 5007NB which currently comes with a couple of extra blades, a bag and a cap! It's 185mm, 1500w, 60mm cutting capacity, aluminium base. It weighs in at 5kg, but I think this will be offset by the extra power.

Like I said, I've got one of those and it will last you forever, but I wouldn't buy another one.
If I was getting something that heavy then I'd go for maximum cutting depth so I could go through a 4x3 with one pass, or a full 2" on a mitre. The 5007NB won't do either.

I can't testify how good the DeWalt circular saw is, but they have a good reputation and my brother has a DeWalt 305mm SMSC and its features are fantastic, and he's had no problems, so I'd consider getting a DW389-XE. At 6kg it's not much heavier than the 5007NB. It's 2,300W which is more powerful than any Makita, but that doesn't guarantee its reliability. At 87mm @ 90 degrees, and 66mm @45 it has greater capacity than any Makita. It tilts to 50 degrees which would come in handy sometimes, but then again it may be trickier to set at exactly 45 degrees. You could mount it upside down in a home made table and rip lengths of timber more than 3" thick if you wanted. And it has a solid looking alloy base plate.

You can get it new for $320, or there's a second hand one here that's currently at $129.00. There's chewed up duct tape on the base, probably to avoid metal marks on timber. I'm sure it would clean up, but I'm not sure if it comes with the rip fence.

Here's a couple more to keep an eye on. Although they have steel base plates, you just can't kill this type of work horse and you can save a few dollars:
http://cgi.ebay.com.au/16607-MAKITA-...QQcmdZViewItem
http://cgi.ebay.com.au/MAKITA-SAW-59...QQcmdZViewItem
http://cgi.ebay.com.au/240v-MAKITA-2...QQcmdZViewItem
If the base plate is bent, then you can belt it into shape, and if you know your saw well, and you're careful with it, then you can still cut with great accuracy.

Have you noticed the other current thread about bent base plates?