Okay, I've come to the conclusion that I need a power saw of some sort. My hand saw really really sucks all around.
My immediate need is for tree/bush pruning (probably up to 4" or so diameter branches). The cuts don't need to be pretty, but cordless is a big plus here. Any recommendations? I think a chainsaw would be overkill.
I would like to venture into furniture in the future, if for no other reason than building shelving and desks/tables for the basement (function over form). (Although, I would not be opposed to building an entertainment center if I had the tools and materials.) I'm assuming that I should really get a miter saw for this.
Sawzall for the branches. Miter saw for furniture.
Black and Decker makes this:
It's going to be really tough to suggest a saw that will work both as a pruner and as a woodworking saw. I'd be inclined to agree with DaveEstey's recommendations. A recip saw is a wonderfully versatile tool to have around. As far as the woodwork, I actually owned a table saw before I got a miter saw, but I'd suggest getting both--and of course a nice hand-held circular saw.
1988RedT2 wrote:
It's going to be really tough to suggest a saw that will work both as a pruner and as a woodworking saw. I'd be inclined to agree with DaveEstey's recommendations. A recip saw is a wonderfully versatile tool to have around. As far as the woodwork, I actually owned a table saw before I got a miter saw, but I'd suggest getting both--and of course a nice hand-held circular saw.
I'd actually be surprised if there was a saw that actually did a good job all around, but I wasn't going to exclude the possibility.
Sawzall is your best option for total versatility. Can be a hacksaw, circular saw, pruning saw and more.
As mentioned a pruning saw and a handsaw for woodworking are two different animals.
Personally, I'd recommend against battery powered tools unless you're going to use them on a regular basis - if you trim a couple branches a year, that battery is going to die before you ever get your money's worth out of it. A decent pruning saw that's sharp will have the branch cut up in less time than it takes to dig out the power saw.
Josh
Dork
4/3/12 6:47 p.m.
I really love the little 12v "hackzall" thing. Get the bigger battery and it will power through stuff it shouldn't very well. You can also put full size sawzall blades in it if you need more depth. Mine zipped right through a tube steel desk frame my dad wanted cut down last week. I also recommend the 3/8 impact wrench on this same system, great for disassembly and tire changing when paired with a breaker bar. I bought the hackzall kit, 1 extra capacity battery and the impact as a bare tool from Amazon for around $250 IIRC.
stuart in mn wrote:
As mentioned a pruning saw and a handsaw for woodworking are two different animals.
Personally, I'd recommend against battery powered tools unless you're going to use them on a regular basis - if you trim a couple branches a year, that battery is going to die before you ever get your money's worth out of it. A decent pruning saw that's sharp will have the branch cut up in less time than it takes to dig out the power saw.
That's why I always buy sets of tools that use the same battery. You get your money's worth when the battery works for 3-4 tools.
