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Metal cutting circular saws


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This doesn't seem to be a real commonly used tool on this forum but as a steel fab/erector we use them daily.  We've had many milwaukee 8" metal circ saws over the years and they really are beastly saws.  We had tried a 18v dewalt metal saw in the early 2000s and although they cut they were a bit ahead of battery technology and weren't very practical.  So last year when milwaukee came out with a fuel versions I thought I would give it another try.  Although I was hesitant about how long the batteries would last, I was pleasantly surprised at just how capable it is.  I was so impressed I decided our dewalt work truck should have one too but I couldn't find any detailed reviews on the dcs373.  I finally got one the other day so I haven't been able to give it a good runtime test but it does seem to have power comparable to the m18 fuel.  The thing I was most suprised about was the difference in size and weight between the two.  From most pictures online the two look to be very similar in size but dewalt is a lot wider.  The dewalt is around 4lbs heavier and I think a lot of that comes from the "metal?" housing where the fuel is all plastic.  I plan on writing more as I use these more.  I just know there wasn't a lot of info when I was looking at these cordless circ saws so hopefully this helps someone else out.

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I don't have any experience with makita but I would assume it would have similar performance to the m18 fuel.  

 

One thing I don't get on these cordless models is the clear plastic blade housing.  I assume it comes from wood guys where they want to look at the blade as its cutting but these really throw chips of metal so the more enclosed the better.  The problem with the clear plastic though is they get clouded up after a couple uses and you can't see through it anyhow. I was taught on the milwaukee corded 8" which has a fully enclosed housing so you learn to cut using the sight marks on the shoe. This was another thing I noticed on the dewalt it has a sight line on on the shoe but it doesn't have the notch on the front edge of the shoe which is something I use all the time on the milwaukees. Sometime the sight windows on the shoes fill up with metal chips making it impossible to see a guide mark so you really need the notch on the front edge.

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I had a little project today where I needed to make a 14" long cut in a 12ga sheet of steel so I thought I would try out my new dewalt saw.  I use metal circ saws daily for the last 10+ years and this cut was no different than any others I've done thousands of times.  I'm right handed so I brace my material with my left hand and cut with my right.  But this time was a little different as the saw was really throwing metal at my left bracing arm.  It was uncomfortable but I finished the cut only to look at my arm speckled in blood.  Now I probably should have had on long sleeves but like I said the cut was no different than any other and it's never happened before. 

 

First thing I would say is this is one reason to not have a blade left saw if you're right handed.  But the bigger problem i see is there is a gap between the base and guard on the saw.  This gap might not be a big deal on a wood saw but on a metal saw it really let's the shrapnel fly.

 

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