# Forum Home Renovation Tools & Products  Time for a new saw

## wooly1

Hi all, 
Got a few jobs pending so thinking of upgrading the old Black & Decker circular saw (with 1 mm end float in the arbour  :Confused: ) for something a bit more up to date.
Had a look around and like the look of the Makita 5007MGK or alternatively the Milwakee SC60.
Couple of questions for you learned chaps. 
Both saws have cast alloy base plates, but I notice that they both have a taper on the rear edge of the plate near the depth adjust lever - must be about a 30-40 degree run off.
What is the purpose of this taper?
I always thought the rear edge of the base plate was used as a guiding surface against a straight edge or square, so it seems to me that the saw may become unguided when nearing the end of the cut when the weight of the saw is starting to hang in free air.
Hope I explained that OK, just can't quite see why the rear edge is not continuous end to end.
Or perhaps it's not an issue. 
I also notice that most saws in the 7 1/4" range don't seem to incorporate riving knives now - have they gone out of fashion?
Without a riving knife how do you rip a long length without getting a blade jam? 
Is everyone happy with their 5007MGK?
I have Makita stuff I bought in the 70's and still using, but of course it's all made in China now - is this a bad thing or not?
Any opnion on the Milwaukee as a second option.
Could buy a $99 something at Bunnies, but I find that price is soon forgotten when using a nice quality tool  :Smilie:

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## phild01

Welcome wooly1, intrigued by the riving feature that I haven't seen before on a hand portable saw.

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## OBBob

> Welcome wooly1, intrigued by the riving feature that I haven't seen before on a hand portable saw.

  Same here ... but doing a Google it seems that plenty of circular saws have had them at one time or another. I don't think it's be worth the bother ... a jam would be as dangerous on a circular saw as it would be on a table saw.

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## Marc

I have some old saw that have a riving knife. Not sure what for, the new saw don't have it and I have ripped plenty of stuff with them including 2" hardwood with no issues. Yes, ripping is dangerous.

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## Gaza

I am pretty sure they are law in UK, 
Festool saws have them but expect to spend big bucks   
Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

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## wooly1

Thanks for all the comments so far regarding riving blades, I think I read somewhere that they are still mandated in EU markets but that Australia dropped the requirement some time ago. 
Anyone have an opinion as to why the Makita does not have a truly rectangular base plate, why does it taper the rear edge near the depth adjuster lever for maybe 2 inches or so.
Surely this must destabilise it's guiding performance against a straight edge. 
Thanks all.

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## METRIX

I think the knives were dropped as it interferes with plunge cutting, and most guys probably ripped them off after they got slightly bent from mishandling, so the manufacturers probably dropped fitting them. 
For the base plate, I assume your referring to the cut below ? 
I assume this has been done to make getting to the height adjuster lever easier, personally I have never had a problem with it, but then again I don't use the saw in conjunction with a straight edge, if I need accuracy I use the track saw.
The thing you need to look at is a weak point on the saw, if it gets dropped the plate will bend, and you cannot get the plate off to fix it as it has been riveted on, check the Milwalkee for similar weak points.

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## wooly1

Thanks for your comments Metrix, interesting point about the plate being prone to bend after a fall.
I would have thought that being a casting and with a reasonable thickness lip around it that it may have been fairly rigid  - apparently not, thanks for pointing that out.
What is the green arrow pointing to ? That plate doesn't look quite right there - something else has bent as well ?

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## METRIX

,The arrow is pointing to the plate which gets bent if dropped,  the cast plate is strong but will snap rather than bend if dropped badly,  a steel plate will bend

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## OBBob

I only buy tools with titanium base plates these days.  :Tongue:

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## fredgassit

Metrix, which track saw is that, please?

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## METRIX

> Metrix, which track saw is that, please?

  Not a tracks saw, just a 185mm circ saw, Makita 5007MG

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## phild01

Could Fred mean the track saw you mentioned earlier!

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## fredgassit

Metrix, which track saw is that, please?

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## fredgassit

Yes indeed.  I might have a go at making one.

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## METRIX

> Yes indeed.  I might have a go at making one.

  it's actually quite easy to make a dead accurate cir saw guide, I made one from 12mm marine ply a while ago, had bunnings cut me a piece from a 2440 sheet around 250mm wide, and another around 50mm wide, using their panel saw so the cuts were very straight. 
Glue and screw the 50mm onto the 250mm piece leaving more overhang than the width of the saw to blade, when you glue the 50mm piece on, use a long level to ensure the piece is put down perfectly straight. 
Once all screwed in place, clamp the larger piece to a workbench and run your circ saw down the piece using the 50mm as the guide, this will cut off the excess from the bottom piece, and you have an instant home made saw guide which is surprisingly accurate, then one day when you find yourself needing to do a lot more cuts of sheet material you can buy a proper track saw. 
Although I have seen a cheapo at Sydney Tools $199, you just need either Makita or festool tracks, probably should work with Bosch tracks as well. https://sydneytools.com.au/bayer-bay...-1-2-track-saw 
If your asking the track saw I have it's a Bosch GKT-55 https://sydneytools.com.au/bosch-gkt...saw-gkt-55-gce

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## wooly1

> Once all screwed in place, clamp the larger piece to a workbench and run your circ saw down the piece using the 50mm as the guide, this will cut off the excess from the bottom piece, and you have an instant home made saw guide which is surprisingly accurate, then one day when you find yourself needing to do a lot more cuts of sheet material you can buy a proper track saw.

  Which brings me to my original query ; does the tapered off section of the rear edge of the soleplate on the Makita 5007mgk compromise the guiding ability against a straight edge such as the one in this cutting jig. ??

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## Gaza

No as it's the front edge that follows straight edge   
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## justonething

The bayers track saw looks like a good deal. You will need another 1400 of track though. Worth having a look. Even a cheap track saw would give you a nicer and more accurate cut than a "cheap" circular saw.

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## wooly1

> No as it's the front edge that follows straight edge   
> Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

  Hang on a minute, are you suggesting the motor side edge or the blade side edge?

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## fredgassit

Back to the track saw for a moment:  https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Q2El5Pr75FY 
and   https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fQcROnDi1HY

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## Gaza

> Back to the track saw for a moment:  https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Q2El5Pr75FY 
> and   https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fQcROnDi1HY

  And what are you getting at ?    
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## fredgassit

How to make one, as a supplementary saw. 
Sorry for the interruption.

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## Pitto

I have had the makita for the last 4 years, Best bit of kit, and combined with a VAC / DC you never get dusty. The makita i believe is cheap form sydney tools. if its a long term investment, get the festool, theres alot of features
that the festool has that the cheaper ones dont. if moneys no object, Mafell , but thats another level altogether. 
the only thing about the track/plunge saw, you cant lock the blade down to use it as a normal circ saw.

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## wozzzzza

> Although I have seen a cheapo at Sydney Tools $199, you just need either Makita or festool tracks, probably should work with Bosch tracks as well. https://sydneytools.com.au/bayer-bay...-1-2-track-saw

  so these bayer ones ok for occasional use?? I wouldn't use it that often, maybe once a month or so, need to get accurate straight cuts once in a while.

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## METRIX

Hard to say, they probably are ok for occasional use, it's like any cheap powertool, they have to have sacrificed something to make it cheap. 
Probably made in China, from low grade materials using low quality casting, with little attention paid to accuracy or tolerances, reliability may be a problem from a cheap motor. 
Saying that it might be worth a look, the accuracy and cut has to be better than any circular saw simply because it has a higher tooth blade.
I noticed they have a new model, with 1400W and it says it cuts masonry !!, this is meant to be a precision saw, I wouldnt be cutting masonry with it.  https://sydneytools.com.au/bayer-bay...-1-2-track-saw 
At $300 I'm not sure when for just over $600 you can get a German made Bosch, you might say that's double, but the quality and attention to detail of the Bosch unit would be more than double the cheap bayer. 
The whole idea of a track saw is the accuracy, if the unit has sloppy tolerances in build quality, it sort of defies the purpose of the saw, initially you might think you will only use it once a month, I guarantee you once you use a good one, you will use it more than once a month, and that's when a good quality one will outlast a cheapish. 
I use one probably every 3rd day for something, and some days it will be used all day.

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## OBBob

If it's not used all the time I'd consider spending the funds on the best quality circular saw you can and making a simple timber guide for long cuts.  
As with many tools, a good circular saw with a solid cast base and a good blade does feel much nicer to use.

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## hotshot

I have the festool tracksaw and i love it. In regards to standard circular saws, don't buy the 99$ makita from bunnings it's a POS. I have 5-6 makita saws and they are all way better use. Now I use a hitachi 7/4 with 1700w motor. Goes for about 200$ but i think its money well spent.

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## wozzzzza

> theres alot of featuresthat the festool has that the cheaper ones don't.

  what features are we talking about here? 
oBBob, yes I do have one of them pieces of wood I have made up a couple years ago, wearing out, not accurate and quite annoying actually to use. I want something more accurate.

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## OBBob

> oBBob, yes I do have one of them pieces of wood I have made up a couple years ago, wearing out, not accurate and quite annoying actually to use. I want something more accurate.

  Yep ... and if you can justify the cost it'll be better and much nicer to use and store.

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