Black & Decker/DeWalt DW364K 7-1/4" HD Circ Saw Kit,

Update 8/19/07 - I have recently discovered that there is a fence/shoe adjustment that allows you to precisely align the blade and shoe for all of your speed square cuts. To my knowledge - this feature is not available on any other saw. Several years ago I had a chance to use a friend's Dewalt DW364. It was so amazing that I hoped my venerable Makita 8 1/4" contractor saw would die. The Makita is still running strong (it's 22 years old) but I finally bought a DW364 anyway. This saw was not designed for the homeowner but for the professional carpenter. It will be too heavy for the casual board cutter and the great design features will only be apparent to skilled pro's. Circular saws have been built following the same basic design for years. Expensive circular saws had strong, durable motors and heavy duty fences while the cheapies had poor fences and poor motors. The depth and angle adjustments in either group were at best a suggestion of precision. Dewalt to their credit decided to build a better saw and succeeded masterfully. The other saw manufacturers are still doing things the same old way. What's great - Heavy duty fence, clear view of the cut point from the left hand side of the saw, notch to position power cord so it is out of the way on rips, clear and precise depth and angle adjustment, unbelievably smooth and powerful motor. What's not - it's heavy yet it's mass makes it stable, although not as stable as a worm drive. Caslo

I bought this saw thru Amazon almost 2years ago. Had shopped for a saw for quite some time, always waiting for the one electric saw I had to die. Well finally after probably 18years, It totally died. Not worth fixing (B&D Skill saw). Never able to find this one in a store, decided to order it. Has some weight to it, but need that when cutting dimensional lumber. Especially treated wood like when building a deck. The metal base plate is one reason I wanted this one, and many stores had the one with the plastic/composite plate. As a general contractor who uses these tools quite often, I need something reliable, durable, and not flimsy. Nothing like having a primary tool go down because it "fell" or was "accidentally" dropped and a major piece broke because it's plastic. With this, it's been dropped and "kicked" around (not abused but usual work environment treatment), it's weight and size make it great to cut lumber with - and reliably. REMEMBER: Its not just the tool that get it done, but the blade on the saw! If you got a crap blade, you're gonna put more strain on your saw, use good blades. Check your blades and teeth.

The DeWalt 364K 7 1/2 inch saw is replacing a DeWalt 369 model that I had for the last ten years so, I expect the same service life. I built a house with the model 369, dropped it from the rafters onto a concrete slab three times; never bothered the operational abilities. Now, I'm building a large wooden boat and wanted to treat myself to a new saw that had more options; like adjusting the blade depth and angle. I located both the same old model and Model 364K on amazon. Model 364K costs about forty dollars more, but what a difference in the power to cut through wood, ease of changing blades, and of adjusting the bevel angle and depth of cut. I also like the heavier duty electric cord. If the saw lasts for ten years, I'll be very satisfied. And when I think of the time I saved by not needing to huff to the home improvement stores and shop, I'm happier. The saw arrived well bundled, and like I said, I'm VERY SATISFIED.

The downside is that it is quite heavy, though that can be a advantage to keeping the saw stable when starting a cut. The aluminum base seems very rigid and gives confidence on keeping the cut on course. Nice hard case with space for a few additional blades though you have to be careful stowing the cord to keep it away from the blade. Hard case is much better than the bags supplied with my other DeWalt purchases. Warning - no fence is included - you have to buy the over-priced $20 DW3278 fence separately.

I love it. It is heavy and much larger than expected but a very good circular saw, and significantly quieter than my old saw. It doesn't surge when started and it easily tracks a straight edge. All-in-all, I am very pleased. One important note: it does not fit the E. Emerson Tool Co. XCSP All-In-One Contractor Saw Plate even though it's one of their recommended saws. However, it's so smooth and steady that it follows a straight edge very nicely so a contractor plate isn't necessary. I used a Diablo 60 tooth 7 1/4" blade for cross cutting plywood and the results were excellent. I totally recommend this saw as long as it isn't too heavy for your type of use.

After a great deal of research, I decided the DW364 offered the best design (greatest adjustment flexibility, good power, sturdy materials, and best reviews of the top-rated saws) for a price that is within budget. However, my new, unused saw is at the Dewalt repair store having a few parts replaced. The saw I received couldn't be adjusted to make a 90 degree cut. After briefly reviewing the trouble, the repairman's first comment was (paraphrased): "badly designed part; will have to replace it." I also asked him to replace the shoe, which wasn't flat. Everything else looked OK. All of my other Dewalt tools worked correctly out-of-the-box. I hope to have a great saw after the repairs. Why should a new saw need repairs?

No surprises, works as expected, satisfied