Replies

1. 
   coolbreeze | Jul 06, 2004 04:54am | #1

   Protagora, I have only seen the advertisements and the laser lines look as wide as a mud flap. For me, I do not see how you can beat a varetas marking knife a good light.

   I am looking forward to the replies you may get on this one.

1. 
   ELVY | Jul 08, 2004 06:23am | #6

   A mud flap ,I like that.

1. 
   Fingrs | Jul 09, 2004 03:57pm | #7

   Would that be a mudflap from a 1952 Rambler, or an 18-wheeler?

1. 
   coolbreeze | Jul 10, 2004 06:39am | #8

   I went back and looked at the advertisement and I think the line actually looksabout as wide as the mud flap on a Western Flyer bicycle.

   May all woodworkers babies be born naked.

2. 
   Sprucegum | Jul 06, 2004 05:00am | #2

   I have the laser light on my chopsaw and it was dead accurate right out of the box , as long as you remember; no matter which way you are cutting the light only comes down one side of the blade.

   Some pencil lines seem to disappear under the laser.

   Yes,I made it. No,not hard. Yes, a long time.

3. 
   mudman | Jul 06, 2004 06:03pm | #3

   I used one one the job site last week. It didn't make any diference. If you are cutting sheet goods (we were hanging soffits) you still have to snap a line, the notch in the base plate of the saw is as accurate as the laser at following the line. Obviously it is not usefull for cutting 2x lumber. For shop work, typical for this forum, a guide is much more acurate.

   Mike 

   please excuse my spelling.
4. 
   datachanel | Jul 06, 2004 06:52pm | #4

   We have an Hitachi compound mitre saw with a laser here in our shop.  The laser is adjustable, so it strikes me as being only as good as the person who adjusted it, and with multiple people in the shop, who really knows.  I did find it helpful when cutting "cut to fit" angles.  I don't think I'd spend the money for a laser personally.

   Datachanel

   Doing things the hard way

1. 
   ClancysBro | Jul 07, 2004 01:05am | #5

   I honestly think that all the effort put into adding a laser to the circular saw should have been spent on adding an adjustable light to the front that turns on and off separately then the blade rotation. You could use that for many different things, but a laser? Blinding myself and my co-workers on the job, wasting time, and horse play seems like all its worth then from the threads general consensus.

   I will back the circular saw in Fine Woodworking Tool forum though. I think it a wise decision to add a proper one to your shop. You will need one sooner then later and picking the right one from the beginning, as with all your tools, will save you time, money, and sweat. How could we imagine woodworking without a circular saw in our arsenal. I am sure many of us need to true our "skill"with one and button up and watch what the right spinning carbide can do in the right hands..: )

   Scribing and notching with a circular saw on the job site can be the bomb. How many of you had a typical cabinet, counter top, or built-in slightly oversized because you didn’t allow enough for scribe distance somehow? Ahem, walls can be quite out of square- Long live the circular saw, but please just a comment to those whom add the amenities needed for the job it does, will do, and where it will advance to, add a light to the front and possibly blow the saw dust out of the cutting area.- Prota

5. 
   CarpenterJC | Jul 21, 2004 07:19am | #9

   Just an observation but..if the Laser is straight with the blade and nothing else..then you could cut a perfectly straight line right off the side off the sheet your cutting and wreck the piece you intended to save...makes no sense in My opinion.

                                                        JC

6. 
   SRToolguy | Jul 22, 2004 06:44am | #10

   I can see no reason to buy a circular saw with a laser guidance system unless it will actually follow the line without the assistance of a human. They do make those but they are just a little to big to be fitting in the back of the pickup and a little too expensive for my pocket book.

   Its a cool option for the homeowner but really has no place in the woodworkers shop. Well, not yet anyway...

   Sincerely;

   The Tool Guy