Should I get this?

[JSUPreston]

I'm thinking about violating one of the core rules of work...don't buy/sell anything to/from someone you work with.

My boss is upgrading his circular saw to a Festool (must be nice), and has a Makita 5377MG that he's willing to sell me. He's asking $75, and is letting me take the saw home to try out. I have the saw in hand right now, and other than a little bit of saw dust on it, it appears to have been well taken care of.

I've known my boss off/on for over 10 years, and I'm pretty sure the saw has been taken very good care of. I'm just wondering if you guys think that it's worth buying. I would be upgrading from this saw http://www.newwoodworker.com/reviews...ircsawrvu.html, which I've been very pleased with.

BTW: SWMBO says that if I buy the Makita, the Craftsman has to go.

[Stytooner]

I would not get rid of the Craftsman.
You can install a diamond or abrasive or even a steel cutting blade on it and have another versatile tool.
I don't think you can go wrong with the Makita for that price either.
Any job site I have been on has been using Makita's.
They are hard to kill.

http://www.amazon.com/Makita-5377MG-Magnesium-4-Inch-Hypoid/dp/B000N5UR5A

[cabinetman]

The review of the Craftsman is very good. It's lighter than the Makita. You have the blade on the right for the Craftsman, and on the left for the Makita. The Makita is a very good saw, and hypoid saws are nice to use, but if there isn't anything wrong with the Craftsman, I would hold onto it. Get the Makita too.

.

[Black wallnut]

Seriously, don't tell her that you bought it.

Use above to articulate to her why you need two saws.

[cork58]

Mention how much more you can get done having one set for crosscut and one for ripping. Thats how I ended up with 2 BTs married together. Keep the Craftsman if it comes to it.

[schloff]

For $75, get it. And keep the Craftsman. It's worth a night in the doghouse, if that's what it comes to.

You need both. It's about expansion of your abilities, and this addition will further your flexability/productivity/piece of mind. Or so you can tell her, anyway (if she finds out in the first place).

[steve-norrell]

I'll echo everything said by the others. Having two, differently configured tools is not a bad thing.

I have three ROS, each with a different grit. Saves lots of time (even for an old retired guy) and is wonderfully convenient. I'm not sure that the LOML knows about all three.

Regards, Steve.

[JSUPreston]

Well, I am about to eBay a bunch of stuff I don't need anymore...maybe she'll forget about me having a 3rd corded circ saw. BTW: I still have the old Wal-Mart Skil saw I bought 15 years ago. Never use it any more, except when I need to cut something with a crappy blade, and it's something you wouldn't want cut on a good saw (DIRTY lumber, etc.).

[greenacres2]

I'll echo everything said by the others. Having two, differently configured tools is not a bad thing.

I have three ROS, each with a different grit. Saves lots of time (even for an old retired guy) and is wonderfully convenient. I'm not sure that the LOML knows about all three.

Regards, Steve.

Mine knows i have A router. Since two of them are Bosch 1617's, i only have to be concerned about her noticing that my router comes in 4 different colors!! (the 1617's, a PC 690, Hitachi M12V2, and the old little C-man). Even i'm starting to think about e-bay for a few things!!

Great deal on the Makita, you'll be able to recover your cost by selling either of them at some point in the future--do we have to be specific about WHEN in the future that is??

earl

[cwsmith]

Might be a very nice tool and in very nice condition... and hopefully your boss is a great guy, you are good friends, and you are very forgiving should there be ANYTHING that you don't like.

From personal experience, I wouldn't begin to go there though. It's probably just my poor experience, but something always seems to go wrong.

I had a Datsun 200SX, great shape, low-mileage... and I sold it to a friend of my wife's who was going through a very tough time. Sold it for a mere fraction of what it was worth.... for four years, everytime something went wrong, I heard about it! (Even when most of the things were her fault, like springing one of the doors, smashing in a bumper, etc.)

Then I had my neighbor give me an old snowblower. He used it all the time and was moving to Florida for health reasons. He wouldn't take anything for it and he simply stuck it in my driveway the day he left.

I couldn't use it, because my driveway is gravel and personally, I like to shovel. So my boss tells me his blower broke and he needs to buy another which isn't affordable at the moment. So, being the idiot that I am, I tell him about this one from my neighbor. He offers to buy it but of course wants to know how much. I tell him I don't have a clue... it didn't cost me anything, why don't you just stop by tonight and pick it up and try it out. Then if you really want, you tell me what it's worth to you.

So he does... tells me he'll give me $150... I tell him NO, how about $75, I really don't use it!!!! That was in December.

The following March, he runs it into a rock and breaks the auger... and it's all my fault and he wants his money back!

See what I mean? No thanks! My Dad told me when I was just a kid... you don't sell or buy from friends and never from family. If you want them to have something, you simply give it too them and tell them you never want to hear about it again. Of course with the two mentioned events, I had forgotten about that.

CWS

[chopnhack]

Its a fair deal and being that you have know the man for 10+ years, I am pretty sure that if you test it out and its obviously not defective that you'll get your money's worth out of the saw. That is a high powered saw. What are your plans for it? My main saw is now a makita 5007 and I am really pleased with it, great on ply. Test the saws heft and balance and see if it will fit in with your woodworking activities, if not save up some coin and buy something that will suit you better.

[NewDIYer]

As long as you are the one buying...

I would go for it if you feel there is value (because you are the one buying and not selling). If you feel like it, you can also make something for him and gift it. If in the future you want to you can praise the saw and let him know how much you have used it etc, etc.

Promise yourself - if anything goes wrong you will never bring the subject up at any time. My 2 cents...

[Bruce Cohen]

Seriously, don't tell her that you bought it.

Use above to articulate to her why you need two saws.

I've been doing that for years, and I haven't got caught yet,
Please don't tell my whife.

Bruce

[JSUPreston]

I've been burned once by selling a computer to someone I worked with. Every virus infection, etc. was my fault, even though I sold the computer for less than the cost of the software that was on it (and transferred legally, I might add).

I'm looking at this like I would any used purchase...caveat emptor.

As for use, I'm not sure yet. I do like the Craftsman, and it's become my go to circular saw for most things (do have a couple of battery powered trim saws), but I hate using it outside or for rough work, framing, etc. Thinking I may make the Makita the rough work/framing saw and keep the C-man for finish work.

[Stytooner]

I concur.
I see the hypoid type saw used mostly for breaking down sheets and sheathing.
Not so much when cutting for stick framing, though they are well suited to that as well.
On sheets, for a right hander, it is much more convenient that the typical type circular saw.
If I had more than just a few cuts to make, I would use the Hypoid.
Otherwise retain the Craftsman for light or finish duty like you mentioned.