If you don't need accuracy I bought this saw when I started my handyman business in 2004. My first job was to install crown molding and I couldn't be carrying my radial arm saw around, so I spent the $200 for the Ryobi. I have had other tools from Ryobi and like them. I have a 3X21" belt sander that works great and a 4 cycle string trimmer that just keeps running even after the volunteers from my wife's community clean-up group gets through with it. This saw did okay on the crown molding but I was only cutting 45's and using the back cut method and I did have to tweak the angle to get a true 45. I was recently trying to cut a wide but small picture frame and instead of just making multiple cuts and tweaking the angle like I've done in the past, I decided to go ahead and align the thing. Well after a frustrating 2 hours and modifying the fence (as Fred did, another reviewer) I finally got the thing to cut perfect 45's...Guess what...It doesn't cut 90's anymore! Wish I could find some tools that are made in the USA. I would pay 3 to 4 times as much for a QUALITY tool! A frustrating saw for even a casual carpenter I agree with Mark and Fred. I can't get the blade square with the fence because the fence isn't adjustable enough.
The bevel angles don't seem to be marked correctly (relative to each other, even), either - to get a true 45 degree bevel, I had to adjust the blade. Then, because of that adjustment, the saw couldn't cut straight up-and-down anymore, so I had to adjust the blade again.
I'm just a casual carpenter, but this saw has been rather frustrating. I don't have the tools necessary to modify the fence to make the saw more adjustable, so I have to live with crooked cuts or buy a new saw.
Note: I bought this saw new from Home Depot, not factory reconditioned from Amazon. Works fine.... I bought this saw and it works just fine. I don't use the laser, because I work outside in the sun and can't especially see it. Also, the laser only works if you keep your cut on the left of the stock. But, I cut both ways, depending on where the board is. I'm not going to spin a 16' board around just to use the laser. I bring the blade down before I turn it on and see where it hits the board.
It has an automatic brake on the motor, so when you turn it off, the blade comes to a stop quickly. Nice for keeping noise down.
I have a friend who borrows my "chop saw" and he thinks I spent $600 on it! Good saw for the $$$ So far we have used this saw for cutting window trim on one job and gutters on another job. The gutters were all mitered and it did a nice job. I had to remove and reinstall the blade guard because it would not work. It was installed wrong from the factory. Super A great tool, as good as new, and it performed better than I hoped. I would highly recomend this saw.
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