Cheap-Ass Tools: Ryobi 7 1/4″ Circular Saw
By Sean O'Hara
A friend of the shop asked us recently what we thought about cheap circ saws. Our answer was to get whatever you can afford and rip it — mostly because having something that will do the job is better than nothing. Our friend went out to the Depot and snagged a brand new $35 Ryobi 7 1.4” 12 amp saw. He loved it.
The first thing he did is stuffed a $15 Freud 40-tooth finish blade in it and went to town. After about 20 hours of cutting he called us back and said it was the best cash he’d spent for the shop in as long as he could remember.
We suppose you could argue about the life of the saw and that better quality saws will last longer, but for what he’s doing (ripping veneered ply stock) it worked great; you really can’t ask for better than that.
Ryobi 7 1/4″ Circular Saw [The Home Depot]
Street Pricing [Google Products]
September 10th, 2009 at 9:15 am
I have one of these. Probably won’t hold up if I started using it everyday, but for cutting ply and some studs here and there, it works great. Probably should invest in a good Freud blade eventually…..
September 10th, 2009 at 9:39 am
i have the same saw i bought it several years ago for maybe around $45, and i too replaced the throw away blade it came with and it serves me at home just fine, i mounted a permanent rip fence on it and it works great
September 10th, 2009 at 10:22 am
I have the slightly more upmarket version of this saw, the one with the laser. It’s worked great for me for a number of weekend warrior projects…building a shed, some shelves, etc. I need a rip fence, but even freehanding it’s pretty stable.
September 10th, 2009 at 12:35 pm
This reminds me of the post I found that led me to Toolmonger: a story about cheap 4X6 band saws. If you put a nice blade on a cheap saw, and don’t expect it to perform like a professional piece of equipment, you can get pretty good bang-for-the-buck.
September 11th, 2009 at 1:44 am
OF course it’s the blade that does the cutting. Cheaper saws just don’t stand up to a ton of abuse or last forever. If you take care of them though, they can be an excellent buy for your dollar. And let’s face it, Circ saws are not used for finish work, just fast and nasty rough construction, so just how much “quality” do you really need? I have a $50 Craftsman 12A 7 1/4 saw that’s going on 18 years old (no blade brake), has reno’d two houses, built two garages, numerous sheds, fences, etc, and I’ve never once thought, “Geez this cheap-ass tool has no accuracy.”
September 11th, 2009 at 8:15 am
I’ve mixed feelings about Ryobi. Certainly the quality has to be an issue. I stopped buying the cordless tools due to premature failure (batteries to trigger switches to motors). I would be leery of this as well.
I have a B&D that I bought cheap 10 years ago, and though it is still working, there is noticeable side-to-side play that is at best no accurate and at worst dangerous.
Some things you just have to pay a little more for, and a circ saw is one of them, IMHO.
September 13th, 2009 at 5:43 pm
These are good for their purpose - cheap & dirty. My buddy used one until the bearing started to wear - it got hard to hold a line. Then I needed to cut 6 pieces of 5/8″ aluminum plate, about 40″ wide. I borrowed it (he knew why), got a new carbide blade, goggles, face shield & earplugs and went to town. It worked great, and we didn’t worry about trashing a good saw. After that, he put in an abrasive blade and still uses it for cutting steel.
September 13th, 2009 at 6:25 pm
I’m of the mind to spend the money where it’s necessary, and don’t where it isn’t.
Expensive Car lift. Cheap air compressor.
My air compressor was $200 and it’s lasted 8 years under the duty cycle I’ve given it. Sure, a $800-$1200 compressor will handle more, for longer, but this thing sees 10 hours of use a year.
I’ve got a south bend lathe that’s stellar, it’s 45 years old and still holds to a thou over 8 inches. I’ve also got a $120 4×6 bandsaw that, while it’s not near as precise, sure has been worth every penny I’ve spent on it.
I figger if I wear out the Harbor Freight tool, it means I’m using it enough to buy a better tool the second time.
September 13th, 2009 at 7:06 pm
I have a 15 year old Craftsman 7-1/4″ circular saw that is on the low ends of the power spectrum, 12 amps. About two years ago, I stopped buying 24 tooth general purpose blades and started buying 40 tooth thin kerf blades. They are a little more expensive but the saw cuts like a new 15 amp top of the line. It goes through 3/4 ” plywood like nothing. Cheap saw+ great blade=great combination.
September 13th, 2009 at 7:13 pm
A few weeks ago I my father-in-law needed a circ saw while his was loaned out. I broke out a Craftsman all-metal unit that was my grandfather’s, probably hasn’t been used in 20 years, we think it dates from sometime in the sixties. 7″ blade… that’s right, not 7 1/4″.
Threw on a 6 1/2″ plywood blade, ripped a few sheets of plywood down… the only issue was that the show was a little gummy and tended to drag against the wood. A heavy saw with all that metal, but feels solid, extra knob on the motor housing gives you great control, like a worm drive but 90° difference.
I’m not sure if the moral of the story is a) any saw with a decent blade will get you through a pinch or b) a good quality tool from 40+ years ago is a better value than a cheap new tool.
September 15th, 2009 at 4:37 pm
I have essentially the same saw. It has been used twice. Both times were important enough (stuff just had to get done) that it has more than paid itself off. I’m with everyone else. Spend money when you need to (ie, if you’re going to use it a lot, get the best) and save money when you can (if you’re going to use it once a year, get the cheapest).