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14" big boy? #8659 12/07/04 03:05 AM
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Mark Davidson Offline OP
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anyone using this saw?
it's a bigger version of the 10 1/4" bigfoot circular saw...

would love to hear any feedback on this tool
-thanks

Re: 14" big boy? #8660 12/08/04 02:56 PM
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Mark Davidson Offline OP
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Yo!
there must be someone using the 14"??
Or is this a newer product?
My concern about the tool is whether it would have enough power(the driver is a 15amp bosch worm drive).....
Can the bosch worm drive convert to 220?
-Mark.

Re: 14" big boy? #8661 12/09/04 03:08 PM
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Gabel Offline
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Mark,

We had a Big Boy for about a week and sent it back. This was arond 5 years ago. Big Foot Tool Conversions said that the Big Boy we had was one of the first 3 or 4 they had made. Our reason for sending it back was that it wold not stay square. It had one place to tighten in front. Based on our feedback, and probably a lot of other people's, they since changed the Big Boy to have two nuts, one in front and one in back. I have not used it with this configuration and so I don't really know how true it stays now. Our Big Foot stays amazingly true. I have dropped it and it stayed square, I have made 30 or 40 cuts at full depth and it stays square.

Also, I don't think the Big Boys are tough enough. The concept works on the smaller scale of the Big Foot, but the larger Big Boy seemed under built, especially compared to a Makita saw.

As for power, our Makita 16" saw is only 12 amps and cuts a wider kerf than the Big Boy. It has all the power I have needed. (Just keep the blade sharp.)

This was our approach to buying a big saw. We got a Big Foot to cut our first frame with. It was the only big saw we had for 4 or 5 projects. Then we had a project with a lot of 6x's in it that we didn't want to cut with a chainsaw because they were rafters with a plumb cut at the peak and a level cut at the foot. I figured that project would go a long way toward paying for a 16" saw, so we got one. No regrets. We use it all the time. The Big Foot and the Makita 16 make a great team in my opinion.

It boils down to what you are going to do with it. If you want the minimum, get a Big Foot. A chainsaw for end cuts and a Big Foot for the rest works great. (By the way, we try to get our softwood brace stock just under 4", so we can cut it in one pass with the big foot without tear out.) If you can wait two months and use a lot of 5x's but not many 6x's, get a Makita 13" saw. If you have a lot of 6x's in your projects, get a 16" saw.

In short, I wouldn't get a Big Boy.
Good Luck,

Gabel Holder


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