Millwaukee 10 1/4" circular saw

hello All.

I just bought one of these and am quite disappointed with it.

The shoe is a very flimsy thin guage stamped plate and deflects a great deal under the load of the saw. Enough to cause a 1/4" overcut on depth and to wander several degrees from 90 in bevel.

I have to assume others have experienced this problem.

I'm considering two options: having the machine shop i have access to make me a new plate to my specs or return the saw in favor of a BigFoot. Any comments regarding any of this would be appreciated.

Shaun

Shaun,

Buy the Bigfoot. In my experience, the Bigfoot runs quite true. It is a bit heavier than the old Makitas, but the shoe is much stiffer... and narrower: sometimes a good thing and sometimes not. I agree with you that the Milwaukee is a strange disappointment considering their otherwise excellent reputation.

why not just weld a stiffener (or two) to the top of the baseplate?
the key is whether the connection between the saw and the baseplate is robust enough, if it is then the baseplate should be easy to beef up
Just make sure the plate is clamped onto a flat surface when welding on material.....
-M.

Mark,

I considered modifying the shoe of the Milwaukee. I decided however, that it is not my problem that the saw is poorly designed and since there is a better saw available, I should not have to sacrafice the warranty on the milwaukee to make it perform the way it should. A worthwhile modication would have required drilling and tapping holes onto the cast motor housing and stationary section of the blade guard. I think Milwaukee would have frowned upon such "improvements" had I ever had to get warrantee service.....

I will report on the BigFoot once I receive and use it for those interested.

Shaun