Bests & Worsts Reviews from Amazon

This review is for Rockwell RK3441K Compact Circular Saw Kit . I really like this saw. Because of the smaller blade and light weight It's much easier to handle than a traditional circular saw. It seems to be well made and there is plenty of power. A three year warranty seems quite bold for a ten year old company making tools in China selling at low prices, this tells me that they are serious about making high quality tools. (To get a three year warranty you must register your saw, otherwise, it's a two year warranty.) Yes, this is a ten year old company. It's not the same legendary Rockwell from Jackson, Tennessee which produced fine professional tools in the 60s and 70s. This new company purchased the Rockwell name and is manufacturing a new line of tools in China. I own several of the original, older Rockwells (or Porter Cable) and, to me, it looks like the new Rockwell has done a good job capturing the style and quality of their progenitor. But it is hard to evaluate things like brushes and bearings and switches in a new product. I wonder if I'll still be using this saw in thirty years along side the older tools which last a lifetime. I had good results cutting 1/2 inch and 1 inch plywood, and 1-1/2 inch oak (two pieces of 3/4 oak flooring cut together) was no problem. The dust collection port works well but the supplied adapter didn't really fit any of the various hoses and adapters I have around. I ended up using duct tape. One thing I noticed when using a long, straight-edge cutting guide on plywood, the cuts weren't quite as true as they are when I cut with my 7-1/2 inch circular saw. The long cuts with the small saw were acceptable but not excellent. I find this a fair tradeoff for the ease of handling and versatility the little saw provides. I expect the small, thin carbide tipped blade will wear out much sooner than we are used to with the large saws. But this, too, is a fair tradeoff and the blades are easy to find for ten dollars. It's amusing Rockwell calls this a "kit" when all that's included is a small edge guide and vacuum attachment. Thankfully, they didn't throw in one of those cheesy, useless bags that get instantly tossed. Instead, they include a Velcro cord wrap that is actually useful. I've read several negative reviews about the saw on various websites mainly complaining about the wobbly shoe assembly (more on this later). Yes, this is definitely a flaw in this model. I guess it's understandable. Because of the immense pressure to produce high quality at low prices, something has to give way and designers shave assembly costs wherever they can. Where else have they cut that I can't see? It is sad though because I would have paid thirty dollars more for a bit more quality, but perhaps most people don't think like that. I was originally going to rate it 4 stars because of the shoe assembly looseness but I decided on 5 stars for the following reasons. 1. The three year warranty is quite good. Plus, Rockwell has a 30 day Satisfaction Guarantee. 2. There is nothing like it on the market except for battery models (the older Porter Cable trim saw is no longer being produced, and the Makita 5-1/2 inch saw costs over twice as much). 3. The power and quality are very good for a saw at this price. 4. I was able to modify the shoe assembly so the saw works now like a 5 star model. The flaw in the shoe assembly is in the loose fitting attachment points. There is a pin at the front and a rivet at the back. Both are quite sloppy so the shoe wiggles a little when cutting. I replaced both attachments with screws and the shoe is now very solid so cutting has become a pleasure. I have details about this modification on my blog, if you would like to read more, search for "DIY: Shoe Modification for Rockwell Compact Circular Saw".