Right now you can purchase the highly regarded Porter Cable 12V ClampSaw for $110 via Amazon. This kit includes 2 12V battery packs, a 30-minute charger, starter reciprocating saw blades, and a carrying case.

OR you can spend $5 more and buy the the above-pictured reciprocating saw and 3/8″ drill driver combo kit. $115 for the two tools, 2 batteries, a charger, and kit bag is a pretty good deal.

Buy Now(via Lowes)

We briefly reviewed Porter Cable’s 12V drill/driver, and were pretty pleased with it. It’s not the lightest, shortest, most feature-rich, or most powerful 12V drill on the market, but it’s solidly built and delivers great performance.

This combo doesn’t appear to be listed anywhere else, so we assume it was a special Lowes-specific holiday combo that they’re now trying to clear off the shelves.

If you’re more a fan of Dewalt’s 12V Max platform, you’ll be interested to know that the Pivot Saw is currently in production.

Dewalt 20V Metal Cutting Circular Saw

The new saw has a cutting capacity of 1-11/16″, meaning that it can easily cut steel materials such as uni-strut, threaded rod, conduit, cold rolled pipe, and sheet metal and plates in a single pass.

The saw features a 460 UWO and 3700 RPM motor, and comes with a 30T 5-1/2″ carbide-tipped metal-cutting blade. An LED provides cut-line illumination, with a 20-second delay providing added convenience. Dewalt’s Multi-Coated Sight-Line window is abrasive-resistant and provides a clear view of the cut. A high-strength steel shoe is resistant to chip build-up, and a magnesium upper guard offers durable protection.

The saw will be available in July 2012 as part of a kit that includes two 20V Max 3.0Ah batteries with fuel gauges, a charger, and kit box, for $359. A bare-tool add-on (DCS373B) will be priced at $199.

Dewalt 20V Cut-Off Tool

Dewalt also announced a new cut-off tool, designed for construction, maintenance, and automotive applications. It features a 4-1/2″ disc size, 6500 RPM motor, quick-change wrench-free wheel release, tool-free adjustable guard, and 2-position side handle. It also has a low-profile gear case that allows for access in tight spaces.

The new cut-off wheel will be available in May 2012 as part of a kit that includes two 20V 3.0Ah batteries with fuel gauges, a charger, wrench, Type 1 cutting guard, side handle, and contractor bag, for $299. A bare-tool version, DCG412B, will be available for $119.

Follow all of our Dewalt 20V Max cordless tool reviews, previews, and related coverage.

Dewalt just announced a new reciprocating saw (DWE357) with a compact and unique configuration that’s said to greatly improve tool balance and control. We’ve seen compact reciprocating saws before, and they usually sacrifice power as a trade-off. Not this one!

The new saw weighs 6.8 lbs and is 14.5″ long, or about 20% shorter than other current corded models. The saw’s shorter size makes it better suited for making cuts in tight spaces such as between rafters and studs, and under sinks and in corners.

The saw features a 10A motor, variable-speed 2800 SPM, and 1-1/8″ blade stroke length. A lever-actuated 4-position blade clamp allows users to position the blade in either horizontal or vertical directions, and a pivoting shoe provides leverage for flush-cutting and other applications. There’s also a keyless blade change and variable speed one-finger trigger switch.

Expect to see the new saw at home centers and in stores in the second half of 2012. MSRP is $129.

Dewalt just announced a new 20V Max lithium-ion cordless jig saw, DCS331L1, that’s said to provides longer runtime, improved ergonomics, and greater efficiency. The jig saw is designed to offer accuracy and versatility to tackle a variety of cuts in different materials.

The new jig saw features an all-metal lever-action keyless blade change, variable-speed 0-3000 SPM motor, and 4-position orbital action. An adjustable blower keeps the cut-line clear of chips, dust, and debris, and an anti-slip comfort grip allows for improved control. The all-metal keyless shoe bevels, with detents at common angles – 0°, 15°, 30°, and 45°.

Included in the kit will be one 3.0Ah battery with fuel gauge, a fast-charger, starter jig saw blade (T-shank), and a kit box. The saw will also be available separately as a bare-tool add-on (DCS331B). MSRP is $279 for the kit and $149 for the bare tool. ETA is April 2012.

Follow all of our Dewalt 20V Max cordless tool reviews, previews, and related coverage.

Dewalt has announced that they will be adding a new pivoting reciprocating saw (DCS310) to their 12V Max li-ion compact cordless tool lineup. The reciprocating saw is designed to be compact and lightweight, and features a 3-position handle for added versatility and maneuverability in confined spaces.

The 12V Max saw also features a pivoting shoe and keyless lever-action blade clamp. Stroke length is 9/16″, and speed is 0-2700 strokes per minute. An LED work light helps illuminate dark work areas.

Dewalt 12V Recip Saw Configurations

• DSC310S1 – recip saw, one 12V 1.5Ah lithium ion battery pack, 30-min charger, 4″ 6 TPI wood-cutting blade, 4″ 18 TPI metal-cutting blade, kit bag. MSRP $149.
• DCK212S2 – 2-tool combo with DCD710 3/8″ drill driver. MSRP $199.
• DCK413 – 4-tool kit with DCD710 drill driver, DCF813 impact wrench, and DCL510 LED work light. MSRP $279.

The new saw kits will be available in April 2012.

And yes, Dewalt’s Pivot Saw looks remarkably like Porter Cable ClampSaw, which we reviewed a while back. The specs, housing, and ergonomics between tools are slightly different, but the link is undeniable. We were pleased with the performance of the PC version and have high expectations for the new Dewalt.

Follow all of our Dewalt 12V Max cordless tool reviews, previews, and related coverage.

Makita is adding a new compact reciprocating saw (RJ01W) to their small but well regarded 12V cordless tool lineup. There is high demand for these types of mini-saws, which are great for lighter duty and smaller cutting tasks.

The new saw will face competition from Bosch’s PS60 reciprocating saw, Porter Cable’s ClampSaw, and the Milwaukee Hackzall. Makita claims that the new saw can cut a 1-1/2″ PVC pipe or 1″ EMT conduit 25% quicker than the leading competitor, which might be the edge they need to cut into the market.

Makita 12V Reciprocating Saw Features

• variable speed 0-3300 strokes/minute
• 1/2″ stroke length
• “Makita-exclusive” dual-position on/off switch for paddle and trigger switch options
• tool-free blade change
• 14″ length and 2.6 lbs weight
• built-in LED work light
• rubberized soft grip
• 2″ pipe and wood cutting capacity

The kit comes with 2x 12V batteries, a charger, and two 4″ reciprocating saw blades. Early sales pages indicate a price of about $150 for the kit. There will also be a combo kit (FD02W) that bundles a 3/8″ drill driver with the saw.

More Info via Makita
Makita 12V Saws via Amazon

Over at Woodcraft, Delta’s 40-690 20-inch heavy duty scroll saw is currently on sale for $350. It features an electronic variable speed adjustment (400-1750 spm), oversized woodworker’s table (16″ x 24″), 20-inch capacity, 0-45° left and right table tilt adjustment and a 3/4″ stroke length. Included with the scroll saw is a stand and work light.

The saw is regularly priced at $490 and up, making this a pretty hot deal. In comparison, the identical and highly reviewed Dewalt DW788 scroll saw is priced at $465 (via Amazon) without the optional stand ($70 via Amazon). Sale ends March 1st, 2012.

Buy Now(via Woodcraft)

Also available via Amazon

Gallery:

While doing a routine scan of Amazon for deals, I spotted this Metabo KGS305 12″ dual-bevel sliding compound miter saw at a <$400 price point. The saw features a 4-3/4″ x 12-1/2″ crosscut capacity, built-in dust collection system, and all the bells and whistles one expects from a top-tier-branded 12″ sliding miter saw.

The saw is currently priced at $385 on Amazon, which is far lower than I would have thought a Metabo miter saw would sell for, although it does seem to be priced at $600-630 elsewhere.

This deal seems almost too good to be true. There are currently 3 user reviews – one each from 2005 and 2006, and one from late 2011. So maybe Amazon’s just trying to move some inventory from their warehouses. Be sure to read the last review, which describes the saw as a great value option that seems under-powered for professional framing applications.

Buy Now(via Amazon)

Milwaukee recently announced two new corded portable band saws that they say are 2X more durable than competing models.

On the outside, Milwaukee uses a special composite to armor-up the saws, providing what they describe as impact-absorbing crush zone barriers. On the inside, there’s an all-metal drive system that should last longer and with less servicing than chain-drive setups.

Inside, there’s a clutch that absorbs high impact forces should the blade lock up, protecting the completely sealed direct drive gearing. The motors have also been redesigned with a new higher density winding configuration. This allows for a slimmer motor housing that leads to increased cut line of sight and improved tool balance.

ETA is Jan 2012.

Specifications:

• 11A motor
• 120V AC
• 5″ x 5″ cut capacity
• 14.5 weight

Models 6232-20 and 6232-21 will have 0-380 SFPM variable speed control, and models 6238-20 and 6238-21 look to have only two speed settings, 300 and 380 SDPM. Both -21 models come bundled with a carrying case.

Milwaukee Deep Cut Band Saws via Amazon

You have until the end of the month (12/31) to enter Festool’s December Kapex sliding compound miter saw sweepstakes. The Kapex is valued at about $1300. To enter to win, head on over to  http://www.festoolsweepstakes.com and enter some basic info. If you provide a little more information (optional) on the second page, you’re given an additional entry in the drawing, doubling your chances.

When doing our Black Friday rounds at the local home improvement stores, we took notice of what others were buying. One popular tool that looked to be flying off the shelves was the Dremel Saw-Max. And we can see why – it’s a very handy cutter and performs well. Build quality is very reasonable, and we can’t find anything to complain about!

Right now, the Saw-Max is on sale over at Amazon for $116. The saw is normally priced at about $130, sometimes higher.

Buy Now(via Amazon)

We came across a killer deal on this Makita 12V 4-tool combo kit, model LCT402W. This kit includes a drill/driver, impact driver, LED flashlight, compact circular saw, hard case, charger and 2 lithium ion batteries.

The price is currently set at $149 with free shipping. For comparison, a Makita 12V 2-tool combo, which includes the drill/driver and circular saw, is priced at $165 and up over at Amazon.

If you order today, coupon code CYBERHD takes off an extra $5!

Buy Now(via Home Depot)

When putting together our Home Depot Black Friday Deals post last week, we mentioned Ridgid’s portable table saw, which will be on sale from its $299 normal price. But at the time, we didn’t think too deeply about it. The saw looked vaguely familiar, and there were no red flags or headlines proclaiming that it was something special.

A couple of days later, Chris from Tool Rank mentioned that it was back at Home Depot. Back? When did it leave? But as we thought about it more, we didn’t recall seeing this model at any recent trips to HD, only the larger saws.

The Ridgid’s $299 price point aligns it with Bosch’s new GTS1031 table saw and Dewalt’s DE745 saw. However, while the Ridgid looks to have all the specs and accoutrements one would expect from a professional portable table saw, there don’t seem to be any bells and whistles to really set it apart.

Todd from ToolBoxBuzz mentioned that he checked with Ridgid and found out that the saw is only available for a limited time. That probably explains why you cannot find this saw on Ridgid’s website.

Okay, so the R45161 is a revision of the R4516 table saw that was sold in the past before being discontinued. And supposedly it’s only available for a limited time unless it sells well enough for Ridgid and Home Depot to make it a regularly stocked item.

While the price looks good and the features and specs look reasonable, it’s a tough choice to buy a power tool with an uncertain future. A while back a reader asked me to help him source a replacement part for a discontinued Ridgid benchtop tool he owned. He loved the tool’s performance and wanted to repair and not replace it. Unfortunately, there was no way for him to get the part he needed.

The saw does look to be a great buy, especially on Black Friday when the price will drop by 10%, but we’re not sure we’d give it a thumbs-up. And there’s one more question to ask. Why was the R4516 discontinued in the first place? If it didn’t stand up to the competition then, how will it stand up now?

Still, we’ve had great experiences with Ridgid in the past. With that in mind, we do consider this a good buy, but urge caution. If you’re concerned over replacement part availability, you may want to see how things play out.

Buy Now(via Home Depot)

More specifically, M1 said that he found a Dewalt 20V Max combo kit on the clearance shelf, and that the circular saw had a stamped baseplate instead of cast magnesium, and the reciprocating saw lacked an adjustable foot.

Having handled pre-production models over at a Dewalt product launch and with demo units on our review test bench, I thought that something was amiss. Looking at photos and the tool samples, the circular saw definitely has a magnesium shoe, and the reciprocating saw an adjustable foot. But then M1 went back to the store and sent us photos…

The photos M1 sent us showed that he was absolutely right. Looking deeper into things, we discovered that the saws included in Dewalt’s 20V Max 4-tool (DCK490L2 and DCK491L2) and 5-tool (DCK590L2) combo kits ARE different than those in standalone tool kits. From what we can tell, the drill/drivers have the same model numbers and are completely unchanged.

Dewalt 20V Max Circular Saw Differences

Dewalt 20V Max Circular Saw (DCS391)

As you can see, the combo kit edition of the 20V Max saw has a stamped shoe. I don’t know how much of a difference this makes in durability and performance, but the cast magnesium shoe will be more rigid and possibly lighter and more durable as well.

Dewalt 20V Max Circular Saw Combo Kit Version (DCS393)

Dewalt 20V Max Reciprocating Saw Differences

Dewalt 20V Max Reciprocating Saw (DCS380L1)

The differences here are a bit more subtle. First, the combo-kit version does not have an adjustable/extendable shoe. Second, it has a one-directional blade clamp whereas the standalone saw has a 4-direction blade clamp.

Stroke length for the standalone saw is 1-1/8″, and according to the product description for the combo kit reciprocating saw on Home Depot’s website, that version has a 1″ stroke length.

Dewalt 20V Max Reciprocating Saw Combo Kit Version (DCS381)

Summary

At this point, we’re not really sure what to recommend. We have been testing the standalone kit versions of these saws, and have a lot of good things to say about them. But to get these fully-featured versions, it looks like you have no choice but to purchase the individual saw kits separately. It is worth noting that the better reciprocating saw is available as part of a 2-tool combo (DCK292L2) as well. At the moment bare-tool versions are not available.

The 4-tool and 5-tool combo kits are priced at about $500 and $550 respectively (check prices via Amazon). In my opinion, it would have been better if Dewalt included the fully-featured saws in the combo kits and instead maintained the pricepoints by bundling them with one 1.5Ah and one 3.0Ah battery instead of two 3.0Ah batteries. If that wasn’t enough to control the prices, then perhaps they could have done away with the LED flashlights instead.

At the very least, if it is absolutely necessary for Dewalt to bundle the larger combo kits with lower-featured saws, they should at least have labeled the standalone fully-featured models as premium so as to better differentiate between the individual and combo kit models.

Despite this disappointing news, we still feel that Dewalt’s new 20V cordless tools are definitely great tools that are worth recommending. But if you are strongly considering one of the 4-tool or 5-tool combo kits, just be sure that you know what you’re getting.

A huge thank you to mnoswad1 for helping bring all this to our attention!

Over at Amazon, there is a new 30%-off discount on select Jet band saws and table saws. Most of the saws are discounted by 30%, but a few are discounted by 25%. The list prices are slightly exaggerated, with the true discount being about 15-20% on the models we checked. Still a decent promo if you’re looking to upgrade your shop with a new Jet saw.

Jet Code Red Woodworking Event via Amazon (sale pricing ends Oct 21st)

It looks like Woodcraft is also holding a 10-15%-off sale on select Jet saws as well, with the discounts expiring Oct 19th.

Jet Sale Event via Woodcraft