Today I tried the sawzall and it works really good on 3/4" plywood . I found the saw has a variable speed trigger. Uses the same blades as the Milwaukee.

The only problem I found was with the blade shoe. It has a pin that pulls out to shift the shoe from straight up and down to forward or back. the pin pushes in to lock and pulls out to release. Well the vibration of the blade causes it to push out ,thus letting the shoe to move to the back and forward positions. I might have to replace with a small bolt and wingnut to lock it in place. No biggy. I do like the quick change feature of the blade, I can easily remove the blade before I put the saw back into the bag. It has lots of power,cut right along in that plywood. Kind of like no cord to fight. Can't tell the difference from a corded one for cutting.

I tried the circular saw on a piece of western maple Ruff 1 X 8 and it quit half way through the cut,weak battery. It was the same one I had on the sawzall , right out of the kit. So I put it on to charge and put the other battery that came with the tools and it walked right through the board and I cut the other end no problem. The blade that came with it was a Ridgid blade, gave a very nice smooth no tear out cut. it is a 7 1/2" X 5/8" arbor hole, which is standard, uses a 3/16" allen wrench to tighten arbor bolt, the allen wrench stores onboard saw.

To operate the saw there is a Safety switch that has to be depress and then the trigger works. I can let go of the safety switch while the saw is running unlike some saws where you have to depress the safety switch and the trigger both all the time which is quite awkward. This is better but I still don't like this feature, and from my 45 years of using one for a living think that it is unnecessary.

Herb

Safety switch is a CYA button. We may not need it but, Rigid's legal staff probably insisted. And, the staff at HD aren't qualified to administer IQ tests.

So, I'm not the only one aggravated by those little switches/buttons! I have to agree with Herb and Gene, they are only needed for kids, people with IQ's somewhere around room temperature, and people who burn themselves with HOT coffee at McD's.

2 hours ago, Dadio said:

tried the sawzall

Last time i got a couple of steel barrels and wanted to cut the heads out I used my Ridgid sawzall (used to use my B&D jigsaw) and (believe it or not) a nice new HF metal blade.   Zipped those babies right out and when i was done the only change was the paint on the saw blade was worn away from the friction.   Blade seemed sharp as new.

To quote someone "HF rocks".

Go Harbor Freight,

going to have to get some of those blades,

 

The trigger safety button on the reciprocating saw is a straight push button, the circular saw is a press down type

 

Herb

Edited April 18, 20188 yr by Dadio

2 hours ago, p_toad said:

Last time i got a couple of steel barrels and wanted to cut the heads out I used my Ridgid sawzall (used to use my B&D jigsaw) and (believe it or not) a nice new HF metal blade.   Zipped those babies right out and when i was done the only change was the paint on the saw blade was worn away from the friction.   Blade seemed sharp as new.

 

Use a right angle grinder on top of the rim until you see a line between the two pieces of metal that make up the lip.  The top will pop out and leave a nice smooth edge.

4 minutes ago, HandyDan said:

 

Use a right angle grinder on top of the rim until you see a line between the two pieces of metal that make up the lip.  The top will pop out and leave a nice smooth edge.

I was always told to fill the barrel with water before I cut the top off, is that a Myth?

Like all of you advised, to register the tools with Ridgid,

 

I did register them yesterday and got a confirmation back last night. a whole wad of paperwork to file away and hopefully never have to look for again.

It is easy to register, just takes time and a lot of numbers to type (8 items X 2 no.+ P.O.#), all 7-14 digits long. and then they make you check them twice, Whew, my one finger was numb when I got through.

 

Herb

13 minutes ago, HandyDan said:

Use a right angle grinder on top of the rim until you see a line between the two pieces of metal that make up the lip.  The top will pop out and leave a nice smooth edge.

I would have thought about it, but there was still a small amount of oily residue in them and the saw made it smooth enough for a fire barrel without sparklies. 

4 hours ago, Gene Howe said:

And, the staff at HD aren't qualified to administer IQ tests.

Good thing because many of them could not pass one, no less administer one.    Insert OAG Dumb Look^©   here

1 hour ago, p_toad said:

I would have thought about it, but there was still a small amount of oily residue in them and the saw made it smooth enough for a fire barrel without sparklies. 

 

Aw come on.  Where is your sense of adventure?  You are making a "burn" barrel.

59 minutes ago, HandyDan said:

 

Aw come on.  Where is your sense of adventure?  You are making a "burn" barrel.

Mine was for flushing the OB motor. But maybe the sawblade does not cause enough sparks, I used a hammer and cold chisel. but I still filled it with water, like my Dad had taught me. He used an acetylene torch.

Herb

Dan I agree with the using the grinder, especially if a person will working in and out of the barrel like when wife kicks me out of the house and says go sleep in the barrel... or when I built a kids thingy to crawl from one little play room to another up in the tree..but then we lost one kid and the other one didn't want to play anymore.