Has anyone got experience of a PowerBase circular saw - sold by Homebase ?

Cheap 'n' cheerful, at thirty quid. Is it a waste of money, or worth having ?

I have one. I got it about 2 years ago and although it has only had DIY use, it has been perfect for cutting sheets of MDF, plywood etc. Still works fine and replacement blades are readily avaiable off ebay.

It depends on what you are going to use it for really but I would say it would be fine for general DIY use. The blade that comes with it is probably a bit naff so you might want to spend a bit extra getting a decent quality blade if you feel it is necessary. Recognise the saw's limitations and do not try to cut too thick a material and gently feed it and listen to what the blade and motor are telling you.

£30 is worth a punt.

DWD

Thank you for your responses - the first task is to trim to length a beech block worktop 28mm thick...

How many t.p.i. would be best, and where would I get this, if it's not what's provided with the saw ?

will the edge you cut be exposed ??

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we are all ------------------still learning

Beech is one of the hardest woods and you have certainly chosen a tough challenge for the first cut. My rule of thumb is that the fewer the teeth the bigger the gullet (between teeth) which helps clear the saw dust out and cuts quickly avoiding burns but frays the edges more. The more teeth the finer the cut but you have to move more slowly risking burn marks. The compromise is to pick the blade for the job if you have that luxury but as you are cutting a thick hard material bigger teeth is probably best.

Having a look at the Homebase site I would think that the blade that comes with it would be about right for the job you are doing. Just listen and feel the tool to get the feed right. Cut a bit thick and finish with a plane.

DWD

Thank you both for your input.

Luckily only about six inches of a cut end will show. It's to go in the recess between chimney breast and outside wall, but the chimney breast is not square to the back wall.

Finish with a plane ? It's only the ends I'm cutting (cross-grain), so I had reckoned on using a belt sander. It's "pre-oiled", but I guess it'll sand OK, but the frass won't stick to the surface much.

Try kitchen fitters tools

http://kitchenfitterstools.co.uk/index.php?main_page=products_all

They provide prizes for our monthly competitions on here, are keenly priced and reliable so are recommended.
(however their online ordering is not working at the time I am writing this so you may need to give them a ring using the number on their website)

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Mike