I got one of these saws for Christmas. It appeared well engineered and might even be handy. I charged it and took it to my workshop to experiment on a small 1" thick board. I drew a line on the board to make my cut and behold, I could not see the line! The plastic guard blocks any view to see where you are cutting! This makes the saw useless except for blind cuts. I liked the saw so I modified it by cutting away the first bar on the guard on the left side. (I am right handed) I can now see my line through the new opening. I used a Dremel tool with an abrasive wheel and it came out OK, but I still cannot believe this tool made it through engineering and whatever test B&D perform without them catching this obvious defect. I do not feel this modification makes the tool more dangerous. If you can get your finger into that little slot, the blade would pose more danger than the reciprocating mechanism.
The saw does perform well and is light weight. It is a little slow cutting due to it's slow speed and short stroke, but the fact that it is portable makes up for that. Black & Decker CHS6000 6-Volt Handisaw Cordless Powered Hand Saw
I was tempted to use "Wimpy, wimpy, wimpy" as the title for this review, but I haven't tried any other battery-powered jigsaws for comparison. My old Black & Decker AC jigsaw (which I paid $15 for) is far superior in every way---except that it requires an AC outlet, and changing blades is a hassle. Changing blades on the Handisaw is quick and easy, requiring no tools---A+.
I wanted the Handisaw largely as a tree prunner---however, even with a pruning blade, it really cannot handle branches greater than 3/4"---and is painfully slow cutting even a 3/8" branch---wimpy, wimpy, wimpy. A switch-blade type manual pruning saw is faster and easier. I tried cutting a 1/2" length of galvanized electrical conduit (using the metal blade), and the saw repeatedly stalled---wimpy, wimpy, wimpy. My old AC jigsaw has never stalled.
Then too I find the basic design to be very annoying: There is an extra switch you have to depress with your thumb before the trigger will work (which fortunately is easily defeated with a chip of wood and 2" of masking tape). There is no "lock on" switch---so you can't take your hand off of the switch for a more secure grip (fortunately this can be defeated with a 1/2"x 1 1/2 rubber band from a bunch of broccoli). The trigger is 8 1/2" from whatever you are cutting, making it difficult to hold the blade where you want to cut (I normally hold jig-saws "by the business end" (near the blade) for precise control---but that is impossible with this saw (unless you defeat the trigger as described).
My cheapy AC jigsaw is variable speed---the Handisaw is not. So the Handisaw is hard to start at a precise point, almost always splinters wood, and almost always stalls in thin metal. Finally, as related by another reviewer---you can't see where you are cutting (although that too is fixible by cutting away a portion of the unnecessary plastic sheild around the blade. In summary, I use this tool only when I'm too lazy to string an extention cord for my AC jigsaw or saber-saw. But then, that's most of the time.
Still, I wish it was more powerful.
I wish that it did not have the stupid lock-out switch.
I wish that it had a lock-on switch.
I wish that it was variable speed.
I wish that I could see the material I am cutting.
This tool is great around the house - it's easy to use, functional, and has more applications that you'd expect. I received it as a gift and figured I'd never use it. But the Handisaw proved to be a quick, easy solution to frequent chores and small projects around the house. I wouldn't use it for a major remodel but for small projects, it beats taking out the reciprocating saw or jig saw. Battery life is excellent and I've used it in mud/wet conditions w/o any problems.
Good concept, but not enough power for any but the softest woods. I actually found it handier, with the right blade, for moderate pruning in the yard rather than for the dimensional lumber used in home repairs.
I bought the saw to cut trim and small boards, but it was difficult to use. In order to keep enough pressure on the saw so it didnt want to bounce around the smaller 1/2 inch boards would break. It didn't want to cut 1 inch boards at all. On the good side it allows you to cut hard to cut shapes and changing the blade is simple.
Over all I would not buy this Item again unless it was under $20.
i bought this saw with great anticipation..i would use it to cut out electrical device boxes in sheetrock and plaster..i went to use it for the first time this week and was badly disappointed..the charge didn't last through cutting 1 outlet box in plaster and wood lathe..i recharged for about 2 hours and tried it cuting a few boxes in sheetrock..again barely enough to finish..these were not heavy duty cuts(the rock was old 1/2")..i charged it for about 4 hours today..i will put it on charge first thing tomorrow for and hour or two and see what it can do.
4/6/2007 update..charged saw overnight battery performance improved marginally..still not very powerful maybe 10 minutes run time..
4/10/2007 update..charged the saw overnight and saw an improvement in performance..still by no means a powerhouse, but ok for light homeowner use i think..some other points after working with the saw..
visibility isn't that great..if you want to cut on a line, it's tough to line it up because of the saws design..also i found the safety button to be a real nuisance..
Don't expect this to be a heavy duty saw...but it is handy for the small stuff. If you have an AC powered jig saw...hang on to it because this is not substitute. Battery stays charged a long, long time which is an advantage. - Jig Saws - Shop Tools - Home Improvement - Black And Decker'
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