Dremel SM20-03 Saw-Max Tool Kit, Grey

I am extremely handy and no home project is beyond my ability from building decks, electrical work, kitchen remodeling you name it. As a result I have all manner of power tools: Table saw, lathe, jig saw, circular saw, Roto-sip, sabre saw, router and many others. Each tool was designed for a specific task at which it excels but beyond that it can be clumsy doing other tasks, hence the need for another specialized tool. I recently installed a hardwood floor in my master bath on the second floor. The room is long and relatively narrow so my 12" chop saw would have been cumbersome to use. My legs are not what they used to be and I did not relish repeated trips down to my basement workshop to cut the planks. The Dremel Saw Max seemed like the perfect solution. Here is my review:1. I was a little wary that the tool uses a blade that is an abrasive disk without teeth. Some reviews said that it did not cut well and burned the wood due to the intense friction that accompanies the cutting action. I made dozens of cuts through 1/2" oak planks with no problem. The wood cut easily and had a very neat edge with no splinters to sand. Nice. The saw cuts fairly quickly but I could see that if you tried to rush the cut things could start smokin'. Not an issue IMO.2. Several reviews commented that the depth adjustment did not stay at the adjusted depth setting and that any downward pressure would cause it to slip and cut deeper. Not sure if they fixed this on this model but I had absolutely no problem with this at all. I suppose if you pressed down really hard on the tool while cutting this could happen but there is no reason to push the tool that hard against the surface being cut. Not an issue IMO.3. The dust attachment is pretty worthless and did not really help reduce the mess. Kind of like the dust collector on a router, seems like a good idea but really incapable of catching the wood chips and you are still left with a mess. When you cut wood you make dust and that's a fact Jack. But, that is why I have a vacuum. Not an issue IMO.4. In order to keep the unit compact the blade is fairly small. It has a maximum depth of cut of ¾" which is good enough for the majority of tasks. I installed new moldings after the floor was installed which was ½" thick. When making the 45 degree joints at the corners the cut was 1/16th of an inch shy and so I had to use a manual saw to finish the cut. Instead I made the measurements and cut the molding on my chop saw in the basement. A little disappointing because I was hoping I could do all of the cuts while in the bathroom. Inconvenient, but not a deal breaker.Overall I am very pleased with this tool. I often need to make straight cuts outdoors or around the house and need to haul my 10" circular saw out to do the job. I can see where the Saw-Max will be much more convenient. I like that it can cut metal and tile with the proper blade and hopefully it will complete these tasks as well as it cuts wood. I will be interested to see how long the abrasive blades last before they need replacement. I like teeth on my cutting blades because I am a manly man, but I made dozens of cuts through ½" oak and it cut just as well at the end of my project.I recommend this tool to anyone who needs a compact, versatile and powerful saw to cut a variety of materials safely and effectively.

As I already own another Dremel tool, I thought "why not". After receiving the tool kit, I figured that I had made a mistake. The tool is light weight, compact, but has a great feel in my hands.So I put it to use as I could and the results were much better than I thought. Ease of use, user friendly, high RPM, did just as the writ ups say. I got smooth cuts in everything that I tried it on. Point of reminder, go slow when cutting plastic to avoid melting the plastic.I like the fact that you can cut different materials with the same blade, which saves time having to change out the blades from one to another.If you are looking for something to use that will not ware you out with their weight, and use on small, medium and even some large projects try the Dremel SM20-02 saw kit.This tool got a work out yesterday, as I am replacing the floor in my "Man Cave" and I tried it out to see if it would do the same as my wall saw. It will only cut to a depth of 3/4 of an inch, but my flooring is two layers of 3/4 inch material. I worked better that I thought it would. I went slow and it did not bogg down, smoke, or run hot. The cut was impressive comparing it with a much heavier and costly saw.But don't take my word for it, buy one try it and you will see!

Needed a flush cut saw to trim some underlayment along the edge of the wall. After reading a slew of reviews landed on Saw-Max. I failed to read that it did not come with a flush cut blade (extra $14 on Amazon) but once the flush cut blade arrived the saw made quick work of the cut. The blade did seem to dull quickly cutting particle board but it did the job without burning it.Some reviews said the saw got very hot to hold. This was not a problem for me but I did notice after shutting it off and coming back a few min later that the saw body was fairly warm. I could see how after an extended use it could become hot.It would be great if there was a way to flip the blade to the other side. In my case trimming along a wall I was left with about 8" that I couldn't get to with the Saw-Max. This is an issue with any circular saw but would be cool if it could.Overall worth the $$ for ease of use and performance

While this saw works, & I'm planning to keep it - BUYER BEWARE:They're are 2 major issues that you need to know about:1) The screw that holds the blade on is unique - it turns to the left (counter-clockwise) to BOTH remove it AND to screw it back in! I know that there's a tiny sticker on the saw to indicate this, and an illustration in the instructions as well, but I had to call the company directly to find this out! IMO, they need to attach some kind of "Read Me First" sticker to the screw, so that you notice this!2) Because the body of the saw is in your line of vision, it's VERY difficult to cut straight lines! I used this saw to cut a 12' piece of molding into (what I thought was equal) pieces, but the results were very disappointing!I have an old Black & Decker blade saw, which is easier to see where the blade's cutting, & which I plan to use in the future for precision cuts, instead of this one.