Rockwell RK3440K 4.0 Amp VersaCut Circular Saw

I purchased my Rockwell VersaCut RK3440K at a local "brick and mortar store" exactly one week before it was in stock here at Amazon. I could have pre-ordered it at Amazon and waited, but I needed it for several long and tall furniture grade cabinets I was building for the walls of my utility room and garage.

I had been wanting a small light corded saw of this size ever since watching a carpenter use a small battery powered one as he replaced trim on my home some years back. I knew a battery model would not be economical in my limited and sporadic use as a homeowner - due to replacing batteries after long periods of disuse. The one the carpenter had was nice, but not as nice as my new VersaCut - and I'm sure he paid much more for his. The VersaCut is also much more powerful than the one the carpenter had, and its ten foot cord also gives good ease of reach and movement.

Performance in a cut using the supplied carbide tipped combination blade is very good using the VersaCut. The blade is also a sturdy one and not some wimpy thing that flexes. I had been using my DeWalt 7 1/4" saw with a professional combination cabinet grade blade on oak, pine, and cedar in the construction of my cabinets. The stock I was using was 1/4" thick to 1" thick with 2x2s for rear shelf support. What I immediately noticed using the VersaCut was reduced edge splintering and that it produced a much finer cut. The other immediate benefit was I no longer need hearing protection, as the VersaCut is exceptionally quiet running - even in cuts. Since I was working in a confined area (long narrow utility room with freezers, and a washer and dryer, taking up much of the room), the VersaCut also made just making my cuts extremely easier than using the bulkier and much heavier Dewalt - one hand is all you ever need using the VersaCut, with the other out of the way or holding your work. A bucking blade, binding and kicking back, also isn't happening with the VersaCut - and it offers more than enough power in the cut for the 3 3/8-inch blade. Binding just doesn't seem to happen at all using the small 3 3/8-inch VersaCut blade - and the spring loaded base instantly springs out to cover the blade, and locks there with your fingers off the double trigger mechanism. Cutting oak hardwood seemed to go just as fast with the VersaCut as using my 7 1/4" Dewalt.

The VersaCut only cuts to a depth of just over 1" (1 1/16-inch), but cutting the 2x2" stock was as simple as rotating the stock in one hand as I operated the VersaCut with the other. I had expected that first cut to be uneven, but it was perfectly square when I finished, and every cut I made using the VersaCut was perfectly square. That's to say, the base doesn't wobble any as the tool plunges into the cut - and there is no blade angle adjustment. The blade is just maintained in a 90 degree position to the base.

As for further accuracy, an adjustable rip fence bar with marked graduations in metric and English standards is also supplied. I used it and found the graduations to be accurate with the base and blade cut. However, the laser and the "V" (blade path indication on the base) were slightly off from the actual blade cut - about a sixteenth of an inch on my VersaCut. Still, that slight offset was no problem as I simply corrected for it in the free hand cuts I made with my right hand. Due to the base housing construction, you really can't see the blade well as it starts into the work, so you may need to make a few experimental cuts to get used to compensating for any offset - or you might want to make your own reference mark at the "V". There is a small opening on the left side, so you can see the leading blade edge through it while cutting, but most are going to find that small opening difficult at best to keep track of the blade's cutting path through materials.

Pushing the tool into the work is not overly difficult, but I found the spring tension could be softer, and I have wished at times I could just lock the base into the retracted position during some cuts, but I realize this is a part of the blade safety feature provided on the VersaCut.

The depth of cut setting is a little aggravating, but simply made - you just flip the tab, move it to the setting you want and flip it back to lock it again. The problem is it will move some, from where you had it positioned, as you flip the tab back to the lock position.

Back to the laser, a portion of the top cover to it simply pushes forward and flips upward to reveal two small 1.5 volt (LR44) watch type alkaline batteries powering it. The cover stays in place well, and the laser is really quite bright when you press the small button at the back of the laser housing to turn it on. A second press of the button turns it off. Note: The Energizer 357 silver oxide batteries, sold here at Amazon, might be the better replacement battery as they have a higher power reserve and a 5-10 year shelf life.

Blade removal and installation is also simple. Two "C" type hex shaft locks are supplied, one a spare, and you simply insert one on the right side of the tool with one end over the base. One of these shaft locks is stored on the tool cable, near the handle, along with the hex key needed for the blade clamping screw. A clockwise twist releases the screw, and a counter-clockwise one tightens the blade.

***Safety and using blades made by other manufacturers with the VersaCut***
The roughly 3 3/8-inch Rockwell VersaCut blades have a 15 millimeter arbor to match the VersaCut arbor - the same as the arbors for Makita 3 3/8-inch blades. Rockwell rates the no-load speed of the VersaCut at 3500 RPM - which is well over 1500 RPM faster than Makita's line of small saw blades that are rated for a maximum of 2240 RPM in this category. The Rockwell carbide tipped blade is rated the lowest at a maximum of 7,000 RPM, with the 44 tooth HSS blade coming rated higher at a maximum of 15,000 RPM, and the diamond blade rated at a 20,000 RPM maximum. Blade thickness at the arbor averages 1.2 millimeters with all three Rockwell blades, with the Rockwell HSS blade appearing slightly thinner at the arbor, and with some slight variance of this width at the cutting edge on both it and the Rockwell carbide tipped combination blade. The Rockwell diamond blade is an easily noticed full 2 millimeters at the cutting edge. Since the Makita blades are so similar, this gives rise to the thought some users may try using the 3 3/8-inch diameter Makita blades on the VersaCut. In this application, a blade swap could be a very bad idea concerning user safety - even if they will fit the confines of the VersaCut. Since the Makita 3 3/8-inch blades are only rated for a maximum of 2240 RPM, trying to use a Makita blade on the VersaCut might just be a downright dangerous idea if they do actually fit in the VersaCut housing. If found to fit, larger diameter blades could even upset cut chip and particle movement to cause destructive jamming of the blade and motor. On the other hand, the Rockwell VersaCut blades should be no problem for use on the slower RPM running Makita saws. If you do find an aftermarket blade safely fits the VersaCut, be sure its maximum RPM rating exceeds the Rockwell VersaCut's 3500 RPM no-load speed. I'll just stick to Rockwell VersaCut blades on my VersaCut, even though the 3 3/8" 15mm arbor blades are a standard blade size supplied by many other manufacturers - some even far exceeding the rpm requirement of the VersaCut and for under $5.

Also provided is a nice ballistic nylon carry case with more than enough room for the VersaCut and more accessories. With the included carbide tipped combination blade, comes a sturdy looking HSS crosscut blade (also for metal cutting), and a sturdy looking diamond blade for cutting the likes of concrete and tile. There is an adapter for a shop vac (that, by the way, works well in dust removal while using the VersaCut), and a plastic snap-on work protector for the base. A good instruction manual is also provided with a waranty card for this new "patent applied for" tool.

I've only used the one blade so far, but I'll be adding the performance here of the VersaCut using the diamond blade in tile use shortly. I expect the diamond blade will also offer very good performance, after only so far just having a good look at it. After using the VersaCut on my cabinet project, I'm very pleased with it. I'm 60 years young and arthritic, and the VersaCut made cutting the wood and building my cabinets much easier by far.

Update 10/27/11:

This evening I used the diamond blade on some HardieBacker (1/4" cement board). The performance was a bit slower than when I was cutting wood with the carbide tooth blade, but still very acceptable. Wear to the diamond blade appeared non-existent after a number of long cuts. I didn't use the dust pickup as I was outside making the cuts. The dust mostly kicked up underneath the cement board where it wasn't much of a problem anyway, and I didn't need a filter mask during the cuts. Something unexpected, I also liked, is the cement dust accumulating on the upper side of the base interferes with the spring loaded base plate - holding it in the up position when out of the cut, until the heavy dust is shaken out of the saw. This made starting each subsequent cut easier for me and I didn't have to press the saw down into the thin cement board as much. That also took the worry away of possibly using too much pressure and breaking the thin cement boards. The cuts were perfect and smooth, and the saw made my work cutting the HardieBacker go very quickly. As I continued cutting, I noticed there is a housing tab that aids in raising the saw base - but it requires using both hands while using the saw. The tab I'm referring to isn't really made for this - as it is the one that contacts the depth setting adjuster. I may later add a small knob to this metal tab on my VersaCut for easier use in just this manner. This is actually the fastest and best tool I've used so far in cutting cement board. Cutting ceramic tile, grout, and the wire mesh underneath the tile, will come next using the diamond blade. I have an idea the performance will also be very good cutting the ceramic tile I'll be using it on next.

I bought this hoping it would be a nice alternative to my cicular saw when cutting things 1-inch thick and less. Just used it for the first time on some 3/4" plywood and it did just what I had hoped. I have a few Rockwell tools (JawHorse and Sonicrafter) and all are solid quality tools. This is no exception. You can't cut 2x4s with it, but as long as you realize its limits (designed in), its a great addition to a workshop.

I wish that the ratings would allow me to give this a 4 7/8 star rating because I have 2 comments...

1. I had to put a little bit of duct tape around the vacuum attachment because my vacuum's end was a bit bigger (1/16") than the attachment's outer diameter. To be fair to Rockwell, I don't know if this is the fault of my vacuum or the Versacut.

2. As much as I like the "plunge" design, it would be nice if this had a convenient means of locking down the blade to not require the "plunge".

Neither of these issues were serious enough for me to even drop my star rating to 4.5. I'd recommend this to a friend without a doubt.

One other thing... the last two tools I bought from Rockwell were in strong tool-bags rather than the typical molded plastic boxes. I love this! Much more useful 'cause I can throw other handtools in the bag as needed.

I really wanted to like this product. I have 4 other Rockwell tools that are among the best designed and manufactured tools I own. And I own a lot of tools. I am an experienced carpenter and have used many different brands and sizes of circular saw over the past 30+ years.

The grip on this tool makes the operator rotate his hand 90 degrees forward from the grip on every other circular saw I've ever used. In this position, it is very difficult to maintain precise control when pushing the saw forward and it would be very dangerous in a kickback situation. No matter what your skill level, kickback can happen to anyone if you hit something hard in the wood. It's not a big deal if you use proper technique and know how to control it. This grip makes it hard to control even if you are experienced.

To make matters worse, the grip is very large and narrows only where you place your finger on the trigger. This makes it impossible to get all of your fingers wrapped fully around it -- only the first two fingers can fully wrap around it. In the event of kickback with any circular saw, the user must maintain a firm grip and release the trigger. With the handle angle on most circular saws, a saw that kicks back normally does so right against the heel of your hand. Not so with this tool. And, since your index finger needs to release the trigger, in a kickback you will be torn between maintaining a firm grip with only 2 fingers (one of them on the trigger) and releasing the trigger.

Very dangerous. I sent it back.

› Go to Amazon.com to see all 63 reviews  3.6 out of 5 stars