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.

I've only had the Dremel SM20-02 Saw Max for 3 days, but it has already proven to be a valuable addition to my power tool collection. I have made numerous fine cuts in very hard porcelain floor tiles using the included diamond blade. I have also cut door trim moldings to install tile using the flush-cut wood/plastic blade. Finally, I used the carbide metal cutting blade to cut steel wire closet shelving. In each case, the saw met the task- I was especially pleased with the tile cuts! The saw has a powerful 6 amp motor that did not even strain when running through 18" tiles. The high rpm of the saw enable precise cutting without any vibration to shatter the tiles- even when doing fine narrow cuts. I am also pleased that the diamond blade has stood up well. I have probably cut 30 tiles going full depth on the initial cut each time and the blade is still cutting as well as it did on the first tile! On flush cutting door trim, the Saw Max was easy to handle in varying positions and cut the trim quickly and cleanly in each case. I highly recommend this compact, powerful and versatile Dremel saw kit for use by professionals and DIY'ers as well as hobbyists that have needs to cut a variety of materials.

This was exactly what I was looking for for small home projects like shelves, molding, quarter round, etc. I had never used a power saw before so I was very afraid of getting one, but this was small enough not to be intimidating. It cuts very well, but it is extremely easy to control and to guide. It has a safety button on it so that it should require deliberate action to start the blade, but I did find that in simply picking up the saw by the handle to move it out of the way, it was easy to accidentally push that button, so you need to use extreme caution when grabbing it. Otherwise, it does an amazing job cutting and has much more power than you would think for a hand tool of that size.

I have looked at other products of this type, the saw max appears to be more user friendly, and easyer to control. I have used it to rip 3 foot long cement board, and it worked well, have not got to the tile yet. I will be using the saw max for those special jobs, cutting light metal, under cutting molding, tile, etc. I don't think I will using it to cut 2x4 lumber or other framing lumber, only if I don't have the right saw, and need to get the job done, The reviews were helpful when looking for this type of tool, it does get warm on long cuts, but the motor is turning at 17,000 RPM, I think any thing moving that fast will get warm. I just put it down and let it cool. So far I am happy with it, and will be putting it to the test in the future.

I purchased this after I had previously bought the Sears Trac-Cut and then finding out no replacement blades were available for the Trac-Cut.My first project was modifying an existing tile counter in a bathroom. Using the tile blade which came with the saw I was able to cut thru tiles and edge pieces. The safety switch does require getting used to and the torque of the saw when first turned on tends to twist the saw in your hand. The saw does seem to have lots of power and I did use the dust collection feature. The depth adjustment is easy to use.I suspect I about used up the tile blade in the few tiles I cut but what the heck it is alot cheaper than hiring someone.I did consider purchasing the bigger unit (UIltra) but glad I didn't. The saw max size and power is perfect.