This post is sponsored by The Home Depot. Got a bunch of strut to cut? Lots of folks in the trades, including plumbers, electricians and HVAC techs, spend a fair amount of time making stuff shorter. While this can be done with a reciprocating saw, or for those who like going old school (and low budget), with a hacksaw, a band saw is the preferred method of accomplishing the task. If that’s YOUR preferred method, and you’d like to lose the extension cord that used to be part of the package, take a look at the DeWalt Cordless Band Saw, model DCS371.
With a jaw opening of 2-½”, the DeWalt cordless band saw is capable of cutting 2” conduit, 1-5/8” Unistrut, Schedule 40 pipe up to 2”, threaded rod, square and rectangular tubing and angle iron. Weighing in at around 10 lbs., it’s not exactly lightweight. It’s very well balanced, though, and a clear sightline and its extra grip knob makes it easy to control.
Here are the features and specs from DeWalt:
• LED work light with 20 second delay illuminates dark work surfaces for accurate cutting
• Blade speed is 740 ft/min.
• Integrated hang hook allows user to hang the saw without damaging the front handle or base
• Blade tracking adjustment increases blade life by providing better blade tracking
• Tool less blade changing lever loosens blade tension to allow for blade change
• Dual bearing blade guide rollers provides increased durability in the blade support system
• Ergonomic soft grip back handle provides comfort
• Uses a 32-7/8” blade
• 2-½” cut capacity
Getting The DeWalt Cordless Band Saw In Gear
The DeWalt cordless band saw is easy to get up and spinning: Slide in a battery, and pull the trigger. The handle is pretty comfortable, and there’s a trigger safety mechanism, which is a must on a tool like this, unless you like packing extra underwear and bandages. It’s simple to operate: Just press down on the ambidextrous lock-off button, and squeeze the trigger.
If the tracking gets out of whack, adjusting the blade tracking is pretty straightforward. Flip the big old lever that sits on top of the blade housing. Loosen a couple of locknuts, cleverly labeled “adjust here.” Pry the little hex wrench out of its cubbyhole inside the handle, where it resides very securely. Now you simply adjust the two tracking screws per the instructions in the manual (yes, read the manual), until the tracking is back on track.
The DeWalt Cordless Band Saw Makes The Cuts
I first tried out the DeWalt cordless band saw on some Schedule 40 PVC pipe and some PVC electrical conduit. As you’d expect, the saw ripped through repeated cuts with no trouble at all. The saw was easy to control, and produced nice straight, clean cuts.
To give the DeWalt cordless band saw something a bit more challenging, I clamped down a piece of ½” galvanized steel pipe, and made a couple of cuts. As with the PVC, the saw glided right through; no forcing was necessary. I just set the material against the saw’s shoe, and let the weight of the saw guide it through. It made fast work of it.
Next on the agenda was a length of ½” thick solid galvanized steel grounding rod. Once again, the DeWalt cordless band saw had no trouble at all powering right through it. This is what the saw was designed to do – slice and dice all day long.
The DeWalt cordless band saw comes with a 14 TPI (tooth per inch) blade. It did a great job chewing through the metal and PVC I fed it. When it eventually gets trashed, three-packs of replacement blades are available through the Home Depot for around fifteen bucks. Blades are also available with more and fewer teeth, so you can customize the tool to your most common applications.
The DeWalt cordless band saw we got to evaluate was the bare tool version, the DeWalt DCS371B. This is a great option for anyone already invested in the DeWalt lineup, as it will work with any DeWalt 20V MAX battery. For those new to the brand, the saw is also available in a kit, the DeWalt DCS371P1. For an extra $130, you get a 5.0 Ah battery, a charger, and a spiffy yellow contractor bag to schlep it all around in.
If you’re looking for more options, DeWalt sells a sweet charger/battery combo that will charge two batteries simultaneously. This is a great time-saving step up from many multiple chargers, which only charge sequentially (one battery at a time). The DeWalt DCB102BP set comes with an XR 4.0 Ah 20V MAX battery, and can charge any DeWalt 12V or 20V MAX battery. As a nice bonus, it has two USB ports, so can keep your smart phone or tablet juiced up and good to go.
Ready To (Quickly And Cleanly) Cut Another Cord?
A cordless band saw isn’t going to be at the top of everyone’s tool wish list. If you’re a plumber, electrician, or HVAC tech, though, maybe it IS at the top of your list. It offers a speedy way to make fast, clean cuts in a variety of materials, and when you’re making dozens of cuts a day, that’s a big deal.
The DeWalt cordless band saw is a solid unit, with plenty of power to gnaw through conduit, angle iron, threaded rod, Unistrut, and galvanized pipe. The fact that it’s cordless means you can get set up wherever you want, with no worries about finding an open outlet, and tripping over or literally cutting the cord.
The DeWalt cordless band saw is covered by a three-year limited warranty, which includes a year of free service. For added peace of mind, it’s covered by DeWalt’s 90-day money-back guarantee, so you can slice and dice risk-free.
Bare tool from the Home Depot:
Kit from the Home Depot:
I acknowledge that The Home Depot is partnering with Home Fixated in sponsored content. As a part of the sponsorship, Home Fixated is receiving compensation for the purpose of promoting The Home Depot. All expressed opinions and experiences are our own words. This post complies with the Word Of Mouth Marketing Association (WOMMA) Ethics Code and applicable Federal Trade Commission guidelines.
