Customer Reviews

Bench Dog 10-019 ProCut Portable Circular Saw Crosscut Guide for All 8-1/4-Inch and Smaller Circular Saws

5 star:		(6)
4 star:		(2)
3 star:		(1)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(2)

 

 

I am a very novice wood worker. I have some beginner books about "2x4 furniture" I have a circular saw, but, as you know, unless you are very experienced, executing cross cuts on lumber is not just a matter of chopping -- you have to measure, and add for the blade offset -- every time!. It was tedious, and i was close to getting a table saw or a miter saw. Fortunately, I came across this clever too -- simply line up the guide on the line where you want to cut, push the saw, and you are done.

Thumb's up!

This item is great for cutting anything from 2x4's to 2x12's. Once you set it up for your saw it cuts very straight lines with ease.

The Bench Dog Cross Cut Saw Guide is an excellent tool...Incredibly accurate, easy to use, and a time saver...not to mention that there is no learning curve in knowing how to use it!

To the person who said, "why?"
Because not all of us want to take the time to measure, set up clamps to hold a straight edge, just to have it slip. The directions are simple. A novice can use it. It cut down my time to make cuts by at least two-thirds. I would recommend this to anyone who doesn't look down their noses at items to make woodworking easier!

I own two of these. The one i bought last year was "Made in the USA", and was perfect. The one I just received was "Made in Taiwan", and IT SHOWS. Cheaper plastic...worse molding...half imprinted marks that show the outline of the stamp...etc... The worst is that it is bowed 1/2" across the piece...fortunately in the direction that doesn't affect the accuracy, but still... THIS IS NOT WHAT IT WAS. BOO FOR BENCH DOG.

Purchased this Bench Dog crosscut guide from Amazon to build a large shed. After the first cut it proved its worth allowing me to make repeatedly accurate cuts time and time again without the need to drag out the miter saw. So far it's proven itself to be sturdy and valuable after hundreds of cuts.

Pros
Easy to setup
Fast/quick to use
Square cuts every time

Cons
Go slow when cutting the guide with your saw the first time else you'll snap the plastic at the tip
Won't work with left-handed saws

The ProCut is a great idea. Wish I had it years ago. Did not try it with a right bladed circular saw since I now only use worm drive saws. It still works with a worm drive but there is only a small amount of procut bed under the saw. As a result you have to hold the saw up on the bed of the ProCut with a slight CCW twist of the wrist. Once you make your first cut the ProCut is customized for that saw.

I ordered this guide some time ago, but did not have a particular need at the time. However, I just obtained a job that required the cutting of several 2x 12 boards. The guide worked great and I was able to cut the boards accurately and straight with little effort. All shop should have one!

For straight cuts on lumber up to 12" this works great. I dinged mine up a bit so will need to get another, but they really work well. On sidewinder saws where you have to cut full depth, straight edges like this, or some other thin material is about all you can use.

When rough cutting, a good craftsman can follow a pencil line. An accurate straight cut requires a straight edge clamped to the material to be cut. This items attempts to shortcut that process and just doesn't work.

Because it's a one item fits all device, it first has to be cut to fit your circular saw. The problem is that it has a minimal edge to support the circular saw when starting the cut, so you frequently start off in the wrong direction. Despite its being made from plastic, there was a lot of friction between it and my saw. which caused the whole unit to shift, making cuts less than perfect. My freehand cuts were just as good as cuts made with this device.

Sears makes an item that is both cheaper and more useful.

[...]

They used to make a table that converted a circular saw into a 45/90° miter saw, that I bought 30 years ago.