Customer Reviews

Milwaukee 6390-20 Tilt-Lok 15 Amp 7-1/4-Inch Circular Saw with Tilting Handle

5 star:		(10)
4 star:		(0)
3 star:		(2)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

I was raised on the Skill clasic. I used the Skill worm drive for 7 years. I tried the Dewalt with the front pivot for three months. I used the Porter Cable framing saw for six months. The Milwaukee tilt handle beats them all for ease of use and "controlability". The tilt feature makes it easier to cut straight on thin material, the wide plate is marked clearly for easy reading and ripping, and the saw has more than enough power to spare. I wish that I had bought this one sooner and not wasted so much time trying out all the rest.

i'll preface this by saying i'm a professional carpenter and make my living using my tools.

i have owned or used worm-drives from skil, makita, and bosch, as well as sidewinders from porter-cable, makita, hitachi, skil, and dewalt. this milwaukee is my saw of choice in nearly every situation--it is light (4+lbs less than a worm-drive), powerful, accurate, and the tilt-lok handle is a great feature. at first, i thought i'd not use the tilt-lok often, but i end up using it in a different position several times a day. another feature easily overlooked but crucial is the positioning of the secondary handle. i most often cut one-handed anyway, but when i do grab the front handle, my hand and wrist are far enough forward to stay well away from the blade sightline.

my only (small) complaint is that i'd prefer the dust collection to be a bit more organised. porter-cable saws do a great job with this, and i wonder why the other manufacturers can't seem to get it together.

if i had it to do over again, i'd spring for the blade brake model--the blade can do a lot of damage in the 8-10 seconds it takes to spin down.

I've been using this saw for over a year on everything from a house addition to furniture building and its never missed a beat. This is a powerful tool with a great amount of attention paid to fit and finish. Its aluminum sole plate glides effortlessly over any wood surface, and the large rubberized hand grips and Tilt-Lok feature allows for hours of use with maximum comfort. I recommend this saw to anyone seeking a powerful, refined, and rugged unit at a very reasonable price.

I received this saw as a birthday present, allowing me to retire my old underpowered and inaccurate Black & Decker "Sawforce" saw. The Milwaukee arrived in perfect condition and purred like a kitten from the start. I have been very impressed with every aspect of this thing, most notably:

The tool-less ability to change the base plate angle as needed;

The POWER. It cuts wet framing lumber and quarter sawn white oak with equal ease;

With all that power, I have not experienced any binding, stalling, kicking, burning etc;

The tilt lock handle is fantastic. I cannot conceive of using a saw without it now that I have it;

The blade that came with the saw is quite good.

Overall I cannot say enough good things about this saw. Its relatively light, very accurate, powerful, and feels like it will outlast me. Buy one yourself and you won't be sorry!

This is an amazing saw. I've had it for 5 years, and it's still running like new. Plenty of power, smooth operation, comfortable, well-balanced, cuts great, etc. Absolutely no complaints. When this wears out I'm definitely getting another Milwaukee.

I bought this saw about 5 months ago to replace an old Makita and have used it almost daily since. I did a lot of research before buying using online reviews and magazine comparisons. After reading the reviews and having previous experience with other Milwaukee products, I opted for this one.

The tilt-lok handle makes it very easy to change positions, allowing for maximum control and comfort while sawing. I especially like the adjustable front handle. It makes beveled cuts a snap, keeping maximum leverage right where it needs to be. Once you use it, you will miss it if you have to use anything else. With 15 amps, I haven't found any wood too tough to cut with it even with a dulling blade. I purchased the edge guide about two months ago. This is a necessary addition if you cut lots of plywood.

I am becoming quite a Milwaukee "fan-boy". Every tool of theirs I've bought has been a winner. As long as they keep making tools with this kind of quality, performance and features, I'll be a user for life. This saw will be a welcome addition to any serious woodworker's shop or contractor's truck. If you're still undecided, give this saw a try. You won't regret it.

I have made a couple hundred cuts with my new saw so far, and all I can say is it's a sweet saw that does what it's supposed to. Nice power, and easy to adjust. I noticed after I bought it that Consumer Reports rates it #1. Not bad for a saw selling as cheap as this one.

I purchased this Milwaukee 6390-20 circular saw from Amazon. It came over a week ago. I tested the saw and it worked, but a part was missing. I searched, but couldn't find it. No rip fence, or the screw to hold it, came with the saw.

My other two brands of saws, a Porter Cable and a DeWalt, did come with a rip fence.

So, I contacted Milwaukee direct because many times Amazon leaves things out of their item descriptions.

The reply I received, over a week after my question, was:

The rip fence is sold separately and will come with the rip fence screw,
part number 49-22-4146 price $11.00 + a $5 handling fee + Shipping. = $21.35

Call 1 800 729 3878 press 1 for Customer Service to order....

You may order this item directly from Milwaukee using Visa, MasterCard, American Express, or Discover. C.O.D. orders are also available with an additional charge. All orders under our $30 minimum will have a $5 handling fee added to the invoice total.

If you would like to place an order, please call our Customer Service Department toll-free at 1-800-729-3878 between 7:00 a.m. and 6:30 p.m. Central Time, Monday - Friday.

Milwaukee Electric Tool Corporation
John M. Resch
After-Sales Service - Technical Support

So, $21.35 extra for an item that other manufactures of circular saws do include, and it is part of the saw. What next? Will Milwaukee start charging extra for the electrical cord that powers the saw?

I like the ergonomics of this saw, the fingertips of my left hand fit nicely onto the angle adjustment knob which is sort of cup shaped. The whole saw has a nice comfortable feel to it.

One major complaint is the rip fence guide. It has a small block which accepts a wing nut to hold down the rip fence guide. The wing nut goes in at an angle, instead of directing down on top of the rip fence guide, forcing the corner of the bar to twist up in the slot. The base plate (shoe) of the saw bows downward the more pressure you put on the wing nut. The "out rigger" of the rip fence guide is no longer horizontal and only a percentage of the out rigger will have contact with the edge of the wood being ripped. The only rip fence guide that works is the Milwaukee one for about $9. The others are too thin and make the out rigger rotate even more. The rip fence guide set up on this saw executed very poorly, especially for the premium cost of this saw (which is made in China)!

Second complaint is that if you use a "speed square" as a cross cut guide, the motor on the saw will not clear the lip on the speed square at the finish unless you raise the cutting depth on the saw which in turn raises the motor. This flaw is inconvenient when cutting through 4x4's when I am wanting to line up my cuts. My old Black & Decker did not have this issue, but my DeWalt has this same problem too.

I realize this is heresy but I'm not the biggest Milwaukee fan. However, the reviews on this thing were great and I decided to take a chance. Love it. Balance, guide, power, cord, everything is absolutely perfect. Feel good every time I go to pick it up. Worth the bucks.

Update 9/10/11: I've used this thing at least once a week since I got it. Absolutely the best, I feel good every time I drag it out of the garage. If you use a circular saw, get this one, even if your current one seems okay because, trust me, it won't seem okay after using this one!