Customer Reviews

Porter-Cable 9750 Tiger Saw 11.5 Amp Reciprocating Saw with Variable Angle

5 star:		(20)
4 star:		(4)
3 star:		(4)
2 star:		(3)
1 star:		(1)

 

 

I bought this saw a year about a year ago. I needed to cut a 2" cast iron pipe that came up vertically through a 12 inch square concrete hole. The cut had to be in the bottom of the hole and be at a perfect 90 degree angle. Theoretically the same cut could have been made with a modified hacksaw, but it would have taken 50 blades and two days. With this saw it took two blades and 10 minutes. This was the only power tool that could perform this cut, which it did with some effort on my part The important part was that this cut eliminated the need to delay the project for three days to remove a hot water tank and a three foot square area of concrete in order to use a standard reciprocating saw or grinder. Since then I have found this saw to work great as both a standard reciprocating saw and as a special purpose saw.

Most of the time this saw is used like any other reciprocating saw - fully extended and straight. However, the one time that you need to cut something that is not in front of you and perfectly square to you, you will see where this tool shines. The head on this saw can be positioned in many angles and the blade literally spins 360 degrees. This adjustability does two things. First, it effectively makes the saw shorter, which was why it worked where no other could in my plumbing example. Second, the saw can be adjusted to literally fit the angle of the material that you are cutting, no matter where you are in relation to that material. Often, when you use a reciprocating saw in a remodel situation, you don't have the luxury of standing dead square in front of a level cutting surface.

This saw gives you more control by allowing the blade to be adjusted so it is square to the cutting surface when the operator cannot get into that same position. Since, the head on this saw that holds the blades can be positioned at almost any angle relative to the trigger handle, this means that you can get the saw's shoe, into a position that allows the shoe to rest on some part of the project; thus improving control AND safety. For example, with this saw, you can cut fit the saw head (not the whole saw) between 2x4 studs on 16" centers. This allows you to make more precise, square cuts in existing walls (say that have sheet rock on one side that you do not want to disturb) for modifications to the framing. Reciprocating saws have always been good for remodel work, but this saw is amazing. This saw has a system for loading blades that is quick and secure. The saw is smooth running and the variable speed control is .... well.... smooth. You can make cuts with this saw that, until now, were done with handsaws, drills, chisels, brute force and circular saws held in dangerous positons.

I have thought about writing this review since I bought this saw over a year ago and used it on my plumbing project. I have used it many times since and each time I think "I am going to write a review on this saw because people need to know that the extra money spent on this saw is well worth it for the added functionality." I used the saw AGAIN this weekend and I was AGAIN reminded how well designed and built this saw is. If you plan to use this saw for remodeling you will not be dissapointed.

I recently had my 1yr old PC 9750 Tiger Claw (this saw) stolen out of the cab of my truck. Grr. I now have the opportunity to purchase any new saw I desire, and I'm not even considering anything else. I own a 6.5 amp Makita, and I have used the DeWalt, Milwaukee and Bosch saws. All are fine saws, but I have found the tilt and rotate features of this saw indispensable.

I do quite a bit of remodel work, and some new home construction. I have been able to get this saw into tight places and do work that no other saw around would fit into let alone be in a position to cut anything. This has saved me hours and hours of time, and that's money. The articulation of the saw allows you to always have the perfect work angle, and that gives me the leverage to work easier, and the improved ergonomics are easier on my body.

The only gripe that I have, and it is so slight, is the vibration of the saw. It's better than other large recip saws, but in the wrong position, this thing can rattle the fillings out of your teeth. If this is a concern to you, you probably want to stay away from any large (10+ amp) recip saw.

I HAVE BEEN A CONTRACTOR AND HOME BUILDER FOR 30 YRS AND I HAVE ALWAYS BEEN A MILWAKEE SAWZALL FAN,BUT HAVE ALWAYS ADMIRED THE TIGER SAW FOR ITS SHEAR POWER.THEN CAME THE VARIABLE ANGLE TIGER SAW AND I HAD TO HAVE ONE. WELL THE GUY WHO DESIGNED THIS SAW IS ONE OF THE GREATEST MINDS IN TOOL DESIGN. THIS SAW CAN BE ARTICULATED INTO ANY POSITION YOU NEED. IT GOES WHERE NO OTHER SAW WILL GO AND ALLOWS YOU TO HOLD IT IN POSITIONS THAT MAKE IT EASIER AND MUCH LESS DANGEROUS TO THE OPERATOR AND THE POWER IS FANTASTIC, IT CAN'T BE STOPPED. THIS IS NO GIMIC, THIS IS A SAW IN A CLASS ALL BY ITSELF, THERE IS NO BETTER SAW OUT THERE.THIS SAW IS WORTH TWICE THE MONEY,DO YOURSELF A FAVOR AND SPEND THE EXTRA MONEY ,ITS WORTH EVERY PENNY AND YOU WILL NEVER BE SORRY.

As I am a professional handyman/remodeller, I'll use a reciprocating saw several times in my typical week. I purchased my Porter-Cable 9750 from this site about five months ago and by now I have used it for many common tasks such as demolition, hole cut-out and edge trim-off, pick-up framing, pipe cutting (all kinds), and much more.

Before owning this saw I owned an orbital-action Milwaulkee Sawzall which I broke after 3 years of use (and abuse). I was swayed to purchase the Porter-Cable by the glowing reports of 'impossible' angles you could cut (see reviews below). Several times a year, I would run into just the sort of cutting problem this baby seemed designed for. I just couldn't wait to give it a try!

Well, by now, I've found the saw has much-too-much 'chatter' to ever be pleasant to use. Even in its 'straight-body' (normal) orientation the saw uncomfortably vibrates in your hand, and the neck feels 'too wide' to hold securely for long periods (in my admittedly small hand). When you twist the nose to get the odd-angle cut the vibration goes from 'not so good' to just plain 'pretty bad'. In my 5 months of using it I have *always* found it difficult to start any cut cleanly. To do so I've often had to resort to hand-sawing a pilot groove - something I just hardly ever needed to do with my Sawzall.

Demolition work is a drag with this saw. Due to the vibration and relative nose-heavy feel 2 hours with it will tire you as much as 6 with a Sawzall.

Don't want to make a deep cut? Usually you put in a short blade and extend the shoe. But the shoe extension in the Porter-Cable is pathetic (just over 1") - about half of what a Sawzall's extension will do (that one is too short also, just much less so).

I don't like the Porter-Cable's plastic case as much as Milwaulkee's either. Oh it's sturdy enough, but there is not as much room inside for the power cord, extra blades, or what have you.

And finally, what about that vaulted odd-angle cut feature? Well I found that many of the odd-angle cuts I wanted to make I couldn't, even though I did manage to get the saw positioned. Whenever I was reaching out and could not use both hands firmly on the saw the rough startup action would cause the blade to just jump & poke all over the place - completely useless. That said, there were some cuts I made which did save me 1/2 to 1 hour (or more) of time vs. the alternate (manual) approaches.

Would I buy the saw again? Not likely. If I had money for only one recpricating saw, I would definately NOT buy this one, but instead go back to my familiar Milwaulkee Sawzall. Using an uncomfortable saw 100% of the time just because 2% of the time I might need it's special feature doesn't make sense to me. On the other hand, if I already had a conventional reciprocating saw and found that I -- repeatly -- was needing that odd-angle feature, then I would buy it again.

I had heard about this saw and wanted one just to have it lying in wait for the next impossible cut I might have to make. So I found out on a THURSDAY that we were awarded a job for SUNDAY, which involved removing and replacing 24, count 'em, 24 small crappy plastic washer boxes with the larger snazzier versions. This was at a dialysis center, not a laundromat--although frighteningly, there are some parallels... The old boxes were recessed a couple of feet off the floor into a knee wall poorly made of sheetrock and steel studs. These 9" square boxes had 2" schedule 80 (thick) PVC drains, all hard-piped inside the wall with no unions, 15" off the floor inside the wall. We had to cut these drains off in exactly the right spot so we could lose the old boxes and reuse the remaining drain manifold. With the counter top off, (no access panels on the front) we had 7" to reach down past the steel studs on the top of the frame, into the bottomless depths of hell: twisted steel studs, hacked-up and swollen drywall, electrical and computer lines, and tubing and piping carrying fluids to the dialysis machines. The front face of the wall was installed by Satan himself, and he TILED it with crappy white bathroom tiles, to save a buck, and tempt those of us who have to work on the Lord's Day. The old square holes had to be enlarged exactly, so we couldn't just plunge into the front with a gnarly blade and nip off the drains. Nope, that was diamond blades and make-shift dust tents, just to enlarge the holes. What I'm yackin' about is that out of the bazillion possible angles you're able to twist the Tiger Saw blade into, there was one available that allowed the saw and the arms of my skinniest guy to be fished down through the titanic's engine room to make the cut through the 2" PVC. Each of the 24 stations required a different combination of angles. My guys fought each other to use the tool. Without this tool, we would have recommended removing the old sheetrock and replacing it with new, which would have meant reinstalling everything inside. The facility is open 5am-midnight, 6 days a week, closed Sunday, our big work day (yee haw...) This is a big-amp saw that MAKES IMPOSSIBLE CUTS AT IMPOSSIBLE ANGLES, so it's gonna shake, ding-dong. If you're going to dock it a star or two for vibration, you just don't get it. Porter-Cable really beat Milwaukee to the punch on this one. Needed mine in a heartbeat and got it at Lowe's for 199.

(this first part was written April 2, 2005) If you've read this far, you know what you're looking at and probably that the "other" full-on reciprocating saw in the world is the Milwaukee Super Sawzall. The Milwaukee was my first choice but I brought home the Porter Cable. Here's why: I've been building houses for most of a decade - so I'm still just a pup. I've used reciprocatiing saws from DeWalt, Craftsman, Porter Cable and Milwaukee. The first one I've owned is the 18V Milwaukee Hatchet (LOVE it!) but I needed more power and a longer stroke so the Milwaukee seemed the natural choice (I'm pretty sure Milwaukee invented the sawzall?). My friend told me to get the PC because the adjustability would prevent the saw from "kicking out." I didn't know what he meant at first. Well, the boss has a Milwaukee Super Sawzall and I've used it a good bit. The MSS and other big reciprocating saws have an inch and a quarter stroke. If you're cutting in a confined area or plunge cutting and can't get the saw's foot down, it won't be long untill the blade gets retracted from the kerf and the tip hits the work piece and "kicks." My cordless sawzall has only a three quarter inch stroke so this is much less a problem. So what I'm getting at is that the adjustable nature of the PCTS makes cutting without "kicking out" much easier. Even better, you'll be able to saw in tight places like never before. I can cut a hole just by turning the scroll of the saw. Whether confined area or not, the PCTS is much more convienient. The worst thing about it is that it is heavier. No biggie - we don't do this work because we wanted an easy job, right? The Milwaukee's advantage is the orbital action (which beats the crap out of your wrists and isn't really that faster cutting - and the PCTS cuts like hell anyway it might be over-powered) and the quick-lok cord (which you only need if you have a problem cutting your cord every coulple weeks). Bottom line: the Porter Cable is the best reciprocating saw I've ever used and I'm well satisfied that I bought the right one.

Ammendment June 23, 2006: To be fair to Milwaukee Tools (which I love), I have to add the following. There was enough of a time gap between my using the Milwaukee Super Sawzall and the Porter Cable Tiger Saw that I didn't notice one stark basis of comparison. If you hold the PCTS in one hand and the MSS in the other in a dark room, it's quite easy to tell them apart when you pull the triggers. The Milwaukee is obviously a counterballanced design because it is so smooth. It hums like a sewing machine and runs as smoothly. The Porter Cable shakes a good bit. I'll stand by what I said about orbital action beating up the wrists, but I must massage the statement some by adding that any reciprocating saw is hard on the wrists. The Milwaukee is more comfortable to use. I've had my PCTS for almost two years now and has proven itself resoundingly, but gee whiz, maybe I'll get a red one too. Milwaukee came out with the new model that has the rotating handle and burns two more amps (13) just to be biggest and baddest. My new bottom line is this: I love both the PCTS and the MSS, either will give you years of service and satisfaction.

This is truely an amazing saw. I was skeptical when I got my first glimpse but after using it now for about 6 months, this thing belongs inside every pro's toolbox. This saw will get the job done where no other power saw will and I do agree with some other reviews....it is worth more than $199 price tag! If they had Oscar nominations for the best tool....this one would win hands down.

I don't write reviews - until now. I have to give Porter Cable props for the design of this little baby. I never wanted to spend the extra money for this saw when I could get the Orbital Super Sawzall for less. Then one day I got to use someone's variable angle Tiger Saw and was so impressed that I bought one on the way home from work that day.

Now I am buying one for each guy who works for me (plus one that will always be in my truck) because they'll pay for themselves in no time. We do kitchen and bath remodels and often have to cut out framing in odd places for plumbing, electrical or HVAC. No other tool compares to the flexibility of this saw and its ability to make the cut. It should be in your tool bag. You will marvel at how much safer and less exhausting it is to make a difficult cut with this saw. There is almost always a way to position the cutting head so that you have the maximum balance and leverage while still maintaining a comfortable grip.

I have 4 Orbital Super Sawzalls and have owned at least a dozen Sawzalls over the last 15 years. The Orbital Super Sawzall is one bad wood eating machine, but if I could have only one saw, hands down I'd own the Porter Cable. You'll never regret the purchase of this tool.

I bought this saw about 2 years ago shortly after it was introduced. I normally don't buy a first generation tool, but I gambled on this one. So far, absolutely no regrets! If you do repair or remodeling work, you need to have this saw. I've contorted this saw into every conceivable configuration and it hasn't let me down yet! Blade change is easy and very secure. The only two minor drawbacks are a touchy trigger and above-normal vibration (which may be attributed to the odd work angles). I still highly recommend it, though.

I bought this in response to a Bosch recip saw that died in the first 10 min.of hard use.I turned the Bosch saw back into Lowes and bought this Tiger saw...just as the other reviewers said,this saw is fantastic! I'm very impressed so far with the power, smoothness, and the ability to get this saw in a more comfortable/safe position for cutting than other recip saws I've used.Only time will tell about real use longevity/reliability,but if the other Porter Cable tools I have owned are any example, then I won't be disappointed.