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53 of 56 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
High quality build, powerful/smooth running and very useful..., September 19, 2009
This review is from: Omni 080901N DualSaw with Counter-Rotating Technology (Misc.)
As a few others I was hesitant in purchasing this saw. There have been reports of burnt up motor/brushes right out of the box with both the Omni and even the Craftsman version. Obviously I'm happy to report that mine has ran at least 1 hour through various cutting jobs the last few weeks. Long enough for me to feel confident the brushes have seated and won't burn up. I do feel it would be prudent to purchase some sort of extra warranty protection. HeartlandAmerica.com has the saw for $169.99 and a 1 year extended warranty for $14.99. Mine was even less since I'm a value club member for price and shipping which lowers the price to $155.98 delivered.
The key to successful cutting with this saw is to let it's natural weight be the downward pressure when cutting smaller objects and if cutting long sections just use common sense when pushing. Bottom line, don't force it no matter what you're cutting.
Actually I was quite surprised at the quality of workmanship and the smoothness at which it operates. The bottom plastic guard is the only flimsy piece on the entire saw. I was also surprised it didn't get very warm when operating for a few minutes. There have been negative reports on this as well. I think the key here is to not torque down the blade nut too much so the blades have zero friction with each other. Too tight and they bind causing extra heat on the blades and more work for the motor causing extra heat on it as well. I even apply some teflon lube or WD40, depending on the job, between the blades on occassion.
In comparison to the Craftsman 6 1/8" twin cutter saw which I also own, I much prefer the Omni Dual Saw. The Omni runs smoother, seems to have more power, doesn't get as hot, the parts fit together more professionally and I prefer the smaller 5" blade for better control on my personal cutting jobs. I only wish I had discovered this saw sooner. Yeah I know it's been out awhile but I missed it. The jobs are countless that can be done with it where normally I had to labor with a hack saw, jig saw, circular saw and/or reciprocating saw. I still use all of the forementioned on occasion as sometimes the actual proper tool is more appropriate than a do it all type saw like the Omni. For example, cutting sheets of plywood, ripping 1x12 pine or fir, cutting objects larger than 1 1/8 are usually easier not using the Omni. So essentially I'm not going to say it has replaced all my other saws because it hasn't. I view the Omni as a time saving supplement to my other saws/tools.
If you buy one, immediately run it for a few minutes and see if the motor or blades get hot!!! If they do send it back. But remember that a little warm is obviously normal, just not hot.
I haven't used it long enough to determine actual blade life but so far the carbide tips are still sharp. I sharpen all my circular saw carbide blades so these won't be a problem either.
Don't look for too much help from [...] with any technical questions that are not already answered on their web site as they simply don't know the answers.
Give this high quality saw a try and I think you'll agree, it's a keeper.
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25 of 25 people found the following review helpful:
4.0 out of 5 stars
Rare Power Tool & Serves My Purpose, October 24, 2009
This review is from: Omni 080901N DualSaw with Counter-Rotating Technology (Misc.)
I have an old house that was built during the Eisenhower administration. The windows are original and I needed to take one out. When they built the house, the framing went up first, then the windows, and finally the 3/4" interlocking wood panels. I needed something to cut through just enough of the panels on the outside so I can knock out the window from the inside. I could use my circular saw but it has too much kickback or I could use my reciprocating saw but the blade is too long or it could slip out of the cut seam and bend the blade. I saw the info-mercial on tv so I thought to give it a try.
I got it for about $190 including shipping on ebay which is still a little pricey considering most of my power tools are Black & Decker Firestorm and I have never spent more than $80 for a single tool. Upon opening the case and examine it, the saw itself seem good quality, not too heavy or not too light. I was a little nervous about the made in china label but once I got use of it, I was quite surprise of the quality. It comes with a safety pulse power on button which means if it slips out of your trigger hand, it will turn off. Everything is preassembled except the tool handle which just screw in like a bolt. The blades are kinda thin and not as thick as standard circular saw blade. Just like the design of circular saw blades, the teeth are a little wider than the blade itself. I measured them with my digital caliper and the thinnest part is 2.9mm and the thickest is 3.4mm. The diameter of the blades is about 125mm or 4 and 7/8". You couldn't tell on tv but they are next to each other spinning in opposite direction and I wouldn't be surprise if they rub against each other slightly. I always wear ear protection but it's not extremely loud and definitely less noisy than my Skil 13 amp circular saw. The sticker says 7 amp so it's about 840 watt. I know they said it could cut through almost any material including heavy steel but I wouldn't use it on everything that my other tools can do just as well. No matter how sharp the blades are or how heavy duty the motor is, cutting through heavy material generate a lot of heat on the blades that made them dull. Since it's proprietary, I would think the blades are very expensive for household use. I saw someone gave it 1 star for poor performance on 3/4" plywood. The thing about this saw is, even circular saw, that you should turn it on and wait for the motor to spin full speed without load before you start cutting. For my use, the blades bite into 3/4" wood just by touching it but I have encountered some snag and jerkiness when one of the blades hit a nail. If both blades hit the nail, it's a little smoother. It's still controllable and cut through the nail but I wouldn't do it on a regular basis. If you cut wet lumber or pressure-treated wood, it will bog down some more. If you keep the blades perpendicular to the material to be cut, you will get the most out of it. Overall I would rate it 8 out of 10.
This saw is designed to use freehand which mean it doesn't have a rip guide like you can attach to a circular saw. It also does not have a depth setting so it could be a problem for someone who need accurate precision. So far, they only make 1 model for right-handed users. They say almost 1 out 10 people are left-handed and many injuries or even death associated with them using power tools designed for right-handed users, so be careful. I've heard somewhere that newer model of this has a laser guide option.
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29 of 30 people found the following review helpful:
1.0 out of 5 stars
Dual Saw, January 14, 2010
This review is from: Omni 080901N DualSaw with Counter-Rotating Technology (Misc.)
Can't get blades. Was happy with the saw on my first job which was to cut through some metal decking, the saw worked fine could go both directions without no troubles but the blades wore out fast. When I order replacements they were the wrong blades; called the company and they said there was only one kind of blade (diameter and mount)but that can't be true, the one I have is black and is #080901 the one they sent is named Startwin. the differents is one has a 3 mount the other a 2 and the hole is a different size, too small. The company sent another set a no charge but the blades are the same...wrong.
I have called the tech line which is not a tech line and you have to leave a message and get know reply. They make 4 models of this saw and the blades are different on two of the saws. If you around the web yo will see some have the silver Startwin blade with 3 triangle cuts in it and others with a Black 080901 blade. They even have 2 saws listed as the 080901 and the handles and start buttons are in different places. You can't go buy the pictures ether for ordering because the saw pictured in the place I bought mine showed one but I got another.
I would not recommend buying the saw because of these issues if you have problems it will be hard to resolve. The other issue is the blades are two expensive; unless you have a special need for a saw that can go in both directions or need of a fast cut off issue than I would buy something else. Good Luck.
ATTENTION!! Just talk to the company Tech Rep the saw model 08090 & 08090N you can't get blades for anymore! if you still think you need this saw you must get the one that has Twinstar on the case and on the blades. You can't rely on the ads your looking at you must look at it as soon as it arrives, if it has a black blade send the saw back. Better yet don't buy the saw!
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