Beverly's DIY Ideas: Rockwell RK3441K Review: The best compact circular saw ?

Professional carpenters, woodworkers, and other crafts people understand just how important it is to invest in power tools that offer the most amount of versatility and adaptability on a jobsite, but all of these experts also know that every now and again you need a specialist tool capable of handling a certain set of tasks better than anything else every now and again.

The Rockwell RK3441K is absolutely one of those specialist tools, the kind of 4 ½ inch compact circular saw that you may not find yourself reaching for anywhere near as often as your tradition also cordless or corded circular saw, but a specialty device that comes in handy in a pinch when you need to make precision cuts in small spaces or on smaller pieces of material.

Not sure if you need – or should – add the Rockwell RK3441K to your toolbox just yet? Is it the best compact cirular saw for the money ? Check out this quick guide and in-depth review to determine whether or not this is the kind of power tool worth investing in.

Initial Impressions

Pretty much everything about this subcompact circular saw looks and feels completely different than most every other traditional circular saw out there, but that’s by design!

With just 4 ½ inch diameter blades capable of being used in this circular saw, we are talking about a unit that can fit in much smaller and much more compact spaces. This is going to open up a lot of utility that wouldn’t have been possible with a larger saw, making difficult cuts almost effortless.

Sure, the 5 AMP motor is only going to spin this saw blade at speeds of 3500 RPM when it’s at load, but that’s plenty enough to work through most pieces of plywood and finish material and trim. You’ll be able to make quick work of baseboard, crown moldings, and other pieces of furniture of finish work with this saw – cuts that would have been a lot rougher with a more powerful tool.

But how does the Rockwell RK3441K stack up against more full size units when it comes to cutting through material like 2x12s, for example?

Well, according to independent comparisons the only real difference between this 4 ½ inch circular saw and full-size circulars going all the way through a 2×12 is about a half a second of speed – though you do lose a little bit of control because of the lightweight material used to construct this saw and the lack of heft to keep you on line.

Standout Features

The absolute biggest standout feature that the Rockwell RK3441K brings to the table has to be the fact that it is tremendously smaller and tremendously lighter (not to mention a lot cheaper) than the overwhelming majority of other circular saw options that are currently available on the market today.

By making the choice to invest in this particular unit you’re abandoning a lot of extra bulk and a lot of extra weight that just isn’t necessary for all but the most challenging of cuts and heaviest duty material.

Sure, you probably won’t be able to comfortably cruise right through thick panels of oak with this circular saw the way you would with a more traditional unit, but if you are tackling lighter weight material and softwoods this is going to cut right through them like a knife through butter.

Other standout features include the ergonomic design of this unit, the effortless every dexterous operation that it offers, and the dust collection system that helps you more effortlessly manage and keep your workspace clean.

Pros

Incredibly lightweight construction materials eliminate a lot of extra weight on a tool that can be almost too heavy to use comfortably, though there are some sacrifices on control and power.
The 5 AMP motor drives this blade at 3500 RPM to the bathroom most construction materials without any real trouble at all, though this isn’t quite powerful enough to be used consistently as a trim or finish saw.
Ergonomic design and ambidextrous operation make the Rockwell RK3441K super simple and straightforward to use for those that are both right hand and left hand dominant. This makes precision cuts a lot simpler for those that are left-handed without forcing them to purchase a left-hand strong circular saw at almost exorbitant prices.

Cons

This is nowhere near the most powerful or the most capable circular saw you’re going to find on the market today, and much more of a “niche” style device. It probably isn’t going to become your daily driver for ripping through construction lumber on a jobsite anytime soon.
You’ll be able to cut right through softwood materials without any challenge, wind comes to working on hardwood materials like oak and the like you’ll have to upgrade to a more powerful and more traditional unit.
The price is attractive when compared to more traditional circular saws, but is a little bit on the more expensive side of things when you’re talking about a niche device that may not be used every day.

Who’s going to be able to get the most out of this tool?

Professionals, carpenters, and woodworkers will be able to use the Rockwell RK3441K on a routine basis for sure, but the folks that will probably be able to get the very most utility out of this compact circular saw have to be homeowners, DIYers, and those that are going to be slapping together the occasional construction project and will not have to depend on this circular saw every day for hours at a time.

Final Verdict

When you get right down to it, specialty tools and niche devices usually fall into two different and distinct camps – the ones that are incredibly useful in a pinch and the ones that are almost never handy in any situation, including the one that they have been designed for.

The Rockwell RK3441K isn’t a novelty saw by any stretch of the imagination, but instead a capable, powerful, and impressively compact saw that you can trust to get specific tasks done without any difficulty.

Source: http://www.toolerant.com/rockwell-rk3441k-review-the-best-compact-circular-saw/