9.9.2017

For the price that I paid for it at the time (£35), this was an excellent buy. I've not got round to using the jig saw facility yet, but have used the straight cutting saw for quite a few different jobs, and found it performed well. None of them were large jobs, or particularly difficult, I cut about 10 thin wood off-cuts, cut through two or three 4 x 4s, and have made a lot of cuts, (upwards of 70) through 21.5 mm pvc (solvent weld) pipe, and have just had to change the blade the first time. It does sometimes vibrate a bit, but it's manageable, and I'm a not particularly strong woman. The only thing I don't like is the safety feature on the on/off switch: you've got to depress one button and flip the other switch at the same time,and both are quite stiff to operate, so I find it difficult to do this with one hand. Because I need to hold them with quite a lot of strength for my puny grip, I don't think it makes it very safe at all, as I've found, when needing to let go quickly that I'm holding the saw in such a death-grip that I don't instinctively let go, but need to consciously make myself let go. So if I needed to quickly stop the blade, say because I was accidentally sawing into my foot, I can see myself taking just that little bit too long. For me, it would be safer if it needed less of a grip to operate, but then it will probably still mostly be men using these, and who'll probably not have this problem unless their grip is as weak as mine. I find it easy to change the blades, and changing from straight cut to jig saw is also quite straight forward. There's a little location pin, which needs a flat-head screwdriver to adjust, if it's not in the correct position, but which normally only needs to be done once. The instructions are basic but sufficient, showing how to change the blade etc, and giving recommended depths for cutting different materials, which are: 100 mm for wood, 3 mm for steel and 50 mm for plastic or pruning branches. So this is not a heavy-duty saw, but good for general DIY jobs around the house and garden. The other drawback with this saw is that only B&D blades will fit, and only those for this particular saw model number. But based on my experience so far, they last a reasonable time, depending on what you're cutting. If you were cutting lots of really hard and/or thick wood, the blade will probably not last especially long, but you'll get a good few cuts. I don't know whether this saw would still be such good value at £15 more than I paid for it, though, so while I'd recommend it, not sure it's worth £50, compared to others on the market. Suppose it still works out cheaper than buying a reciprocating and a jig saw separately, though, if you need both but one or both only for occasional use - that's what really made this attractive for me: I will need the jig saw at some point for a job I've had planned for ages now, but after that, I might not need one again for a long time, so it didn't seem worth buying two separate saws for such occasional use. The other thing missing on this is a vacuum attachment for the dust. Otherwise, am really happy with this, and not sure how well those vacuum attachments work anyway, so have still given this 5 stars.

15.7.2015

What’s goodConvenient and quick for light tasksComfortable and chunky rubberised gripSturdy boxPotentially good value depending on the price at the timeWhat’s not so goodBest bought on a deal or discount periodNot up to heavy duty tasksA bit of a ‘lazy man’s’ toolThis is very much a niche product in the wood cutting arena. Not heavy-duty like a chainsaw, and not as potentially clumsy or hard work as a pruning saw. Not requiring as much setting-up as a circular saw, but not as potentially rough as a traditional hand or bow saw.Provided you don’t have high expectations for what this sort of device is going to achieve - it’s not going to be felling any mature trees - then you’ll not be too disappointed.If you need to blast through a few branches or take out some cupboards, cut through skirting or floorboards etc, or just have a lot of smaller cutting jobs that you need to do in one session and you want to reduce the manual effort required, then this sort of small powered saw could be just the ticket. It can also cut through plastic such as guttering and downpipes, as well as thin/soft metal.This particular model has a good level of rubberised grip which I think is really important and worth paying a bit extra over the cheaper models as it is of vital importance to maintain a strong hold over the device.There is a little bit of flex in the blade as you might expect, but provided you aren’t too forceful with it and stick to manageable pieces of wood, it shouldn’t pose a problem.The blades themselves can be swapped out relatively easily, and I like the fold-out ‘shoe’ that I initially thought was a secondary grip, but actually just helps you rest or steady the device against your target object such as a branch of a tree in order to reduce shake.In use it is as noisy as you might expect, and you should still be wearing strong gloves and eye protection. You can select whether you’ll be cutting wood, plastic or metal, and the device adjusts the speed at which is works in order to achieve the best cut for the particular blade - being wood, metal or jigsaw.The power cord is 3 metres which is fine, and while I would like everything to be cordless these days for added convenience and mobility, I often find power tools such as this to be a spur-of-the-moment thing that remembering to charge a battery or have limited time to use rather a bothersome aspect, so I don’t mind the mains-only aspect to such a thing at the moment.At the time of my review, amazon have it on a lightning deal of £39.99 which I think represents good value for money. I suspect after the deal it will probably go back up to £49.99 where it’s fair but obviously not quite so good.For someone wanting a relatively compact device that can just blast away at some fairly menial cutting jobs, this could prove to be a real handy piece of kit. For your hardened wood-worker or carpenter in the trade, they might pass it off as a bit of a cheat.I don’t mind cheating...

6.5.2015

Despite already owning a Worx reciprocating electric saw (the more cylindrical-looking types of saws with a longer blade protruding from the front), this Black & Decker electric saw has proved to be a real boon for me to cut timber of around a thickness of 4" (eg the larger type of square fence post).That's because it's so lightweight and therefore easily manageable. You are likely to need a saw of this kind for cutting as, for example, a jigsaw usually has a limited depth cutting capability and saws such as these give you a straighter, more easily achieved, cut vs something like a circular saw....*** The Amazon 'Tech Details' are misleading :1. The 'item' weight refers to the ALL the saw items,

23.4.2016

This is a smaller saw than I had imagined it would be but it remains a versatile and good tool, it comes in a hard plastic mold carry case, the electric cable is only long enough for use in a workshop or at a work bench really, when using it out doors I used extention leads to provide more reach.The three blades, including the largest, which is pictured, all fit within the carry case too, in a purpose built slot. In addition to this main blade, there is a smaller wood and plastic jigsaw blade and a blade designed for cutting metal, such as sheet metal. The blades are easy to attach and detach from the unit, although can become hot from use (indicated by the manual).The user manual is clear,

12.7.2015

I already own a 400 watt B&D Scorpion saw, so I was interested to see how the newer and more powerful model would perform.To begin with, it is a much larger and heavier machine. It is a square design, and is very chunky. It has rubberised pads on the areas where you grip, which helps to keep it steady especially when wearing gloves.It is a two handed saw, and whereas I sometimes used my old saw single handed (holding the wood with my free hand) I don't think I could do that with this new model.It is simply too heavy to hold perfectly still and straight with one hand.That said, once you get your work into a vice or similar you find the power of this new model is really impressive.

11.8.2015

The Black & Decker handsaw boasts "auto-select" which seems to mean you can manually select which material you are cutting (wood, metal and plastic). In reviewing this product I've tried cutting wood and plastic both successfully as you would expect from a Black & Decker product.The second feature it boasts is three grips for three different two-handed cutting postures together with a moveable "brace" which can either be flush to the product or at an acute angle (photos to follow). The flush position means it can be used as a jigsaw or simply for bog-standard downward sawing. The angled position is for cutting branches which are inserted between the blade and the brace.

18.12.2013

I bought this mainly for garden jobs like cutting up logs for firewood and pruning some large shrubs. It made light work of them. Saves so much time and effort. I have a section of laurel which had gone years without a chop. Last time I cut it back it took ages with a hand pruning saw and is very hard work. This scorpion saw saves all that time and effort, I got so much done in no time and cut what i could ready to burn. Ive used it on some very thick branches and with just a little pressure and sawing movement the tool does a great job. I think the key is not to be heavy handed and force it. Wish I got one years ago, brilliant little thing. I also like the kit box and alternative blades.

13.8.2015

This is a very useful power tool and it comes in a sturdy, moulded plastic case. This is robust and tough so keeps the kit inside perfectly safe when not in use. You are provided with three blades with one for general wood cutting etc. (that is what I have used it for) and two others for finer metal and wood cutting depending upon your needs. Its a loud machine and you need to take control of it - apprehension is not recommended in my view, take it by the scruff of the neck so to speak and I think you will be fine. I have used it to cut some metal and this was quite a tough piece of reinforced metal which I didn't think the blade would deal with easily. You select the job you want to do with a switch on the handle,

8.7.2015

The best way to sum this tool up is that it's like having a giant penknife that specialises in cutting things; it makes cutting through different things as easy as it could realistically be - simply press the release button to change to the appropriate blade, select the auto-setting, and you're off.The settings are wood, metal and jigsaw. I was particularly pleased with the jigsaw mode, as the design really comes into its own. The wood cutting felt strong enough through thick pine floorboards, although the overall impression is that it does a variety of jobs competently, rather than excelling at anything that a tool specifically designed for a single function would.For a compact work shed,

5.8.2015

Something of a half-way house this thing. You can use it as a wood saw, or by swapping the blade over you can use it as a jigsaw. As a jigsaw, it's not much cop. The blade sits too far back in the body, so you can't see exactly where you're cutting which is a bit frustrating, and you have to hold it back to front which feels a bit clumsy. Really, if you're looking to use this as a jigsaw primarily, then look elsewhere. (B&D's 'autoselect' model is pretty good).Swap it out for the saw blade though, and you in more solid territory. Cutting speeds can be pre-set with a switch on the side for different materials, and a plastic brace can be swing out for cutting round items or for pruning.

7.7.2015

The Scorpion is capable of handling a number of varied tasks efficiently and with a minimum of effort by the user. It saws wood, it prunes trees, it slices through plastic down pipes and it can cut thin sheet metal, as well as perform a number of other tasks, such as operating as a jig saw, with ease. A flick of a switch will make certain it is operating at the correct levels for best results in the different modes and blade selection is simple and fitting straightforward. It comes with three different blades to let you undertake the particular task at hand. It is mains powered and the attached cable, fitted with a 13 amp plug, is long enough to permit easy connection.

16.7.2016

Very sturdy and agile. I bought it to cut down around a 20' length of conifers that were 6' high and 4' deep. It did the job no problem and even managed to get all the way through the thickest trunk (7-8") thick - it needed a few cuts and 'V's' taking out but it did the trick. All without changing the blade.On cutting through a piece of plank (6” x 1”) it did so without effort even though it took around the same length of time I would have done it with a handsaw.The picture is a little misleading as the black faceplate you can see is supposed to be pulled down before inserting the saw blade (see photo)

10.8.2015

I bought one of these many years ago and it has provided me with many years of sterling time saving service. I was therefore looking forward to trying out this updated "multi mode" model.It comes in a small but fairly robust case with a selection of three blades to cover most materials. It is quite heavy, but feels reasonably well balanced and the weight helps to keep it steady. The trigger allows speed control from very slow to start the cut right up to the full speed allowed by the current auto-select setting.In use the saw has three different "modes". Standard saw, jigsaw mode and a pruning feature for which you fold down a guide which clamps the branch whilst it is being cut.Cutting is fast and clean.

21.7.2018

Perfect for my needs. I’ve used it to cut down five tall trees having a trunk diameter of two to three and a half inches. Such cuts took something like two to four minutes without applying pressure. Rotating the saw a little around the back and front of the advancing cut helps.Further size reduction of the felled trees or branches is more problematic unless one can contrive (by raising the tree slightly) the cut to open -- otherwise the cut closes around the blade, grabbing it.It is not well-suited to cutting the thin branches that a pruner or a lopper would slice through as rigidity of the cut zone is required.I suggest wearing thick,

17.3.2015

Decent saw for the price.We use this for those 'odd jobs' about the house and garden. The ones where a hand saw would be much too laborious, and where the full kit circular saw would be a tad overkill.I cut up old window frames for the wood burning stove and chop up old palette wood into short lengths to chop up as kindling.It isn't especially accurate, so I don't use it for fine work - but that isn't what it is designed to do so no problem there.It will cut through pretty much anything - as long as you take your time.If you try to force the blade you will burn out the motor or bend the blade or a combination of these two. Either way it won''t get the job done,

Black and Decker KS890EC Scorpion - Reviews

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