Renovation Contractor Advisory Board Member Paul Richardson shares his first-hand experience with the Cuz-D Straight Flush Saw.
I first heard about the Cuz-D Straight Flush Saw by a fellow contractor who told me that it could cut out a subfloor flush to the wall, and could cut out doorplates from stud to stud. I was very intrigued. So I ordered one directly from the manufacturer for $840, including delivery.
My first impression out of the box was that the saw is quite heavy. I liked the trigger to lift the guard of the saw, this prevents binding especially when the saw is set to the maximum 65° bevel.
The front deck of the saw folds up with the press of a button. This allows the saw to cut the doorplates out as the blade is exposed to just 1 9/16″. With the 8 1/2″ blade it gives a cross cut depth a hair over 3″, allowing for the cutting of a double 2x plate. It will cut a 6×6 post with a cut from each side.
The saw comes with a guide that attaches into the shoe plate of the saw, that can be adjusted for ripping strips of plywood or ripping down 2x lumber with tablesaw accuracy.
This guide has to be removed to allow the saw to cut flush to a stud or the wall. When cutting flush to the wall to remove a subfloor, the saw can be set at a -5° bevel allowing for a tight, clean cut. The saw also has a removable blade cover with a vacuum attachment.
The handle of the saw rotates and locks at 45° and 90° to give you better control over the saw whilst taking advantage its many uses. One of the most impressive things about this saw, and a big selling point for me, is the guarantee. If it breaks, bring it in and get a new one, even if you are not the original owner. This is the only tool warranty of its kind that I know of.
I have used this saw for a few months and I have found it very useful for cutting joist pockets to install flush steel/wood beams. The blade cuts the joist almost flush with the subfloor leaving a clean pocket without the need for a reciprocating saw. The downside is that it’s heavy to work with over your head.
I can cut out doorplates and have cut out subfloor flush to the wall very successfully. But, like any blade, it does not go into corners so a reciprocating saw is still needed to finish the job.
Once the rip guide part of the deck is removed the saw becomes very unstable making it tough to cut accurately and causing it to bind. This part of the deck needs to be removed to allow for all flush cutting, including doorplates.
With the dust guard in place it’s hard to follow the line when cutting; without the dust guard you will eat a lot of sawdust. Also, in cold weather the trigger to lift the guard becomes stiff requiring two hands to operate.
The blades for this saw have a customized centre meaning that blades have to be purchased from Cuz-D Industries at $50+ per blade.
My verdict: this saw is a nice addition to the toolbox, but is heavy and over priced. This tool does not replace all of the tools it claims to, but it has some great bells and whistles that other saw companies need to incorporate. —Paul Richardson, PTR Carpentry Inc.
This is an excerpt from Power Tool Time, by Martin Zibauer. Click here to read the full story.