# Cheap Tool Review 4



## amckenzie4 (Apr 29, 2010)

Crossposted from Cheap Sawdust.

(NOTE: I didn't actually post my review of my table saw here, or my rant about table saws in general. Just ignore the bits about my last review.)

*Shark 10-2440 Fine Cut pull-saw *
My last entry was about table saws, and the fact that they are not, in fact, essential to being a woodworker. This is the tool that convinced me that was true. OK, that's hyperbole. I was already convinced, but this was a nice supporting argument.

*Where, and how much?*

I got mine at Sears, and I paid around $20. I've seen them at Amazon for the same, so I'd say that's the going price.

*
What is it?*

This is a Japanese-style saw, which means it cuts on a pull-stroke, rather than the push. You can find all sorts of arguments for and against this both on- and off-line, so I'll limit my commentary to this: Some people love it, some people hate it, and you should try for yourself before you make a decision one way or the other. What that means in terms of use is that the blade is both thinner and floppier than you'd expect in a saw. That's not the problem it would be in a European saw because it doesn't rely on blade stiffness to cut: the force of pulling it through the wood keeps it straight. That means it can cut a much thinner kerf, and, if sharp, can cut much more easily, because it's not trying to remove as much material.

The other difference between Japanese-style and European-style saws is how sharp the teeth are. On a well-sharpened European saw, you can hurt yourself. Get your finger in the way of the stroke, and you're going to know it. But it's pretty hard to cut yourself with it other than that. This saw is razor sharp. Each tooth is like a tiny little knife blade, and it WILL cut you if you grab it wrong. Get used to that.

Some more details: The cutting edge is around 9 1/2" long. One edge has about 9 teeth per inch, and is intended for ripping, while the other is around 17 TPI, and is intended for cross-cutting. The blade widens towards the tip, and is narrower near the handle. It looks odd, but is standard for a Ryoba.

*What's the construction like?*

It's not bad. There were some corners cut, no doubt about it, but they were in the handle, not the blade. The handle is plastic, and the knob to fasten the blade in place is also plastic, and starting to wear. I figure I have, at most, another year before the knob gives up and I have to find a way to replace it. I'm willing to take that sacrifice for the price.


The blade is an interesting question. The teeth are cut, not stamped, which is a plus. It feels (and cuts) like it's fairly high quality, but it has impulse hardened teeth. That means that the teeth will hold their edge for a long time, but can't be sharpened when they dull. 

For all that I like it, this is essentially a disposable tool, and I'm not a huge fan of that.

*How does it work?*

You might have guessed from the beginning that I like this saw. You'd have guessed right. I bought it on the grounds that, first, I wanted to see what cutting with a pull-saw felt like, and second, it was cheap. It cuts extremely well. Not "extremely well for a twenty dollar saw," just "extremely well." I've crosscut and ripped both pine (ripping 1x6 on this is remarkably simple) and red oak. Pine it had no trouble with: Chopping up 2x6 is easy, and ripping 1x6 width-wise (I needed a piece 5" wide by 1/4" thick) was no problem at all. I've also cut plywood from 1/4" to 3/4", PVC pipe, and plastic gutter. It had no trouble at all with any of those. 
UPDATE FROM ORIGINAL: I found myself needing to trim slightly less than a sixteenth of an inch off a piece of douglas fir yesterday. This saw did it with no trouble, either cross-grain or ripping. I could have used a chisel, but the saw was closer, and I wanted to see if it would work.

Red oak is, perhaps, the one place this fell down. Cross-cutting a 3/4" thick piece was fine. Slower than pine, but it's a much denser wood. It was still easy. Ripping across the 3/4" dimension was also fine. Then I tried ripping on the 5" dimension. That... wasn't so easy. I don't have a good European rip saw, so I'm not sure how much easier it would have been, if at all, but I don't recommend it with this saw. Now... this is a fine cut saw. I'll talk more about final surface in a minute, but the point of this saw is to allow precise, smooth cuts, and it delivers. Ripping hardwoods is hard. This saw was able to do it: If I was willing to devote the time, I would have made it the full length of the board. That wasn't the problem. The problem was the amount of time. I figure I spent about 20 minutes, and ripped about four inches. I needed a two foot long board cut, and I just didn't have that kind of time. Shark does make what they refer to as a "carpentry saw", which they claim is set up for more aggressive cutting. It's likely that that would have worked a lot better, but I haven't tried one yet, so I don't know.

For detail work (it is called a "finecut" saw, after all), it's superb. I used it for my first hand-cut dovetail, and it was quick and easy to control. I've done the same with an inexpensive (I'm tempted to say "cheap") backsaw from Woodcraft, and it sucked. That one may just need sharpening, and I'll review it once I've given that a try.

The final surface left behind by this saw is superb. The cuts are, in general, smooth enough that they don't need much further treatment. I can get a cleaner finish with a chisel, but not with any saw I've ever used. I don't think I've seen any finish from a saw smoother than this, either. Yes, it will still need a little sanding, planing, or scraping, but not much. I decided to smooth a cut from this, and started at 220-grit paper. It didn't take much work to completely erase the saw marks.

*Final Thoughts*

For $20, I got a decent dual-purpose saw, without having to compromise on a single edge that tries to both rip and crosscut. It cuts smoothly, cleanly, and, when I'm not trying to rip oak, quickly. It leaves a nice surface behind, and is comfortable to use.

My only real reservations about this saw are the quality of the grip and the impulse hardened teeth. If you need a saw and you don't mind that it's disposable, you could do a lot worse than this for the money. If you want a tool you can re-sharpen... you're going to need to spend some more money. It depends on how you look at things whether this is worth the tradeoff.

*Would I do it again?*

Probably, with reservations. I'm currently looking for a good-quality used European saw. I've never used one that was in good repair, so I don't have a lot of comparison. I'm really not excited about buying more disposable tools, so I'd really prefer to spend extra money to get something sustainable. In a pinch, I'd buy one of these in a heartbeat, over any big-box offering at a similar price. There's no question in my mind that this is a good tool. It's just not a long-term purchase.


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## Wood4Brains (Jul 25, 2012)

As a budding Japanese saw enthusiast, I wanted to say thanks for the thorough review.

As you noted, being a fine cut saw, it is probably not ideal for ripping long cuts in hardwood.

I read a great post on Giant Cypress where he recommends that the common 9-1/2 inch Ryoba should be bypassed in favor of a Larger Ryoba 270 MM / 10-3/4 inch or bigger) for long rip cuts, and a smaller Ryoba (8-1/4 inches, or 210 MM) for Tenon / Dovetailing cuts.

He explains the reasons much better than I, but in short, it is because the teeth size and TPI vary on Japanese saws depending on their blade length, and for that reason, the 9-1/2 inch ryoba is sort of a "tweener" - pretty good at most stuff, but not excellent in any area.

Of course, the problem is that it is much more difficult to find Ryoba in the smaller and larger sizes, but that the 9-1/2 inch blade version is pretty ubiquitous. Plus, you are having to pay for two saws (or two different blades if you can swap them in the same handle) instead of one.

He also recomends using a smaller Ryoba instead of the more obvious Dozuki for tenon / dovetail work as well.

Again, thanks for the review.


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## amckenzie4 (Apr 29, 2010)

No problem! I'm pleased the review was useful to someone.

Since I wrote the review I've acquired a few old Disston Western-style saws that I use for breaking down large lumber, but I still go to this Shark saw when I need to make small, precise cuts with a good finish. I just picked up a home-made backsaw that may take over for a few things, but... well, the ryoba is just too nice to give up on completely!


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## sbjforumman (Aug 30, 2012)

I'm confused about what type of saw this is then. I'm in the market for a table saw and $20 seems way to cheep that. I've been looking around at table saw reviews on this site, on woodworking.com and also at Table Saw Reviews Geek too, but it seems really hard to find a good fit of power and cost. This pull type cut is something I hadn't yet come across in my research until right here.


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## amckenzie4 (Apr 29, 2010)

sbjforumman said:


> I'm confused about what type of saw this is then. I'm in the market for a table saw and $20 seems way to cheep that. I've been looking around at table saw reviews on this site, on woodworking.com and also at Table Saw Reviews Geek too, but it seems really hard to find a good fit of power and cost. This pull type cut is something I hadn't yet come across in my research until right here.


This is a hand saw, not a table saw. No motor at all, hence the $20 price tag. 

I posted another review of a Ryobi table saw, which is both somewhere on this site and here. That one's easier to pull up.

Of the two, I vastly prefer the Shark Ryoba. Since it sounds like you don't know what a Ryoba is, it's a two-edged saw, with a blade that's wider at the tip than the grip. One edge is fine toothed, for cross-cutting, and the other is a little rougher, for ripping.

For the small projects I've done so far, and the workshop I use inside the house in the winter, a hand saw is more than adequate. If you need a table saw, you'll want to look elsewhere for advice.


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## Wood4Brains (Jul 25, 2012)

@ sbjforumman

You might be confusing Ryob*I* (a power tools manufacturer) with Ryob*A* (a Japanese two-sided hand saw).


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## woodworkinguser (Nov 14, 2012)

Something you really need finecut and details to get the best of it so yeah.. good machines are always needed, good post, thanks for sharing.


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