DEWALT DC550KA, best in Class
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best in Class
ok lets be clear- I am a loyal Milwaukee user and will remain one especially with the upcoming V28 release, But this Dewalt product is outstanding in every aspect.
I have used it for about two months now and cut drywall, plywood, tile and backerboared with it. The battery life is excellent and weight and balance are outstanding. with two batteries you can litterally do drywall cut outs all day long.
Dust protection seems good and keyless chuck performs well.
An excellent buy.
Update (5/19/2012): This item is currently on sale here for the lowest price I’ve seen. I also found some auctions for this item here.
The featured review for this product, DEWALT DC550KA Heavy-Duty 18-Volt Ni-Cad Cordless Spiral Saw with 1/8-Inch and 1/4-Inch Collets Tools & Hardware, was written by Ronald B. Ruiz.
The average rating for this item is out of 5 stars, according to 3 reviews.
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Reviews (3)
D. Furlo
February 25th, 2010 at 4:13 pm
DEWALT DC550KA
This tool has excellent battery capacity and is easy to handle;
has plenty of cutting power. The only drawback is the tool just slightly heavy.
Ronald B. Ruiz
March 10th, 2010 at 7:07 am
best in Class
Rated 5 stars.
SJK
March 12th, 2010 at 1:54 am
DC550KA 18-Volt Cordless Cut-Out Tool
I have been waiting years for Dewalt to make an 18V cordless cut-out tool kit like the DC550K. It’s great to finally have a cordless version that can utilize the same charger and batteries as my other 18V tools. I bought one of these as soon as they became available online and now use it almost every day on the job. Before the DC550, I was most indignant about having to drag an extension cord along when using my Roto-Zip, as this is the last holdout in a tool collection that I use daily which still required being plugged into an outlet to operate.
I use the DC550 mainly to make cutouts in wood, drywall, plaster and acoustical tile for recessed lighting or electrical boxes. With a carbide burr bit, it will make cutouts in ceramic wall tile, solid surface or laminate backsplashes, but of course, won’t cut harder floor tile materials. It also makes clean, splinter free cutouts in solid wood or veneered cabinets, such as when installing an outlet for a microwave/hood over a range or outlets in kitchen island or peninsula base cabinets. I have even used it for cutouts in thin stainless sheet clad walls that are found in commercial kitchens, and it works well on aluminum and vinyl siding too.
Battery life is very good and since the DC550K kit comes with two batteries, you can have one on charge and keep going all day long. The extra length and weight the battery does make this tool slightly less well balanced than the corded version when using it in the horizontal position, but the rubber grip area allows you to hold the tool firmly in various positions and as with anything else, the more you use the tool, the less noticeable this imbalance becomes.
There is no bump switch on top of the tool but the push through type on/off switch sticks out far enough so you can get at easily.
The tool-less quick-change bit holder is the same as on Dewalt’s corded cut-out tool. It takes a little getting used to, but is much better than having to use a wrench every time you need to change a cutter bit. At 26,000 rpm’s it’s not as fast as the corded version but this doesn’t really seem to affect its cutting ability. Overall, I feel that the DC550 is a very good tool that can go along way toward making your workday easier and more productive.
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