BLACK+DECKER Electric Hand Saw with Storage Bag, 3.4-Amp (PHS550B)

Thank you Amazon and Black & Decker!(and I am sure my neighbors would thank you if they could). When this came up as a recommendation (I had been looking at chain saws) I said "yeah, right, like that's going to do anything". I have an acre with a woody hedge, some branches 6-8 inches in diameter. I have been working on it with a pruning saw, a slow laborious process. Needless to say it has not been coming along too quickly. There are places where it is 20 feet tall. My saw arrived yesterday, and thanks to great instructions on installing the blade from another reviewer. Since I have not been able to link that review, I will note that if you are having difficulty installing the blade, lay it on it's sideand look into the opening. Make sure that the button which the blade slips on to is oriented correctly (the manual does say to check the orientation and adjust with a screwdriver if necessary. that is, by prodding it a bit to align it). Place the blade in the slot and drop it so that the opening on the blade slips over the oval knob, and then gently pull down until it snaps into place. this should only take a minute or so (less, actually) I was up and running in a couple of minutes, and so surprised at how easy it was: light, maneuverable, powerful (well, more so than I had been expecting). My son came out to check out the new saw, saying "it cuts just like a light saber) lol, well we all have our own points of reference. I cleared 25 linear feet in less than an hour (more level and cleaner than I could get by hand).... only another 980 or so to go :p The only limitation I have is the length of my extension cords (bet I know what my next recommendation is going to be). I am thinking of tiptoeing over to the other listing and getting that little LI chain saw while it's on sale (and my husband is out of the house.... I got this because he doesn't trust me with a chain saw) :D Having done that so easily, I attempted to take out a dead orange tree (hardwood) which my husband said he could not get with the (18" gas) chainsaw. I had an avocado tree becoming bonsaied while I waited for the orange tree to come out...and finally did it myself with this little saw! The trunk is over 12" in diameter. The limbs 6"-8". I took it slowly, and had no trouble at all (though the saw is rated for half the diameter). (The trick is to hold it steady without putting much pressure on the blade and let the saw do the work.) A week or so later we used a chipper/ shredder to mulch hat I had taken out. I would guess it produced between 50-100 gallons of wood chips from what i took out in just a few hours with this saw! Then my husband borrowed the saw to trim some of the bigger limbs to fit in the shredder, and in no time flat, broke the shaft :( (how that happened when I'd used the same saw to take down the tree cutting through larger parts than he was cutting i will never know) BUT: I took it into the local Black & Decker service center & they replaced it, sent me a brand new one no questions asked! In fact It got here in just 1 week (and that is to the most geographically remote land mass on earth. I am very happy with the tool and amazed at Black & Decker's customer service. When I need another tool (and I do to reach the parts of the yard I can't get to with an extension cord) I will absolutely be going back to Black & Decker. I have never experienced customer service like this before! (Very happy customer!) This is a great little tool for the price; a great little tool period.

I recently purchased the Black and Decker electric hand saw to tackle the persistent issue of small trees sprouting in my yard. Initially hesitant about using a chainsaw due to safety concerns, I opted for this electric hand saw, and I couldn't be more satisfied with my choice. First and foremost, the ease of use of this electric hand saw is remarkable. I found it intuitive when I took it out of the box and easy to handle. Its lightweight design makes maneuvering effortless, even for extended periods. Despite its compact size, don't let that fool you – this saw packs a punch when it comes to power. In terms of performance, I've been thoroughly impressed. I've already removed four small trees, each around six feet high, and the saw hasn't shown any signs of slowing down. The cutting efficiency is exceptional, making quick work of even thicker branches. While the blade did become dull after extensive use, it's nothing out of the ordinary, and I appreciated the foresight to order a replacement blade in advance. Maintenance is straightforward, ensuring the saw remains in top condition for future use. Overall, this electric hand saw has become my go-to tool for yard work. Its ease of use, power, and reliability have exceeded my expectations. If you need a reliable solution for tackling small trees and branches in your yard, look no further than this electric hand saw. Highly recommended.

I bought this saw primarily to cut up medium-sized branches trimmed off the trees hanging over my fence from the neighbor's yard. Up to about 1" in diameter, I use a Siskars lopper, but I needed something to cut larger branches to 18" long or shorter, so they'd fit in my green waste recycling bin. This saw is basically a powered hacksaw. It feels hefty and well-made. Even using the wood blade, it takes patience to cut through a 2" branch or larger. It is variable speed, but even so it sometimes grabs the wood and sets up some severe vibration, much like a Sawzall, and darn near scrambles your brain if you don't let go of the trigger. It seems to work better if I cut halfway thru and then flip the wood over and cut from the other side. It might help to put the wood in a vise or clamp it to something so you can keep both hands on the saw like the instructions recommend. It arrived at my house fairly promptly and in good condition, but I was upset to see it advertised on Amazon for $39 (I paid $44 a week earlier). Oh well, guess you can't win them all. Can't wait to see how the metal-cutting blade works. Overall, I'd say it's worth buying, especially if you're into power tools like I am. Good luck! Just an additional comment: Since my 1st review, I used this saw to cut thru the nails they used to secure the roof sheathing to the facia boards, when I was replacing some rotting facia. In this instance, this saw was invaluable. With the metal cutting blade attached, it cut the nails like a hot knife thru butter. I actually couldn't think of an easier way to do this job, because prying on that thin sheathing was damaging the old plywood. Because of this job alone, the purchase of this saw was well worth it. Buy it if the price is right (Amazon prices flucuate like the stock market.)

I love this little thing! I recently moved and had tons of shrubs in the yard that hadn't been trimmed in years. That means...big, thick branches. I was using loppers/pruners, my my arms were getting tired and some of the stems were too thick to even cut that way. I tried a hatchet and saw, but that was hard, too. I didn't even know they made an item such as this, but just searched for "power hand saw" and here it was...my savior!! I have cut some really thick branches (like as big as my wrist) and even just sawed through tangles of forsythia shoots to try to find where the trunk was (it was REALLY overgrown!) After reading some of the reviews, I was worried that I would have trouble with attaching the blade. I did read the directions for attachment first, which admittedly weren't helpful at all. I just looked into where the blade goes and tried to figure it out myself. I looked in a hole in the side and saw a square nut-like projection that matched a square hole on the saw. It was pretty clear those two pieces went together! There is also a slot where the blade pivots upward into. I was trying to slip the blade in the slot AND the square notch simultaneously. Wrong! Didn't work! I then didn't know what to do and just put the square hole on the square peg so the blade was folded down at like a right angle (like the directions show for removal, that illustration was the most helpful.) When I lifted it up it went right into the slot. Not hard at all, but tricky when it is the first time figuring it out. Just fool around with it a little, look at the pictures, and you will get it. It took me about 3 minutes to figure it out. Make sure you leave the blade protector on because you need to push it right where the teeth are. It is just an awesome tool. The directions do note that you should move it back and forth like a hand saw, and that technique does work well. I do get lazy though and sometimes just move it a little bit (or not at all!) Ha ha! It still cuts well. Sort of a cross between a Sawzall and an electric carving knife. This and an electric hedge trimmer can make your yard work sooooo much easier. Wish I would have had one earlier...I am never going to be without one now!

THIS SAW DOES NOT DESERVE YOUR CONSIDERATION BECAUSE OF THESE THREE(3) TERRIBLE FLAWS 1. THE SAW IS PACKAGED AND SHIPPED WITH THE BLADE LOCKING PIN IN THE LOCKED POSITION. This is the position AFTER the blade IS already installed and locked in place. IT SHOULD BE PACKAGED AND SHIPPED IN THE OPEN POSITION, so you can actually install the blade. 2. THE USER GUIDE INSTRUCTIONS FOR INSTALLING THE NEW BLADE (changing the position of the blade locking pin to OPEN so the blade can be installed) ARE COMPLETELY WRONG AND CAN'T POSSIBLY WORK. 3. THE HOLE IN THE SAW HOUSING FOR ACCESSING THE BLADE LOCKING PIN IS IN THE WRONG PLACE IN THE SAW HOUSING. The following contains more details for each of these unbelievably bad and inconceivable flaws. If you are having trouble installing the blade, the notes under items 2 and 3 may help. 1. THE SAW ARRIVES WITH THE BLADE LOCKING PIN IN THE LOCKED POSITION RATHER THAN IN THE OPEN POSITION. The blade cannot be installed with the locking pin in the closed/locked position. There can't be any logical reason why B&D would do this. The blade will pop in easily only IF THE BLADE LOCKING PIN IS IN THE OPEN POSITION. This flaw is bad enough but its significance is greatly increased by flaws # 2 and 3. 2. THE USER GUIDE INSTRUCTIONS FOR CHANGING THE POSITION OF THE BLADE LOCKING PIN TO OPEN, SO THE BLADE CAN BE INSTALLED, ARE COMPLETELY WRONG AND CAN'T POSSIBLY WORK. That may be why so many reviewers have cited problems installing the saw blade. The instructions tell you to use a flat bladed screw driver to turn the slotted head blade locking pin to the correct position. I find it VERY STRANGE that B&D totally avoids using the terms OPEN. UNLOCKED, CLOSED or LOCKED is describing the position of the blade locking pin. IF you can get to the blade locking pin with a screwdriver (see #3 below) you will find that it cannot be turned. That's because it is LOCKED in the closed position. This is the required position SO THE BLADE CANNOT FALL OUT OF THE SAW DURING USE. IF you can get to the blade locking pin with a screwdriver, you must PRESS AND HOLD THE BLADE RELEASE BUTTON on the left side of the saw to be able to turn the blade locking pin to the OPEN position. Only then can the blade be installed. 3. THE HOLE IN THE SAW HOUSING FOR ACCESSING THE BLADE LOCKING PIN IS IN THE WRONG PLACE. The hole is 1/4" too far back toward the rear of the saw. The oblong opening needs to be centered on the head of the blade locking pin to be able to get to it with a screwdriver. Instead the slot in the head of the blade locking pin is obscures by 1 of 2 plastic ribs that cross the oblong hole. LUCKILY, A SOLUTION. The front rib can be broken out of the oblong hole easily with a screwdriver. Then a screwdriver can be used to re-position the blade locking pin. (see #2 above.). It's as if B&D outsourced this product to China and then did no testing or confirmation that it was produced adequately. And one more thing: YOU CANNOT REGISTER THE PRODUCT ONLINE AT B&D UNLESS YOU CREATE A B&D ACCOUNT or have an existing account.

I read quite a few reviews on Amazon before ordering the PHS550B so I was well-prepared to handle the blade locking button. The alignment was off as some other shoppers experienced but reading other reviews really paid off. A small screwdriver was all it took and within 5 minutes the blade was locked in place and I was ready to go. I bought the PHS550B for the task of cutting down a dead bush with truck size up to 10" near the base. This past weekend I cut down one branch about 6" in diameter. Normally it could take me a day or two just to finished everything using a handsaw. This time it took me just a hour and a half at a very leisure pace. I didn't even notice it and had to stop when the green waste bin was completely filled. I bought the corded model for sustained power and this little saw did not disappoint me. The operation was very smooth and steady, I could actually operate with one-hand (though not recommended) on occasion and the saw blade stayed in put without bouncing around. The cut was clean and smooth. I don't feel any muscle fatigue the next morning either. For jobs in between your trusty hand pruner and a powered chainsaw, this power handsaw definitely is a versatile fit. I still have a few branches to work on and will update the review again to see how it holds up to the task. Stay tuned... Update 04/09: Went back to work in the yard the last two weekends, putting in another hour of continuous abuse each weekend. This little devil did just fine cutting down the solid branches without much fanfare. My green waste recycle bin just couldn't catch up with this work-horse. I still have some work ahead and will keep updating the working condition of this powered handsaw.

I purchased this saw for the express purpose of removing a very small tree (anout 1.75") which was growing into masonry on the side of my house. The instructions do not adequately explain how to load or remove the blades. Many other people have explained the trick to it, but I had to faff about with it for about an hour before I got it to work (also, I had to go buy another screwdriver as my flat head screw driver has a fitting that made it too large to fit into the small area provided in the housing). Once I got the blade fitted, operation was very easy however it was more difficult than expected to cut through the small tree trunk. The saw shook very badly and my hands hurt for the rest of the day. I had a lot of trouble removing the blade and when the "release" button did finally release, it did so with enough force that the blade flew out of the body, which doesn't seem safe. This is not a very expensive item, so I don't expect perfection but the fact is that properly explaining the way to attach a blade and making the release operate safely are important and not especially difficult and things I do expect from a new item. I can't really rate this as better than barely adequate, based on my experience.

This is one of the best yard tool purchases I've ever made. I've had it over a year now and have used it to cut down the fast-growing volunteer trees that invade my garden each year (trunks 1-2" across) and cut up the firewood branches that are too big to break over my knee. I can't say I've cut anything more than a couple of inches across, but it saws through kind of stuff like butter. I have purchased a few chain saws over the years and have just been disappointed by them. They inevitably get dirt in them, then are ruined. Or you have to have to have them sharpened. I'm not cutting down anything huge, so a chainsaw is a bit of overkill for my needs. I'm so glad I discovered this tool. I can't believe there aren't competitors in the market, because every suburban home should have one of these suckers. I am a woman in my 50s with asthma, and this thing is a godsend. It's not too heavy or hard to work. As others have probably commented, even though it's electric, you still use it like a saw, not like a chainsaw. You saw back and forth while using it. If you do this, it will zip through pretty much everything. And you can buy specialty blades and replacement blades for it. If you're on the fence about buying this tool, get it. You won't be disappointed. Update: I have now had this saw for three years and never cease to be impressed with it. I have replaced the blade once or twice. Getting the blade in is an issue. It's not easy and I forgot the trick to it in between blades. But other than that, this is still one of the handiest tools in my shed.