Review on TurboShear Cement Backer by Malco TSF2 by David Bott

I'm a pretty good handyman and bought this machine for a major overhaul. I bought this tool specifically because I was doing fiber cement siding on a 2000 sq ft colony (panels and boards) and expected to need it for a bathroom remodel cement board. I've only used it for my siding project so far and am very happy with it so far. The back panel requires much less precise cuts, so I don't expect any problems when I get to this part. FOR FIBER CEMENT SIDE: When cutting outdoors, I cut at about the same speed as a durable circular saw blade. A skilled locksmith/carpenter who is throwing the saw around like it's just another link can probably push the sharp blade a little faster. Although the blades wear out and are quite expensive, you will slowly push the dull blade for a while to get your money's worth. The thing is pretty fast and stable. I've used it with a Dewalt cordless hammer drill (max 18V, NICAD) and almost never had to change the battery during the workday. The batteries charge in an hour, so this is not a problem. I suspect that a faster drill would probably move this thing faster, but at my drill's highest speed it was enough for me to feel comfortable making a precise cut. So the instrument needed a few passes to get used to it. I also have to say that some of the reviews that said the curves break are actually pretty accurate. By practicing holding the blade at the right angle with the right support, you can probably minimize this problem, but you'll likely end up with a few 1/2" corner chips and the edge may deflate a bit. Cut with the back of the board facing up, as the fibers can sometimes get a bit rough in that direction. Also, be sure to saw toward the TOP of the board. If a corner breaks, it should be at the end of your cut. You want it to be on the part of the board that will be covered by the next board. A small rasp or quick work with a knife can clear the cut edge. When working with stacks of product on a pickaxe/scaffold, it's much easier to use one of these than a blade in a tight space. Manufacturer specifications call for factory edges in the field. If you want to keep the product and go with cut edges against each other, I feel like this tool doesn't make clean enough cuts when you want to splice 2 of them end to end. together. The cuts made with a Hardie blade could be so clean that sometimes you had to look very closely to even see which edge the factory cut was on. Also, as others have said, this thing doesn't handle intersection curves well. If you have a very slow arc, there is something you can do. Cutting out any kind of circles is basically out of the question. I don't know why there were so many complaints about the corners, it seemed to cut them normally. I mean the angle is still a straight line and it's not like the fiber cement has any grain. Another note, this doesn't work very well with a trimmer. Let's say you were 1/8 heavier when cutting, you could chip it off with a saw blade, not much with it. I was comfortable removing maybe 1/4-3/8" from a board that I had made too long. This worked for me. If the board was too long to accommodate, the number of cut sections are ideally within the area I need to leave for sealing/expanding If you have a corner cut that needs cleaning up this tool will not get the job done Pros: - Easier to use than a blade or notch and latch - Ultra Portable - Not sure about the lifespan but exponentially cheaper compared to the price of a Hardie blade This drill bit adapter is also cheaper than stand alone tools The construction of the tool seems quite solid Almost free of hazardous dust, safe to use indoors Cons: Not good for anything but straight lines like you're used to from a saw blade - Not very suitable for cutting small pieces of material n or thin cuts. Overall it's worth it for me. I get along well with a saw, but still enjoy the security of being able to use something like this. You also don't have to spend 100 seconds on saws to get a job done or deal with a lot of dust.