3 comments about DEWALT D28605 Heavy-Duty 1/2-Inch Variable Speed Cement Shear.

1. This tool worked great during our siding effort. It cut through the hardiplank siding with little effort and no dust! Highly recommended if you plan on siding your house with Hardiplank.



2. shear worked well on the first 10 cuts, then the shear blade broke inside the head. Looked for a replacement part - cast iron blade the size of a pocket knife - cost $100. since it broke in the first 30 days, I returned it to Amazon and got a full refund. I need a cement shear so will try the porter cable or another brand.



3. I bought one of these to help me re-side the house. First, I am sold on using the shears vs the circular saw because of the dust. However, I have had three breakdowns on this shear, so I'm going to try another brand (maybe Pacific?, but $$, but it has high ratings). The bolts that held the head together broke several times and I was able to find bolts that fit at my local hardware store. But now part of the head called the 'eccentric' broke. On line the price is $68-$79 for this small piece. I assume this must break often, because it is way out of line with all of the other parts, so I feel like I would be getting gouged for the $. I'd rather pay extra for another one than keep going down this road. By the way, I am only about 1/2 around the house at this point, so the 'heavy duty' name for this tool leaves me questioning. I have been a faithful DeWalt user, but this tool's performance had really disappointed me.
   
   For now, using a dusty saw in hot Florida....

No comments about Campbell Hausfeld PL154300AV 18 Gauge Pnuematic Metal Shear.

No comments about DEWALT DC495KA Heavy-Duty 18 Volt Cordless Offset Shear Kit.

1 comments about Malco SNCXXX Siding Nail Cutter.

1. I just received this item thinking it would be good for any hard-to-reach stubborn nail. When I pulled the tool out of the box, I immediately noticed the main pivot bolt/rivet was missing in the cutter head. I called Malco and they copped an attitude, so I'm returning the cutter for a refund. From just a cursory look, they don't look as though they'd cut very good anyway based on their design. I think a pair of pruning shears would work just as good...maybe better! Caveat emptor!

No comments about DEWALT DW940K-2 12-Volt Ni-Cad 18-Gauge Cordless Shear with 360 Degree Swiveling Head.

1 comments about PacTool SA903 Gecko Gauge Hardi Board Siding Gauges NEW.

1. just got it and it looks way cool. i think it will work well. played with it and its made tough and looks like it will last. havn't gotten to use it yet. if it works the way it says than it will save some time for me for sure. good for a one man band

No comments about Makita JS8000 Fiber Cement Shear.

5 comments about Pacific International Tool & Shear SS404 SteelHead Fiber Cement Cutting Shear.

1. I'm an owner-builder, and have been using this tool to cut custom size shingles out of Hardi fibercement. The performance of this shear has been way beyond expectation. I started with 8000 square feet of 1/4" Hardi material ($7100 worth, fyi) and cut it into shingles 11" long, and widths varying from 4" to 10". Talk about abuse to a tool! I was totally amazed when the original cutting blades lasted for 98% of the job. We just changed the blade for the first time yesterday, and cut the remaining 2% of the shingles. Did you know that to change the blade, you remove them and spin them around so that a new pair of edges does the cutting? I was totally amazed to see that all our cutting only used one fourth of the knife edges. A replacement set of blades will cost just $65. I kept wondering when the first blade change would come, because the shear just kept going and going. Then finally, yesterday, it got tough to push the material through the blade. It seemed like it happened all of a sudden. It just didn't feel the same. So we stopped, unscrewed the blades, spun them around, and we were back to work. We also used it to cut 1/2" Hardibacker for a bathroom floor and shower stall. No problem, like others have said. But the main reason for my review was to let you know of the vast amount of linear feet this thing cut through before a blade change. I don't even want to calculate how many linear feet of cuts we've made. 8000 square feet of material, reduced to small shingles. That's 80 "squares" !! Phenomenal. Buy it, you won't regret it.



2. I cut cement siding for years with a circular saw with a diamond blade, a very dusty and unpleasant task. Then this tool came along and I stopped eating dirt. It works much like a metal shear, only the jaws are bigger to accomodate cement siding. One notable drawback is that it is nearly impossible to trim off only a 1/4" or less off a piece of siding with this tool, you may have to use the saw for that.



3. This tool is an absolute necessity when siding with fiber cement siding. I just did two jobs with James Hardie siding, and these shears are fabulous. As advertised, they produce no dust and the ribbon of cut siding is easily removed and disposed of. Hardie recommends "score and snap" cutting, but it is virtually impossible to cut long lengths using score and snap. The Pacific International cutting shear rips thru the siding like butter. Remember to mark and cut the unfinished side to get a really clean cut on the finished side. This is one fantastic product that performs better than promised.



4. Wow, I heard so many horror stories about cutting hardiplank. This handy little device, though a little pricey, proved to be worth every penny. It makes cutting hardiplank downrigh boring and predictable. Yes there are some curled cuttings to pick up, but the ease of cutting is worth the small inconvenience. Then it occured to me that I can use this for hard board cement backing for tile work. I wish I had this when I tiled the bathroom. Great product.



5. Upon recommendation I tried this brand and it is a true professional tool. I is so smooth and easy to use and is quiet and powerful. I highly recommend this tool over its competition.

5 comments about Malco FCMS 5-Inch to 8-Inch Exposure Facing Gauge and Overlap Gauge Set.

1. Without question, as others have said these gauges are very useful in hanging siding either alone or with help. And if you know their flaws up front, they won't slow you down. In fact they are easy to work around.
   
   So what are their flaws? Well...
   
   The metal gauge 'measures' from the top of a board while the red plastic one 'measures' from the bottom. To get perfect alignment you need to have both gauges AND the siding aligned perfect for each piece. That cannot ever happen for the reasons below.
   · The siding is not consistent in size/width; close, but not perfect. Variations do exist.
   · Since the metal gauge measures from the top, it is measuring the overlap between pieces, not the reveal which is the most crital measurement for aesthetics.
   · The metal gauge relies on consistent operator placement of the siding in the same position (in/out from the wall) each time. In/out position changes here result in differences in the siding's height. Not the gauges fault, but perfect alignment doesn't happen every time either.
   · The metal gauge flexes/bends and moves slightly resulting in inconsistent placement as well.
   · The vertical placement (attachment) of the metal gauge on top of the previous siding course may not always be the same do to operator variance.
   · The plastic gauge is the most reliable/consistent, but it does bend slightly under the weight or pressure of holding the siding as you jockey it into position. Unless you look for and correct any bending, the alignment can be off slightly.
   · My plastic gauge's reveal was slightly under 7-1/16" instead of exactly 7" like it should have been. While not too big of a deal, adding this error up over 20-30 courses can change your layout slightly; particularly as you notch the siding around windows. Leaving too small a strip either above or below your windows and doors can look bad. Measure its exact reveal BEFORE beginning your install and lay things out accordingly.
   
   OK, all that aside, how do you best use these things to get as consistent an alignment as possible? Basically, only use the metal Gauge as a 3rd hand to hold the siding in place in its 'approximate' position, but use the plastic one to do your actual 'fine tuning'.
   
   First, install the metal one on the far end of where you will install your siding piece. Place the plastic gauge 1/2 under the previous piece (of the same row) and half under the new piece. This will ensure that the bottoms of the seams align - aesthetically important! Put in one nail at this edge. Now move to the middle of the siding and again gauge the reveal with the red gauge (move the siding up/down as needed). Put in another single nail. Next remove the metal gauge on the far end, but still support the siding slightly with your hand until you use the red gauge on the far end to add another single nail. Now, go back and put in your nails (w/o gauges) between the 3 nails according to your nailing schedule. This should leave you a consistent, if not exact, reveal across your siding.
   
   Once you get the hang of this technique you should be able to speed this up by nailing between the 2nd and 1st nail before moving to the far end and finishing. Of course if you are using a ladder(s) instead of a scaffold or pump jack system you will want to master this technique quickly.
   
   One other tip on using the red gauge. This works well as a layout tool for measuring the lengths of mitered gable pieces. Slide the gauge on your last course to the side until it butts up against your gable eave or frieze board. Use a pencil to make a line on your siding using the flat surface on the top of the gauge. Now you can see where the siding's mitered point on the gable will come to for your measurements.
   
   Also, if you need to make miter cuts on both ends of a piece and have a partner to help, make a line on the siding as mentioned above on one end, then give the red gauge to your partner. Have them hold it in place on the other end and hook the edge of your tape measure over the top of the red gauge to get your measurement from tip-to-tip on your double mitered piece.



2. This tool is an absolute lifesaver! I was able to quickly AND accurately install (80) 12' pieces of siding with NO HELP! I HIGHLY recomend this product...



3. 1200 square feet of Hardi Plank siding (5 inch exposure) by myself. These two tools are a must have.



4. The facing and overlap gauge set I purchased was as explained and worked fairly well. The facing gauge was a little difficult to remove but it was helpful as a second hand.



5. I bought these to help me with a garage that I was building, for the most part, by myself. For a novice, these were a life-saver. Especially the metal overlap guage set. The red plastic face gauge is ok for short runs but I would probably want something a little more accurate for long runs. My neighbor, who is a home builder, saw me using them and came over to find out what I was using. Even though he uses three guys to install siding (two on scaffolding to install, one to cut) he was going to buy a set for those rare occasions when one of his guys didn't make it in. As a side note, when I started the siding, I used a table-saw with a fiber-cement blade to rip and a B&D 18V cordless skillsaw for crosscuts. Even with the special blade, the dust and fiber-cement particles were a MAJOR issue. I ended up using a plain old box cutter and speed square to score and snap. (Three passes front and back) Worked like a charm, even for angle cuts.

5 comments about Malco TSFC Turbo Shear Fiber Cement Cutting Shear Attachment.

1. Product worked great but it does make an 18V drill very heavy and clumsy.



2. Malco TSHD Turboshear Heavy Duty This attachment is easy to install (and remove) on any type of power drill. I used it on a 14V cordless drill and effortlessly sheared Hardie Plank siding. This tool will even cut a scribed line and tab cut-outs around windows & doors.



3. This product worked very well. It cut through .5" hardiboard like butter.Malco TSFC Turbo Shear Fiber Cement Cutting Shear Attachment



4. Cuts hardie board planks with very little dust! I used it for a "do it yourself" type of project that I had, and was very pleased with the results.



5. I'd had this in my "wish list" for a long time since I knew we had a siding project coming up at some point. Well, the point came and I really didn't want to invest the money in yet another tool that I would probably only need once and then have to store, but I discovered that none of the local rental stores had anything like fiber cement shears for rent. I most emphatically did not want to use the saw for this, I've been that route and the dust clouds created when sawing fiber cement siding are impressive to say the least.
   
   I first saw this tool mentioned on a forum in which I occasionally lurk and which is frequented by many professional contractors. They almost unanimously gave it a thumbs up, preferring it even to dedicated shears. Based on that I decided to give it a go, and I'm glad I did! Absolutely *no* dust, cuts a nice clean line, and even when I had a piece that I had to take an extra 1/2" off of it performed flawlessly. I did tend to get a tiny little chip on the exit cuts but as that side is covered by the next plank in my case it is not an issue. I believe this is probably more due to my technique and unfamiliarity with the tool in any case.