[legion]

The deck at the new house had railings supported only by 2 x 2's. A couple people leaning against the railing would have caused it to collapse.

I decided today to reinforce the railing with some 4 x 4's. I bought a few 4 x 4 x 8's and had to cut them down to 43". It took two passes (one on each side) to cut through the 4 x 4's. I still have my dad's 25 year-old Craftsman circular saw. The first couple of cuts went fine, but it seemed to struggle more and more the more cuts I made. Towards the end, it started making a "bad CV joint" noise. I assume the bearings were going bad. Finally, I could pull the trigger, and nothing.

So I guess I am in the market for a new circular saw. My primary requirement is that it lasts longer than I do, and I'm 32. I would prefer made in the U.S. (or at least not in China), and a laser and dust collector would be nice, but not required.

Jet is my normal go-to brand for quality tools, but it appears that they do not make circular saws.