Accessories

Different Model #, Cheaper, Same Saw? BSS501Z
The Makita website (www.makita.com) has this saw (BCS550Z) and another (BSS501Z) with the exact same specs.

According to the website the BSS501Z is only available in a set. However, if you search for the part number, BSS501Z, you can find it right here on amazon.

WHAT IS REALLY INTERESTING IS THAT THE BSS501Z COSTS LESS.

Maybe there is a difference between the two, but if so I couldn't find it.

Small saw with a smooth cut
I recently purchased this little saw and have been glad I did. I'm an industrial mechanic and this saw has proven to be a job saver. It cuts steel without effort. The cuts are extremely clean and straight without the need for a fence or guide. It's lite weight and easy to handle. I highly recommend this tool.

Remarkable performance from cordless tool
Among many other tasks cutting stainless steel and various grades of aluminum stock, my current project includes cutting massive 5/8" thick solid plates of cast aluminum, each over four feet long and weighing in at over 100 lbs each. These plates must be cut to exact specs, then the final dimension achieved by trimming to +/- 1/164th inch tolerance for the whole length of the cut. I originally purchased this Makita saw for general cutting of lighter aluminum stock and, on lark, tried it on these big aluminum plates. This very demanding cutting task seemed, on the face of, absurd to consider trying with a cordless handtool given the sheer amount of metal to cut, its thickness, binding potential, and the need for accuracy. Though my saw had seen much other use (so the blade was not razor sharp), I was absolutely amazed that tiny little saw aggressively cut through these big aluminum plates as if they were made of brie cheese. I cut at a moderate rate, running the saw edge along a straight edge guide, such that it took me about 3-5 minutes to cleanly and accurately slice off a full length aluminum "plank" from one of the aluminum plates. This extremely demanding task required installing a freshly charged 3.0 Amp battery just before the cut was complete. The cut was so clean and straight that it looked almost as if it had been milled, with virtually no significant irregularities. My heavy-duty saw, previously serving to cut this big plates, had been completely outclassed: it was noisier, took three times longer due to binding and sticking of the blade, was exhausting to use, made four times as much metal chip waste, and could not duplicate the near-perfection of the cut achieved by the Makita. It has now been set aside, replaced by the "new guy" (the Makita BCS550). I have continued using the Makita cordless for my work on these aluminum plates (in addition to other far less demanding tasks). I also got rid of my wood circular saw that I use cut plastic plate material, plywood and other wood stock, since the metal-cutting saw really doesn't really care what cuts, within the hardness limits of the blade installed. The stock blade works great for everything, so I picked up a spare to have on hand. Do not hesitate to buy this saw for fast, efficient, convenient (cordless) cutting of stock, whatever that stock may be.I use it in conjunction with a 14" dry-cut metal-cutting cut-off saw, which is perfect for cutting things off squarely and precisely to length.