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Black & Decker can be hit and miss, they sometimes sell use of their name to other manufacturers or distributors (often a combo of both),
So not all B&D are the same (usually OK-ish but sometimes utter crap).
OIOW name is only part of the story.
Others do it too, DeWalt, Stanley...
Usually in these cases the price is the warning, esp. if it looks to cheap for 'the name'
"that saw looks just like this one, same brand, but costs only 1/4 the price and even comes with 2 free blades, why??"
One's probably made in say China, the other in say USA / Germany / UK (yes UK make good tools too, just not many these days. Not just China, many German brands cheap lines often ex Poland (not as bad, China is definitely the king of crap but Poland / Hungary are Euro but they're not German quality.)
Simple version/summary.
Top quality is rarely on sale
Could it be mid range on special? After checking the price check the "Made in"
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It really depends on how much you intend to use and on what? Light duty, home owner stuff or really going to give it a work out? Soft wood, pines or hard wood? Why buy an expensive saw for light duty and if you're going for it spend the money and get a good one.
Technician
1. A person that fixes stuff you can't.
2. One who does precision guesswork based on unreliable data provided by those of questionable knowledge.
JaxCoder.com
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It seems like twice a year (based on the cases when I had the need)... No real hard wood - way to expensive for the things I do... In the past I built a deck, some bookshelves, a twin bed, a kind of maze to the kids... stuffs like that...
"The only place where Success comes before Work is in the dictionary." Vidal Sassoon, 1928 - 2012
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I've switched almost all of my power tools to the Ryobi 18V One+ system, and haven't regretted it a bit. I thought they'd be under-powered, compared to line powered gear, but I'm impressed. Yes, there are times when I dig out my ancient Skil saw, but it's been many years now...
Will Rogers never met me.
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I agree. I had several B&D battery tools and they were underpowered and useless - and the batteries dies after just a few recharges.
I started with a Ryobi drill and I now have a complete set of fairly powerful, reliable tools and lots of batteries none of which have died on me.
Considering that Ryobi is pretty much Home Depot's "own brand" and are "consumer standard" they seem to work surprisingly well.
- I would love to change the world, but they won’t give me the source code.
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I love a bargin but take OG's and Mick's advice.
Milwaukee and DeWalt are the best and you can get really good specials for skin only.
I choose Milwaukee and have never looked back.
"Rock journalism is people who can't write interviewing people who can't talk for people who can't read." Frank Zappa 1980
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The 15 amp Skil saw is promising to be able to pull more power than the 13 amp one, so it should be less likely to slow down in the middle of a cut.
You will also need a 14 gauge extension cord to reduce the power loss as heat in the cord. (And don't keep the cord tightly wound up while it's being heated.)
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I do a fair bit of home renovation and odd jobs for others. My advice is to buy the best you can justify spending. If $50 buys a better tool, then spend it - you won't regret it. I used to purchase "bargain" tools but got frustrated because they wore out in the middle of projects, or produced dubious results. For my money I'd avoid B&D as they just don't last.
Outside of a dog, a book is a man's best friend; inside of a dog, it's too dark to read. -- Groucho Marx
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Picture the scene (you may wish to close your eyes for the first bit): I'm having a shower. I'm wet, my hair is wet - and it's long hair, this pony has been growing for twenty years and I can use it as a blindfold if necessary - I reach for the towel, and the cat lets himself in. This is not a good sign, he prefers to have his Pink Blobs act as doorman.
Then he starts yowling. This is his "I caught this!" noise. He strolls past the bathroom and I can see it's quite large, probably mammalian. And moving. It's a mole. A live mole.
So ... throw clothes onto wet body, find glasses - kitchen so they don't steam up - find cat: mud patch on carpet, no mole. Cat looking intently at the chair under the stairs ... The very heavy chair under the stairs. Right beside the "miscellaneous pile of cr@p" under the stairs which is Herself's filing system.
Ten minutes to shift this lot, carefully (don't want to hurt or alarm the rodent, no idea how fast they can run but I do know they can dig like crazy) - it's (hopefully) contained, let's try and leave it that way.
Spot the bugger: snuggled into a corner with it's head under some "essential important object" that Herself hasn't touched in a few years. Pint glass in one hand, I grab with the other, and boom! It's in the glass, upside down, very angry and swearing it's head off in Moleman. Cat watches this process with a faintly amused "is that the best hunting you can do?" look on his furry face. Does he help? Does he buggery.
Over the road, release mole to hopefully have a good life.
Oh well, I needed to hoover under that chair, it's been a while ...
And at least I'm dry now, except for my hair.
Total today: 2 birds (dead), 1 mole (live). Remind me again why we have a cat, will you?
Sent from my Amstrad PC 1640
Never throw anything away, Griff
Bad command or file name. Bad, bad command! Sit! Stay! Staaaay...
AntiTwitter: @DalekDave is now a follower!
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OriginalGriff wrote: Remind me again why we have a cat, will you?
Instead of kids maybe?
"The only place where Success comes before Work is in the dictionary." Vidal Sassoon, 1928 - 2012
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I'm an experienced mouse hunter, up to three mice a day, and I can tell you that the best weapon was within reach while you were in the shower: a towel !
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If I had up to 3 mouse a day to hunt down I would be forced to move (by wife)... And I live in the forest practically...
"The only place where Success comes before Work is in the dictionary." Vidal Sassoon, 1928 - 2012
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Most of the mice (and rats) he brings home are deceased already, so hunting is pretty easy once you've prised it away from him (if I don't half of it will end up in my shoe or similar).
Live ones are "fun". 
Sent from my Amstrad PC 1640
Never throw anything away, Griff
Bad command or file name. Bad, bad command! Sit! Stay! Staaaay...
AntiTwitter: @DalekDave is now a follower!
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OriginalGriff wrote: Remind me again why we have a cat, will you?
The poor thing is working the a$$ off so that you don't starve and finally learn to catch something yourself!
OriginalGriff wrote: don't want to hurt or alarm the rodent
You are still doing it wrong and a mole is certainly not a rodent.
I have lived with several Zen masters - all of them were cats.
His last invention was an evil Lasagna. It didn't kill anyone, and it actually tasted pretty good.
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OriginalGriff wrote: Remind me again why we have a cat, will you?
C'mon, you already know that's backwards!
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One day, our cat caught a young bat and brought it inside the house; it was screaming, but somewhat immobile. I took the bat and let it out; where the cat feasted on it.
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The cat only wanted to share with you the delicious bat... 
"The only place where Success comes before Work is in the dictionary." Vidal Sassoon, 1928 - 2012
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Ours does bring home Pipistrelles occasionally. Last one he released in the bedroom and we had loads of fun getting it out the window (since they are a protected species and you can't catch, disturb, or move 'em - let alone kill or injure - it's a tricky job). I like bats - they eat gnats and midges!
Eventually it flew out through a gap 2" high and disappeared into the night. Awesome creatures to watch flying!
Sent from my Amstrad PC 1640
Never throw anything away, Griff
Bad command or file name. Bad, bad command! Sit! Stay! Staaaay...
AntiTwitter: @DalekDave is now a follower!
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Luckily he does not bring Pippi Longstocking
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OriginalGriff wrote: Awesome creatures to watch flying
Which obviously brings you to bow to the cat -how he got it in the first place!!!
"The only place where Success comes before Work is in the dictionary." Vidal Sassoon, 1928 - 2012
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A cat's ears are second only to those of a bat. They can jump into the air without seeing anything, using the bat's 'sonar' to locate it.
I have lived with several Zen masters - all of them were cats.
His last invention was an evil Lasagna. It didn't kill anyone, and it actually tasted pretty good.
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OriginalGriff wrote: Awesome creatures to watch flying!
That high-pitched, barely audible noise they make when they fly still creeps me the f*** out.
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OriginalGriff wrote: I'm having a shower. I'm wet,
I stop reading at this point. 
I'd rather be phishing!
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OriginalGriff wrote: Remind me again why we have a cat, will you?
Emergency rations.
Cat - The Other White Meat
Will Rogers never met me.
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