If she paid with a credit card. Lowe's can look up the receipt with the number.

 

I had the Kobalt jobsite saw because I needed to roll it out for longer rip cuts. I hated that thing, I had to keep a speed square on it to square the fence after every move. I still need a jobsite saw for the same reason but now have the saw stop version. I am much happier now.

 

I think those are throw away saws for contractors to buy cheap to keep on job sites then toss without blinking when they stop. As for returning just call and speak to a manager and see if they can help you out. I'm not a fan of Lowes but they usually try to make good on returns or exchanges (at least my local one does). Best of luck.

 

I think those are throw away saws for contractors to buy cheap to keep on job sites then toss without blinking when they stop. As for returning just call and speak to a manager and see if they can help you out. I'm not a fan of Lowes but they usually try to make good on returns or exchanges (at least my local one does). Best of luck.

- JCamp

I think those are throw away saws for contractors to buy cheap to keep on job sites then toss without blinking when they stop. As for returning just call and speak to a manager and see if they can help you out. I'm not a fan of Lowes but they usually try to make good on returns or exchanges (at least my local one does). Best of luck.

- JCamp

I believe it on the throw away part. I've been trying to see if a replacement fence would be a feasible alternative. I have found no parts available for the entire saw, no fence whole or parts, no miter, or motor….nothing.

I will try to get an opportunity to take it to Lowes and see where that gets me.

 

If she paid with a credit card. Lowe s can look up the receipt with the number.

- Lazyman

I'm sure she did. I've been holding back from my wife what I've even finding out about this saw. I hate to tell her it's junk…my alternative appears to be nearly twice the price.

 

it sound like it stripped when you turned it. open it up and fix it with a nut or something similar.

 

I wont let anyone (especially the wife) buy tools for me. They just dont know what I want or need. I take them with me when I shop and let them use their credit cards to pay for my choice.

Its a lesson learned, just dont forget it next year.

 

Not sure how that fence tightens down, but it sounds whatever screw was tightened, stripped. Disassemble and determine what stripped and repair. You may need to find a chum that knows their way around doing this.

Not sure of the size of the saw, but Kobalt is only sold at Lowes. If the saw is portable simply take it to a Lowes customer service desk and you should either be able to exchange it, or get a Lowes gift card for its value.

 

I agree, best option is to let it be Lowe's problem…and upgrade!

 

....
Comments always welcome….at least I ll know better when I get something else. Kinda hard to tell the wife that her gift to me was junk.

- GENE Sloan

Oh, man. I feel bad for you. This post gave me that sinking feeling because I've been there. I hate to disappoint a loved one, especially my wife, when they gifted me something they thought was really neat.

You didn't ask for a story, but the memory surfaces, so here goes.

My wife gave me a bunch of tools when I was starting out. They were all Craftsman; she had seen me looking at a C-man catalog and sort of making a list of the tools I thought I might want in a shop. I really was looking at what kinds of tools I needed and not desiring the C-man tools. But she went ahead got a selection of items. We weren't poor, but we were single income and had two young kids; money was always tight.

Anyway, I still have some of those tools. Most notable was a C-man jigsaw that was the biggest piece of trash power tool. 25 years after it was given to me, I was using that saw to shape the ends of rough-sawn cedar boards for a pergola I was building. The saw was bucking and fighting me every inch of the way. It always did that. But the saw was a gift from my wife, and I couldn't bring myself to replace it or buy the Bosch jigsaw I really wanted. And this was after we were empty nest and were blessed to not have money issues.

Wife saw me fighting with the old jigsaw and she asked, "Why is the saw not cutting?" I finally fessed up and told her the saw never really worked well. She replied, "Well, go get what you need! There's no reason to fight with a tool. The pergola needs to be done before our open house."

 

RCLARK…....
On the jigsaw issue, did you know that most jigsaws have a three position lever on the side which adjusts the pendulum stroke?
Took me three years of cursing my makita jigsaw before this was pointed out to me. If you have it set at maximum swing, it will cut rough and fast, but buck like crazy. If you move it to the opposite end, it will cut the way you always wanted it to, but just take longer to get through the material.

 

Don't let your wife buy your tools, unless they are knowledgeable about tools.

 

RCLARK…....
On the jigsaw issue, did you know that most jigsaws have a three position lever on the side which adjusts the pendulum stroke?
Took me three years of cursing my makita jigsaw before this was pointed out to me. If you have it set at maximum swing, it will cut rough and fast, but buck like crazy. If you move it to the opposite end, it will cut the way you always wanted it to, but just take longer to get through the material.

- sunnybob

That jigsaw is long gone; I don't recall there being any switches on the side. I gave it to the Habitat Restore for them to sell.

I have the Bosch now, I bought it at that time and finished the pergola.

 

Wife bought me the Kobalt slider miter saw last year. Worst thing is getting a gift that they are so proud of buying for you yet you know its junk as soon as you look at it. Kobalt is probably the worst power tools on the market IMO. There are certainly lesser quality tools out there but they are priced accordingly and you know what you are buying. My miter saw has never made a square cut in its life. I still haven't told her I hate the saw and never will, but she shops off links I send her now rather than winging it.

 

When it comes to tools for gifts, my wife just tells me to order what I want. Only downside is that for Christmas anyway, I have to wait to play with those toys until Christmas day, even though I know it has arrived.

 

My wife buys me stuff, and I keep it! Several years ago, she bought me some plastic gizmo that she saw on a YouTube video. I laughed at it and said it does not do what it is supposed to do and before she could comment, I told her that I knew that because I bought the exact tool several months ago.

She has bought more than a few Bora items, such as their sawhorses and the centipede work stand (quite nice). But where she shines (pre-pandemic) is sneaking into my shop, looking at what LN or LV handtools I have, and then picking out something from those vendors!

 

The nearest up grade may be twice the price but it'll probably last 10 times as long and do 10 times the work and cause you much lass issues. If the tablesaw is something that you intend to use a lot then there's nothing wrong with putting some money in it. Looking at Lowe's it looks like porter cable and delta both make a nice stationary saw for $600ish. Maybe before next year tell your wife that you'd rather have cash or gift cards instead of her buying tools.

 

I think you should come clean. Tell her how pleased you are that she was thinking of you and found something she knew you'd want. But….. you've realized the quality of that brand is just not up to snuff (and she had no way of knowing). She needs to know that. Otherwise, like bp2878, she may believe that it was a great gift, and get you another Kobalt something in the future…