Ratings & Reviews for Swanson Tool Company 8.33-ft Metal Ruler

Good for short term jobs..

A little on the I hope I don't break it side.

Great Tool

I purchased this to help in breaking down sheets of plywood. I used it primarily for cross cutting the sheets into smaller pieces and it worked great. One piece clamps securely and provides a solid fence for a circular saw. I did not use both pieces together for 8ft cuts, but they fit securely and should work well.

The straight edge is easy to use. The clamps are sturdy enough for medium commercial use, and are easy to use.

great edge

I love this straight edge. it is true and sure. very easy to set up and use. I would recommend it to anyone who needs an adjustable straight edge.

Staright Edge

I wish the screws were more flush. My saw hit the bulky ones that were included

Made accurate cuts so much easier

Ok...you need to modify a few things but come on, for ~$11 you can't go wrong. Saw some reviews where people had issues with the guide causing a cooked cut, etc. I found that if you use the guide at full length, you need to block the middle with a piece of wood and clamp it. I also used different clamps than those that came with the guide. I used clamps that gripped better and were more secure. Love this guide especially for the price.

Crooked junk

Used to route 2 boards lengthwise to join into tabletop. Thanks resulting edges were worse than when I started! Now I have a 1/2 inch gap, a return trip to Lowe's, and a search for a new straight edge. I realize this is an inexpensive straight edge, but a 1/2 inch bow is extreme!

Swanson straight edge

This tool is great! I assembled the two sections. Clamped it on plywood. Straightest cut I ever made. Best tool.

Excellent tool-works great

Got this tool earlier today and really wish I had gotten it years ago. It works great just as advertised. Made 5 straight cuts which I could never do without it. It takes a little patience at first to get use to the set up but very much worth the wait. Thanks Swanson

Great to have

Agreed that you must have support underneath what you are cutting to help keep the saw guide nice and flush so it doesn't bow or give in any way. I don't have a table saw, though I want one! But I do have a circular saw and it was always a conundrum for me to get a perfect saw line. As some know, you don't "always" have a nice clean factory line and so everything can end up off, if you aren't careful. This has helped me to cut my own wood and have happy results!

straight......

great tool to have every cut is on the money. downside I wish it had quick release clamps. if u dont get a straight line U r doing something wrong.

Waste of money

No matter how tight you clamp it in the middle, it flexes as the saw goes by. Cut a couple sheets of plywood before I tried fitting up pieces. Big mistake. I had a 1/8 to 1/4" bow in the middle. Now I'm using a factory edge of 1/2 plywood. Nice and straight. Plus the 6" wide x 8' strip has enough heft that saw won't bow it or lift like this thing did. I marked the factory edge of my strip so I'll only use it. Spend $30 on a 1/2" sanded sheet and you'll still have 3 1/2 x 8 section for something ...

Straight edge not straight

Bought this product to rip a decorative header that had to be straight so that it would fit perfectly, or at least close to perfect, on a flat piece of door casing. Like someone stated before me, my cut was off an 1/8 inch in the middle of my board. The two 50 inch pieces are only connected by a 12 inch x 1/2 inch piece of aluminum ( 6 inches into each piece) that's fits sloppily at best. One 50 inch piece when used by itself would probably work fine. Returned it the next day. Would not rec...

A tool LONG overdue

Quite simply, it's terrific. For years I've wanted a permanent, reliable and portable 8' straight edge that won't warp after a couple of years. I was delighted to see it at Lowes one day and for a very reasonable price. Plus its profile is low enough for the motor of my 7.25" portable circular saw to glide over it without touching it. However, it can touch the thumb screws so it would be better if the 4 thumb screws had an even lower profile than they currently do. Still it has been enormou...

I was hesitant

I read the reviews because I needed a guide and after reading bow man I had my doubts. I bought it and have been using it to mass produce gussets, great tool. I noticed it sells for almost double this price elsewhere, so this is a bargan. As far as a bow is concerned the guy must need some shop classes or .... If you should buy one and the ends are not square, square them on your table saw or exchange it. It is 8.3 feet so you can square this up a zillion times without issue. It is aluminium, it...

Excellent product

I've use this for years when making a straight cut with a circular saw, jig saw and router (plunge or base).

Excellent straight edge

Used for cutting 8ft drywall. Worked as advertised and included clamps made cutting a breeze