Yes. I bought one because we re-sided the whole house with Hardy planks. Hardly any dust is created because it cuts about an 1/8" swath so waste is curled pieces not sawdust. Great tool for this use.
Yes
I cut about 300 pieces of siding and it's still going strong
No, the maximum thickness for a cut is clearly stated in the product specs
no
Yes, like butter...
nope
The cut is not as clean as you will get from a circular saw. However, there is NO dust when you use the shears. How clean the cut is depends on your skill level. It takes some practice to get proficient at using them. When you are, the edge is about the same on both sides of the cut.
yes
no you will need a grinder 4 that