Circular Saw Recommendations?

[Dan Campols]

Hey all, I am in the market for a circular and pretty unsure of which to purchase. Itnwoukd not be used too often, just for diy around the house and woodworking projects. Likely to cut plywood, 2x material, etc. My budget is $150 and under.

Any suggestions on a good reliable and safe easy to use model? Is a brake recommended?

Thanks in advance!

[Mike Kees]

Look for a DEwalt 734 in a pawn shop . I have about 5 of them currently. I frame houses for a living. Yes I would look for one with a brake,I have a finger that came very close to being cut off in a circular saw. This happened with a coasting blade,a brake would have saved me sitting around for four months...

[Phillip Gregory]

I have a Milwaukee 7 1/4" circular saw that I use for exactly one purpose, which is to break down plywood with a clamped straightedge and a 40T plywood blade. It does an excellent job at that task with the exception of absolutely no provisions for dust collection so it makes quite a mess. IIRC it cost somewhere around $150. It does not have a brake, which means I have to hold it for about 5 seconds while the blade stops. Otherwise it is a very nice saw and I'd recommend it unless you are willing to spring for a vastly out of your budget Festool.

[Dan Campols]

Thanks for the feedback thus far. Is there any other power saw that can be used other than a circular to cut down ply and 2x? Would a heavier duty jigsaw suffice, and at least give me the option to cut curves. I'd hate to spend $150 on a saw I can only straight cut ply and other woods but I dint want to cheap out either and compromise safety features.

[Jim Andrew]

I used to build houses, and when I bought cheap craftsman, and skill brand saws, they hardly lasted through one house. Then I bought a Makita, and it lasted for years, never really quit, just one of my help dropped it from the trusses to the garage floor 3 or 4 times, till the base was so bent it would hardly cut right. So I bought a couple more, and they still work fine. I marked one for rafters only, and did not allow it up on the roof, and it still has a flat base. Best saws I have owned, and they are designed like the Skill brand, with the handle to the rear rather than on top as some others, I have better control with that style. Just wish they had a dust connector so you could connect your vac to your circular saw.

[Warren Wilson]

You can't really buy one saw that can do everything. Cutting a straight, accurate line (often at 90°) is difficult enough with a circular saw let alone a jig saw. On the other hand, circular saws are terrible at cutting curves (not to mention entirely dangerous if they bind). Is there a project in your immediate future that you need the saw for?

[Dan Campols]

You can't really buy one saw that can do everything. Cutting a straight, accurate line (often at 90°) is difficult enough with a circular saw let alone a jig saw. On the other hand, circular saws are terrible at cutting curves (not to mention entirely dangerous if they bind). Is there a project in your immediate future that you need the saw for?

Basically I'm looking for something that can perform those longer cuts such as plywood or 2x etc. I'm trying to avoid having my would always cut at Home Depot lol. I have narrowed it down to deWalt and to specific models. One is $99 and the other would be $40 more and has the electric brake. Is it worth the extra to get the brake or settle for a cheaper brand considering I would not use it every day or every week for that matter?

[David Eisenhauer]

I used a heavy worm-drive saw for many years (bridge carpentry and house building), got used to being able to see the line (I'm right handed, blade on the left) while I was cutting and having the power to plow through anything. The saw's weight finally got to me a couple/three years ago, so I bought a Makita that is also set up with the blade on the left. I love this lighter, user-friendly and accurate saw and have always had very good service out of Makita tools.

[James Zhu]

You definitely need guide (like this http://www.leevalley.com/US/wood/page.aspx?p=73304&cat=1,240,73329) to cut ply straight. Free hand cut, you will never get the result like the cut from HD's panel saw.

It is not a good idea to rip cut 2x lumber using circular saw, it could be done using a ripping blade with guide, but not the stock blade from the circular saw. And the circular saw base needs to be fully supported to achieve accurate cut.

[Shawn Pixley]

I have a 25 year old Makita Worm Drive saw that I use for carpentry, breaking down ply, etc... I prefer worm drives to sidewinders myself. It will cut through most anything. I built a straightedge guide for when more than rough carpentry is needed. Mine has held up very well. ~135$ online. I expect mine to last my lifetime.

[John K Jordan]

Dan, I have several circular saws. My favorite is a Dewalt 18v cordless. I like it because I can grab it and go cut something anywhere around the farm or shop or when helping with someone's deck and don't have to worry about stringing cords. It is light in weight which is great when working at the top of a ladder. It's nice and bight yellow so it's easy to see. (One of my rules is never buy green tools that get lost in the grass.)

There may not be anything special about the Dewalt specifically, but I bought it mostly because I have maybe 7 or 8 other Dewalt cordless tools and a rack of 18v batteries and they are all interchangeable.

When I built my shop I used it for everything from trimming forms and bracing to notching 6x6 posts to inset 2x10 beams to cutting OSB sheathing and plywood and siding. It works so well for me that I rarely get out the corded saws. Not one problem with it in 100s of hours of use. Of course, I haven't dropped it off a roof (or dropped it at all).

JKJ

[John Goodin]

Plus 1 on Makita. I think they have changed that saw model in twenty years because they got it right.

[Warren Wilson]

Dan, from what you've written, it sounds like any major manufacturer's saw would serve your purposes: Makita, deWalt, Milwaukee, etc. But you also mention safety.

The most important safety feature is the operator. If you have not had the opportunity to enjoy kickback with a circular saw, take a look at this video from WorksafeBC. In fact, their entire series on circular saw safety is worth watching if you are relatively new to the tool -- and at about a minute and a half each, well worth the investment of time.

https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=R4kxQqBu3ME

[Henry Kramer]

I used to build houses, and when I bought cheap craftsman, and skill brand saws, they hardly lasted through one house.
Wow, you must have had some bad luck because I have had Skil worm drives last for 35-40 years without a problem.

[Gary Yoder]

Wow, you must have had some bad luck because I have had Skil worm drives last for 35-40 years without a problem.Back when I was a framer, we used mostly Dewalt saws. Makita makes a good saw but we kept having trouble with the blade guard mechanism failing. I remember one house where a coworker bought a Skil. It lasted 2 weeks.... My dewalt I still own lasted 5 years under the same treatment, and now have had it in the shop for years.

[ryan paulsen]

Do you need any other tools (drill/driver, recip saw, etc.?) If so, might be worth it to look into a cordless combo pack that includes a circular saw. I like the cordless for breaking down plywood because you don't have to worry about draping the cord all over the place. Also really nice to grab when you only need a couple of cuts instead of getting out the extension cord and having to put that away. Just a thought.

[Tom Deutsch]

The Makita is an excellent brand - or always were, at least. I don't know if the current models are as good as the ones we all remember from 1990something. LOL. They may well be, but tool brands have a habit of cheaping out over time (witness Porter Cable, for one). I know people like to buy DeWalts, too, but I've managed to destroy 3 Dewalt tools in my life (reciprocating saw, hammer drill and regular drill) so I am staying away from that yaller stuff (since I've never killed ANY other brand of power tool). I bought a Hitachi a few years back, even though it was fairly new to the power tool market, because it looked, felt and sounded like "quality" and it was a good price. I used it a lot for a few years and other pro's borrowed it and loved it despite their suspicion of the brand (better known for cheap stereos). I think the Hitachi circ saws still run cheaper than comparable DW's and definitely Makitas. No brake on my model but they may have upgraded since then. That's my long-winded recco if you're headed to the big box to buy new. Since you're not going to use it a lot, I would just look on Craigslist for a used blue Makita.

[Jay Larson]

I am going to add to the Makita reputation here. I have one that I bought back in the late 80's when I was still building houses. Lasted through at least 5 of a coworkers Skil saws. (Not work drive) I quit building in 95 to go back to school. But it always worked since then.

Until I started working on my own house this last summer. It fell off my horse on the concrete and cracked the blade guard. I found a replacement guard on the interwebs, but needed a saw that day. So off to HD and pick up a new saw. Decided the first Makita lasted over 25 years, so I picked up another. It is as good if not better than my original. Probably because the bearings are worn in the old one.

I like the position of the height adjustment of my older saw, but that is rather minor.

[Dan Campols]

Thanks everyone, great information so far! I actually own a few of the Milwaukee M12 series drills and was even thinking about their new Brushless Cordless Saw https://www.milwaukeetool.com/power-tools/cordless/2530-21xc

Does anyone have any experience with this one? It seems like it would perform the tasks I need it to (cutting ply here and there but would it have the power to rip the odd 2x8, 5/4x6 idk).

It really is a tough decision as there are so many brands. I kid of veered away from cordless due to the the many reviews I've read promoting corded saw butt hat may be more of a job site thing. This will be solely for diy woodwork out of my property.

[Wes Ramsey]

I'm not ashamed of having a Skil saw. It was already well-used when my FIL gave it to me probably 12-13 years ago and it is still going strong. I use it primarily for ripping ply/OSB, which is rare, but for hobby/occasional use it does just fine. It does not have a brake and I'm okay with that. Never used one with a brake so I don't guess I miss it. I've done well buying Skil/B&D branded occasional-use tools like this. By the time they wear out I know how much I'll actually use the tool and how much I should invest in a new one.

[Rich Riddle]

I prefer saws with the blade on the left so it's easy to see when cutting right-handed. My preference for they type of use you discuss is the Makita 5005BA. You can find them on sale in your budget area. That said, I also have a sidewinder Porter Cable 743. For bigger jobs I have the ubiquitous magnesium worm drive from Black and Decker with the blade on the left, a very old Porter Cable 4 1/2" worm drive with the blade on the left and lastly a Porter Cable worm drive trim saw with the blade on the left. The Makita gets more use than all the rest of them combined and I do a lot of carpentry. The Porter Cable 743 gets the least even though it's a full-size saw. The worm-drive saws are a joy to use. But if I had to pick one, the Makita wins hands-down.

[Charles Wiggins]

Dan,

I have a Porter Cable 7¼" model, but I rarely touch it anymore. My two go-to circular saws are the Festool, which is out of your budget, and the Ryobi 18v cordless I got as part of a kit years ago. It's only 5½" but it cuts just over 1½" deep, so I use it for construction projects around the yard all the time. I've even cut 4x4s by spinning the beam and starting the saw in the kerf from the previous cut.

Most of the major cordless tool manufacturers have a smaller circular saws available. With the right blade and a guide one could be great for breaking down sheet goods.

[Ben Rivel]

Ive had a DeWalt DW367 for years that always worked well for me, but after I bought a track saw (I went the DeWalt) I havent touched the circular saw since. No need for what I use a circular saw for, as the track saw is a million times better. But it depends on what youll use the saw for.

[Garth Almgren]

Wow, you must have had some bad luck because I have had Skil worm drives last for 35-40 years without a problem.
I think (hope!) he was referring to the extremely cheap ones like this one (http://www.lowes.com/pd_300243-353-5380-01_1z0wckhZ1z140em__?productId=3031527) that they market to homeowners, not the older worm drives which were very well built.

[Val Kosmider]

IIRC one of the FWW or more likely FHB (maybe it was the just released annual Tools and Benches issue) just did a review of light/medium duty circular saws. You might find that helpful.

I have an old Makita. No idea what I paid for it, or a new on goes for, but the thing keeps chugging along and does everything (mostly framing and sheet good break downs) that I ask of it.

[Jerome Stanek]

I have an old Porter Cable 315 that just keeps going

[John Donhowe]

The most recent issue of Wood (Nov. 2015, #236) has a review of circular saws. They rated the Makita 5007MGA as Top Tool, and the Ridgid R3205 as Top Value. They noted that saws with blade brakes took about 2 seconds or less to stop the blade, while those without brakes took up to 8 seconds to coast to a stop. So, I see the brake not so much as a safety factor (I can do a lot of damage to myself in 2 seconds!) as a convenience, so don't consider the lack of a brake a deal breaker (or braker) :D

Like others, my corded saw mostly gathers dust, since I almost always reach for my cordless circular saw- it's a cheap Ryobi, but meets my needs around the house. I'm sure the Milwaukee cordless you're considering would be more powerful, but for my saw, at least, the 5-1/2 inch blade is just barely big enough to cut through 2x lumber. One advantage of cordless is that I put it in the trunk when I go to HD, so I can cut pieces down to size myself right there in the parking lot (mostly for transportation ease), rather than relying on HD employees to make cuts.

[Tom M King]

I have a bunch of circular saws after building houses for several decades. My Porter-Cables start from when they were all metal, and some, like the 315 and 528 have Rockwell name on them. I stopped buying them maybe 20 years ago when PC came out with the magnesium 347 and 743. They are mirror images with one being left side bladed, and the other right bladed. I also have one of the right bladed ones with a brake for cutting rafter tail ends in place with my method. These are lightweight, pro 15 amp sidewinders. They still turn up on ebay fairly often in good shape. I haven't bought a new one since the early '90s, and don't need to look for anything "better". My 20 year old 347's and 743's that I bought new are still running fine, and I've never even replaced the brushes in them.

[Will Boulware]

I've got a cordless circ saw that I use for the odd parking lot cross cut here and there and a Skil worm drive that I use for anything that's not a 2x4. My worm drive gets used for ripping 8/4 hardwood (carbide processors sells a 16 tooth rip blade for 7 1/4 inch saws that is awesome!), crosscutting anything bigger than that 2x4 I mentioned, and ripping plywood when I'm stuck working with it. It handles 8/4 oak without flinching. For woodworking purposes, it's a great saw. For framing houses, I'd be buying a Makita sidewinder like all these guys mention because a worm drive is a HEAVY saw! The weight is a good thing unless you're working on a roof...

[Curt Harms]

I used to build houses, and when I bought cheap craftsman, and skill brand saws, they hardly lasted through one house. Then I bought a Makita, and it lasted for years, never really quit, just one of my help dropped it from the trusses to the garage floor 3 or 4 times, till the base was so bent it would hardly cut right. So I bought a couple more, and they still work fine. I marked one for rafters only, and did not allow it up on the roof, and it still has a flat base. Best saws I have owned, and they are designed like the Skill brand, with the handle to the rear rather than on top as some others, I have better control with that style. Just wish they had a dust connector so you could connect your vac to your circular saw.

That annoys me too. I have a PC left blade with a dust port and hope it lives as long as I do. I've seen a couple possibilities for retrofits. One is a Bosch dust port. I wonder if you could modify other saws for this to work on.

http://www.boschtools.com/Products/Tools/Pages/BoschProductDetail.aspx?pid=csdchute

The second alternative which definitely requires modifying the saw would be the Eurekazone dust port

http://www.eurekazone.com/product_p/ezdp100.htm