What is your opinion of the Bosch battery powered circular saw?

[Tony Zona]

I'm looking for opinions on the Bosch CCS180BL 18-volt 6 1/2”circular saw.


My Bosch drill and impact driver perform very well and I am impressed with their quality. I thought of getting a battery-operated circular saw. I already have three batteries, all under 2 amp hours each.


At Lowes today I learned the saw's base looks like cast aluminum and the blade guard is plastic. The salesman said, “They're allthat way.” I checked a couple other brands and they were. That didn't impress me.


What do you think of this Bosch?


Also, 6 ½ inches seems small, especially for a 45 cut through 2-by material. Is this saw capable of a 45 through a 2-by?

[Victor Robinson]

I'm looking for opinions on the Bosch CCS180BL 18-volt 6 1/2”circular saw.


My Bosch drill and impact driver perform very well and I am impressed with their quality. I thought of getting a battery-operated circular saw. I already have three batteries, all under 2 amp hours each.


At Lowes today I learned the saw's base looks like cast aluminum and the blade guard is plastic. The salesman said, “They're allthat way.” I checked a couple other brands and they were. That didn't impress me.


What do you think of this Bosch?


Also, 6 ½ inches seems small, especially for a 45 cut through 2-by material. Is this saw capable of a 45 through a 2-by?

I don't have the Bosch, but I have a Milwaukee 18v, also 6.5", probably very similar to the Bosch. It certainly doesn't feel as powerful as a corded circ saw, but yes, can cut a 45 bevel through 2x, just barely (wouldn't want to do a ton of that uninterrupted though). It is significantly quieter than a corded saw. I like it for one-off tasks - cutting something down in the BORG parking lot so I can load it into my car for example, or cutting down 2x material when access to electrical power is too much of a pain compared to the task at hand.

I'd never confuse it with the speed/power of a corded circ saw. Circ saw "lite," basically.

[Steve Peterson]

I have a small 5 1/4" battery operated Craftsman saw and find it handy at times. The primary use is to cut a few 2x4s or rip a sheet of plywood when I don't want to bother with extension cords. It is much easier to throw it in the car if you are doing minor work away from home. I have also used it in the borg parking lot a few times. Cutting a few rafter ends would be a breeze because of the lighter weight.

The Craftsman will easily make 3 or 4 long cuts on a sheet of plywood before running out of juice. The Bosch probably could do even better.

Steve

[Tony Zona]

Thanks, folks.

What do you think of the aluminum base and the plastic blade guard?

[Victor Robinson]

Thanks, folks.

What do you think of the aluminum base and the plastic blade guard?

I find the aluminum base on my Milwaukee adequate. My saw happens to have a metal blade guard, but I don't think the plastic guard on the Bosch is a deal-breaker, unless you know you will use it hard and toss it around.

[Bob Falk]

I have the Bosch saw and find it to be underpowered....the aluminum base and plastic don't bother me, but I have found that unless the batteries are fully charged the saw doesn't perform as expected. Also, it seems to drain the batteries rapidly. My $0.02

[Tony Zona]

Thank you.

[Greg R Bradley]

Any 18v circular saw drains the batteries quickly and is a bit under powered. The benefit is convenience.

My 36v Bosch works much better for heavier stuff but is heavier - both tool and battery. Makita has one out that uses 2 18v batteries so is also 36v.

[Rich Riddle]

I have a kit that has the Bosch cordless drill included with it but don't use it often. The aluminum base is more than adequate and the plastic doesn't bother me. I also have a kit that includes the Makita 18 volt saw and use it most of the time. It seems to last longer and has a little higher quality. I used to be a Bosch only kind of guy but am slowly converting to about half Makita. Their tools just seem a littler higher in quality control.