buy a circular saw

Are you looking for a new circular saw? Am. I have a cheap old one I bought at Home Depot about 10 years ago that almost got sick of my torture. So now I’m looking at my options to buy a new circular saw. Do I go wireless? How much will I use it? What do I need it for? How much power do I really need in my circular saw?

I talked to my brother Joe about it. He is a contractor in Buffalo, New York and a big fan of DeWalt tools. He always looks for the best quality in his tools. Joe said cordless circular saws are good for working on a roof or in places where access to power is limited or non-existent. As for strength, Joey says the newer cordless tools have almost the power of corded tools. Almost, but not quite and certainly not if he’s using them to cut frame pieces all day. Joe has an auger and a regular circular saw. He pulls out his Skil HD77M worm drive circular saw when he needs to cut through big things. But when he’s going to be cutting 2x4s all day, he uses the lighter DeWalt 368K. And, to cut on the ceiling, he uses his DeWalt cordless DC300K with a NANO battery. Joe said he got into NANO technology because it’s so cold in Buffalo and he wants the reliability of lithium-ion batteries, which will work just as well in cold temperatures. And the best thing about them is that DeWalt NANO batteries are compatible with all of his DeWalt cordless tools.

Hmm. But what kind of circular saw do I want? While I am not a contractor, I am an avid do-it-yourselfer who has a good job as an editor for a tool blog. Yes, I get a huge discount on the high quality tools sold at Toolking Superstore and you can bet, I’ve been taking advantage of that! (shameless plug; 0) Seriously, even if I didn’t get the discount, ToolKing has the lowest prices, especially if you opt for the refurbished versions (trust me, I’ve checked). The secret of ToolKing (for all you wannabe eCommerce out there) is that they buy in bulk from companies like DeWalt and Makita and that leverage gives them a better price, which they then pass on to their customer aka: you.

Anyhoo~ back to my circular saw purchase.

Wired vs. Wireless

I’m debating whether to go with a cordless or a corded circular saw. My husband and I bought the smallest and most horrible house in our neighborhood, so we are remodeling practically our entire house. Since we both have full-time jobs, we remodel in spurts. Our circular saw just failed us on the last project. We were framing an outdoor patio area with 6x6s to lay down pavers. Poop, said our circular saw, had had enough. Like I said before, it was old, cheap, and from Home Depot. Okay, maybe we were pushing it a bit with the 6x6s, but who doesn’t push their tools to the limit of what they’re supposed to use? Especially homeowners, who typically don’t have the large selection of tools a contractor would, or don’t always have the “right tool” for the job (the right tool for this job would have been a circular saw with a Prazi cutting attachment of beam).

After some debate, we decided to go with a corded circular saw or a lithium-ion battery powered circular saw because we often go several weeks or months between projects. When we need to use the circular saw, we want to use it now. Lithium-ion batteries have a long lifespan, which means they will stay charged even if they sit on your garage shelf (in the cold) for several weeks. They are also extremely light. So if we go for the lithium-ion battery, we will go for the lithium-ion battery powered circular saw. Makita makes a good LiIon circular saw and you can get one with the purchase of their LXT700 18v LiIon combo kit. However, the LiIon circular saw included in the LXT700 kit has a 6-1/2-inch saw blade, not 7-1/4, which is what we’re looking for.

I went into the Toolking store. The ToolKing store has a great setup, Doug and the guys have redesigned the entire layout so you can now touch and hold all the tools. I love that! You can really get an idea of ​​which one you like best because when it comes to options, there are many high-quality tools available, but which one feels best. Their hands? Most contractor circular saws have a powerful 15-amp motor, magnesium housing (for lightness and strength), at least 45-degree beveling capability, and excellent safety features. Personally, I need to pick each one up like I’m using it, and check the position of the handles for comfort and how good my line of sight will be for the blade.

These are the circular saws I compared:

1. I picked up the DeWalt DW368K. Lightweight at 9.5 lbs, it’s durable enough to withstand a 1-story drop. The DeWalt DW368K also has a 56 degree beveling capability.

2. The Makita 5007FAK is a bit heavier at 5kg but has this cool built in LED light and ruler on the foot plate. How many times are you working in a room with the light at your back?

3. I am a huge fan of the Bosch company for all I have learned about their power tool recycling program and other proactive environmental projects. The very nice feature of the Bosch CS20 Saw (10.3lbs) is its direct connect cable management system. The Bosch CS20 is cordless, you plug it in. So you never have to deal with replacing the cable or throwing away your tool because the cable has snapped. The Bosch CS20 also has a blower on the front that blows out sawdust as you cut so you can see where you’re cutting. The Bosch CS20 also bevels at 56 degrees.

4. Then there was the Porter-Cable 324MAG. Super lightweight, the 324MAG weighs in at 9.6 lbs. Of the circular saws I looked at, only the Porter Cable brand had an exhaust port for a vacuum attachment, a nice feature for working in the garage or home.

5. Milwaukee manufactures the Tilt-lok 6394-21. It is the most expensive of the bunch at $175 but features a unique Tilt-Lok handle that is probably more adjustable than I am. Tilt-Lok on the Milwaukee 6294-21 adjusts to 8 different locking positions, making it easy to work at angles and overhead. The Milwaukee circular saw also has a 10-foot Quik-Lok cable for easy cable replacement and with a 3-horsepower motor, it works as hard as my Polish carpenter dad.

A good circular saw should have enough power to cut through wet wood without slowing down or dangerous kickback. A good circular saw should also be lightweight and durable because you will inadvertently drop it on the ground. You should choose a circular saw based on balance, maneuverability, and how it feels when you hold it. Good luck!