Our favorites below range from budget-friendly models, to pro-duty tools that a contractor could use to frame a house. I like that there’s a hanging-hook on the base of the handle, so you can hang it from a ladder or a tool belt temporarily between cuts. You wouldn’t carry this around on your belt all day, but since you can use it with one hand it’s helpful to be able to hang it and keep it near by wherever you are. Get more power with the DeWalt 20V Max brushless tools with FlexVolt Advantage tool technology. The 7-1/4″ circular saw has up to 77% more power when paired with a DCB606 FlexVolt battery vs a DCB205 20V Max battery. Battery and charger are sold separately.
The DeWalt 60V is a massive slab of a saw and the heaviest of the five rear-handle saws we tested—even heavier than the 13.4-pound Milwaukee below. If you need that, particularly for making long beveled cuts in rafters or cutting wet pressure-treated lumber for decking framing or landscape work, this saw serves nicely for those purposes. The Metabo-HPT embodies aspects of the traditional left-blade circular saw that have endeared it to generations of carpenters. Its chief virtue is that it has a high power-to-weight ratio. This is a fast-cutter, even if it’s not quite as strong as the DeWalt, Milwaukee, or Flex rear-handle saws, but (depending on the saw you’re comparing it to) it is almost 3 to 4 pounds lighter.
Among the homeowner saws we tested, this one is about as close to pro-grade as you can get. And given what it costs and its price-performance ratio, it would be fitting for a contractor to keep this saw on the truck as a backup or a tool. It’s going to replace dewalt drill my full-size circ saw in my truck, since I don’t have a true need for something that large on electrical jobs. It’s definitely powerful enough for me to use on any job I currently need it for, and the compact size makes it a plus for stowing in my work truck.
To fine-tune the shoe’s position, simply hold it with one hand while pressing down on the latch. And the amount of blade exposure below the shoe is right where you need it. Aside from the saw, you need a couple of carpenter’s pencils and a combination square to both mark the lumber and guide the saw for accurate crosscuts. For corded circular saws, you also need a heavy-duty, 15-amp extension cord, safety glasses, and some ear protection.
This saw is equipped with a built-in rafter hook, bright LED, and optional dust chute. I’ve got to say that I am really pleasantly surprised by this tool. Not only does it feel and look good, but its performance is outstanding. The power of the tool allows for incredibly easy cuts without binding or slowing dewalt tool down. The tool has the power to easily cut through materials from 1/2″ plywood to 2″ thick hardwood without losing anything. The battery life in a 6Ah battery provides ample use for most home and workshop projects and easily allows you to swap between tools throughout the project without requiring a charge.
I used a 2ah 20v lithium-ion battery to cut with, and found it ripped through the material just fine. I put in a 60v FlexVolt battery and got 6ah of 20v battery power out of it as well, which I was able to cut with for the entire day. These services help us to direct print mailings and other marketing initiatives to appropriate purchasers and website visitors.
It made so many buzzes through 2 x 4 in our test that we didn’t even bother counting them; we ran out of wood before the battery showed any signs of fading. Suffice it to say that the larger the amp hours of the power pack you put in this thing, the more cuts you can expect—up to a day’s work or close to it. To control cutting depth, the Bosch circular saw has a thumb latch right above the trigger. Move the latch forward and press down, and the saw’s shoe drops.
Similarly, if you request that an order or gift be sent directly to an individual other than yourself, you will also be asked to submit information about the recipient of the order or gift. This information may include a third party’s name, address, phone number, fax number, email address, and other similar information. CPO is the owner or authorized user of the content displayed on the CPO Sites. Here’s how the best corded and cordless saws—from inexpensive, homeowner-duty saws to pro-worthy models—fared in our test.
Elongated handle optimizes reach for rip cutting OSB and plywood. Using a DCB205 battery, you can cut up to 339 linear feet of 3/4 in. Circular saw comes with one blade, rip fence, dust port adaptor and blade change key. With the DCB205, you can cut up to 339 liner feet of 3/4 in.
This means that in the event of a kickback, or if the guard were to stick and you set the saw down quickly after use, the blade can not cause harm to you or your materials. This 20V Max tool for example can be used with either a standard 20V MAX battery OR a 60V FLEXVOLT Battery which provides for maximum versatility as a battery platform. Skil has a long history with the circular saw, and it puts that institutional knowledge to good use with this inexpensive but capable tool.