Some of the materials you can cut using the circular include wood, plastic, masonry, and metal. The saw can either be mounted to a machine or handheld.
Circular saws come with different blades for cutting different materials. Woodworking blades, for instance, are designed specifically for making cross-cuts, rip-cuts, or a combination of the two. Most of the best circular saws are powered by electricity, but you will also find some gas-powered models if you want a little independence.
Since their introduction, modern circular saws can chew much more than what they were originally designed for. They are a lot more powerful than jigsaws, although they are limited to straight lines. Their blade size can range from 150mm and 190mm in diameter, but it’s not unusual to find some models with much bigger blades.
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Having considered all the above functions, features and factors, we came up with this list of the top 5 circular saws for 2018. As you will see, we’ve also included models across different price ranges, considering users on budget as well as users who are after the heavy-duty, feature-rich, professional models. Let’s take a look.
If you’re anything like me, you believe in buying high-quality tools which you only buy once. The Skilsaw SPT67WL-01circular is one of those power tools that offers maximum value for every penny you invest in them. At first glance, the saw looks solid and promising; the newly upgraded footplate and magnesium blade guard stand out from the crowd.
At just 8.6 pounds, the Skilsaw Sidewinder SPT67WL-01 happens to be the lightest saw in its class. The saw markets itself as having the best torque thanks to the 15 amp, dual field motor. The motor is specifically designed for saws and promotes cooling which extends the life of the machine.
This saw has a smooth and confident cutting action too, all you need to do is line it up on the piece that you need to cut and apply some forward pressure, it will do the rest. It comes with a 24-tooth carbide blade from skill Skillsaw. It also has a built-in dust blower that keeps the line of cut clear to ensure high cutting accuracy. There is also a wrench and blade lock for changing the blades integrated on the footplate which means you don’t need to go hunting for tools whenever you want to change the blades.
Durability
Skillsaw uses magnesium to design a durable, rigid base plate, and a lightweight and durable PVC housing to keep its weight low. The saw weighs only about 8.6 pounds and measures 14.4 by 9.8 by 7.4 inches. The motor design on this saw was inspired by the Skillsaw worm-drive gear and motor technology. It’s a15-amp, Dual-Field motor that spins at 5300 rpm, and as earlier mentioned, it’s designed to increase cooling, which will ensure extended durability
Performance
This circular saw model has a maximum cutting capacity of 2-7/16 inches at 90 degrees. It also has a bevel capacity of 56 degrees max and positive stops at 0 degree and 45 degrees. There are cut-ready levels of adjustment for 1/4 ply, 1/2 ply, 1″ ply and 2x. You will also love the generous 10 feet cord that helps avoid snagging on the material while ripping. This performance is ideal for tasks such as decking, framing, ceilings, and siding. And it works perfectly with hard, soft and engineered pieces woods.
While safety is not a major concern when it comes to scroll saws, DEWALT DW788 comes with a blade guard that prevents you from accidentally getting your fingers on the blade. The stainless steel guard also serves to steadily hold down your workpiece when making your cuts. I can confidently report that the DEWALT DW788 saw is an excellent choice for anyone looking for a durable, accurate, easy to use, and quality scroll saw.
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This is another very lightweight circular saw; weighing only 8.8 lbs. DeWalt is a well-known giant when it comes to designing high-quality power tools, so we don’t even need to introduce them. The DEWALT DWE575SB has a portable, compact design that makes it easy to control and handle even when ripping through the toughest materials.
Being a sidewinder circular saw, its blade is located on the right-hand side, which means a little sacrifice on blade visibility to offer the perfect balance and comfort. Still, you can easily see enough of the blade without having to lean over the machine.
If you have used a variety of circular saws before, you may have noticed that one of the most frustrating challenges is when sawdust accumulates around the blade, obscuring the cut line and making it difficult to cut straight lines. Luckily for you, the DWE575SB model comes with a dust blower that keeps debris out of your cutting line so you don’t have to stop and remove it manually in the middle of ripping.
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Performance
The DEWALT DWE575SB model is determined to stand by the performance and quality reputation set by DEWALT across all their power tools. With a blade diameter of 7-1/4 inches, this unit delivers an impressive cut depth of 2.55 inches at 90 degrees and up to 1.9 inches 45 degrees. This depth is more than enough to effortlessly rip through a 2x material.
This model has a bevel capacity of 57 degrees which allows you to make angular cuts from 0 and 57 degrees. It also has bevels stops at 22.5 degrees and 45 degrees, which will come in handy whenever you need to make these common angular cuts.
The DeWALT DWE575SB delivers remarkable cutting power for its class. It has a rather powerful 15-amp that delivers up to 5200 rpm capacity. It might not be the fastest, but it packs enough power to rip through any material you will place in its path without breaking a sweat. It runs on the standard 120-volt electricity, which means you’re free to use a generator if you don’t have direct access to grip power
The DWE575SB is ideal for concrete formers, framers, remodelers and general contractors who need to complete task ranging from cutting plywood to framing wall, exterior finishing, siding, and so on.
Durability
DEWALT incorporated a number of features in its design in a bit to increase the durability of this particular model. The ToughCord cord system, for instance, makes the 9 ft cord 3 times more resistant to pullouts compared to models that don’t have this system. The overall design and materials feel solid and durable too, you don’t have to worry about anything breaking prematurely with this one.
Overall, the DeWALT DWE575SB circular saw is a versatile and powerful saw that delivers consistent, smooth performance and is convenient to handle for even beginners. It’s one of the lightest models we ever reviewed and has no trouble ripping through plywood and 2x material.
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The Makita 5007MGA is another lightweight model from Makita, weighing just around 10.6 lbs. Although it’s slightly heavier than the first two models we’ve reviewed, it’s still easy to control and maneuver around. Like many other sidewinder models, the blade on this unit is located on the right side and is well balanced and comfortable.
One of its best design features is the rubberized grip handle that makes this model much more comfortable and makes repetitive sawing tasks a bit easier. The oversized numbers and markings on the ruler make setting and reading easier while using the saw. The saw features a 7.25” blade and 5/8” arbor blades, which are both common and their replacement can be found at any local hardware.
The Makita 5007MGA has a user-friendly spindle lock that enables you to change the blades with ease. Makita is also kind enough to provide a tough carrying case that protects the unit both during storage and transportation. And unlike the DeWALT DWE575SB we’ve just talked about, this one comes with rip fence which you can embed to the shoe when you want to make quick, consistent cuts.
While chances are you will be using this unit together with an extension cable, the supplied 8.5 feet long cord is pretty much enough for basic ripping tasks within the power source. The dust blower blows sawdust and debris off your cutting path so you’re left with a clean, visible cut line.
Although this model doesn’t have a laser guide, you will find LED lights that shed light your cutting line. Coupled with the fence guide, these LED lights will help you make straight cuts with ease. The overall design is engineered with an ergonomic and easy to use construction including the visible bevel and depth markings, and ergonomic hand grips which improve the overall control and minimizes user fatigue. It also has rubberized levers that provide quick, one-handed operations for enhanced work efficiency.
Performance
This model can make depth cut of up to 2.5 inches at 90 degrees and 1.75 inches at 45 degrees. This allows you rip through 2x material without a struggle. It also has a max bevel capacity of 56 degrees, allowing you to make bevels cuts at any angle from 0 to 56 degrees. Additionally, it has 2 positive bevel stops at 45 and 22.5 degrees which are convenient whenever you want to make any of these common bevel cuts.
The raw power and speed that comes with this model make it pretty easy to control and quite versatile. It comes with a 15-amp, 5800 rpm that runs on 120-volt electricity. This is fast and powerful enough to rip through a variety of materials cleanly, smoothly and quickly. Generally, the 5007MGA model is designed for framing floors, roofs and walls using a wide range of dense engineered and dimensional lumber such PSL, LVL, headers, and I-Joists. It will effortlessly rip through plywood and particle board with the same zeal as it would through metal panels.
Durability
Makita has a long-standing history of providing high quality and durable power tools to the market, and the 5007MGA is no exception. At a quick glance, this model looks sturdy and solid with most of its components built for the long whole. For instance, while other competing brands use aluminum alloys, Makita use the highly rated magnesium to design durable and lightweight components. The 15 amps, 5,800 RPM motor also comes with impressive durability and high performance as its selling points.
Overall, the Makita 5007MGA is a great option because of its cutting capabilities, standout design, and raw power. Due to its balance and lightweight overall design, this model is maneuverable and easy to control. Additionally, utilizes, a fast, high-powered blade design to rip through any wood with a clean, precise cut.
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The Bosch CS5 has the highest spin rate in our reviews, which keeps it a notch higher when it comes to smooth cutting experience. It can reliably serve both DIY users and professionals looking for a solid, consistent, high-quality performance. Its high-end design, power, and quality make it stick out in the competitive circular saw arena.
The Bosch CS5 comes with a 15-amp motor that delivers a spinning capacity of 6200 rpm, which is pretty impressive for a saw in its class. This particular model has its blade located on the left side, which gives you a clearer view of your cutting line, whether you’re dealing with plywood or 2x material. Since you have clear visibility of your cutline, Bosch figured you don’t need a laser guide on this model; I guess they were right.
The CS5 also comes with an effective dust chute that channels sawdust and debris away from the cutting line for more accurate cuts. The chute works pretty well; however, it somehow elbows some of the sawdust and debris towards you rather than away from you. This is one of the reasons why it did not land a higher spot on our top five best circular saws list, but it’s nothing of major concern.
While the saw is remarkably powerful and can cut through materials cleanly and quickly, the location of the blade on the left side requires some getting used to as it balances differently compared to the standard right-blade models. You will notice this more when cutting shorter, 2x material, but still, with a little practice, it shouldn’t take you much time to get used to.
The Bosch comes with a number of capable features that make it a value-for-money purchase. It has an anti-snag lower guard which allows you to make both regular and angular cuts with ease. There is also a spindle lock that makes changing the blades easy and keeps the new blade safely locked in place.
Performance
With a 15 amp, 6200 RPM motor and a blade diameter of 7.25 inches, this unit can handle pretty much any kind of wood you place on its path for any type of cut. It can cut to a max depth of 2 7/16 at 90 degrees and 1 7/8 inches at 45 degrees. You can make angular cuts of anywhere between 0 to 56 degrees which is great for a wide range of applications.
This model, however, doesn’t have positive bevel stops, meaning you won’t have the advantage of accurately and quickly adjusting the bevel to common angle settings such as 45 or 22.5 degrees. Overall, the Bosch CS5 is a lightweight unit measuring 11.4 x 18.2 x 11.4 inches and weighs only 13.3 pounds. This makes it a portable and compact unit easy to maneuver and transport.
Durability
The CS5 has a remarkably solid design by common standards. The company uses aluminum to design a durable, rigid base plate, and a lightweight and durable PVC housing to keep it portable. One of the most common issues woodworkers experience with circular saws is blade deflection. This is essentially the blade falling out of alignment. Thankfully, the blade assembly on this unit is quite sturdy and stable, and it will never deflect the blade when cutting through material of whatever density.
Overall, the Bosch CS5 circular saw is a great investment considering the quality features and functionalities it comes with. It delivers remarkable power, cut quality and durability for a circular saw in its class. As you may already know, Bosch is a well known and reputable brand that offers a wide range of power tools and electronics, so you don’t have to worry about getting value for your money.
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As you already by now, we are all about variety, so we had to sneak in this cordless model for those who would like a little flexibility and independence. Allow me to start with a little history on this one. If you’re new to this brand, Black and Decker is an old American tool company that has been in the power tools trade for years. They acquired DeWalt back in the 1960s and Stanley in 2010. The B&D brand currently falls in the midrange, second to DeWalt, with a pretty good reputation.
The BLACK+DECKER BDCCS20B is a cordless, compact and small circular saw with excellent performance. It’s a perfect in-home use unit that you can carry and store without much fuss. The Black and Decker brand is known for manufacturing approachable machines that have simple dynamics and user-friendly experience.
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The Black and Decker BDCCS20B operates on the same battery pack used in a wide range of B&D equipment. So if you’re brand loyal to Black and Decker, this is a positive for you. The model features a high-torque motor which stops at nothing when ripping through all kinds of wooden material.
You can think of this as a general purpose trimming machine that runs on batteries. It has a slightly thinner and smaller blade than most models you will find in its class. Now, the best part about having a smaller blade is that they tend to be stronger and immune to deflection/misalignment. The design is great, basically the same quality you will find in the DeWalt circular saws.
Similar to the BOSCH CS5 model we just reviewed above, this unit has its blade located on the left-hand side. Like most circular saws with this design, you get a clear view of the blade and the cut line during ripping. The blade guard runs all round and the lower segment will yield to expose the spinning plate once you align it with the material that you want to cut.
Performance
I must mention in advance that if you’re after professional, heavy-duty performance, this model might not be for you. The BDCCS20B comes with a pretty powerful torque and a tool-free Depth of Cut. The blade diameter is 5.5 inches and provides fast and smooth cutting experience for tough, daily jobs. The bevel adjustment on this unit is between 45 and 90 degrees and allows you to make accurate angular cuts for a wide range of applications.
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Bottom Line
That’s it. Whether you’re planning to launch a DIY project at home or a professional woodworking assignment, we’re confident you will find a model on our list that matches right with your needs and budget. And just in case you need some job done at a new construction site that is not yet connected to the grid, the Black and Decker BDCCS20B cordless circular has got you covered. When you find the model you think will get the job done, feel free to click through to Amazon and find out more.