Circular Saws Reviews

Circular saws are useful for cutting lumber, plywood, posts or even metal. You can make beveled cuts as on a compound miter saw, and with the addition of guide rails, it’s possible to make long straight cuts that would otherwise require a table saw. (ConsumerSearch has separate reports on miter saws and table saws .)

We found the most comprehensive circular saw review at Consumer Reports, where editors rate 32 models based on objective tests, including a few cordless circular saws. An even more recent review at Popular Mechanics compares eleven corded circular saws, covering fewer models, but with more detail about each. Surprisingly, neither review pays much attention to safety issues such as blade brakes -- nor to the newest cordless circular saws that are powered by lithium-ion batteries.

Woodworking and construction publications, including Fine Homebuilding, the Journal of Light Construction and Tools of the Trade Online do cover safety issues thoroughly, and Tools of the Trade provides excellent comparison tests of eight lithium-ion-powered cordless circular saws. These batteries offer quite a few advantages over the NiCd and NiMH batteries that power most cordless power tools. For example, lithium-ion batteries maintain their charge better during storage, meaning you'll be less likely to find a drained battery in your cordless saw.

There's a certain irony in the power tool market. For occasional use by homeowners, many reviews recommend less expensive circular saws, reserving the more durable "pro" brands for professionals who use them daily. Yet experts say that it's the less frequent users who need safety features most -- such as a blade brake (to stop the blade within seconds after the trigger is released).

We are noticing some improvements in budget circular saws, since nearly all now come with carbide-tipped blades. However, recent tests at Popular Mechanics show that the least expensive circular saws make it much harder to make accurate cuts or to follow a long cutting line, even with a guide rail. So, for hobby woodworking or do-it-yourself construction projects, it will be less frustrating to invest a bit more in better circular saw. Reviews recommend consumer-brand circular saws -- such as those made by Black & Decker, Craftsman, Ryobi and Skil -- only for occasional rough cuts where precision doesn't matter, and where the user is paying extra attention to safety.  ... Continued

Our Consensus Report shows how many times products are top-ranked by reviewers included in our
All The Reviews Reviewed chart.

Among corded circular saws, Ridgid models are challenging the better-established Milwaukee 6390-21 and Porter-Cable MAG sidewinders and the DeWalt DW378GK hypoid saw; Both Festool saws get excellent reviews for long cuts. Among cordless circular saws, the top-ranked lithium-ion-powered saws are by Milwaukee and Makita, but the NiCd-powered DeWalt circular saws also get high marks, with Ryobi as a budget choice.