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The Complete Circular Saw Buying Guide
powertoolbuzz.com/circular-saw-buying-guide/
A Cut Above the Rest Circular Saw Tool Guide
for Newbies I am sure that by now, you know what
a circular saw is. It is a common cutting tool
that was designed to split different materials
such as wood, steel, masonry etc. with precision
and accuracy. The problem is that when people
hear about circular saws, they associate the
terminology with a toothed blade, which is only
made to serve the needs of wood workers. As
ironic as the concept may sound, the modern
circular saw is a beast of a tool. Ever since
their inception, circular saws can chew a lot
more than what they were originally made
for. This article gives an in depth insight on
circular saws how they were invented, nitty
gritties and the entire Oshkosh Bigosh. I am not
trying to make this thing look like a research
paper on saws, but I see a lot of ill-informed
readers who could get by with a bit of knowledge
and fun facts. More importantly, the appended
info was written in an attempt to help people buy
the best circular saw in the market. It is an
important decision for DIY-ers, wood workers and
especially professionals who make a living out of
such products. A Brief Introduction to Circular
Saws Remember the story of Samuel Miller, the
person who was awarded the first ever patent for
inventing a circular saw machine? Maybe you
dont, but if you happen to find any information
on British Patent 1152 and 1777, take it all in
with a grain of salt. Most of it is lies
anyway. It was a Woman!
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Believe it or not, the earliest working model of
a circular saw was invented by a Shaker woman,
known as Tabitha Babbitt. Rumor has it that
Shaker folks in the year 1780 were slightly
skeptic about anything that closely resembled a
machine. They interpreted science as witchcraft
and poor Tabitha had to go through extreme
lengths to release her very first circular blade
saw. The sad thing is that while Tabithas work
was not patented, she did however gain
recognition for her invention. Obviously, some
bright headed individuals claimed her idea, got
it accredited and released a reiteration of the
basic circular saw. The latter models were
released in Germany, and even supplied to the
gallant men of the U.S. Navy. But it all started
from Tabithas circular saw Heres how Shaker
people might be superstitious, but when it came
to lumbermen, there were many hurdles that
receded the overall output. Woodcutters spent
more time on cutting the logs because they used
a long pit saw blade. The idea was simple two
people used to operate the pit saw while standing
at each end. It was a push and pull mechanism
which only worked in ONE friggin direction. The
guys would always bicker about not pushing or
pulling enough, but the problem began to pose a
threat when the entire Shaker community had
enough of economic endurance. Eventually, Tabitha
Babbitt designed and manufactured a pedal powered
giant circular saw blade. The interesting thing
is that she created a miniature tin disk and
tested it to cut a few thin pieces of various
materials. When she was entirely satisfied with
the concept, she released the circular saw. Her
husband pinned the blade to a spinning
mechanism. It was the same time when Shaker
people bid farewell to pit saws and incorporated
the first ever industrial circular saw on job
sites. As time went by, various other communities
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around the U.S. adapted the circular saw model
for both private and commercial use. Things were
legitimized around the 1800s and patents were
created to manufacture circular saws throughout
the processing plants in the U.S. What You Need
to Know about Circular Saws? Regardless of their
design, the modern version of circular saws share
a lot of similarities. This guide will help you
to understand a few things about basics of
circular saws, straight cuts and other things
that constitute the perfect finished
project. Corded Circular Saws As the name
suggests, corded circular saws dont have any
battery. They are powered via a wall socket, or
any other convenient mode of electricity
dispensers. While corded circular saw cripple
mobility to some extent, their benefits outweigh
cordless saws.
Corded models are robust, relentless and can
carve through a variety of materials. You can
read my Bosch CSW41 corded circular saw review.
It is priced at 200 and comes with nifty perks
such as bevel cuts, ball bearing motor and a
versatile carbide circular blade. An added
benefit of corded circular saws is that their
features are not capped due to the battery
powered limitation. With cords, there is a no
holds concept in imbuing technology and
powerful features in circular saws. If you think
wood is the only material that corded circular
saws are capable of cutting, do some research on
industrial models. The latter are made to cut
ice blocks, metal sheets, thick wood panels and
all kinds of rough n tough stuff that you can
think of. Cordless Circular Saws
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The biggest advantage of cordless circular saw is
raw power and mobility. These saws offer high
RPM blade rotation and come without a cord. The
entire system is usually handheld, and backed up
by a pack of Li-Ion batteries. Although its
another thing that some of the cheap cordless
circular saw models are undermined due to sloppy
battery performance, these setbacks can be
replaced with the help of add-on accessories. If
youre a DIY woodworking enthusiast, or someone
whos working in the back of a garage/ confined
space, then a cordless circular saw is your
thing. Freedom of Choice According to a rough
estimate, cordless circular saw manufacturers
comparatively release products with more
abundance and variety. These saws are not only
compact, but also maintain a lightweight and
easy-to-carry design. Obviously both cordless and
corded circular saws have their own advantages
and disadvantages. In a specific situation, you
might deem a cordless power tool as an ideal
companion over its corded counterparts. The same
concept applies to rest of the product
categories in the entire power tools
industry. Basic Things to Look for in Corded Vs.
Cordless Circular Saws
Whether you are considering buying a corded
circular saw, or a cordless one, there are a few
similarities in both products. Obviously, they
need a blade, a housing, some kind of motor and
a grip .What else is there to look out for? Take
a look below Bevel Cuts I am sure you have
either heard about bevel cuts, or read about them
on the circular saw box packaging. These cuts
are special angle cuts that help refine the
materials visual appeal. At times, bevel/
angled cuts are essential to a projects
ergonomics and working mechanism. Think about
angle cut hinges on a cabinet, exterior overhead
design and other things.
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Blade Guard Vs. Housing A blade guard is the
protective cover over the circular saw blade. It
comes in both circular and semi circular shape.
You can remove it completely or slide it to one
side it depends on the saws design. The
purpose of the blade guard is to protect you and
the blade when it is not in use. You need limb
safety, right? I dont imagine you working
without a hand on your next project because the
last circular saw came without a blade guard. It
is that important! As far as blade safety is
concerned, this comes within the ordinance of
product maintenance. Since cordless circular saws
are handheld, there is a risk of dropping them
accidentally on the floor. The blade is very
sensitive to shocks and direct contact with
hardened material. Therefore, whenever the saw
is not in use, keep it covered. Worst case
scenario, if it topples over or falls down, the
blade will remain intact and unharmed. You wont
believe it, but some of the expensive circular
saw blades go to the north of 60 - 100.
Professionals use them mostly, and they treat
them like a baby. Housing, on the other hand, is
an entirely different thing. It is the actual
body of the circular saw. The concept applies to
both models cordless and corded circular saw in
the same way. Saw Shoe/ Foot Plate A circular
saw shoe is the structure underneath the saw.
Some people call it the base plate, while others
use more technical jargons such as shoe or
whatever. The point is that this little fella
matters a lot when it comes to circular saws
stability factor. A lot of cheap cordless
circular saws come with a stainless steel base
plate and shoe. It is true that steel is a
naturally reinforced material, it has a lot of
weight as well. Now we dont want our cordless
circular saws to be heavy, do we? Of course we
dont whod wish for a case of carpal tunnel
half way through a project.
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If you read my review for the Bare-Tool Milwaukee
2630-30 18 Volt cordless circular saw, you might
as well recall that it comes with a magnesium
base plate/ housing. Interesting thing about
magnesium is that it is not only lightweight, but
its super strong as well. As that guy from the
Fiber Fix tape commercial likes to put it,
magnesium is strong as steel in case of
circular saws. He focuses on the tape, but the
concept applies evenly on magnesium made
tools. Moving on, whenever you are out there
looking for cordless vs. corded circular saw,
make sure you are buying a model with magnesium
plating. Another cool thing about a magnesium
base in circular saws is that you can put half
your bodys weight easily on it. The plate will
help you to chisel through all kinds of dense
material without bending or breaking. Depth
Adjustment
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This is where you get to adjust the depth of the
cut. Some circular saws grind to a halt when
theyre pushed through thick material. Keep an
eye out for the depth figure in inches thats
written on the circular saw packaging. For
instance, a DeWalt 7.25 Inch circular saw is
capable of going to a depth of up to 8
inches. Note on Bevel Cuts Since bevel cuts are
angled, some circular saws grant the convenience
of tilt motion thats when you tilt the saw to
a side for cleaner cuts. Most of the circular
saws are classified as per their blade diameter
size. As I mentioned earlier, 7.25 circular saw
blade will go to a depth of 8 inches in some
cases, but there is no guarantee of making bevel
cuts the deeper you go into a mat! Side Winder
Circular Saw Vs. Worm Drive Circular
Saw Starting with a worm drive circular saw,
these bad boys have their motor located at the
right side of the blade. You may have noticed
that some saws house the motor assembly on the
same axis as the blade. This latter type is
called side winder/ inline circular saws. These
saws are compact, but so is their capability. A
worm drive saw is meant to take on bigger and
tougher projects. The Bosch CSW41 model is a
worm drive category circular saw. The company
also implemented a ball bearing mechanism it
used to be part of old school circular saws in
the market. Ball bearings heat rather quickly,
but also at the same time, they allow for fast
blade movement hence granting precise
execution through any range of materials. All
worm drive circular saws with ball bearing
mechanism have a heat dissipation system in
them. Usually it is a copper heat sink. If a heat
sink is not there, then with these saws there
has to be an alternative solution. Not to forget
the fact that ball bearings create friction,
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which requires for the saw owner to oil the worm
drive circular saw after every 10 hours or
so. What Are Amp Hours in Cordless Circular
Saws? Heres to putting it in a clear and simple
way amps are for corded circular saws, and Volts
are for cordless circular saws. Ideally, an 18V
to 22V cordless circular saw is best for home
based projects. Higher voltage output yields more
blade RPM. But at the same time, it is not a
derivative of a circular saws success rate. I
have seen many circular saws that have a high
RPM, but they fail to cut through anything other
than plywood. A fine example would be the Porter
Cable PCC660B 20V circular saw. The company did
not impress a lot of potential customers because
of flaws in the saws durability and a lack of
core features. The Porter Cable PCC660BV model
comes with a 20V battery. It is recommended to
small scale DIY project enthusiasts people who
are beginning to learn the basics about wood
working. Electric Brake
Last but not the least, the electric brake counts
as a safety mechanism in circular saws. It is a
common observation that cheap models lean on the
absence of an electric brake system. However,
you should realize that this safety feature holds
the potential of mattering as in a life and
death scenario. Circular saws can inflict serious
limb injury at any given day. Saw owners
literally put their lives at risk when they are
busy creating wonderful products for people all
over the world. Electric brakes serve to stop
the circular saw blade immediately. At max, the
blade will rev 5 10 rotations, but itll
immediately stop. As far as cheap cordless
circular saws are concerned, they have a trigger
release safety mechanism. The moment youll lift
your finger off the trigger, the blade will stop
gradually.
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You should know that in case of a trigger release
safety system, the blade will take its own time
to come to a full stop. This can be a bit risky,
considering that the blade has already made
contact with the skin! Does Blade Type Matter In
Circular Saws? You bet your bippy it does! There
are different kinds of circular saw blades. Some
of them are attached permanently to the saw,
while others come as an add-on accessory. As a
matter of fact, all those circular saws which
mention the word bare in product name, they
usually dont come with a blade or a battery. The
latter two components have to be bought
seperately if you want to get anywhere close to
making your first cut. The popular blade types
range over different types which help to cut
through masonry, steel, wood and other kinds of
materials. The most in-demand blades are carbide
circular saw blades. They are tough and
resilient enough to withstand a bit of a beating.
Masonry blades are manufactured for tile cutting
so on and so forth. I dont suspect that you
will be using a masonry blade, but if you ever
feel the need to split a brick in equal halves,
this blade type is to be used. Some Popular
Circular Saw Brands to Consider The market is
littered with all kinds of circular saws these
days. However, there are only a handful of
companies that are worth giving a
shot. SKIL SKIL is a subsidiary of Bosch. We
have all tried Bosch Electronics products since
the companys inception. SKIL and Bosch both
release their own respective versions of circular
saws. The companies have a habit of reviewing
competitor products before unleashing their own
reiteration of an ideal circular saw. The
unique thing about Bosh and SKIL circular saws is
the products demonstrate a huge variance in
terms of feature to price ratio. Bosch saws are a
bit pricey, but SKIL has a habit of releasing
affordable models sans a few perks here n
there. Ryobi Ryobi circular saws are more of a
hybrid between a corded and cordless design. The
company does not release its models in huge
frequency, but whenever they do, they try to do
things a little different. Ryobi is a trusted
brand of choice among entry level
enthusiasts. Dewalt Dewalt circular saws are
among the finest in its category and are
easy-to-operate. For every proud construction
worker who relies on the comfort and convenience
of his power tools, Dewalt might just be the
solution to all your cutting needs. Their
products are top notch, but they maintain a
strong presence among beginner level
users. Makita
Spick n span, Makita cordless and corded
circular saws are a household brand among
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woodworkers. The business has maintained a
separate line of circular saws for the benefit
of industrial and private sector users. Care to
use a Makita saw as an aspiring Do-It- Yourself
professional? Makitas your best bet. The
business has also manufactured specialized
equipment for table saw owners. Quality wise,
Makita saws are a blend of excellence and long
lasting performance. How to Avoid Bad Tear Outs
With Your Trusty Circular Saw? Tear outs are
those freaky cuts that happen all of a sudden.
They look ugly. One moment the blade is going in
an accurate straight line, and the next moment it
tilts on its side. If this happens with your
circular saw, maybe the fault lies in how youre
using the poor thing.
A circular saw blade always rotates in upward
direction. It means that itll ply your face with
tons of sawdust to make you look manly! What
matters more is that you need to keep an eye out
for tear outs. If the top surface of your cut
material sheet has already suffered a tear cut,
then you can flip over to the other side. While
installing the material, make sure that the
affected side is positioned on the back. If the
tear cut is so bad that it hurts everyones eyes,
then you need to restart all over. I am sorry
whats done is done. For future reference,
avoiding tear cuts is possible with the help of
a laser guided circular saw. Fortunately, some
expensive models of both corded and cordless
designs come with a LED projector. It projects a
single line beam in whichever direction you
like. Speaking of laser LED, the Black Decker
BDECS300C might just be the model you need. It
is affordable, and helps to prevent bad tear outs
and accidental gashes easily. Just let the laser
guide your way. If you are not able to afford a
cordless circular saw with an LED pointer, then
use a pencil. Its your last bet.
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Maintenance Factor Power tool aficionados know
that a little bit of maintenance goes a long way.
Circular saws are sensitive to humidity the
blade can get rusty over time. Also, you should
know how to disassemble and re-assemble your
circular saw if you plan on getting a lifetime of
5 10 years of unparalleled performance. Sawdust
, and dust particles can clog the mechanism
inside the saw. Manufacturers make sure that
residual waste material does not accumulate
inside or around any of the key components of
the circular saw, but dust can access even the
tiniest little holes that are not generally
visible to the naked eye. You should give your
circular saw a good cleaning after every few
months. When not in use, keep the blade covered
and secured via the blade guard. By the way,
circular saws also require good oiling. Some
companies provide a small bottle of standard
quality machine oil with each brand new purchase
of a cordless/ corded circular saw. Other
companies dont add the machine oil because they
fear that it might leak and stain the entire
packaging. Whatever the reasons might be, dont
forget to fetch a bottle of machine oil from
your nearest retailer. Conclusion The internet
is lined up with all kinds of circular saw
cutting guides. You will learn plenty of cool
new tricks. Who knows, you might end up with some
original tricks of your own. It doesnt matter
whether you are using a cordless or a corded
circular saw it depends on how you use it. Your
skill will matter a lot in determining the final
looks of a project.
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