Circular Saw Choice. Corded or Cordless?

[APEowner]

I want to pro-actively replace my ancient Skill brand 7 1/4" circular saw. It's over 30 years old and has started making some new noises that make me think that it's not long for this world. In addition the shoe is tweaked in a way that makes it difficult to make accurate cuts.

Saws have come a long way since I bought that one and I have some decisions to make. The point of this thread is to get suggestion to help me with that.

I'm not a professional but I do just about everything. I work on my own home and as a volunteer with different charities. I have a good compound miter saw that I setup if I'm doing more than a handful of cross cuts. The circular saw is currently my only tool for cutting sheet goods.

If I go with a cordless saw it will be a Makita that uses the 18V LXT battery system because I have many other tools that use that and I refuse to add a second system.

So my questions are:

• Corded or cordless?
• If Corded, what saw?
• If Cordless should I consider a 6 1/2" saw to save weight and cost?
• I'm thinking traditional sidewinder because that's what I'm used to and have been happy with for 30 years. Should I consider another form factor?

 

[u2slow]

Corded 7.25" is a basic tool for me. Mine is a $90 Porter Cable that's about 10yo.

Cordless would be an accessory for odd tasks. Would go with makita because I already have that battery platform.

 

[unslow1]

Corded for me. I actually had a cordless that I bought for a specific job a few years ago and have never used it since.

 

[alinc100]

Not sure how you could beat this deal right now at HD: http://www.homedepot.com/p/Makita-1...e-7-1-4-in-Circular-Saw-Kit-XSR01PT/301282463

When you add it to your cart it becomes $249, you can then add an additional free tool and lower the cost per tool even further. I'll add a disclaimer ,as I already own several circular saws,corded and cordless I do not own this ,nor have used this saw.

 

[vavet]

Given that you have a miter saw for repeated cuts, it sounds like use case for the circular saw will be limited. With that in mind, cordless makes sense to me.

What size batteries do you have already? The high energy consumers in my ridgid lineup work much better with the larger (4 ah) batteries compared with the 1.5 ah batteries. It's not just a matter of convenience/run time. I think the electronics in the batteries cut them off if the voltage drops too quickly to prevent damage. This is more likely to happen with the smaller batteries. Not sure if other brands have the same "features".

For me...when I work with corded tools, it seems I'm always having to rearrange cords, untangle the tool/cord, etc especially if I'm switching between different tools. You also have limited number of receptacles. Cordless just makes everything so much easier.

 

[IndyGarage]

Even the best cordless circular saws today can't keep up with corded, although the newer ones are getting close.

The Makita 18v x2 circular saw is very good. Good power, and my 5.0 and 6.0 batteries seem to give it pretty good run time. It's still not equivalent to my Skil 77. It's quite a bit lighter weight though and very convenient. I could see that one replacing a corded tool in all but the most demanding work.

My Makita 18v single battery saw is OK for plywood and a few 2x lumber cuts, but I would not use it even in heavy DIY without a corded backup or several extra batteries. It's still better than the Milwaukee V28 I bought 12 years ago - that was the best one available at the time.
I also have a 14.4 volt Panasonic that is about 8 years old. It's small and lightweight but has pretty amazing power and capability for its size - but it's less capable than the Makita 18v.

I had one of the Ryobi 18v saws one time and it was pretty useless.

I can't comment on the other brands, but I assume they are similar. Stick to the newer models from Makita, Bosch, Milwaukee or Dewalt and you should be OK.

 

[dr_clyde]

If you are doing sheet goods, I would get a track saw. Far and away more user friendly for breaking down sheets.

If you don't want to spend the dough for a track saw, I would get a Skil Mag 77 and be done with it. It will last you another 30 years.

If you really want to go cordless, sure, get the Makita, but be warned that you probably won't get the useable life out of the tool before the battery platform moves on.

 

[autobon7]

My Bosch 18v is awesome. No cords to deal with. Used it last night in fact. Much rather grab a battery than a cord. Only time I would not consider using my cordless is if Im cutting lots of metal with a Diablo blade (which is pretty awesome btw)....then Im grabbing my old Skil Saw.

 

[Dakotadadv8]

Heavy DIYer never used cordless circular saw but they appear to be the future? I recommend the Makita 15 Amp 7-1/4 in. Corded Lightweight Magnesium Circular Saw with LED Light, Dust Blower, 24T Carbide blade, Hard Case. Lightweight and easy to use, make sure you have good blades really helps.​

 

[engineer2]

I have the Makita 6-1/2" 18V sidewinder. Decent little saw but it needs a sharp blade to be effective. It will stall if the kerf closes up on you or you push too hard. I used it exclusively to build my shed and it worked fine for that. I liked it so much I sold my SkilSaw 77 mainly because I don't do much framing anymore. That 36V Makita on sale at HD is their top-of-the-line saw and a helluva deal. $250 saw with $160 in batteries and a free second item.
I'm sure the 40V platform will eventually take over, but the 18V has been around for over 10 years and they've sold millions of tools that use it. I asked them about it and they said they plan to continue with all three; 12V, 18V and 40V.

 

[wolf_from_wv]

Ryobi 18V circular saw if I need to cut a 1/4" or 1/2" craft board.

Corded circular saw if I need to cut anything else.

 

[joshmodelskidoo]

I have a corded hitachi that I really like and the dewalt atomic 20v for small projects like cutting a few 2bys or plywood. The atomic is great for working on an rv or on a roof and anything small. If i were building houses full time or volunteering alot I would probably get a decent corded model

 

[GeoBruin]

I own every cordless tool imaginable. My corded circular saw was my last holdout as it always did the job and I could never justify "replacing" it. The laser guide quit working at one point and then I dropped it and gouged the base plate pretty good. I sprung for a cordless model and what surprised me was how much more often I found myself reaching for it. I used to grab a cordless jigsaw to make short cuts just because it was convenient even though that wasn't the right tool for the job (I know,I I know) but that extra time it takes to unravel the cord and get out the extension cord (and the small but non trivial mental effort of managing the cord while cutting) makes a difference. Also, modern cordless saws are incredible. I don't rip a lot of 2.5 inch hardwood butcher block but I really have not encountered anything in my day to day use that would even challenge the saw with a good blade on it.

 

[JradM]

Like GeoBruin, I say having a cordless circular saw makes it a more useful tool. I would rather have a cordless 6 & 1/2" circular saw than a corded 7 & 1/4".

I also don't buy the "no cordless saw can compete with a cord" - there are cordless tools running higher power motors than they could if limited to wall power, it just depends how much you want to spend.

If you want a high power circular saw, check out the Milwaukee HO or Dewalt Flexvolt offerings - but if those are too pricey, consider that they are outperforming corded tools and maybe you don't need that much power. If you have to stick with Makita, you have to get the 36v (18v x 2 packs) version to get the same kind of power (though arguably, I'm not sure even that is quite there with Dewalt and Milwaukee).

I strongly suspect you'd probably be happy with a regular ole 18v single-pack Makita from what you've said. If you get a brushed 6 & 1/2", you probably will notice a performance drop compared to a good corded saw, but not so much that you won't like the cordless version. A brushless 7 & 1/4" is a good safe bet.

I don't know what batteries you have now, but a 3ah at a bare minimum will be needed to get much work out of a circular saw. I suggest 4ah and up. Although ah ratings are basically like how much gas you have in the tank, not how big your car's engine is, 2 x 1.5ah won't equal 1 x 3.0ah in most circular saws's runtime.

That doesn't mean you won't be able to make a cut with a 1.5ah pack, but draining a low capacity pack fast creates heat and energy losses. So even though 1.5ah x 2 = 3ah in terms of theoretical power, you'll find the larger 3ah packs last more than twice as long. 3ah is ok, but at 4ah and up the pack won't be as strained to deliver the necessary power (i.e. 2 x 4ah will pretty much equal 1 x 8ah).

 

[duneslider]

I picked up a 36v makita last time this year and have not touched my mag77 since then. In fact we moved into our new house and I have no idea where the mag77 is right now and don't plan on using it anytime soon. I have an older 18v makita circ saw and liked it a lot and even framed half a basement with it but it was slower than the mag77. I would still pick it for most tasks just because it is so small and easy to use. I hear the newer 18v brushless are a lot better and I believe it.

I cut about 25-30 2x6's, 3 2x10's, and ripped a few sheets of osb on saturday with the makita and it didn't even knock the battery down on the little display. I did a bunch of cutting of LVL's one day to use for backing and even cutting that didn't wear the batteries down faster than the charger could keep up.

The battery saws I feel are safer too. When they bind up they don't kick back, they sense the lock up and shut it down (at least the makita does). I really don't think I will use my corded saw again.

 

[metaldad]

imma righty, so,,,, a left handed corded 7 1/4 porter cable

 

[GrantCee]

I'll pretty much echo everything duneslider said. I too thought "batteries could never compete with cordless", until I acquired a good cordless saw. After constructing and remodeling several buildings here on the farm, using battery powered (Makita) tools exclusively, all of my corded tools went away. Yes, even my worm drive saw.

Modern brushless battery tools will do anything you ask of them, and are here to stay.

 

[theoldwizard1]

Keep your old saw until the "magic smoke" comes out. Buy a small ≤6.5" saw. Make sure it will cut 2by material and buy a carbide toothed blade. You will be amazed at what it will cut !

 

[GrantCee]

I have the Makita 6-1/2" 18V sidewinder. Decent little saw but it needs a sharp blade to be effective. It will stall if the kerf closes up on you or you push too hard. I used it exclusively to build my shed and it worked fine for that.

I've used my Makita 6-1/2 extensively for cutting HardiPanel and HardiPlank. That's tough work, but it's managed to do the job siding 4 buildings so far. One battery usually lasts about as long as I do — and mine is the older brushed version; the brushless are even better.

 

[GrantCee]

Not sure how you could beat this deal right now at HD: http://www.homedepot.com/p/Makita-1...e-7-1-4-in-Circular-Saw-Kit-XSR01PT/301282463

When you add it to your cart it becomes $249, you can then add an additional free tool and lower the cost per tool even further. I'll add a disclaimer ,as I already own several circular saws,corded and cordless I do not own this ,nor have used this saw.

Holy cow, that's a great deal. I've got the original brushed version of this saw, and it was enough to make me give up my worm drive. This would be even better, and I'm tempted to pick it up to replace my saw and get a couple of extra batteries in the bargain!

 

[Trapps]

I have not touched my yellow corded 7¼ since I acquired a blue cordless 6¼. I've used it considerably more than the average DIY guy and it has never failed. I do keep extra batteries.

If I have something substantial to cut, like LOTS of 3/4 ply or something more stout, then I'll pull out my sidewinder with tail.

In your place (OP), I'd get the Makita 18V and never look back.

In any case, good, sharp blades are a must.

 

[tyyost]

Also, modern cordless saws are incredible.

I’d have a hard time telling someone to buy a new corded saw, but honestly you seem like the ideal candidate. I’ve been using cordless circular saws since my DeWalt 18 volt combo kit bought in 1994. Along the way I had a lithium ion Makita set and now use a Milwaukee 6 1/2” fuel. I have yet to ”need” another construction saw to do projects from building decks, bathroom remodels, and a ton of other projects.

You would be well served by any modern saw from a major power tool manufacturer. I’d try holding them, making some adjustment, and seeing what felt best In your hand. I’d want to suggest a track saw, but given your needs I’m thinking a new saw with a flat shoe would be a prefect candidate for a ripping sled. For less than $100 you could do really well.

 

[Robinson1]

Makita 5007 corded then pick up a 6 1/2" cordless in whatever battery platform you use.

The corded saw is what you use when you need to set up a cut station and saw all day.

The cordless is what you use when you are running all over the jobsite doing randomness. Or you've got a handful of stuff to cut and dont want to drag out a cord.

You'll find the cordless is "good enough" for most things honestly.

 

[Badgerstate]

I want to pro-actively replace my ancient Skill brand 7 1/4" circular saw. It's over 30 years old and has started making some new noises that make me think that it's not long for this world. In addition the shoe is tweaked in a way that makes it difficult to make accurate cuts.

Saws have come a long way since I bought that one and I have some decisions to make. The point of this thread is to get suggestion to help me with that.

I'm not a professional but I do just about everything. I work on my own home and as a volunteer with different charities. I have a good compound miter saw that I setup if I'm doing more than a handful of cross cuts. The circular saw is currently my only tool for cutting sheet goods.

If I go with a cordless saw it will be a Makita that uses the 18V LXT battery system because I have many other tools that use that and I refuse to add a second system.

So my questions are:

• Corded or cordless?
• If Corded, what saw?
• If Cordless should I consider a 6 1/2" saw to save weight and cost?
• I'm thinking traditional sidewinder because that's what I'm used to and have been happy with for 30 years. Should I consider another form factor?

Since you already have the Makita batteries, Id go that route. For smaller jobs, where you arent running the saw all day, cordless is fine and not having to deal with a cord is nice.
Ive got a Masterforce 7 1/4" corded saw that I love but now that Im getting more into the Masterforce battery line, I find myself looking at their cordless saw. Its basically the same thing as my corded saw, just cordless.
Sometimes its nice to just snap a battery onto a saw and go instead of digging out the extension cord, untangling it and running it from the outlet to where you want to use it.
Before the Masterforce, I had a few Ryobi cordless saws and before that I had a Milwaukee M12 brushless 5 3/8 saw. Cordless can be nice to have.
I would just make sure that you have at least a 4ah battery. A 2ah isnt going to cut it (no pun intended) and you will find yourself swapping out batteries a lot.

 

[hudd1256]

I bought a Skill corded Southpaw and love it. When I was roofing my house Ihad to cut sheeting it would have been so much nicer to have cordless. I even had a friend there with cordless for part of the job I noticed no power difference and his was some 10 year old dewalt 18 or 20v nothing fancy. Bottom line I would buy cordless if I could do it over again.

 

[fuggle]

When my corded Skil saw died a few weeks back I replaced it with the same 15A corded Skil saw. $60 on Amazon. The new ones have a laser sight line. Kinda cool. I also have a cordless M18 Milwaukee 5 3/8. The cordless' are underpowered in some circumstances. And when that happens I'm glad to have a corded. When climbing a ladder I want the cordless. I feel like I have to have a corded Skil saw. Because I grew up using one? Maybe nostalgia.

 

[Firebrick43]

I had a skill 77 and thought it was the end all of handheld Circular saws. After it set unused for over a year once I bought a 7-1/4 Milwaukee fuel it got sold. Its that good. And more so as you can take it up into the rafters, easily cut rafter tails, and places without a cord.

It had plenty of power to cut three sheets 5/8" osb stacked all day on just one recharge during lunch (9.0 battery) + 104 rafter tails. Also didn't struggle at all plunge cutting stair stringers but the battery wouldn't due that all day, but who cuts stair stringers all day? Didn't notice much if any power loss compared to the skill 77

I would say no to any 6-1/2 cordless saw. I may be wrong with every version out there but the majority are sold to a pricepoint and therefore don't have the power. They get around this by using a smaller blade and still don't do as good of job.

 

[joe_pinehill1]

I had to replace my 30 year old Skillsaw when the switch failed, and the part is obsolete. I bought the M18 Milwaukee Fuel, it works for me.

 

[Snapped-off]

Not sure how you could beat this deal right now at HD: http://www.homedepot.com/p/Makita-1...e-7-1-4-in-Circular-Saw-Kit-XSR01PT/301282463

When you add it to your cart it becomes $249, you can then add an additional free tool and lower the cost per tool even further. I'll add a disclaimer ,as I already own several circular saws,corded and cordless I do not own this ,nor have used this saw.

Well..... thanks a lot.

 

[Dakotadadv8]

Heavy DIYer never used cordless circular saw but they appear to be the future? I recommend the Makita 15 Amp 7-1/4 in. Corded Lightweight Magnesium Circular Saw with LED Light, Dust Blower, 24T Carbide blade, Hard Case. Lightweight and easy to use, make sure you have good blades really helps.​

I am hoping Santa delivers the Makita cordless circular saw. Nice primary saw with the corded as backup, nice price at $250.

Makita18-Volt X2 LXT Lithium-Ion (36-Volt) Brushless Cordless 7-1/4 in. Circular Saw Kit 5.0Ah​

 

[RAS61]

If your only going to use it to occasionally cut sheet goods I'd look for a corded trim saw. The cord is not as convenient as cordless, but you never run out of power or have to worry about the platform going extinct. Makita use to make one that took a 4" blade, nice and light, no need for a 7 1/4" saw.

 

[finn]

I haven’t touched either of my corded circular saws since I bought my Dewalt 20 v cordless /brushless a couple of years ago.

I keep them for backup, but will probably never need the.

Not having to find an outlet, string a cord, or worry about tangling the cord up in my work, or cutting the cord is worth a fortune to me.

 

[TurnipTruck]

I bought a cordless 6.5” dewalt so I wouldn’t have to string 200’ of extension cord to build my shop. It ended up being the only saw I needed for the entire build, except for repetitive blocking on the chopsaw 200 steps away. That cordless saw changed my life for doing trusswork and roof sheathing.

 

[chuck3006]

I have the 60 volt Dewalt side winder style 7 1/4" saw and love it. I have a Skill 77 that is about 35 years old and I haven't used it since I bought the Dewalt. I also have the 20 volt 4 1/2 saw and am surprised at how often I use it. I hardly ever use my corded tools any more.

 

[MushCreek]

I bought Milwaukee M18 tools about ten years ago when I was building my house. I also bought a nice corded Milwaukee saw. I never use the corded one. I built my entire house with the cordless. I do have a miter saw for repeat cuts. I never could develop a liking for worm drive saws, I have an old Skil 77, but after trying it for a couple days, I put it away in favor of a regular sidewinder. I guess it all depends upon what you're used to.

 

[Ton ton]

Definitely go with a 7 .25" . I don't care about the brand or whether it's corded or not. I hate 6.5" blades.

 

[engineer2]

I am hoping Santa delivers the Makita cordless circular saw. Nice primary saw with the corded as backup, nice price at $250.

It's back to $350, but you can get the rear handle for $250:

Makita 18V X2 LXT 5.0Ah Lithium-Ion (36V) Brushless Cordless Rear Handle 7-1/4 in. Circular Saw Kit XSR01PT - The Home Depot

Accomplish all your difficult cutting tasks easily by using this amazing Makita X2 LXT Lithium-Ion Brushless Cordless Rear Handle Circular Saw Kit.

www.homedepot.com

 

[shawhite]

I find that my corded 7 1/4 makes cleaner cuts in plywood than my 6 1/2 cordless with new battery. And the quality gets worse as the battery drains. Cutting 2 x the cordless does fine but sheet goods I’ll stay with a corded worm drive.

 

[duneslider]

I find that my corded 7 1/4 makes cleaner cuts in plywood than my 6 1/2 cordless with new battery. And the quality gets worse as the battery drains. Cutting 2 x the cordless does fine but sheet goods I’ll stay with a corded worm drive.

Blade speed does matter with this but I have found a higher tooth count blade solves it. I get the highest tooth count I can for cutting nice plywood and mdf. MDF cuts like butter with a good blade. I use the 6 1/2 quite a bit for this due to how light it is and how nice it is to cut with. Is your 6 1/2 brushless? The brushless seems to hold speed better and make cleaner cuts.

 

[metaldad]

well, my bil cut the cord, literally.
whacking out the floor of a porch.
he blasted thru the cord of my 77 with a sawzall.