Corded Circular Saw Recommendation

[jmac2043]

Hey all, I am not much of wood-working guy. Most of my tools are focused on auto/motorcycle repair. However, I now find myself interested in doing some furniture building. Specifically, I want to try building a simple stand for my record player/amp. First step, is a decent circular saw for straight cuts. That said, I do not know where to start.

I am thinking corded since those seem to be cheaper. What do you all recommend?

 

[southalabama]

The foundation of a wood shop is a table saw. Next would be a chop or compound miter saw. Circular saws are more for cutting large panels down to size or construction not furniture making though it can be done.

But to answer your question any professional brand will be fine. I prefer Dewalt.

 

[AffableCurmudgeon]

However, I now find myself interested in doing some furniture building. Specifically, I want to try building a simple stand for my record player/amp.

For the purpose you stated, a table saw would be a better choice.

 

[Negen]

Worm drive skill saw should be all you need. Unless you need to cut big stuff you can find a giant Mikita. For really stuff demolition you can find some 2cylce circular saw that seem to cut through hardwood like butter. But may come into legal and or domestic issues that one.

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[toolmiser]

Maybe you might consider a track saw? I am a woodworker, and I have a table saw(s), but I got to admit I don't own a track saw.

You can make a guide for a regular circular saw, but I am sure it's not as good, but more budget friendly.

A good blade will also help you.

 

[dogdog]

yea table saw. a good one not cheesey ones...you get for sub $100...

as far as circular saw, I like Hitachi ones it is actually very well balanced.... the Ridgid ones is also very nice. The craftsman pro one I have is also very nice.... I don't think you needed those worm drive ones ...

 

[5ktq]

It can be done with a circular saw, definitely use a guide, and find one with a nice solid shoe.

Table saw is better for furniture but also a lot bigger if you're not sure it's something that you'll be doing much of. Circular saw maybe more utilitarian.

 

[jmac2043]

gotcha, table saw, what should I budget for one? specific brand?

 

[jmac2043]

found this guy on CL: https://raleigh.craigslist.org/tls/d/makita-15-amp-10-table-saw/6618130448.html

thoughts?

 

[manwithtools]

Oh my; stand by for a sh*t storm of suggestions. You can make furniture with a circular saw or a table saw, but you need experience using both to know what is important and what is not.

My son just built a record storage and stereo stand using only a track saw and a router or two. It turned out well, but it was a lot of work and took some coaxing to make it happen. You need way more tools than just a saw.
Over $400 in Cherry plywood alone. A mistake is expensive.

I suspect he used over $2500 - $3000 worth of my tools to make his creation. You won't know what you need until you get there.

 

[5ktq]

Delta or similar cabinet saw is probably the gold standard if you're going all in, but they are big, HEAVY, and several hundred bucks used.

inbetween are 'contractor' saws, still AC motor and fairly heavy but not quite so solid as a cabinet saw. I see these go used for peanuts pretty regularly.

rock bottom are the tiny universal motor ones, super loud, not too accurate, but light and cheap. good for job site or something, less suited to fine cabinet work

 

[jives]

As the crowd has spoken, a table saw is your best bet. If you do get a CC, I would avoid a worm drive. Too heavy. I like a solid aluminum sole plate, make sure you get a proper left or right handed saw (the motor, IMO, should be on the outside.). Skill, Milwaukee, DeWalt, etc, will all work.

I have not used the table saw in your post. But for that price I would get a case iron tabletop and a better fence. . . Delta contractor model, Craftsman. . .or pay a bit more for something like a Jet. All the ones below (I know, not NC, but you get the picture).

https://rochester.craigslist.org/tls/d/jet-10-table-saw/6632362237.html

https://rochester.craigslist.org/tls/d/delta-table-saw/6646427937.html

https://rochester.craigslist.org/tls/d/10-table-saw/6663452795.html

 

[yamaha0343]

I'm happy with my Dewalt circular. Used it quite a bit running off a generator building a couple deer stands earlier this summer.

 

[BFHtime]

For someone with not a lot of experience. I suggest the table saw for panels and bigger cuts, and a chop saw for smaller cuts. This is erring on the most important thing safety. Your fingers are worth more than the cost of either tool. Without skill and experience small cuts on a table saw can be dangerous. Always be careful and be conscious of what you are doing, it only takes second of lack of focus to change your life.

A hand saw is not bad. Using a hand saw will increase your skill level. Especially with small cuts on a budget. Really small you can use a coping saw. Learning to work the wood with your hands, is a great way to learn to work with wood. if you have the time.

 

[Kaizen]

A table saw is great but a skill saw can do just about anything he will need. Everyone is correct but for your first tool I would stick with the hand held skill saw which will be useful after this project if you decide to also get a table saw.
Don’t get a worm drive. I have one and hate it due to its weight. I like to one handed cut and it fatigues me fast.
If you start doing other projects with full sheets of plywood you will need one to break up the sheets. Dangerous to try it on a tablesaw. Recommend majors or dewalt.
Start with the tools you need. I got basic tools until I had all of the ones I needed and then upgraded.


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[PJNJ]

You can build a fair amount of stuff with a circular saw, drill, large speed square, and a Kreg pocket hole jig. I would wait on the table saw until you decide if you like woodworking.

Here's a recent article comparing circular saws and their features -

https://www.familyhandyman.com/tool...iew-what-are-the-best-circular-saws/view-all/

Your first project can be making cutting guides for long cuts on plywood sheets using this how-to -
https://www.familyhandyman.com/tools/saws/two-essential-saw-cutting-guides/view-all/

 

[benny27]

You can build a fair amount of stuff with a circular saw, drill, large speed square, and a Kreg pocket hole jig. I would wait on the table saw until you decide if you like woodworking.

get a track saw you can do a lot with one. I would get this one
https://www.amazon.com/dp/B079FH6ZG9/?tag=atomicindus08-20

 

[Voi]

For what it is worth, I'm very glad I learned woodworking with little more than a circular saw & a shop made straight edge (aka shooting board). I've even cut dados, rabbets & half-laps with one (note: this is very time consuming & not necessarily recommended, but it worked for me).

But the only circular saw I've purchased in the last 20 years is my 6.5", left blade cordless, which I've had less than a year. So I can't really recommend a current corded model.

 

[tarbellb]

First look for a local DIY / Makerspace / Fab shop- use their tools, pay membership if possible....if not a option see below.

Second- go with proven tools- corded circ saw, Makita 5007F https://www.amazon.com/dp/B004YIALZI/?tag=atomicindus08-20

Third- buy a local table saw after you found what you cant/wont do with a circ saw and jig saw.

Enjoy the journey.

 

[Wamsutta]

I was looking at a DeWalt at Lowe's. It's the DWE575SB. It felt very nice in my hand. Superbly balanced. Nice rubber soft grip handle that felt very nice and comfortable. Blade on the Right with electric brake.

Having said all that, I still enjoy using my SKIL 77 Worm Drive.

 

[yamaha0343]

I was looking at a DeWalt at Lowe's. It's the DWE575SB. It felt very nice in my hand. Superbly balanced. Nice rubber soft grip handle that felt very nice and comfortable. Blade on the Right with electric brake.

Having said all that, I still enjoy using my SKIL 77 Worm Drive.

Just looked that one up and pretty sure it’s the one I have (bought mine 2-3 years ago). It’s been wonderful.

 

[WWheeler]

A circular saw would be on my list before a table saw. You can for sure use one to make a simple stand for your record player/amp. Most any brand power tools will do for a first time DIY'er with just a few projects in mind.

Start with the basics, like a circular saw and a drill. Get them and use them and learn the capabilities and limitations of the tool. For many handheld power tools there are jigs and mods you can make yourself to increase the accuracy, repeatability, etc. Explore all of that before you move up to a miter saw, contractor-style table saw, and benchtop drill press (I would say, in that order). Then as you learn to love those new toys you'll realize you need some sort of dust/chip collection. There again you'll start out with a shop-vac and it's fine for what you have but when you get that router table and planer you're going to find out you really need a dust collector, and then .... so on.

 

[ReggieR]

My BIL has this. Nice rig overall

 

[jives]

A CC is a basic tool in any woodshop, and you should have one. And perhaps if you just have one project in mind then it is the only power saw you need. It is not, though, the best tool for anyone really planning on doing furniture. And not a track saw. You could do it all with a nice Nicholson hand saw (e.g., Roy Underhill on the Woodright's Shop), but you will do better work, safer work, and have more flexibility with a table saw.

Precision miters and other angles, dado, rabbitts, mortise/tenon, slot cuts, and not to mention small detail cuts like shoulder cuts, can all be easy done on a table saw, and none done easily, safely, or at all with a CC or track saw. A reasonable table saw with a really good blade will allow you to make sufficient quality cuts to edge join/glue boards. Now, you could do all this with a CC, a router (and bits), a joiner, and a gazillion jigs. By the time you invest in all that you could have had a nice table saw.

Go to CL and buy a used corded CC for $50, and then spend $200 on a used table saw. A 113.*** model Craftsman in good shape, or the other links posted in the thread. A $1000 Unisaw or Powermatic would be great, but at this time unnecessary.

 

[snickers muncher]

I was looking at a DeWalt at Lowe's. It's the DWE575SB. It felt very nice in my hand. Superbly balanced. Nice rubber soft grip handle that felt very nice and comfortable. Blade on the Right with electric brake.

Having said all that, I still enjoy using my SKIL 77 Worm Drive.

I've got that DeWalt and have been using it for years. Using a guide board I made a large bookcase and my kitchen cabinets among other projects. It's got good power and weight and I really like the added safety of the brake.

 

[jimkinney]

Porter Cable left hand circular saw. I'm right handed and it's easier for me to see what I'm cutting.

Get a good guide as advised, measure at least twice, and watch what's underneath (don't ask).

Have fun.

Jim

 

[Robinson1]

Makita 5007 is pretty much the gold standard of sidewinder saws

 

[jgromada]

You haven't mentioned how much space all this could take up or how much you wanted to spend so it's hard to make firm recommendations.

I agree a Table Saw is a great tool for woodworking, but should warn you that to have a proper outfeed table its not easy to cut up sheet goods like plywood. You need a good amount of space. I have a table saw but i primarily use it for ripping pieces of wood because of the lack of space. The majority of cuts I do are on a Miter saw although mine is a 10" compound chop saw. If i were buying a Miter Saw now I would be getting a sliding Miter saw for more cutting capacity.

For breaking down sheet goods I finally have a setup with special saw horses to break down pieces where they will be cut on the table saw. So i consider my Skilsaw (not to be confused with Skil brand Saw) to be my most valuable purchase. I used it to build a 14'x14' outdoor shed with it as well. I have cutting guides that increase the accuracy for long cuts.

You will also need to drill holes but figured most people have that already.

 

[dwasifar]

Makita 5007 is pretty much the gold standard of sidewinder saws

+1 this. I have a Makita 5007MG and I love it. Pricey compared to your basic mass market saw, but such a pleasure to use.

I don't think I've ever been unhappy with anything from Makita. But I can't always afford them.

 

[engineer2]

Once you get a table saw, you will find you also need a miter saw. Then you'l find you need all sorts of tools. Then the addiction begins.

BTW, I like that Makita contractor saw in the CL ad. I've made furniture with my Ridgid contactor saw and it works just fine.

 

[Spiffers]

You want a table saw like everyone above me has said.

I got a Bosch circular saw because it had the same setup as a worm drive saw and I prefer having the opening on the left so I can see the blade.

 

[Mr. Wonderful]

Jmac, You mentioned wanting something cheaper. I prefer the worm drive as well as others on here. One reason is the durrablilty. I picked up a used Skil 77 at a garage sale a couple weeks ago for $10. It is cleaning up nicely and although it is a 70's vintage used by a professional carpenter since new. Inside was packed up with sawdust but once everything was clean I could see little to no signs of wear on anything. My point being, it is a hell of a lot of saw for the money if you can find one used. Like many others weight might be an issue for you. The Mag77 model is I believe quite a bit lighter. Good luck!

 

[WWheeler]

No one needs a table saw before they have a circular saw. No one.

As far as worm-drive or sidewinder, left-side blade or right-side, go with what's popular in your area. On the right coast you will almost never see a worm-drive on a job site (I worked construction for many years and never did - not a one) nor at any of the big box stores. On the left/wrong coast they are exactly the opposite, and it varies in between, or so I've been told. Go in the stores near you and see what they have. Hold a couple in your hand to see what feels right. Compare prices, etc.

I personally only would use a right-side blade sidewinder-style circular saw (I'm right-handed). It's what was used by everyone on every jobsite I worked on. I much prefer it to a left-side blade saw as I can cut a much straighter line when I'm just following the notch in the shoe like it's meant to be used. An added plus the sidewinder-style saw is much lighter and cost less. With a left-side blade I find myself looking at the blade instead and can't cut straight worth a damn like that. It's very similar to when driving the further down the road you look the straighter in the lane your vehicle will follow. Look at the road right in front of your hood and you will wander all over the place. Looking at the blade to the cut line would be even worse, like looking out your door window at the lines going down the middle of the road right next to the car while you drive.

Anywho, I digress, but I believe whatever style saw you get used to will work well for you. If you're just going to use it at home I'd suggest a home-owner grade circular saw from a known brand like Skil or Porter Cable in the $40-$50 range new. You can for sure use it to make simple furniture like a stand for an amp/record player and it will likely serve you well for decades. Go on Youtube and look into making a DIY saw guide for it to help you cut up sheet goods to size more accurately.

Then get yourself a drill, a chalkline, a hammer, a level, some squares and other layout tools, chisels, a miterbox w/ a hand saw or two, etc. Learn how to use them by using them. Be safe enough to keep your eyes and fingers and it will be very rewarding for you.

Then, and only then, you might be ready for a table saw (and a miter saw, and a drill press, and a planer, and a router table, and so on ...)

 

[NUTTSGT]

gotcha, table saw, what should I budget for one? specific brand?

Search CL, auctions or Govdeals for a decent older used one, unless you want to pay some big bucks for a good new one.


EDIT: I like my corded Dewalt circular saw & my 18V one too.


Might want to add a location to your profile so other members might be able to lead you to a local deal.

 

[Moparman390]

A request for a recommendation on a reasonably priced basic circular saw, for a single, simple project, for an occasional woodworker, turns into recommendations for professional Delta woodshop table saws and contractor grade table/circular saws. Gotta love GJ. OP listen to me, you can go to HD, pick up the basic corded Ryobi for $50, and you'll do just fine, no sense spending big bucks on over-kill if you are just going to lightly dabble in woodworking from time to time, especially if this is your only project.

 

[WWheeler]

A request for a recommendation on a reasonably priced basic circular saw, for a single, simple project, for an occasional woodworker, turns into recommendations for professional Delta woodshop table saws and contractor grade table/circular saws. Gotta love GJ. OP listen to me, you can go to HD, pick up the basic corded Ryobi for $50, and you'll do just fine, no sense spending big bucks on over-kill if you are just going to lightly dabble in woodworking from time to time, especially if this is your only project.

 

[dogdog]

A request for a recommendation on a reasonably priced basic circular saw, for a single, simple project, for an occasional woodworker, turns into recommendations for professional Delta woodshop table saws and contractor grade table/circular saws. Gotta love GJ. OP listen to me, you can go to HD, pick up the basic corded Ryobi for $50, and you'll do just fine, no sense spending big bucks on over-kill if you are just going to lightly dabble in woodworking from time to time, especially if this is your only project.

LMFAO... No man, this is GJ, you needed the biggest, oldest and most expensive. You are nothing if you don't have it...

 

[Wamsutta]

No one needs a table saw before they have a circular saw. No one.

As far as worm-drive or sidewinder, left-side blade or right-side, go with what's popular in your area. On the right coast you will almost never see a worm-drive on a job site (I worked construction for many years and never did - not a one) nor at any of the big box stores. On the left/wrong coast they are exactly the opposite, and it varies in between, or so I've been told. Go in the stores near you and see what they have. Hold a couple in your hand to see what feels right. Compare prices, etc.

I personally only would use a right-side blade sidewinder-style circular saw (I'm right-handed). It's what was used by everyone on every jobsite I worked on. I much prefer it to a left-side blade saw as I can cut a much straighter line when I'm just following the notch in the shoe like it's meant to be used. An added plus the sidewinder-style saw is much lighter and cost less. With a left-side blade I find myself looking at the blade instead and can't cut straight worth a damn like that. It's very similar to when driving the further down the road you look the straighter in the lane your vehicle will follow. Look at the road right in front of your hood and you will wander all over the place. Looking at the blade to the cut line would be even worse, like looking out your door window at the lines going down the middle of the road right next to the car while you drive.

Anywho, I digress, but I believe whatever style saw you get used to will work well for you. If you're just going to use it at home I'd suggest a home-owner grade circular saw from a known brand like Skil or Porter Cable in the $40-$50 range new. You can for sure use it to make simple furniture like a stand for an amp/record player and it will likely serve you well for decades. Go on Youtube and look into making a DIY saw guide for it to help you cut up sheet goods to size more accurately.

Then get yourself a drill, a chalkline, a hammer, a level, some squares and other layout tools, chisels, a miterbox w/ a hand saw or two, etc. Learn how to use them by using them. Be safe enough to keep your eyes and fingers and it will be very rewarding for you.

Then, and only then, you might be ready for a table saw (and a miter saw, and a drill press, and a planer, and a router table, and so on ...)

I'm the opposite. I can't cut straight worth a damn if I'm looking at the cut line through the shoe notch. I gotta be able to see where the blade meets the line.

 

[Negen]

It is odd to me that people around dislike worm drive home depot around here has two skill saw models aluminum or magnesium. Weight is what 10-14lbs ? Build decks as summer a job and it is used most often by people who love their jobs the temps had mostly throwaway tools. But also one should probably try out a few tools like this before buying one. Rentals or pawn shops are good starts for being able to test things before buying.

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[WWheeler]

I don't dislike worm drive. I've just never lived anywhere where they sold or anyone else uses a worm drive saw. It's definitely a regional thing. I'm told worm drives are popular on the West coast and I know sidewinders are the norm on the East coast. Places like Lowes and Home Depot don't even carry worm drive circular saws in East coast stores, or at least they sure didn't used to. I never saw one on a job site or in a store but I've (1) been out of that game for more than 10 years now and (2) moved well away from any coast.

I think any will do. Go with what's popular and available in your area. Once you learn it that'll be the style you prefer.

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