compact circular saw

[Tom from Clayton]

My days of lugging around my Porter Cable model 347 to make a quick cut in a 2 X is rapidly coming to an end. I'm thinking of getting one of the compact 5 inch or so circular saws instead. I have two 20 volt batteries for my Black and Decker weed whacker and thought of picking the the B & D compact saw but don't know how good they are. Saw many variations on Amazon, all in the 50-80 dollar range. Any saw suggestions for a guy that spends around 10-15 hours a week doing small projects in a garage shop?

 

[mquan01]

I found that saw to be a great for cutting 2x4 and that kind of lumber. Plus being battery, you don't have to drag the extension cord around.

 

[Gotcha6]

I've had good success with my DeWalt 6-1/2" cordless, including cutting the tips of 3 fingers. They don't have much torque for ripping or green wood, but do work well provided you have a good supply of batteries and chargers for extended sessions of cutting.

 

[ehpoole]

I have one of the older Ryobi (5-3/8” I believe) 18V One+ cordless circular saws and it has worked well for me the past 13 years. If memory serves, it will handle up to 1-5/8” depth so it handles 2x4s well so long as the cut is not angled. Ryobi also has larger cordless circular saws as well, including a model that accepts full size blades.

The Ryobi tools tend to serve typical homeowner/hobbyist use quite well and deliver many years of service under typical use, though they are by no means professional grade and not intended for 8-hour a day heavy use which would wear them out far more quickly. For that sort of commercial use one would want to buy one of the more professionally oriented alternatives. But the serve more casual use very well and the larger batteries have a respectable amount of power and Ryobi has a very large lineup of compatible tools. I usually get around 5 years out of the Lithium batteries under moderate use (some last longer, occasionally one will fail soon, but 5 years is a generally safe average without fussing over battery state or conditions).

 

[allisnut]

I love my 6 1/2" dewalt 20V - I used it Saturday cutting 4' long tapered rips on wet treated lumber building a wheel chair ramp and it handled it with ease. I will use it to cut the posts off as well, I have quit taking my corded circular saw along on ramp projects. I use a 12" miter saw for the majority of the cutting and the 20V dewalt for the odds and ends.

 

[JimD]

I have the small Ryobi. Mine is blue and came with Ni Cd batteries. It was nearly useless with the Ni Cds but is quite useful with lithium ion batteries. But sometimes the depth of cut is not adequate for 2X material if it is warped. I would get a 6 1/2 if I was getting one now. Maybe even a 7 1/4. But for the amount I use it, the 5 3/8 is not a problem enough of the time for me to spend the money on a replacement.