Need help choosing a circular saw...

[ben grossman]

Hello everyone! I would like some opinions on buying a new circular saw. I do not have a table saw right now, and would like to get a nice circular saw that can do a lot of table saw tricks. Mostly I am going to use it for cutting down sheet goods, small crosscuts and the like. However, I have a few projects on the list that will require solid wood tops (dresser, night stand, etc), that I may be cutting the ends straight with so there are times where it might need a lot of oomph. I have an older Skil saw that I bought used, but it is going to go on a garage sale. I tried to cut off one 2x4 with it. It could not make it through, so I put it away and my Bosch jigsaw has been doing the heavy work ever since.

The saws that are on the top of my list are the Makita 5007MGA (and maybe it’s cousin the 5008MGA), the Bosch 1677M, and the Milwaukee 6394-21. The Makita seems to get really high praise as being usable as a woodworking saw, very precise and very durable—some say it’s even made in the USA (haven’t verified). The Bosch is a worm drive, and I think for the occasional top-cutting sessions that may be advantageous. It also may be advantageous for large panel cutting with the blade orientation (so I can walk beside it—of sorts).

I am also open to recommendations, particularly for other Makita or Bosch units. I hear good things about Makita and want to try them out. I have the Bosch jigsaw that has been awesome for me, and a 15-amp Bosch reciprocating saw that will go through just about anything without flinching.

Also, will a 7 ¼” saw do ok, or should I go with a larger model (like the Milwaukee)?

[Kyle Iwamoto]

Well, IMO, your best buy would be a Skil wormdrive. That has been the staple of the construction industry. Good balance, no frills. A lifetime saw. It has shortcomings. But, 1) you can see the cut (any leftie you can see the cut) 2) the saw is smaller than the shoe, so when you use a guide and clamps, the saw won't hit the clamps, no matter where they are.
Did I mention that it has really good balance? It has way more power that you could ever use.

[Joe Shinall]

+10 on the worm drive. I have the Milwaukee 6577-20. My best friend has a Skil and it is just as good side by side. The Milwaukee is cheaper on Amazon but I do not know what their prices are like in the store. I bought mine barely used so I only paid like 75 bucks for it at the time.

And you can't go wrong with Makita saws in my opinion. I have the Makita SCMS, jigsaw, and reciprocating saw and I will buy Makita all day when given the chance.

[Van Huskey]

I find a wormy saw too heavy for non-construction work but for HD work the Skil MAG SHD77M is hard to beat.

For a more woodworking oriented saw I would get the Bosch 1677M though either of the other two on the OPs list are basically just as good. I would probably get the one of the three I got the best deal on.

[Jesse Wilson]

Milwaukee 6931-21, I looked at the worm drives and holy crap are they heavy. If you would be using it with any regularity or for any extended time I woudl definitely go handle a few in person before you committed to one. Just my .02

[ben grossman]

Thanks for the input everyone! It sounds like my list is pretty solid, any way I go will be OK. I will definitely check out the Skill and Milwaukee worm drive. I have seen a few Bosch and Skil saws on Craig's List lately as well.

I am most concerned about accuracy. I have wondered as well about the weight of the worm drive. However, since I have my jigsaw that does really well, maybe I should go for the worm drive so I have the power and use the jigsaw for "lighter" work? My only complaint about the jigsaw is that it is easy to let it drift off a straightedge, but that's not much of an issue for most crosscuts and such.

I was going to just order online, but I should probably try and find them locally to at least play with first.

[Dan Clark]

If you want the best saw for breaking down sheet goods and making long straight cuts, nothing beats a rail-guided saw for precision. I use a Festool TS55 with several of their rails. I've very happy with it. If you cutting a lot of 8/4+ material, the TS75 might better. (The vast majority of people don't need it.)

Some videos:
General - http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Fm1Tc49QMNY
TS55 cutting 8/4 hardwood: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Mua2mEtzIKE
Furniture: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qVvx4VtPeGw

I also have one of the current Festool jigsaws with a rail attachment. It's very accurate and does not wander at all on a guide rail. For the ultimate jigsaw, take a look of the new Festool Carvex's YouTube - Festool CARVEX. It has multiple, quick-replace feet, including one that fits on a rail. I.e. the foot is a rail-guide foot rather than being an attachment like used on the current model.

Bosch makes a Jigsaw that is supposed to be every bit good as a Festool except that it doesn't have a rail attachment AFAIK.

For rough construction like framing, I'm looking at a Makita Hypoid (worm-drive) saw. It's not quite as powerful as some of the other worm-drives, but it has nice features, is well designed, and has a sealed worm-drive mechanism.

Good luck on your decision.

Regards,

Dan.

[Curt Harms]

Here's an interesting choice:
http://www.reconditionedsales.com/Hi...29___i259.aspx The saw above sells for around $200 new retail, I believe.

Circle saws with built-in dust collection are rare and the Porter Cable right hand model that had it seems to be discontinued. The left hand P-C seems to be available for now and has built in dust collection. http://www.deltaportercable.com/Prod...roductID=11000

[ben grossman]

I have seriously considered the Festool or DeWalt track saws, and they are still a consideration. However, if I can get similar results with a less expensive (but still high quality) tool that is more versatile, I would like to do that. No doubt the Festool and DeWalt are tops at what they do, and I still may consider it. I am not looking to cheap out, as it is something I plan to keep until it wears out.

As I am gathering tools still though, I would rather put the difference into hand tools (and that is my intent), if that is an acceptable alternative. I am going to go look at the Festool locally, though... it might just sway me!

It still seems like a tough choice. I might have to just go handle them in the stores if I can to make my choice. I looked briefly at the Makita worm drive, and it looks outstanding as well.

[Michael Peet]

I have seriously considered the Festool or DeWalt track saws, and they are still a consideration.

The Festool track saws and accessories are on sale at Woodcraft. From what I understand, sales on Festool stuff are rare. No affiliation with FS or WC.

Mike

[Dan Karachio]

As a Festool owner, though I love the TS 75, without the MFT/3 bench it may not do everything you want and the price is getting way up there. Still, something to consider maybe? The dust collection is fantastic, but now we are adding even more for a vac! So, with that much $$$ you could get a very nice tablesaw AND a circular saw. Before I bought my Festool saw (and bench) I found plenty of clever ways to cut with a circular saw. Tommy on This Old House has every Festool imaginable, but very often whips together an instant jig and uses a good old circular saw to do all sorts of tricks. So, here I am posting essentially nothing of value for you!

[ben grossman]

I was heavily in search of a good contractor saw--and it was driving me nuts trying to find the right one. I was at the point of buying a $500 or so table saw. However, we are renters and probably won't be buying for a couple years (though we've already discussed having a small shop or space to build one). I have a nice big garage now where I could have a table saw and everything else (even have 220v), but that may not be the case in the future.

Because of that, and knowing that if I bought a contractor saw I would probably upgrade in the future (cabinet saw or Saw Stop), I decided I should get a bandsaw instead (after a few more projects), and get a nice circular saw to fit in the mean time. If my truck fits in the garage, a bandsaw should as well. I can do dadoes, rabbits and box joints with either hand tools or the DeWalt router set I already have. My last garage was an oversized one stall garage, and I had a small Craftsman table saw that I didn't like and got rid of--but it fit next to the truck and probably takes up more floor space than a good bandsaw.

The Festool stuff is pretty spendy, but I don't question the quality. If the Bosch WD saw would work, I could put the extra towards my list of hand tools (planes, saws, chisels, sharpening tools). The downside is some reviews say it's not square, and I would have to possibly shim it to get it to run. Not a big deal to save a few hundred for a little adjusting.

I already have a nice Ridgid shop vac, so I am set there. However, without a true dust collection setup I already make sure and wear proper protective gear while in the shop... including a dust mask. It is amazing how much dust can be created by a reciprocating saw!

[Van Huskey]

I have seriously considered the Festool or DeWalt track saws, and they are still a consideration.

If this is a serious consideration jump on the Festool now, save the 10% that you will likely never get again. You could also order from Bob Marino (a forum sponser) get free shipping and save tax depending on where you live.

I would say that even with a track saw I can't imagine not have a "standard" circular saw around.

Further if you are planning to use the saw mainly for sheet goods then I would NOT look at a worm drive. They are heavy and not as easy to keep against the straight edge. If that was my main goal I would probably consider a smaller than 7.25" saw.

[Jim O'Dell]

Your best bet might be to get the circular saw that you like best, and some guides for doing straight cuts. Doesn't have to be something that the saw is built to fit on, though those are probably more accurate. You can get some clamp on guides that you just run the edge of the saw's base against. Easy enough to make sure you set the guide straight with a good framing square. There are some guides that you replace the base on the circular saw with a special base that then sits into a guide. Can even get bases to use the same set up with your router. Lots of possibilities.
I built my first stereo/TV cabinet with 2X12s, ship-lap boards, a Craftsman circular saw, a drill and a hammer and nails. Wasn't beautiful, but it held all the equipment and records safely for about 12 years. Jim.

[ben grossman]

Jim, I have a Swanson aluminum straight edge I bought not too long ago after using some not-so-straight boards as an edge guide, and it works pretty well. I actually would like to make some hardboard guides for the jigsaw/circular saw specifically for each. That way there is less measuring required (for cut and for guide placement), and the saw would ride the hardboard instead of the work.

My next project is a set of bookshelves. I downloaded a plan for some nice bookshelves that I am going to modify slightly. The plans require a table saw for a couple cuts, but I figured out how do do everything except that one cut with a saw and a router. I am either going to change the trim that requires the table saw (maybe buy some premade), or leave it off entirely.

I think it will work for my situation, and allows me to not get too deep into big power tools before I gain more experience.