Thread: Circluar Saw for a beginner!?

Hi Sonny,

Not trying to be condescending but if you feel like spending a few hundred on a circular saw is over kill, I'd question whether you need a circular saw.

If i were in your shoes I'd definitely look at getting into hand tools, you'll be surprised how much you can achieve with a few hundred dollars worth of hand tools. Not to mention the learning curve isn't as steep as using power tools and definitely not as dangerous.

Having a good idea of what you plan on making will make tool buying a much smoother process and will reduce the likelihood of buying something that never gets used.

No need to get a cordless unless you need portability.

If I were in you shoes I would buy one of these;



$178 at Bunnings.

You can rip sheets accurately which is half the battle with sheet goods.

Have fun.


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For sheet goods, the DeWalt is technically overkill, but it gives you the capacity to do bigger things down the line. Also, corded tools never run out of battery mid-job (usually about 100mm before the end of the last cut in a job ).

OTOH, you won't need to worry about extension leads with the Makita and it's lower power means that, if something grabs, it will most likely just stall instead of kicking back at you and if it does kick it will be much less violent.

I would never consider a cordless saw as a proper power tool; if you need to do small bit here and there it's fine, otherwise go corded.

A track saw will enhance your personal capabilities & accuracy to an exponential level. It's also much more versatile than a more "conventional" saw that lacks any integrated track system.

Whilst I won't attempt to sway your preference for any particular brand, it seems that more expensive tools are not necessarily inherently better, easier operated or more accurate. In fact some of the more expensive brands (Festool among others) have positively diabolical & inherently flawed rail joining methods.

I'm personally a fan & user of the Bosch/Mafell track saw system, but at their price points they're definitely not realistic entry-level tools. There's plenty of inexpensive, capable & (I'm sure) accurate alternatives out there, however, from the likes of the (abovementioned) Ozito & Scheppach plus Makita, DeWalt, Metabo et. al. saws at somewhat higher price points.

Personally I would stick with the same branded battery options as the one you currently have. I have been looking for quite some time for a battery operated drill and I am tending towards the Makita. Of course once I decide on a brand I will then look at other battery operated tools to remain consistent.

I should also point out that I currently have two corded power circular saws that I use when cutting down sheet goods.

thanks for all the replies guys! A couple of questions:

1. ive read about track saws but thought i could simply make some sort of jig to replicate that? is that kind of the only difference? are they as versatile as a basic circular saw?

2. ive read mixed reviews about the ozito brand and comments about their reliability and accuracy. am i better off spending a bit more and not regretting it?

3. i like the comment about lower power though, it makes be a bit less apprehensive about a kick back lol.. if im cutting sheet goods and pine, i assume one of the lower power ones are fine? but then i guess id also like the option of hardwood?

4. the reason i was leaning toward a circular saw is the ability to make jigs (like cross cut etc) which i think id find fun but also give me other capabilities.. is that a good idea or should i go for a mitre saw first?

cheers!

Originally Posted by sonny_shines

.....
1. ive read about track saws but thought i could simply make some sort of jig to replicate that? is that kind of the only difference? are they as versatile as a basic circular saw?
......

You can make your own jig to thus turning the circular saw into a track as I do believe that it the only difference. I once had to cut sheets of 450 wide plywood a little shorter and normally I would use the table saw but the length of the plywood sheets were not going to give me easy cuts. I made a quick jig and clamped this to the edges and completed the cuts. Took a little longed but done easy.

thanks Christos

ive now started reading about track saws and they seem to be very highly regarded and there are some other differences such as the plunge cut style which i think then translates into a cleaner cut too

ohhhh and i thought id decided on a standard circular saw now im back to the drawing board! lol

ive read a bit about the ozito track saw and that seems like it might be suitable and good enough for my needs at least

does anyone have any experience with it?

ugh, im now in two minds

ive scrapped the idea of a circular saw but now i just cannot decide between a mitre saw and a track saw. both likely cheapie Ozito ones just to get me started and see if this is a hobby ill commit to

just thinking about it, my first three projects will use zero sheet goods.

it looks to me that lots of beginner projects are primarily strips of timber (is the the term? lol) rather than lots of sheet goods....

so would a sliding mitre saw be better for my first purchase after all?

Originally Posted by sonny_shines

ugh, im now in two minds

ive scrapped the idea of a circular saw but now i just cannot decide between a mitre saw and a track saw. both likely cheapie Ozito ones just to get me started and see if this is a hobby ill commit to

just thinking about it, my first three projects will use zero sheet goods.

it looks to me that lots of beginner projects are primarily strips of timber (is the the term? lol) rather than lots of sheet goods....

so would a sliding mitre saw be better for my first purchase after all?

I'd go the sliding mitre saw (well i did actually). I bought the Ozito... not very accurate at times but does the job i guess.... Depends on what your starting budget is... I've heard great things about the Swartz SCMS... But same as you I bought budget tools to see if i'd get more into woodworking... lucky i did cos i've been in my new house for a little over a year now and haven't had the time to actually make anything substantial...

A lot here will advocate buying the best you can afford, but personally, if you're only dipping your toe in and don't know if its something you want to take up seriously, i'd by budget, test the waters, and if you don't like it you're only out of pocket a couple hundred in a saw... or you could buy expensive and try sell it on here or gumtree... Buying budget will also get you into the habit of checking and rechecking the squareness of the blade to the table and guide... because you'll need too, and that's a good habit to have

thanks Dibbers, i appreciate the post

i think after umming and ahhing all day ive decided a mitre saw is probably my best bet for the moment. its basically the perfect tool for my first couple of projects and my understanding is they are a pretty well used piece of kit in all workshops

so now im just trying to decide on which one! lol

the Ozito for $180-200 or spend about double that for a Makita or something?

When i faced a similar dilemma, i went for the Ozito. I don't regret it, it's done what i've needed it to do so far.

As i said before, if you're not sure if this is something you want to stick with, then I don't see the point in buying expensive tools yet. Buy a cheap one, see if you enjoy it and if you do, buy a more expensive tool for your next purchase. when the time and skills develop where the slight inaccuracies of the Ozito means you need to upgrade, then invest more in a SCMS.

From what i can gather though, most seem to prefer using their table saw with a cross cut sled to a SCMS, so if you get to the stage where you purchase one of those, you might not even need to upgrade the Ozito.

But saying that, if money wasn't an issue for me i'd certainly have bought a "better" saw than the Ozito, everyones needs/wants/finances are different.

yeah i think you make a good point. im really very much at the beginning of this whole 'hobby' so im possibly risking a waste of money to splurge on something only to let it gather dust.