Thread: In a circular saw quandary

Mostly, the 185mm to 200mm mains powered circular saws, like other size ranges, come in three general price ranges, dirt cheap, reasonably cheap and sort of expensive.

Often the price will reflect the build longevity, by that I mean if you are going to flog it day in day out, then you need to look at type of bearings, blade run-out and such. However as I understand it, your use would be quite occasional when being used and probably not too onerous.

With that in mind, I would bone up a bit on blade technology for your intended purpose, purchase a cheapie saw in the $50.00 and slightly higher range, then put a better quality blade with the appropriate number of teeth to give you optimal performance on your material of choice.

I looked up the Bosch and Makita units you are thinking of, they would be all right, in fact quite all right for the above-mentioned workload and type. But I believe you may be better off thinking what type of blade, number of teeth and material you are going to cut first, then think of which saw should give you the best bang for your buck; be it dirt cheap, reasonably cheap, or sort of expensive.

Mick.

If you are doing mostly panel cutting, consider a track saw.
I can name three - Festool great but about $999 including a guide rail.
Makita - mid price range.
Have seen a Woodster 160mm in a Total Tools catalogue today including 1400mm guide rail for $279.

There are others but may be harder to get.

Having a guide rail will make sure your cuts are accurate and straight. You do loose about 5mm in cut depth though and if you are cutting full boards may need to do it in one or two steps unless you have longer or additional guide rails.

Hi,
as well as considering the blade, I recommend looking for a saw with a solid baseplate and easy to adjust knobs (for depth, angle). This will probably move your choice up into the mid-price range but will also make for, in my opinion, a more pleasant user experience.
I base my experience on buying a bottom price Ryobi 185mm saw. The cheap base bent when I dropped it and I could never get it flat again. The knobs were basically wingnuts and it took lots of fiddling to get it set right for the first cut. It would then go off-square after 2 to 3 cuts.
I loaned it to a professional builder who for some reason desperately needed a saw for the weekend at his holiday home. When he returned it, he said it was so bad he used a handsaw instead. Based on this feedback I sold it on NZ ebay (=TradeMe) and was glad to see the last of it.
As regards tracksaws, they are specialised kit. I searched out lots of reviews/user feedback on the cheap ones in the hope there was a "hidden low cost treasure" out there but all user feedback on cheap tracksaws would have a comment somewhere that basically said "...once I tweaked this, and adjusted that, and did a spot of carefull bending/twisting it now runs really well....". The Wood Whisperer website has a good honest review of a cheap tracksaw that includes a comparison to the topline Festool tracksaw.
Good luck
Paul

Originally Posted by WhingingPom

Hi All,

The Chief Financial Officer has been convinced that me buying a circular saw (I'm currently using a jig saw for cutting up plywood/MDF sheets) will be a good idea as...

1. It'll be cheaper in the long run as I'll get through less jigsaw blades - more money for her to spend shopping
2. I'll spend less time cutting wood as I won't need to keep turning the sheet I'm cutting - more time that I can spend doing chores inside the house

Bosch PKS 1500
Makita 5806BSP
AEG CS66



Cheers

WP

Bosch PKS 1500

You can make your own DIY track for the saw, some good ones around if you google

What the others said, spend the extra dollars on quality blades and you won't have any problems.

Even a expensive saw with a cheap blade is no good, 90% of a good saw is blade selection for the task and material your working on

Originally Posted by Optimark

Mostly, the 185mm to 200mm mains powered circular saws, like other size ranges, come in three general price ranges, dirt cheap, reasonably cheap and sort of expensive.

You missed the last category: FESTOOL

Hi WP

I'm a big Makita fan and own a 185mm Makita which I just LOVE! Lovely balance, nice and light, great cut.

Problem with the Makita is they have dropped the price from $189 to about $99 over the last 2 years and the quality has fallen along with the price. Mine is 2 years old. The newer model is heavier but the same wattage. The biggest problem in my opinion is the pressed steel base plate which now looks a bit cheap and nasty. Mine being a little older just feels far better. Mine is lighter and just as powerful. My father just bought a different 185mm Makita with an 1800watt motor and a solid alloy plate. Used it on the weekend and its better than mine, gutsy as and cost him $189.

Before you buy the $99 Bunnings one pop down to Total Tools. I saw in their catalogue today a Makita 185 for $99 with an alloy plate (rather than the Bunnings pressed plate) They either used the wrong image or they have could have a better model for the same price.

Good luck and I agree with the comments about making your own guide - plenty of posts on this site about them.

Danny

I've got 185mm Makita (with solid aluminum base) I have dropped it, thrown it, overheated it, left it in the rain and even chopped the end if the powerlead off and it still works. At 1050watts it is slightly underpowered, but still will rip hardwood at max depth of cut.
My workmate bought a Bosch because it had the larger motor, it has since passed away prematurely. He now has a Makita saw.
I also have a festool saw, this is by far the best way to cut sheet material but big price difference. $150 v $1000

I found some of the imformation in this video clip very useful.
scroll through to the clip titled "How to choose a new circular saw"
Circular Saws: Sidewinder vs Worm-Drive - Fine Homebuilding

hope this info helps with your decision.