Circular Saws

Circular saws make straight cuts in sheet goods, timber and section with a blade that spins in one direction and a shoe that rides on the work, which is what keeps the cut straight and the depth consistent. The 7-1/4" size is the general standard because it will cut through dimensional lumber at ninety degrees and still make a useful bevel; 6-1/2" saws trade a little depth for lower weight and better balance, which tells in overhead and one-handed work and on a full day of cutting. Metal-cutting circular saws are a different tool wearing a similar shape: lower speed, a blade built for steel, and a chip collection system, so section, strut, conduit and plate can be cut dry and cleanly without the sparks and heat an abrasive wheel produces. Cordless platforms handle this work comfortably now, and removing the cord matters more on a circular saw than on most tools, because the cord is the thing that catches as the saw advances. Depth and bevel settings do the work; the blade decides the finish. Blades are in Accessories & Consumables.

Blade choice does more for the finish than the saw does. A 24-tooth framing blade clears fast through dimensional lumber; 40 to 60 teeth give a clean edge in plywood and melamine, and a dedicated metal-cutting blade on a metal-cutting saw runs cool and throws chips rather than sparks. Worm drive and rear-handle saws put the motor behind the blade for more torque and a sightline down the left of the cut, which is why they persist in framing; sidewinders are lighter and better balanced for everything else. Cordless 7-1/4-inch saws on a high-output pack now cut a full sheet of plywood without complaint. Set the depth so the blade clears the work by about a tooth — deeper is not safer, it just exposes more blade and increases kickback if the cut binds.