circular saw recommendations ??

[expatCanuck]

Greetings -

Would like to purchase a circular saw for minor work around the house -- nothing larger than a 2 x 4.

Recommendations welcome, as are caveats & things to look out for.

Stubble attachment a plus.

Thanks much.

 

[King of Kailua]

Skilsaw!

For home use I doubt you'd need to go beyond 7.25" of blade.

 

[krissy]

craftsman

<insert Tim "The Toolman" Taylor grunt here?>

ooops that's a bob vila grunt.............

Either way it's a manly mans laugh...... *grunt*

 

[40_Caliber]

Any 120v Electric 7 1/4" will do the job around the house. I have a Heavy Duty Milwaukee that has seen lots of use and is still ticking.

Don't waste your money on the battery powered ones.

.40

 

[krissy]

Don't waste your money on the battery powered ones.

I second that motion, it's a pain in the butt when the battery pack doesn't hold a charge anymore and you need to replace the silly thing.

 

[thirdeye]

I have a DeWalt Trim 18.2V battery op saw that is great for around the house projects. I have built decks and sheds as well as remodled many a rooms here. I even bought one for my guys at the shop to use.

Oh yes, I have a spare battery on charge at all time.

Bigger cord units are great if your going to use it every day but around the house....you just don't need it.

 

[Johnny Dale]

I love my Milwaukee saw. You can't beat the quality. IMO

 

[Topgumby]

7-1/4" Wormdrive Skilsaw if you are ever going to build a large deck out of 2x4 lumber, work with 4x4 lumber, cut bricks, do any framing, demolition work, or install doors.

Smaller trim type saw for almost all lighter work.

The newer battery op models, 14 volt and up, are much better than they were even a few years ago. If you go battery, look at the lithium ion models, they hold a charge over time, last longer, and have no memory issues.

Makita, Dewalt, Porter Cable and Milwaukee all make good stuff.

In short, a battery op trim saw or light corded will do almost everything short of heavy construction/demolition. If you really want an "it can do it all" saw, get a corded 7-1/4" Skil.

One thing to look out for if you get a saw with a blade smaller or larger than 7-1/4" - blade cost and availability. The 7-1/4" circular saw blade is the standard, and produced en masse. You can find them anywhere, and they are very reasonably priced. There are also blades available for cutting brick/stone and metal.

Some smaller trim blades are not nearly as common, so you may be stuck paying whatever price the sole source charges, if you can find them.