Corded Circular Saws - A Toolstop Buying Guide

Posted by Katy | Toolstop on 27th Aug 2020

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This Toolstop Buying Guide focuses on Corded Circular Saws, their benefits, uses and some of our must haves. Corded Circular Saws come with their benefits. We will reccomend some of our favourite 110V Circular Saws to hopefully help you find the best corded circular saw.

What is a Circular Saw used for?

If you need to quickly make an accurate cut through a piece of wood, look no further than a circular saw.

But why choose a corded circular saw over a cordless one? This Toolstop guide will explain the benefits of choosing a corded circular saw, features to look our for, and our top picks! If you are looking for a cordless circular saw, check out our blog post here.

This buying guide has been put together to help you decide what the best circular saw on the market is for you.

In this guide we’ll focus on corded circular saws. We’ll cover:

Cutting capacity, cutting depth and bevels
Speed and control
Extra features
Our top circular saw suggestions

Corded or Cordless Circular Saw

Cutting Capacity, Cutting Depth and Bevels

Look out for the maximum cutting depth at 0°. That’s how deep you’ll be able to cut when the saw isn’t being used to cut a bevel. Our guide below presents the maximum cut at 0° per saw, along with the maximum cut at a 45° bevel.

With regards to cutting bevels, if you’re planning on cutting mitres with your saw, the ability to adjust the base plate to allow you to cut a bevel is essential. Look out for the amount of adjustment your saw offers you, typically 45° and 90°.

Blades are hugely important as your saw will only perform at its best if you’ve fitted the correct blade for the cut you’re undertaking and you’ve set the blade at the correct depth for the cut. Please take some time to refer to our circular saw blade buying guide.

Speed and Control

The motor rating of your saw is important. Basically, the higher the number the better. Why? A 1500W motor will spin the saw blade faster, resulting in high RPM of the blade. The higher the RPM of the blade, the better the cut in terms of control.

So, more power equals more control and more control equals the ability to cut tougher materials. A more powerful motor also typically affords you the ability to run bigger blades on your circular saw.

Hence when choosing your circular saw, pay attention to the blade speed.

To Plunge or Not to Plunge?

Right off the bat, if your work day consists of plunge cut after plunge cut, please invest in a plunge saw. Click here for our guide to making plunge cuts.

However, if you find yourself having to perform the occasional plunge cut on the job site, then a circular saw can ably tackle this for you, as long as the circular saw doesn’t have a riving knife, or the riving knife can be removed.

Therefore, when choosing your circular saw, look out for this feature if plunge cuts are on the menu for you.

Bear in mind, though, that a riving knife is a safety feature than helps prevent "kick back".

What Circular Saw Should I Buy?

Refer to our table below which will, at a glance, allow you to compare and contrast the various offering from HiKOKI, Makita, Bosch and Dewalt.

Click the name of the saw to visit our website where you can learn more about the tool. And if we’ve got a video demo of it, you’ll be able to see the saw in action.

Corded Circular Saw Comparison

Product	Key Specification	Key Features
Makita 5704RK Circular Saw	Input wattage: 1,200w No load speed: 4,900 rpm Blade diameter: 190mm Bore diameter: 30mm Cutting capacity at 90°: 66 mm Cutting capacity at 45°: 46 mm	Over 2" maximum depth of cut Supplied with anti-kickback riving knife Low noise and vibration for operator comfort All ball bearing construction for prolonged service life Rugged for general site use Double insulated One of the most popular saws in the UK and Ireland
Dewalt DWE560K Compact Circular Saw	Power Input 1350 Watts Power Output 850 Watts No Load Speed 5500 rpm Blade Diameter 184 mm Blade Bore 16 mm Bevel Capacity 48 ° Max. Depth of Cut at 90º 65 mm	Compact, Lightweight, Easy to use circular saw with 65mm depth of cut High power 1350W motor gives increased cutting performance Cutaway inner guard gives improved line of sight to cutting line Dust blower clears dust and debris from cut line Efficient dust extraction port to minimise airborne dust particles when connected to a dust extraction unit Direct compatability with DEWALT AirLock system for easy, secure connection to extraction hose
Evolution R185CCSX+ TCT Multi-Material Circular Saw	No Load Speed (110v): 3700 min/rpm Max Blade Bevel Angle (Degrees): 45° Mild Steel Plate (Max Thickness): 6 mm Mild Steel Box Section (Max Wall): 6 mm Blade diameter: 185mm	The blade included cuts steel, aluminium, wood with embedded nails, plastic and more Optimised gearbox and blade system, increases motor & blade life to cut through a variety of heavy-duty materials No heat, no burrs & virtually no sparks when cutting mild steel LED light for visibility of the cutting line Adjustable cutting depth with ergonomic, soft grip handle
Bosch GKS190 Hand Held Circular Saw	Rated power input: 1.400 W No-load speed: 5.500 rpm Saw blade bore: 30 mm Saw blade diameter: 190 mm Cutting depth (90°): 70 mm Cutting depth (45°): 50 mm Max bevel capacity: 56°	Highest cutting depth (70 mm) and bevel capability (56°) in its class for flexibility in any work situation Turbo blower for a dust-free view of the cutting line Optimised wood chip deflector for a better view of the work surface Robust closed aluminium die-cast pendulum guard Compact tool design for best handling
Makita 5008MGJ Circular Saw	Max cut @ 0°: 75.5mm (3") Max cut @ 45°: 57mm (2¼") Max cut @ 50°: 51.5mm (2") Blade diameter: 210mm Bore diameter: 30mm No load speed: 5,200rpm	Maximum Cutting Depth of 75.5mm (3") Magnesium die cast base plate makes it very light but very strong and robust Twin LED job light Easy-to-read depth scale

If you’ve got any questions about circular saws, please get in touch with our experienced team and if you’ve found this guide helpful, share it with your friends!

If you’ve got any questions about the circular saw in this buying guide, or if you’ve got queries about the best circular saw for you, we will be happy to help!