A circular saw has one function – sawing, and it does an excellent job. It is hard to beat the circular when it comes to clean, accurate and straight cuts in wood, chipboard or plastic, steel or aluminum profiles, and even stone or ceramics. This is a power tool, with a similar design for most manufacturers, with only minor features.
There are several types: standard, hypoid – with a worm gear, cutting, immersion, diamond: all of them, in turn, are wireless or network. There are also models with the possibility of stationary installation and desktop ones – they are more often referred to the class of machines.
No matter what type you choose, most of them are equipped with basic components.
- Blade guard, a casing that hides the saw blade when not in use.
- The casing is spring-loaded, which allows the user to remove it from the disk when the saw is pressed against the workpiece. Like the guards of angle grinders, most housings are removable.
- The base plate or sole makes it possible to make clear, straight cuts, pressing against the material.
- Adjusting the angle and depth allows you to raise, lower or tilt the sole to make straight or oblique cuts of different depths.
If for some reason the model does not have any of them, think about whether it is worth buying it.
Please note that the cutting depth is limited by the diameter and the maximum depth setting. If your project involves sawing workpieces mostly with a thickness of more than 100 mm, consider buying a miter saw.
Classic circular
This arrangement provides for the installation of the engine on the same axis as the shaft. This is a classic form factor – what people imagine when it comes to circular saws. In comparison with samples with a worm drive with a similar diameter, they are more compact and weigh less, and usually cost less. Most classic models weigh up to 6 kg.
Features
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- Manual adjustment function to adjust depth and tilt without additional keys.
- The disc in the kit allows you to get started right away. As a rule, it is completed with a disk with average speed and purity cuts.
- An electric brake instantly stops the engine when the trigger is released. The blade will stop rotating before the tool moves to the next workpiece. This feature improves tool productivity and safety.
- Locking the spindle or shaft makes replacing the saw blade safe and convenient.
Classic circular saws are suitable for the dissolution of wood and the longitudinal sawing of boards, which makes them a universal assistant in the carpentry workshop.
Generally less powerful than worm gear saws. However, high-end models come with motors and gearboxes with increased torque to compete with worm gear models.
The standard diameter is 190 mm, more common in the market. Lightweight models, with a 125 mm disc, are designed to be maneuverable and weigh up to 3.5 kg.
Cutting, diamond or mini-saws
Sometimes maneuverability when sawing is so important that they refuse power.
Mini-saws are preferably used for paneling, finishing work and delicate trimming, have a disk with a diameter of 125 mm or less. The main application is work with ceramic tiles.
Small, lightweight machine gives greater control and accuracy. The materials for which the scoring saw is used are not so thick, so a smaller blade diameter is not a problem. They are made in both classic and worm versions, and many of them are available in a wireless version with battery power.
Features
- Two supplied batteries will increase productivity. The circular saw has an energy-intensive motor and can quickly drain the battery. Batteries with high capacity are needed.
- The switch is designed to turn on and push the instrument with one hand. Unlike traditional circular saws, mini-saws can be held with one hand, like a grinder.
- Weight up to 3.5 kg will have a positive effect on cutting during the day, even if you work on stairs or scaffolding.
- Brushless motors are efficient and save battery power and extend battery life.
Worm drive, hypoid
The motor is perpendicular to the shaft, and is not attached directly to it, as is the case with a standard circular. Instead, a gear mechanism, a worm gear, transmits power to the shaft. The engine runs faster than the shaft rotates, and the gear transmission increases torque. More powerful than equivalent ordinary circulars with high torque.
They weigh a lot – 7.5 kg is the norm for a network model, but far from the limit. Most worm gear models require periodic maintenance, because gear oil requires lubricating oil.
Features
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- Easy keyless access to oil fillers allows for faster maintenance.
- The function of blowing sawdust and debris from under the workpiece on the disk path.
- Instances of alloy components are lighter, but usually more expensive.
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A worm-driven circular saw cuts what other types cannot do. When cutting raw lumber, masonry or concrete, a worm-driven model will make work faster. Due to the increased torque, the disk will not overheat and wear out quickly due to temperatures.
It is worth noting that units with hypoid transmission are much more expensive than classic circular counterparts, especially wireless ones.
Submersible
A circular saw is necessary when it is necessary to cut a groove in the workpiece, for example, in the worktop from chipboard, prepare a place for the installation of the sink. With it you can start sawing in any part of the part, not necessarily from the edge: this is the superiority of the submersible saw.
This tool has found wide application in cutting multilayer blanks, laminates .
Comparison
When choosing a circular saw, you compare the types and specific models to choose the best option in your price range. You can get an idea of circular saws, sizes and weights, and the convenience of gripping the tool you wish to purchase by visiting our retail store.
A factor that is often overlooked is the availability of durable consumables for the purchased saw. For example, for each type of work, it is recommended to use a specific type of consumables: for a quick cut with rare large teeth, for a clean cut – with many small teeth.
Power and speed
For circular saws, electric motors with a power characteristic expressed in watts (W), and for wireless models in volts (V). These numbers show the power consumption of the engine, but they give an approximate idea of how the saw will work under load. For example, for infrequent housework, saws with a power consumption of 1000 -1300 watts are suitable. For intensive use choose saws from 1500 watts.
Speed is indicated in revolutions per minute (rpm), and manufacturers indicate this parameter without load.
For wireless models, the battery capacity is indicated in volts and is at least 18 V or higher. Ampere-hours (Ah) is also an important indicator for battery: the higher the indicator, the longer you can work on a single battery charge.
Materials
The fall of a circular saw is common, most breakdowns are associated with it. The first components that suffer are: a sole and a protective cover.
Aluminum soles are lightweight and manoeuvrable, but are easy to bend when dropped. A molten sole is more likely to survive a fall on concrete, but such a tool will weigh more.
Disc diameter and cut depth
Most network models have a standard diameter of 190 mm , which cuts at an angle of 90 degrees to a depth of 67 mm. The models are slightly more compact – 165 mm cut depth to 55 mm. The largest component cutting depth of 125 mm with 355 mm disc at Makita 5143 R. Compact or scoring saws are equipped with a 140 mm blade which gives a maximum of 40 mm of cutting depth.
Saw blades
To work with various materials, such as wood, ceramics, stone, plastic, various types of saw blades are used.
Tile cutting wheels are specially designed for cutting ceramics and are not used for anything else. The same goes for masonry wheels designed for cutting concrete and stone.
Wood and laminate discs with a diameter of 190 mm are the most common and, as a rule, less expensive, with a wide variety of available options for the number of teeth.
Speed adjustment
The function is common, it allows you to adjust the necessary speed of the equipment for a specific material.
Depth cut at an angle of 45
Most circular saws are capable of cutting at an angle of 45 due to the rotation and fixation of the sole. The depth of cut at an angle of 45 will be less than at a straight line.
