January 2008
Circular saws: Plug them in
OVERRATED Lasers, like this one on the Craftsman 28060, are touted in ads though they’re only marginally useful.
After drills, circular saws are the most common power tool in a home workshop. Battery-powered saws offer go-anywhere convenience,
but there’s a reason you aren’t likely to see professional carpenters using them: Plug-in saws are far more capable.
Our tests of corded and cordless saws found that corded models still outperform cordless models by a wide margin. Corded saws have up to seven times the speed and power of cordless saws.
Corded saws offer more value than cordless, too. Saws we tested ranged from $35 to $175 for corded, $60 to $420 for cordless. (Pro-style, corded high-torque hybrid models cost $140 to $180 and offer little to justify their increased weight.) Test highlights include the following:
Blades are better. Most saws come with a carbide-tipped blade. These cut faster and last longer than plain steel blades. Some models have a notch on the upper blade guard so you can keep an eye on the blade and the cutting line without leaning over the saw.
Many models include a laser guide. Seven of the corded and cordless saws we tested project a laser line where you want to cut. But the feature is of limited use. You still have to draw a line and use a steady hand. And a laser is useless when you saw outdoors in bright sunlight.
Some saws had problems. Bosch recently recalled the CS20, which we tested, and the similar CS10 because the lower blade guard can malfunction. We didn’t have this problem.
We like some new features. The corded Porter-Cable 325MAG lets you change blades without a wrench. We also like a design feature on the Bosch CS20: You plug an extension cord directly into the handle, where it locks in place. That avoids the hassle of a plug/extension-cord connection getting caught on the edge of your workbench.
Our tests of corded and cordless saws found that corded models still outperform cordless models by a wide margin. Corded saws have up to seven times the speed and power of cordless saws.
Corded saws offer more value than cordless, too. Saws we tested ranged from $35 to $175 for corded, $60 to $420 for cordless. (Pro-style, corded high-torque hybrid models cost $140 to $180 and offer little to justify their increased weight.) Test highlights include the following:
Blades are better. Most saws come with a carbide-tipped blade. These cut faster and last longer than plain steel blades. Some models have a notch on the upper blade guard so you can keep an eye on the blade and the cutting line without leaning over the saw.
Many models include a laser guide. Seven of the corded and cordless saws we tested project a laser line where you want to cut. But the feature is of limited use. You still have to draw a line and use a steady hand. And a laser is useless when you saw outdoors in bright sunlight.
Some saws had problems. Bosch recently recalled the CS20, which we tested, and the similar CS10 because the lower blade guard can malfunction. We didn’t have this problem.
We like some new features. The corded Porter-Cable 325MAG lets you change blades without a wrench. We also like a design feature on the Bosch CS20: You plug an extension cord directly into the handle, where it locks in place. That avoids the hassle of a plug/extension-cord connection getting caught on the edge of your workbench.
