circular saw recommendations

Hi all, I am looking at buying a circular saw for occasional use so not looking for an expensive one. Can anyone give a good recommendation of a "bargain" saw ?

Cheers

Reply to
Ady
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here always good quality saws available,

Alex

Reply to
Alex

looking

I was in Focus today, and they had a 1400 watt circular saw, in its own case, for £44.95, less 25% off, making it about £33.71 Cannot remember the name though, Challenge? but the whole range was 25% off.

Reply to
Gavin Gillespie

Challenge is their own brand. I've bought a 1000W lawnmower for use at my mother-in-laws, which works very well and a 1300W garden shredder, which is a little underpowered, from that range, and they both seem OK.

Reply to
Huge

A plumber was after one for taking up floor boards occasionally. He came back with a £20 one from Argos. It was a Challenge too I think. It had a motor of some 1500 to1700 Watts too. I don't know how anyone made money on that one; a three inch cut blade costs over half that.

I'm not saying it will cut material 3" thick and the blade couldn't have been much thinner. But even so.

Reply to
Michael Mcneil

I bought a cheapie circular saw several months back. Can't remember the name, but I think I bought it in Homebase.

Does the business no problem with chipboard flooring. I really can't see any reason to pay more than about 30 quid for one of these babies. Even if it only lasts 12 months it's money well spent.

PoP

Reply to
PoP

Accuracy is the primary reason. Lean on a cheap saw, or try and saw with it set to a limited depth cut, and all accuracy goes out of the window on a saw with a pressed steel plate. Even happens on my DeWalt (spit).

Doesn't happen on my brother's Makita with an alloy baseplate.

If millimetre accuracy isn't important for the tasks in hand, then you're right - not much point in spending more than that.

cheers Richard

-- Richard Sampson

email me at richard at olifant d-ot co do-t uk

Reply to
RichardS

I'm not usually using a circular saw for accurate work. However the one I've got (and paid about 30 quid for) has a certain similarity to a brick shithouse in terms of its solid construction.

Whether or not it would stand up to intense application I don't know. But what I was certainly very impressed with was the fact that it zipped thru a load of chipboard floorboards when I did a complete loft, and not once did I think "hmm, blade needs sharpening or replacing". It just kept whizzing round regardless of whether the blade was in contact with material. And that for me is a good sign.

But then my previous experience (well before I bought this little beauty) was on the 500W B&D special which would complain like billy-oh if the balsa wood was deeper than a 1/4 inch :)

PoP

Reply to
PoP

Dunno !

Cheap tools have their place. If a cheap cordless drill acts up it isn't going to do you much damage, but I wouldn't be that keen on using a cheap circular saw. They can bite.

Paul Mc Cann

Reply to
Paul Mc Cann

Sadly, I don't have room for a decent (or any) table saw, so I have to slice up 8x4 sheets with a circ saw and a home made jig. Flexing base plate drives me nuts because it doesn't hug the edge of the jig and has ruined one or two when it's cut into the jig's straight edge.

The power's not the problem - it's the accuracy for me. YMMV of course...

cheers Richard

-- Richard Sampson

email me at richard at olifant d-ot co do-t uk

Reply to
RichardS

True! But on the other hand if used correctly then the possibility of it biting is significantly reduced.

PoP

Reply to
PoP

The Skil Classic has been a well known and solid, yet inexpensive product for years. Recently replaced by the Skil Orca, but still good value at under £100

.andy

To email, substitute .nospam with .gl

Reply to
Andy Hall

I got the freud 194mm from screwfix for around £70

It is a bargain but it isn't bargain basement.

It has a cast sole plate which resists flex. I can make accurate enough cuts that I'm always happy with them. It's got plenty of power for everything I've thrown it at. (quite a wide variety) Works fine with the jig I bought (mitre board) and those I've made (assorted)

Very happy with it and the fine freud pro blade (dark red/maroon colour ones) I got at the same time - gives glassy smooth cuts in many materials.

I could have spent less I suppose, but whether I'd have saved or gained anything by doing so is hard to say.

Take Care, Gnube {too thick for linux}

Reply to
Gnube

My fear would not be in using it in correctly as that can cause any tool to bite.

Rather I would be afraid of a malfunction such as a riving knife becoming loose/bent etc and dropping into the spinning blade.

Paul Mc Cann

Reply to
Paul Mc Cann

Just a thought, but if the riving knife became loose (as in still attached but not firmly enough) then it would most likely fall onto the spinning blade, but not necessarily present a major danger, more like a rather nasty grinding noise that prompts the user to hit the stop button quickly.

It's not as if the riving knife is going to fall onto the blade in a way that stops the blade dead in its tracks. Or perhaps I've missed something?

PoP

Reply to
PoP

Scewfix are doing a Wolf brand 165mm for £25 inc VAT. Makro are selling NuTool 185mm for £20 and also the same for £25 including an 18V cordless drill (I have the 16.8V version and it's been excellent) as a package for £25 (both prices exclude VAT)

All the above have 2 year guarantee, worth the money just for that. You shouldn't go far wrong with any of them. There is also a 'cheap' brand called Silverline, which comes with 3 year guarantee, but I have no expereicne of those.

HTH Rob

Reply to
Kalico

It would most likley be snapped off and ejected by the blade, possibly in pieces

It could also lead to a kick back. I've had a circular saw (An ELU, so not tat ) kick back on me and it frightened the bejasus out of me as it came very close to my knee whilst still rotating at speed. My fault off course.

And a circular saw blade doesn't have to be travelling that fast to inflict hefyt damage

The point I'm making is that a badly built saw is more likely to inflict serious damage than a badly nade screwdriver.

You pays your money and takes your chance

Paul Mc Cann

Reply to
Paul Mc Cann

Paul, from your posts, you seem to be a pretty experienced woodworker.... what was it that caused the kickback to occur, and how severe was it?

I just like to know what to expect from these things, having never (touch wood) suffered a kickback yet.

Enough to wrench the saw out of a firm grip? Was the stock clamped securley (or, as we've all done, secured under a knee on top of a workmate..!)?

Was the kickback straight backwards?

What have you done since that has prevented the recurrence?

cheers Richard

-- Richard Sampson

email me at richard at olifant d-ot co do-t uk

Reply to
RichardS

Hello Ady

Avoid ultra-cheapies like Ferm. I've had two, one just wore out within a couple of months, the second broke its central blade retaining nut on the first pinch - potentially very dangerous.

I've since paid a bit more and got a mid-range Skil. Different class and much better in every regard.

Reply to
Simon Avery

True.

PoP

Reply to
PoP

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