I’m going to be cutting a lot of 4×8 veneer plywood sheets (for cabinets/bookshelves) but I can’t afford one of the track saw systems, so I’m looking at getting a circ saw and making a DIY track jig. I’m partial to Dewalt tools, but they have 28 models/kits on their website! Corded vs. cordless, worm drives, brushless, electric brake – the options are a bit overwhelming. The cordless models are appealing for obvious reasons but the battery and charger add a significant amount to the price. On Amazon, the DCS570B 7 1/4″ is $170 alone (no battery) – the battery and charger cost another $128! By comparison a corded Dewalt, DWE575SB 7 1/4″ is only $139.
What should I look for in a circ saw that will be used primarily for cutting sheet goods? Does anyone have good/bad experience with one of the new/newer Dewalt circ saws? I’m fine with a corded model, given the huge price differential.
Thanks in advance.
Replies
The deal breaker is something that is missing from many circ saws today, an adjustable shoe. If there is no way to align the blade to the shoe or what the shoe is riding you will never have clean, true cuts.
The way I see this fixed by many folks today is to add a hardboard shoe to the existing saw that allows some adjustment. However you do it, alignment is obviously important.
Next, look to how the motor/blade are affixed to the shoe. Dad had spent some decent money on what he was told was a great little Makita saw. It was a great saw but, not for anything precise.
The rear attachment point was also the depth slide which rode on a single pivot/locking point. There was no way to control the alignment as you changed depth. Plus or minus 1/8" is OK right? ;-))
I have 'fettled' saws for folks that had magnesium shoes as they can be filed pretty easily. This is a pain of a thing to do and I would only do it (once) for a friend who already had a non-alignable saw.
As to corded or cordless, remember to factor in the cost of batteries down the road when you are shopping. The original saw and replacement batteries later could easily get close to the price of the Makita SP6000 setup that I went with. It generally rates second best compared to Festool but, is generally the least expensive setup in the tests.
Second best performance and least expensive price is a good match of features. Food for thought.
LWK69 - I had the same issue when my aging Skil saw got to be too inaccurate and unwieldy. After some looking around, decided on the corded DeWalt 7 1/4" circular saw with the electric brake for my sheet goods work. I think it's a good value for the dollar and it's performed quite well for me. It's light, and the brake is really a nice feature I've never had before on a circular saw.
https://www.amazon.com/dp/B007QUZ16A?tag=duckduckgo-osx-20&linkCode=osi&th=1&psc=1
I've never been happy with the quality of the cut on a handheld circular saw. I brwak sheet goods down slightly oversized with one, and then do finish cuts in my shop on the table saw. The quality and accuracy are just superior.
When I have to make a finish cut, I find the brand of saw matters much less than the quality of the blade.
@GeeDubBee
Good points to chew on as always. I saw some reviews of the DWE575SB that complained about the blade/shoe being out of alignment, but the manual does describes how to make that adjustment, at least for 90 degrees. The Makita looks like a sweet tool, but at nearly $600 for the saw and guide rail plus tax it's way outside my budget. Corded tools are fine by me - the couple of battery-operated screwdrivers I have always seem to run out of juice at the worst time.
@John_C2
Agreed. I actually intend to use the circ saw exactly the same way you do. Trying to manhandle a 4x8 3/4 piece of veneer plywood onto my table saw is not possible anymore (I'm no spring chicken, unfortunately), so breaking it down with the circ saw is more practical for me. Just built my first crosscut sled for the finish cuts.
@ChipSawdust
Always good to hear from an actual owner. BTW, I stumbled across mention of a dust collection adapter in the Amazon reviews - DWE575DC - it's only $15! Will likely get one of those as well.
LKW69 I bought mine at the blue box store and there were no attachments available there. Oh well - circular saws are messy no matter what you do I think. I put a Freud blade on it (I forget which one) and it's great. For precise cuts I'd always go with the TS over the CS but for garage shelving I made a straightedge jig the saw rides on (home made track saw?) and that was quicka nd pretyy accurate. But for furniture and bits that require more precision, rough cut with the CS and finish on the TS as discussed already.
I use a CS blade on my TS with a zero clearance insert for cutting thin strips of stringing and banding material such as holly, which is a bit expensive. The slightly smaller kerf over, say, 10 cuts will get you another one or two "free." So if you're not using the CS you can do stuff like that with the blade. That said, the blades are pretty cheap so yeah, I have one for exclusive TS use :)
Any of the major brands will do fine, I would go with a corded saw, as it will be a stouter tool and higher RPM's. Can't advise you on the brand, but my decision point would be determined by the base. I would want a thick, large base, with a strong hinge point.
Regardless of the saw, with plywood the key is the blade. The Freud Diablo 60 tooth is the best I've used for plywood. They don't last forever, I recommend buying 2 so you won't be tempted to blade past its "due date".
blade.
A zero clearance base is also something to consider.
I will say I got by for 20 years with a home made guide and circular saw adapter, mainly because I'm cheap. When I purchased a track saw and an honest gosh dust extractor, it was night and day, both for my projects and my lungs.
I grew up using sidewinders and always struggled with straight cuts. in my early 20's I was introduced to worm drive saws and never looked back. The extra weight, the alignment of the motor and the blade planes, etc, all contribute.
I had a Ridgid corded worm drive for close to ten years... Loved, loved, loved it! But, when I moved across the country two years ago, somehow it ended up in my son's work truck... Back East.
One thing I like doing is being able to break down funky baltic birch sheets a little before leaving the lumber yard. They fit in the truck (or, as in my current situation, a Jeep Cherokee) and are easier to handle when I get back to the shop. But, I have always hated most of the battery operated saws!
Enter the newest cordless Dewalt with the 'worm drive style' configuration. I gotta say, it is stronger and faster cutting than my old corded Ridgid and any Skil, Bosch, etc, that I ever used! I have been super happy with it since i bought it.
I have been using it with a homemade track recently in my shop to build a bunch of modern style living room tables for a client. The body of the tables is MDF and then I've skinned them with 1/4" oak plywood, mitering the edges (on the router table) so the corners are tight. The Dewalt has powered through it all and been a true performer.
If I didn't love it before, I sure do now!
So, my preference is for worm drive style saws... Corded has always been my go to... But,. this new Dewalt is the truly the bee's knees.
LWK69 - I recently installed Rocklers ceiling track system with the sliding hooks and it has worked great in keeping the cord of corded tools out of the way. Also works to keep dust collection hoses off the workpiece.
Been using a cordless Dewalt circ saw for a while now and plan on using at least two batteries if you got lots of cuts.
Friend who is a finish carpenter just bought the Makita track saw and is building cabinets in our garage. He was so excited with the new saw. After using it for three days.... he said its a "B" and was largely disappointed. He said a stiff saw guide and a circular saw provided equal if not better results.
As stated above, the single most important feature of any power saw is the blade. Carbide tip blades are the best by far. For plywood, use a high tooth count plywood blade to manage tearout, for crosscutting boards use a narrow set blade with a high tooth count and for ripping use a glue joint wide set rip blade. I don't recommend ripping with a circular saw.
That said, a circular saw can never achieve the accuracy of a table, miter or band saw, because the circular saw does not have a stable, heavy table. Circular saws are best for breaking down panels or long boards (unless you are framing a building, which is a different matter). Some track or edge guide arrangements improve the output of circular saws, depending on the blade, clamping and operator patience and skill. Personally, I use a heavy corded and a cordless with blade brake and dust port. For breaking down sheet goods I built an improved version of a Stumpy Nubs panel cart, with a panel saw rack on one side. http://www.stumpynubs.com/panel-cart.html. My light weight Milwaukee cordless saw with dust collection and blade brake is excellent for that application.
If you know somebody with a true panel saw, that might be best for breaking down your veneer. For birch plywood, I prefer to use the panel saw at the big box stores. However, high (12) ply count birch and veneer is available only from commercial hardwood dealers that do not provide panel saws.
Following the circular saw, expect to use either hand tools or their power equivalents (jointer, planer, table saw, bandsaw, router) to achieve work pieces with cabinet grade edges and faces.
My sidewinder Skil Saw does a great job.
You ask a question that simply doesn't have an answer. We all have our favorite tools for various reasons. But here's my 2¢ worth.
When it comes to all purpose circular saws for general home improvements. I would recommend a cordless model preferably with a 7¼" blade. Dewalt is my go to brand plus their FlexVolt or Power Detect models can do anything that a corded tool can do and are great tools. Milwaukee also makes some nice models, but I find it much more convenient to stick with one battery and charging system so it's Dewalt for me.
Other considerations would be left or right blade models, again a topic sure to bring out strong opinions. Being right handed I tend to place my cutoffs to the right, with a right blade saw this means I need to look over and around the saw to see the cut line, the advantage is that the weight of the saw is better supported on the work piece enabling more accurate cuts. Left blade saws on the other hand give you an easy sight line but leave the weight of the saw largely unsupported as you come to the end of the cut. If you are left handed you will probably find the opposite to be true.
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