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A home handyperson may choose to buy a circular saw for the same reasons that carpenters and builders have choose to use them for years: they are powerful, portable, able to be set up quickly to do many types of cuts, such as rip cuts, crosscuts and also cut many non-wooden materials. With the introduction of Docking Saws the job of cutting has been made a lot easier, but this style of saw is not designed to do the same work as the humble circular saw, for example try ripping down a long piece of timber or trimming off those newly laid decking boards with anything but a circular saw.

[edit] Is Bigger Better?:

In most cases YES. Circular saws come in a few different sizes (Normally based on the diameter of the saw blade), Ranging from 125mm (4-15/16”) up to 230mm (9-1/16”) with the most common size being, 190mm (7-1/2"). They also are typically rated by horsepower and/or RPMs of the saw blade. When choosing a circular saw take into consideration what you are going to use the saw for and how thick the timber or materials are that you wish to cut, a good rule of thumb is to buy the saw that has the highest horsepower in the size you what. The reason for this is that they are less likely to bind / or jam when under a load, especially when cutting green or wet timber.

Approximate Cutting Depths:

• 125mm (4-15/16”) – 41.5mm (1-5/8”)
• 190mm ( 7-1/2”) - 60mm (2-3/8”)
• 230mm (9-1/16”) - 85mm (3-3/8”)

As you can see the bigger the blade the deeper the cut you can make, but remember that the larger units are also heavier. A good all round saw would be the 190mm (7-1/2") and would probably be adequate for most projects that the home handy person would tackle.

[edit] Saw Adjustments:

Circular Saws have controls for adjusting the depth of the cut and the bevel of the cut (the saw blade can be beveled from zero to 45-degrees). Check to see that these controls are easy to adjust and can be firmly tightened to hold the depth or angle. Some models use relatively large, lever-type controls where others employ little more than a wing nut.

[edit] Safety Features:

Circular Saws all have some basic safety features. Check to see that the saw you're considering has a safety switch, which must be held before the trigger can be depressed. There should also be a blade guard that moves easily when pushing the saw through wood or other materials, but springs back into place when the saw is clear of the cut As with all tools, circular saws can be very dangerous if not used properly. Always read, understand and follow the safety instructions that come with the saw.

[edit] Additional Features:

Better quality saws employ additional features such as an anti-locking clutch, which are flanges on either side of the blade that will allow the blade to slip if the blade binds or jams on the material you are cutting, this is to protect the motor and drive mechanism. Another very useful feature on most of the new models available now is a blade lock, which locks the drive spindle in place, making it much easier to change the saw blade as compare to the older models.

[edit] A.C. Power vs. Battery-Powered Saws:

With the recent advancement in battery technology in the power tool market it has finally allow manufactures to bring out a range of battery operated model circular saws. These are wonderful for small to medium size cutting operations; they're lightweight and perfect when you need to reach high to make a cut. However, some of the cheaper models do lack the in horsepower and the staying ability of the battery and aren't much use for cutting more than a just a few boards. We would definitely recommend having one of these battery-operated units on hand, but not until you have a number of other tools in your arsenal.