Sometimes, it's easier to take the tool to the work than the
other way around. That's why we have a well-worn portable circular
saw in our shop, and we'll bet you do, too. For large built-in-place
projects, a circ saw is worth its weight in gold. Meanwhile,
in the shop, it earns its keep by helping break down sheet goods
into tablesaw-manageable sizes.
Circular saws come in two basic
varieties—helical-drive
models (sometimes called "sidewinders") and worm drive—with
blades ranging
from 4" to 16" in diameter, and costing
anywhere between $30 and $700. For this test, we focused on
sidewinders with 7 1/4" blades and drawing 13 to 15 amps.
These tools provide the best balance of power, price, portability,
and versatility. Also, you'll find the widest selection of specialty
blades in this size, for cutting non-wood materials, such as
concrete, tile, and metal pipe. Tough testing for tough tools
To make certain we evaluated the saws and not the blades that
came with them, we first set aside each saw's supplied blade
and installed identical 24-tooth, carbide-tipped Freud Diablo
blades. After a short motor break-in, we got to work ripping
pressure-treated 2x8s, as shown in the photo on this page-a
demand
ing task for any saw. While pushing the saw to the point
that it was under heavy load, but not ready to stall, we timed
a three 5' rips, and averaged the cutting times. We found that
a circular saw's ampere rating tells you how much electrical
current the motor uses, but it can't tell you how well the saw
uses it. For example, one of the 13-amp saws made the 5' rip
faster than all but one of the 15-amp models in the test.
To
see how dust would impact the saw's workings, we made 50 crosscuts
with each saw in 8"-wide cement-and-cellulose
siding, a notoriously dusty material. All of the saws passed
this test with no apparent effect on motors, bearings, or blade
guards. Finally, we spent a month just using the saws; sometimes
with the supplied blade,
sometimes with the Diablo blade; cutting
freehand and guided by a straightedge. We even made pocket (plunge)
cuts in oriented-strand board (OSB) and oak plywood. This month
of "playing" gave us a good feel for the settings,
adjustments, and how easy it is to follow a cutline.
You can
see learn the results of our testing of the Bosch 1657, Craftsman
27108, DeWalt DW369, Hitachi C7BD, Makita 5007NHK,
Milwaukee 6390-21, Porter-Cable 347K, and Ryobi CSB130K. Just
pick up the April
2002 issue of WOOD magazine and turn to
page 84. Or, you can download the complete
review, including
charts
and photos, for only
$4.95. |
