Help me find a circular saw, please!

I'm in the market for a new circ-saw. I've been looking at a refurbished Bosch CS5 for about $110USD, but want some outside opinions. I'm going to give my criteria and/or preferences and I'd like y'all's help to find my new saw. My budget is $150USD. I'll go ahead and put the rest of my wants, needs, and don't wants and don't needs in a list below. I'm going to suck at making this list. I think I'm going to end up with bullet points marking sentences in a paragraph, but whatever...

- I'd prefer a sidewinder over a worm drive saw.
- I have next to no brand biases (I've heard bad things about the Hitachi circ's and I want a brand with a warranty)
- I want a corded saw (I don't need the extra portability)
- 7 1/4" preferably, though 8 1/4" is fine, too. (though, I don't see the benefit, as I still can't cut a 4X4 in a single pass and blade life is that drastically different)
- Weight isn't that big of a deal. I don't plan on hanging it off my hip and when you're cutting, weight helps keep it from climbing.
- I'd prefer a saw with a brake on it. At work, I use a saw without a brake and it's reeaallllyy nerve racking.
- A high RPM saw is preferable (other reason that I don't want a cordless unit)
- Longevity/durability is a big deal as I plan on keeping it for a long time

I can't think of much else... To recap: Durable, High RPM, corded sidewinder with either a 7 1/4" or 8 1/4" blade and a brake. It seems that most saws have the blade on right and that's what I'm used to, but then apparently having the blade on the left gives you better visibility of the cut..? I don't know. I reckon it'd still rip a 2X4 just fine. As long as it doesn't kick the dust back at me I'll be happy with it. Oh, wait, I guess that mean's that I did think of one more thing... ANYWAY, sorry for the poorly-put-together (I can't think of the word that I'm looking for ) question-thing (it's 2AM), but thanks for reading! Any help would be greatly appreciated!

 

Welcome to the forums.

I've got an old Black and Decker that is awesome and it can't be killed.
Unfortunately B and D is not the same company today.

I recently bought a Milwaukee 7-1/4" saw. It was $125. Awesome performer.

I see they have the Bosch saw you are looking at....but brand new... at the depot for $112.
Bosch 15 Amp Corded Electric 7-1/4 in. Circular Saw -CS5 - Home Depot

 

The Milwaukee 7-1/4" saw has always been my favorite saw. Back when I was doing carpentry for a living I did a lot of cutting in the field with guides and I found the Milwaukee's sole plate was less likely to get out of parallel with the blade. Below is the model I used notice the the bevel arc is heavy cast metal not thin stamped steel and the depth setting method of a cast metal guide track that will hold up to knocks without the sole plate getting misaligned to the blade.

I had to retire more than one working Black and Decker because it would no longer follow a guide accurately. If you use a table saw perhaps not so important but I often used it for cuts that might otherwise have been made on a table saw.

 

Personally I like my Porter Cable left hand saws. Why left hand? It is pure stupid to have to look over the saw to see your line while the left hand saw allows you to look down on your side and see it. It has a forward dust expulsion tube, magnesium body, blade brake, and some have wrenchless blade change nuts. You just have to get used to the weight of the saw being on the right side rather than left, but it is really convenient. I say this since you mentioned worm drive. I bought a Bosch left hand, but the dust expulsion was at the back of the saw and it all wound up on your pants legs, so that was a bummer. Since the PC's aren't manufactured any more, you may have to resort to an auction site to get one.

 

All saws are going to have the about the same RPM since they use the incoming power phase to regulate it. I doubt there's a big difference between 5800 and 6200 in actual use.

The Bosch you noted doesn't have a brake, but it is a left blade model which makes the cut line easier to see. No leaning over the saw to see the line. But I use a speed square if I have lots of dimensional of lumber cuts, a rip guide of some sort for sheets, and a cordless (all lh blade AFAIK) for just a few small cuts,so the left blade isn't THAT vital to me.

I have a slightly older Makita 5007MG (no lasers, but does have a lighted cut line) that is a beast. Magnesium shoe and motor casing, large easy to adjust levers for depth and bevel, heavy duty case with blade storage, 5800 rpm. Comes with a premium Makita framing blade.

I got this a while back to replace and old faithful Skill Classic that I loved for many reasons, but it was noisy, heavy, and just plain worn out I guess. Compared to it I could barely tell the Makita was running it was so quiet and sliced through treated lumber like butter. Also, I'm not positive, but it was mentioned in a few reviews...no stupid safety button that has to be pushed before you can pull the trigger.

The 5007MGA has all those features plus lasers and a brake, but will run you $170, even on Amazon. If it were me, and it was going to be used a LOT or on big projects. I'd pony up the extra $20. If not, stick with the 5007MG. It's on the 'net at $139 or available through HD and others at $149.

https://www.factoryauthorizedoutlet....Fcm2wAod9e8NAA No tax, free shipping

 

If you want plenty of power for cutting 2x lumber, be sure to go for a 15 amp model. 12 or 13 amps is too wimpy.

Funny thing is, worm drives are left handed and most "sidewinders" are right handed. I, as Chandler said, like my left handed PC.

 

My skil saw died so I was left with just my worm drive craftsman. I really grew to like it except for the weight. I bought a Bosch left hand saw a few years ago and really like it. Doubt I could go back to a traditional right hand saw.

 

That's half the fun of using a circular saw...... the mess all over the operator.

 

What ever you do stay away from really krappy tools like Roybe, a quality tool will last a life time, a cheap tool will only let you down.

I love all my Dewalt tools, not the most expensive but for home owner
use they are excellent.

I have really good luck buying refurbished tools, figure the issue was caught and they come with warranty!

 

I'm definitely looking into a 15 amp saw. I'm running all 20 amp breakers, so I can't think of a reason not to. I really hadn't considered Milwaukee. I look to Milwaukee for their Sawzalls and drills and never really think about them making anything else (even though they make just about everything else). I looked into Makita, Bosch, DeWalt, and a couple others, like Skil. From Makita I was considering the 5007MGA, which I haven't used but liked every Makita tool I've owned and used. Looked at the DW364K, which I've used one and really liked. Then of course, I've considered the Bosch CS5. I forgot which one I looked at from Skil. Modt of the saws I've looked into are out of my budget, but heck, I just spent my tool budget for the month on random crap. I was waiting to go to the airport to get someone and ended up walking into a store and one thing lead to another and I watched myself hand 150 dollars to someone and I walked away with three bags of randomness. Honestly, I'd have to check the receipt to even know what I bought. I know I finally got a pair of trim clip pliers and (I took about 5 minutes to think about this) a 15 dollar tire for a lawn mower trailer. Oh, and a 4 dollar stethoscope. I'm just glad I got away from the air tools, I was eying a mini air ratchet

So, yeah. I'll look into Milwaukee, too. By the way, the saw I use at work is a Porter Cable. It's fine, it's built well, it just doesn't stand out as a saw that I want.

 

There must be a story for this in there somewhere that I missed!

 

Roadside car repairs and health inspections for at risk women between 28 and 52. Lol

 

Lol. It's the type with the long pokey bit on the end. There's some awful squeal coming from one of the idler pulleys on my mother's SUV. I figured it'd save me a little bit of time figuring out which one it was. Impulse bought it. I decided to carry something like $200 in cash that day in case I saw my saw (see what I did there?) in a store, but alas, I walked away with a stethoscope. I checked the receipt and I bought 26 clamps of various flavors, 6 pairs of pliers, and some pretty sweet sand paper (not literally, the stuff taste like dirt. Go figure.).

 

Still don't have a saw, do ya? Nothing like brain f@rting when shopping for a specific tool