Circular Saws

What are the types of circular saws?

There are three types of circular saw based on the type and location of the motor:

Sidewinder, Worm-drive and Hypoid

Sidewinder Circular Saw

The sidewinder circular saw (direct drive) also known as in-line saw has motor attached to the side of the saw.

The motor may be positioned on the right or left of the blade. Your performance may be affected depending upon whether you are right-handed or left-handed.

This saw is compact and user friendly. As the motor is on the side, it is supported on the workbench side of the project. This provides extra stability which makes it easier to make accurate cuts.

Worm-drive Circular Saw

The Worm-drive circular saw has motor mounted close to the back of the saw; hence, it has a slim profile.

The blade is usually on the left of the motor. This arrangement puts most the weight of the circular saw on the right-hand side.

Hypoid Circular Saw

Hypoid circular saws look similar to worm drive saws as the motor is positioned in a similar manner.

However, the gear alignment and transmission of hypoid circular saw is different from the worm-drive saw.

It is better suited to projects that require more torque. It is suitable if you’re cutting dense, wet, or thicker pieces of lumber.

Cordless or Corded Circular Saw?

Cordless Circular Saw

A cordless circular saw is easy to carry and lighter as it eliminates the need to haul the bulky cord. It is easier to maneuver and handle.

As it is battery operated, the torque decreases as the battery drains. Having extra charged batteries on hand would avoid frustration. As it is convenient and easy to handle, it is good for home owners and DIYers.

Corded Circular Saw

A corded circular saw may provide uninterrupted power and speed as it is plugged to an electrical outlet.

Corded Saw with 15 amp power has a good torque.

What is a Laser guided circular saw?

A Circular Saw with built-in-laser guide helps in making a precise and straight cut.

A laser line is projected on your workpiece which can be used to mark the line with pencil.

What are the types of blades for a circular saw?

Circular Saw uses a variety of blades to cut materials, such as, wood, plastic, tile, metal, concrete.

Choose the type of blade based on the materials to be cut.

Steel blades are economical; however, the teeth can dull quickly. Carbide tipped blades are more durable.

For heavier materials, such as, masonry or metal consider abrasive wheel or diamond blade.

What are the common types of cuts made using circular saw?

Circular saws can be used for making straight crosscuts (cutting against the grain), miter cut (angle cut) and bevel cut.

The angle of the blade can be adjusted between  0 and 45 degrees for a bevel cut.

What is the common size of a circular saw?

The most common size for cutting 2x4s is 71/4 inch blade. The maximum depth of the cut by this blade is 2.25 to 2.5 inch.

Adjust the depth of the blade so that it doesn’t extend ¼ inch beyond the thickness of the material. If the blade is set too deep, it will result in a rough cut. For example if you are cutting 1.5 inch thick wood, set the blade depth to no more than 1.75 inch.

Other sizes of circular saw for home owners and DIYers are 6.5 inch and 5.5 inch which cut to an approximate depth of 2 inch and 1.5 inch respectively.

Always check, manufacturer’s manual for settings.

How many teeth should a circular saw blade have?

To get clean and smooth cut use circular blades with the number of teeth recommended for the material being cut, thickness of the material, direction of the cut (along or across the grain) and application.

Circular saw blades come in a wide range of tooth count from 14 to 120 teeth.

Lower tooth count cuts faster and rougher which may be good if you do not require smooth precision cut for your application.

Ripping plywood or plank along the grain is easier than crosscutting a piece of wood. Hence, lower tooth count makes ripping faster and cleaner. Use higher tooth count for crosscutting.

Tooth count for 71/4 inch circular saw blade for various applications:

24T is good for construction or demolition, rough carpentry, or rough cut in plywood

40T-60T for carpentry jobs as it provides smooth fine cut, or fine cut in plywood

What is an RPM of circular saw?

RPM or revolutions per minute measures speed of a circular saw. Higher RPM or speed circular saw provides cleaner cuts. Generally, sidewinder circular saws have higher speed and are bulkier. The RPM of commonly used circular saw ranges between 1500 RPM and 5,800 RPM.

What is Voltage and Amperage of circular saw?

The voltage of battery operated cordless circular saw may vary from 12V to 40V.

The corded circular saw is powered by the voltage of the electrical outlet which is generally 120V.

Amperage refers to the power output of the motor. Higher the amperage, higher is the speed of the motor. Compact circular saw motor range in amperage from 4 amp to 15 amp.

The best compact circular saw offers a balance between speed, size and weight for ease in handling.

What are some of the Safety Features of a Circular Saw?

Safety should be of primary concern when using any power tool.

Many compact circular saws have retracting blade guards and blade brakes to bring the blade to a quick stop.

Compact Saws may also have dual switch so that the blade does not start unless both switches are engaged.

Some compact saws have built-in-vacuum port that collects dust and debris from the work area.

Check manufacturer’s safety procedures and follow best practices in maintenance, handling and storing.

What to consider when buying a circular saw?

Determine the task for which you’ll mostly be using the circular saw – whether it is used for cutting lumbar, studs (2×4 or 2×6), plywood, flooring, metal, masonry, concrete etc.

Pick circular saw blade that is recommended for the material to be cut to get a smooth clean cut and reduce risk of injury.

Before buying a circular saw consider the type of motor (sidewinder or worm-drive type or hypoid), size, weight, speed, amperage and safety features of the circular saw. 

Consider laser guided saw and determine if cordless or corded circular saw suits your needs the best.