Small circular saw ?

[Sven]

I know from a lot of tries that I can't use a guide to make a perfectly straight cut with a sabre saw, even if the sabre saw is really really good.

I don't want to carry a full-size 7 (+/-) inch circular saw since it takes too much space. Are there smaller circular saws out there that are compact and would let us cut 3/4" stock at up to 45° ? Since we are talking about teak in most cases it can't be some chintzy won't-do-anything-tool but it has to be able to actually help us do carpentry on the hook with an inverter.

Thanks,



-Sven

 

[Glyn Judson]

Small circular saw.

Sven, I have both of these, the Makita 50910, eBay #220926200264 and the Makita 4200N, eBay #260932017141. I once used the 3" blade, 12 volt one with a so-so battery to cut four feet of 3/4" plywood and finished the cut, barely. With a new battery in it, I'm sure I could have done several if not many more of the same cut. The second one has a 4" blade that cuts like a son of a gun and has served me well for many years. Either of those would be near the top of my list and with 110 volt capability aboard, I'd opt for the latter. Spare parts are still readily available here for the corded model: http://www.ereplacementparts.com/makita-4200nh-circular-saw-parts-c-97_98_101_1551.html This 7.5 amp, 11,00RPM little powerhouse roughly measures 8" X 8" X 8" with a 10 foot power cord. Hope this helps, Glyn

 

[Glyn Judson]

Makita 4200N

Sven, I don't know the date of this ad but here's one for $30.00 http://hanksspace.com/hand-a-power-tools/saws-a-accessories/item/163-makita-4-3/8-circular-saw-4200n Oh and I guess it's a 4 3/8" blade and not 4", my bad. Glyn

 

[Dan Morehouse]

Sven,

If you envision doing a fair amount of carpentry work, or want a tool that will last, I would recommend looking for a 4"-4-1/2" worm drive type circular saw. The blades on these are not mounted right on the motor shaft; rather, they are on a shaft driven by a worm gear oriented 90 degrees to the motor shaft. I have a 4.5 amp Porter Cable Model 314. I like it because it's light and compact enough to use overhead, at the top of a ladder, with one hand. It will cut through material about 1-1/4" thick, and will do 45 degrees through 3/4" material. And it won't burn out after binding the blade three or four times. Mine is probably ten years old, has been used hard, and still runs great.

 

[Sven]

Sven, I don't know the date of this ad but here's one for $30.00 http://hanksspace.com/hand-a-power-tools/saws-a-accessories/item/163-makita-4-3/8-circular-saw-4200n Oh and I guess it's a 4 3/8" blade and not 4", my bad. Glyn

I have a 4.5 amp Porter Cable Model 314. I like it because it's light and compact enough to use overhead, at the top of a ladder, with one hand. It will cut through material about 1-1/4" thick, and will do 45 degrees through 3/4" material. And it won't burn out after binding the blade three or four times. Mine is probably ten years old, has been used hard, and still runs great.

Thanks Glyn and Dan. I'll look into all of those !



-Sven

 

[tenders]

I have a little 3 3/8" Makita circular saw, battery-powered, and it cuts dry plywood beautifully with a carbide-tipped saw blade. It does NOT cut wet plywood very well, though!

If you have a decent-size inverter though I would go with an AC powered saw. If you need it, you're not going to want to wait for it to charge and you're not going to want to have it die halfway through any job.