[dodgeboy77]

I thought I'd throw my 2 cents in. I have a regular 'sidewinder' circular saw and recently bought a Ridgid worm drive for no real good reason other that I wanted one, liked the reviews it got and the fact that I can see the blade edge easier. I don't do a much construction; mostly I use the circular saws for breaking down sheet goods and smaller projects with 2x's.

The Ridgid is a nice saw and is one of the lighter worm drives. That being said, the worm drive is heavier than most sidewinders and is a definitely less nimble to move around. I know guys are up doing roof framing with them but they just aren't as easy to pick up and swing around as a sidewinder. Quieter, though!

I think my next circular saw may be a 6-1/2" Ridgid Fuego. Light and powerful, I may modify it so I can use it as a track saw.

Bill

 

[Sprung]

So, you've got both Makita & Hitachi? Would you kindly tell me the difference between these 2 and the Skil I mentioned?

The Makita is a circular saw, as is the Skil you linked to. The difference is how they are driven by the motor. The Makita is a direct drive, while the Skil is a worm drive. Worm drive saws are usually quite heavy. Each person has their preferences, but I've never used a worm drive circular saw, so I'm not one to ask which one is better.

The Hitachi you mentioned is a compound miter saw - a completely different saw. You won't be able to cut sheet goods with it, but you can crosscut with it up. Not only does it provide you the ability to accurately cut angles, but also compound angles.

A circular saw and a compound miter saw are two completely different saws, and both are quite useful saws to have.


Edit: I just realized jschaben also answered this question and gave a good answer to it too. Make sure to read his response!

 

[against_the_grain]

I know there are a few circular saws out there with a dust port . Anyone have that on their circular saw and how well does it work ? I know its not typically a must-have feature, but was curious at how well dust collection works on those.

P.S. Aside from the Festool brand.

 

[Aditya]

From your posts, it appears you have been looking at 3 very different circular saws.
The worm drive saw, the Skil you referenced, is a heavy duty hand held saw that is also physically pretty heavy and, IMO, not easy to handle and awkward on all but the heavy straight line cuts used in construction.
The compound miter saw, ie the Hitachi you reference, is a bench top saw used primarily for precision cross cutting. Unusable for making rip cuts safely.
The Makita you referenced is commonly referred to as a circular saw here in the states. That is a hand held saw that is primarily used in construction and in breaking down large sheet goods into more manageable sizes.
All you have been looking at are very good quality, but all very different in design tasks. That, I have no way of knowing shipping issues or tax/duty issues in getting one of those to you. :huh:

Thanks John. This was excellent one could tell me. So I think Skil is not for me.

 

[Aditya]

The Makita is a circular saw, as is the Skil you linked to. The difference is how they are driven by the motor. The Makita is a direct drive, while the Skil is a worm drive. Worm drive saws are usually quite heavy. Each person has their preferences, but I've never used a worm drive circular saw, so I'm not one to ask which one is better.

The Hitachi you mentioned is a compound miter saw - a completely different saw. You won't be able to cut sheet goods with it, but you can crosscut with it up. Not only does it provide you the ability to accurately cut angles, but also compound angles.

A circular saw and a compound miter saw are two completely different saws, and both are quite useful saws to have.


Edit: I just realized jschaben also answered this question and gave a good answer to it too. Make sure to read his response!

Thanks. After reading jschaben's and your thoughts, I think I may need both of them. But that would be expensive...

 

[Aditya]

I thought I'd throw my 2 cents in. I have a regular 'sidewinder' circular saw and recently bought a Ridgid worm drive for no real good reason other that I wanted one, liked the reviews it got and the fact that I can see the blade edge easier. I don't do a much construction; mostly I use the circular saws for breaking down sheet goods and smaller projects with 2x's.

The Ridgid is a nice saw and is one of the lighter worm drives. That being said, the worm drive is heavier than most sidewinders and is a definitely less nimble to move around. I know guys are up doing roof framing with them but they just aren't as easy to pick up and swing around as a sidewinder. Quieter, though!

I think my next circular saw may be a 6-1/2" Ridgid Fuego. Light and powerful, I may modify it so I can use it as a track saw.

Bill

Thanks for your inputs.

 

[jschaben]

Thanks. After reading jschaben's and your thoughts, I think I may need both of them. But that would be expensive...

If you're on a budget, and I don't know of many who haven't been at some point, the circular saw (Makita or similar) is your most flexible choice. It will crosscut, rip and do bevels. More preparation needs to be done to secure stock to perform the operations safely but the saw is flexible enough to do them.
Again, I have no idea what is available to you in India. I'm fairly certain of Bosch, deWalt and Makita. Metabo is also a fairly well respected brand in Europe but has a limited product line selection in the US that does not include saws.
Whatever you choose, I wish you the best of luck:smile:

 

[Lola Ranch]

depends on what your use is

I have used and owned many different styles and brands of circular saws over the years. I've purged my assortment and I am down to just one at this point and it is my Skil Mag77 7-1/4" worm drive.

I don't use it in the shop much and then only for cutting rough stock to rough length for easier handling. I have considerable experience as a framing carpenter and it is in this capacity that the worm drive saws become the obvious choice.

Worm drive saws are heavy and are designed to be used cutting down, gravity assisted, with the right hand while holding your stock with the left. The majority of the saws found in the tool boxes of professional framing crews are worm drive Mag 77 Skil saws.

Bret

 

[Aditya]

I have used and owned many different styles and brands of circular saws over the years. I've purged my assortment and I am down to just one at this point and it is my Skil Mag77 7-1/4" worm drive.

I don't use it in the shop much and then only for cutting rough stock to rough length for easier handling. I have considerable experience as a framing carpenter and it is in this capacity that the worm drive saws become the obvious choice.

Worm drive saws are heavy and are designed to be used cutting down, gravity assisted, with the right hand while holding your stock with the left. The majority of the saws found in the tool boxes of professional framing crews are worm drive Mag 77 Skil saws.

Bret

Thanks for your suggestion. I think that is the saw I mentioned in my post here-- http://www.powertoolsspot.com/skil-mag77-75-review/ that I read about. But that is $190 and not what I would buy for DIY projects. Plus with your experienced view here, my decision is sort of 90% made.

 

[Chapstick]

I have had my fair share of circular saws over the years. Up here everybody just calls them skill saws but technically that is just a brand name. Anyways, for the last couple years i have been rolling with a rigid worm drive. It's somewhat light for a worm drive and it is unstoppable. I want to say it was about $160 but it has been a few years. Before that I had a regular porter cable saw and it was great. It was made of magnesium and was super light. I loved that saw but it eventually broke so i upgraded to the worm drive. But for light duty stuff i would check that porter cable out. Also, unless its 28v cordless saws are a joke. Just keep in mind, there are left handed and right handed saws. Choose accordingly. I hate lefty saws !