Question about Circular saws - Is it right for me?

JenP85

Hi there.
I hope it's okay to ask here but I have a question about corded circular saws. 
I have a budget of around £100-£120 (at a push) and most people say you can't go wrong with a DEWALT. So after a !!!!!! of research i discovered the dewalt 560 which has very good reviews. 

However, i am not sure it's what I need any more after listening to a few ppl on Facebook. So, i am here to ask you lovely people "Is it right for my needs?"
I HAVE used one before (many years ago) but it was literally to cut some plywood and MDF down to fit into the car.

The reason i am in the market for one is I have just moved house and need a few tools for some DIY jobs. The jobs I am looking to do is as follows;

Cut down some Kitchen work tops
Cutting MDF for wall panelling (This is one of the main reasons I am buying one)
Trim some doors down to size (I got some free ones from FB and They're WAY longer than I need and seems like a better option than a planer)
Cut some Garden posts
Cut some floorboards/scaffold boards up for shelving, frames etc

As far as I was aware this is what they were made for. However, speaking to a few people on FB they said it's useless for most of these as "You can't cut a straight line with them unless you're VERY skilled" I mentioned about using a straight edge guide but i was basically told "No" and that I'd be better off with a plunge saw and a guide/track.
Sadly, these are WAY out of my price range.
So, would I be wasting my money buying a circular saw/am i expecting too much from one? 

You may be asking "If you've asked for help somewhere else why are you here? Well, the reason i am 'questioning' the advice I received is because of the patronising way they were put with most calling me "love", talking down to me or asking if I knew a 'man' who could help. One even saying, and i quote "A circular saw (normal folk call them Skill saws for a reason. Not for Amateurs) Sounds like you don't know how tools work so best Leave it to the pros and pay for a man to do it" -_-

Thanks for any info you can give - Thanks
 

MikeJXE

Dewalt tools are the construction industry preferred tool brand for tradesmen (in my 40 experience anyway)

As regards for plunge saw it wouldn't  be any better if it wasn't for the guides if it has any, plus if they don't run the length of the cut they wouldn't be much use anyway

Just practice cutting along the waste side of a pencil line you will soon get the hang of it 

sparklymarkly

A circular saw will do most of the things you want - some better than others.
 I have used one many times over the years (I have a Bosch Professional which I am very pleased with - was about £90 IIRC) and if you want a straight line and can use a straight edge (batten screwed into the waste side) you can get a very good straight edge. I have cut worktops with mine but only to use in the garage - not sure I’d trust the finish if it was for the kitchen (unless using those metal joint strips which hide the edges).
It won’t do fence posts in one cut  - the blade simply isn’t big enough but you could overcome that by cutting twice.
The thing to remember is they are pretty fierce machines so ensure whatever you’re cutting is on a solid base, ideally clamped and be ready for the ‘kick’ when it starts cutting. Just BE CAREFUL!!

danrv

JenP85 said:

Cut down some Kitchen work tops
Cutting MDF for wall panelling (This is one of the main reasons I am buying one)
Trim some doors down to size (I got some free ones from FB and They're WAY longer than I need and seems like a better option than a planer)
Cut some Garden posts
Cut some floorboards/scaffold boards up for shelving, frames etc

I have the DeWalt DWE 560 and it's great.
Light and compact.
Will do all those jobs. Just cut the garden posts in two goes as they're thicker than the 65mm cutting depth.
I have the case included too. Worth it for ease of storing and keeping the guide and spanner together.

Take safety precautions obviously and wear the necessary PPE. 
Setting up guides for certain jobs takes a bit of time and working out. I use flat top clamps so that the motor housing can pass over them.

Does depend though on how confident you are with power tools and if you do DIY regularly. Quite easy with a bit of patience and practise.

grumbler

My 2p ...

Dewalt is like Apple - good, but, in terms of value for money, overpriced because of the hype.

Guides are perfectly fine for long cuts, just clamp it reliably to the board you cut and on the correct side of the cut.

FreeBear

sparklymarkly said:

A circular saw will do most of the things you want - some better than others.
 I have used one many times over the years (I have a Bosch Professional which I am very pleased with - was about £90 IIRC) and if you want a straight line and can use a straight edge (batten screwed into the waste side) you can get a very good straight edge. I have cut worktops with mine but only to use in the garage - not sure I’d trust the finish if it was for the kitchen (unless using those metal joint strips which hide the edges).

I manage perfectly straight cuts - Clamp a wide strip of wood to what ever you are cutting and push the saw along. The guide can go on either the waste side, or the other as long as the clamps don't foul the saw. I use a strip of 12mm MDF.

Laminate worktops can be cut with a circular saw - Use a fine blade and cut from the underside. Do a rough cut first leaving the worktop ~6mm longer than needed, then go back and do the finishing cut. For a perfect edge, a router with a suitable long bit will clean up the cut edge (just leave it a few mm oversized). No need to use those horrible ugly joining strips. The router will also come in handy for cutting holes for sinks & hobs. And if you want a perfect fit along the back make a template, scribe it to the wall, and then use it with a guided router bit.

cerebus

Have you considered second hand? 

It's the quality of the blades and the type that's just as important as the machine especially if you are doing different types of cut such as ripping or cross cutting

Plunge saws are very good but start at around 180 

Any decent make will do you , you really need to pop into a local tool shop which have them out on display so you can pick them up and see which one feels right for you , personally I prefer a lighter one and find hikkoi to be quite light 

Take your time picking one , look after it and it should outlast you!

I've always preferred a hand saw to chop down fence posts due to the thickness of them 

greyteam1959

You are paying a lot of money for a brand name 
Plenty of non branded excellent products around.
Probably all come from the same Chinese factory.

daivid

Makita Red at that price range, also within reason, the blade makes more difference than the saw.

danrv

greyteam1959 said:

You are paying a lot of money for a brand name 
Plenty of non branded excellent products around.
Probably all come from the same Chinese factory.

Can't beat this for value. 
Just a little heavier than the DeWalt.
https://www.screwfix.com/p/evolution-r185ccsl240-1200w-185mm-electric-multi-material-circular-saw-220-240v/285fj

Gavin83

JenP85 said:

Hi there.
I hope it's okay to ask here but I have a question about corded circular saws. 
I have a budget of around £100-£120 (at a push) and most people say you can't go wrong with a DEWALT. So after a !!!!!! of research i discovered the dewalt 560 which has very good reviews. 

However, i am not sure it's what I need any more after listening to a few ppl on Facebook. So, i am here to ask you lovely people "Is it right for my needs?"
I HAVE used one before (many years ago) but it was literally to cut some plywood and MDF down to fit into the car.

The reason i am in the market for one is I have just moved house and need a few tools for some DIY jobs. The jobs I am looking to do is as follows;

Cut down some Kitchen work tops
Cutting MDF for wall panelling (This is one of the main reasons I am buying one)
Trim some doors down to size (I got some free ones from FB and They're WAY longer than I need and seems like a better option than a planer)
Cut some Garden posts
Cut some floorboards/scaffold boards up for shelving, frames etc

As far as I was aware this is what they were made for. However, speaking to a few people on FB they said it's useless for most of these as "You can't cut a straight line with them unless you're VERY skilled" I mentioned about using a straight edge guide but i was basically told "No" and that I'd be better off with a plunge saw and a guide/track.
Sadly, these are WAY out of my price range.
So, would I be wasting my money buying a circular saw/am i expecting too much from one? 

You may be asking "If you've asked for help somewhere else why are you here? Well, the reason i am 'questioning' the advice I received is because of the patronising way they were put with most calling me "love", talking down to me or asking if I knew a 'man' who could help. One even saying, and i quote "A circular saw (normal folk call them Skill saws for a reason. Not for Amateurs) Sounds like you don't know how tools work so best Leave it to the pros and pay for a man to do it" -_-

Thanks for any info you can give - Thanks
 

My opinion would be to ignore those FB people. You absolutely can cut a straight line with a circular saw, you just need a straight piece of wood. Use the factory line of plywood or MDF. 

The only advantage to a plunge saw is ease and speed and I’d recommend this path for a professional or a keen hobbyist. For relatively infrequent use a circular saw + wood guide will do the job just fine.

I own a number of tools and I’d say the circular saw would be my choice for some of those jobs. They’re really good at cutting down large sheets or cutting that’s too heavy/unwieldy to move easily. It’s terrible for cutting small bits, nor angles and not particularly good at crosscuts. However it will do most cuts if required. I’d suggest a circular saw should always be someone’s first power saw.

I’ve got a Makita circular saw but the majority of my tools are Dewalt. I certainly don’t have any complaints. I’m sure you’d be happy with that choice.