When you buy a circular saw, you can find two types called corded and cordless circular saws in the market. According to your requirements, you should select the desired tool that you need. So let’s see, is it worth buying a cordless circular saw by considering the cost, spare parts, service, troubleshooting, and many more.
It is really worth buying a cordless circular saw by spending 60$-150$. Because it can be used without a power cord and power supply, that will be easy to use outdoor and portable. Cordless saws are powered by Li-Ion batteries, and they can use about 30 mins continuously.
More than that there are both pros and cons I could see when I used this. So I would like to mention all in detail about the cordless circular saws. So let’s see whether it is compatible with you.
What is a Cordless Circular Saw?
A cordless circular saw is a type of circular saw that is powered by a rechargeable (Li-Lon) battery. Cordless circular saws are powered by the 18V, and 20V batteries with 3Ah to 8ah batteries. A cordless circular saw is a lightweight, powerful, battery-powered, easy-to-use power tool. It uses 4 1/2″, 5 1/2″, 6 1/2″, 7 1/4″ saw blades. Hence it can be used to cut different cutting depths. As well as it can be used for any location where access to power is limited or unavailable. Cordless circular saws are mostly used in wood cutting. Although it has a lower power due to battery, it has a significant performance and run time.
What are the Main Differences Between Cordless and Corded Circular Saws?
We can see both corded and cordless circular saws in the market. Among them, we should know what are the main differences.
- Power Supply – The main difference is the power supply. Corded circular saws have a power cord to connect the power supply. But cordless circular saws do not have a power cord. There is a Li-Ion rechargeable battery to power up the tool. Using this you can use it until it is dead.
- Amps – When the current is high, its torque can increase. There are 10 Amps and 15 Amps in the corded saws. But cordless saws have various currents. Because it is powered by a battery, when the circular saw current is reduced, it can be binding with the cutting surface. When the battery is discharging while it is using, you can face this.
- Weight – Corded circular saws are weightier than cordless circular saws. Most corded circular saws are with 7.25 inches saw blades. It is more weight because there is more winding inside it.
- Cordless saws are not weigh much, although there is a battery. It has been designed as it can be handled using a single hand.
- Saw Blade – Cordless circular saw blades are mostly 6 1/5″ and corded circular saw blades are with 7 1/4″
- Cutting Capacity – Cordless circular saws have 2 1/16″ of cutting capacity, and corded circular saw blades have 3″ cutting capacity.
What You Should Know Before Buying a Circular Saw?
1. Power Requirements of the Cordless Circular Saw
A cordless circular saw consumes less than 200W of power while it is used. Corded tools need a power supply and power cord to connect with the power supply. So you should have a proper standard wire cord when you use this.
But, if you use the cordless tool, you can use a rechargeable battery. Rechargeable batteries are with different voltages and capacities. Cordless saws have an optimized power consumption due to limited battery capacity.
There are both Li-Ion and Ni-Cd batteries are available in the market. I recommend you to buy a Li-Ion. It is less maintenance and safe. But Ni-Cd is not safe. When you use a long time you can see some charging problems there.
It is really worth having a cordless circular saw when considering its power requirements. Sometimes we are not able to provide a power supply to the worksite. At this time cordless tool is a very important one.
Considering safety it is safer than a corded one because there is no warning for the damaged cable and electric shocks. And also we no need to manage power cables. We can use it in any position easily.
2. Blade Size of the Circular Saw
The blade size of a circular saw is the diameter of the blade. This reflects both the cutting depth and the power that the saw can deliver while cutting the workpiece. The most common blade size for handheld circular saws is 7 1/4 inches. This size can cut up to 3 inches deep, which is sufficient for most DIY tasks, including cutting through 2x4s in a single pass.
There are also smaller circular saws available. Those have different blade sizes, such as 6-1/2 inches, 5-1/2 inches, or even smaller for compact and specialty saws. These smaller circular saws are useful for lighter tasks. Larger saw blades, such as 8-1/4 inches, are used for deeper cuts. Deep-cutting circular saws are heavier and require more power.
3. Performance of the Cordless Circular Saw
A cordless circular has good performance. But it is not higher than the corded tool due to the battery, there is a limited time performance. When the battery is discharging, its performance can be reduced. The tool is powered by brushes or brushless motors. Using a brushless motor will remain more battery capacity. Because it is more efficient than brushed motors.
The only disadvantage is not able to use a long time. It is not a worth factor.
4. Spare Parts and Maintenance of the Cordless Circular Saws
If you use a corded tool or cordless circular saw, you should service and maintain it. Because brushes can be worn, saw blades can be dirty and dull, sawdust problems, and many more.
Additionally, we have to charge the battery. Normally a Li-Ion battery can be used for about 3-4 years. If it charges and uses it properly. One of my friends used a battery for about seven years. So you have to spend additional costs on the battery and charger.
If you use a corded circular saw, you have to spend money for the power cord.
Other maintenance and services are the same cost. It depends on the way we use it.
5. Cost of Cordless Circular Saw
Usually, a 6.5-inch circular saw will be $60-$120 and a 7.25-inch circular saw will be $100-$150. This price will be varied with the manufacturer’s brand, saw blade size, battery, and voltage capacity.
When you buy a circular saw you should know how much will it cost for circular saw power, services and parts.
There are mini circular saws with smaller saw blade sizes. These can be used for thin workpieces. When you buy cordless circular saws, you should know whether the battery and charger are included in that price. Most of the time, we do not provide the battery can charger. We have to buy them separately. So you will cost an additional price for the battery and charger.
According to the voltage and capacity of the battery, its price can be varied. We can buy 18V, 20V, 36V, and 56-volt batteries with 1.5 Amh. 2 Amh, 3 Amh, and 5 Amh batteries. When the capacity is high, its price will be high. Sometimes we can see rapid chargers also. Normally a charging time will be 45 mins to 5 hours. So using rapid chargers, you can charge a battery in less than 30 minutes. So it is better to invest in these things.
And it is important to know you can’t work the whole day using a single battery. You should have 2-3 batteries with you. If you continue working with a single battery, it will be sufficient for 30 mins. So you should need to recharge it. I can recommend you to have 2-3 batteries with you. So you can use them by interchanging.
What are the Disadvantages of Cordless Circular Saw?
A cordless circular has disadvantages with comparing a corded circular saw. The disadvantages are based on the tool power, battery, weight, cutting depth, recharging, and durability.
- Cordless circular saws are generally less powerful than corded models.
- Cordless circular saws depend on battery life which can limit their runtime.
- Cordless circular saws need for replacement batteries can be an additional cost.
- A cordless circular saw battery can make the saw heavier, which might lead to user fatigue with prolonged use.
- Cordless circular saws often have smaller blades, resulting in less cutting depth.
- Cordless circular saw recharging batteries can take several hours, delaying work.
- Cordless circular saw batteries tend to wear out and lose capacity over time, shortening the useful life of the tool.
- Cordless circular saw performance can drop when the battery is drained.
