7 Best Cordless Circular Saws for 2022 – Buying Guide

Most of the cordless circular saws now have the cutting power to handle just about any job. DEWALT DCS391B which is our top pick in this list of the best 7 cordless circular saws has power comparable to that of a corded saw. After buying any battery-powered tool, the biggest advantage is you can work at any Jobsite without an electrical connection. They are best to use in areas where extension cords are difficult to use.

The saws we mentioned below are from trusted brands like Dewalt, Makita, Black&Decker, and Porter-Cable. The best thing is you can even interchange their batteries from the same brand tool. These lithium ion+ batteries will give you monster amp hours & more power for longer runtimes. More and more construction pros are choosing them over corded models due to the increase in the performance of the cordless circular saw.

As now you have decided to cut the cord, the next step is to choose the brand and model. Although it is always good to pick up the tool and see how it feels, unfortunately, you can’t do this. That’s where our reviews will help you to select the best one from different models based on their features, pros & cons. If you still can’t decide, our buyer’s guide helps you by giving all the information about circular saws you might need when making a buying decision.

Our Favorite Models:

7 Best Cordless Circular Saws – Reviews

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1. DEWALT DCS391B 20V Li-Ion Cordless Circular Saw – Top Pick

The DeWalt DCS391B circular saw is very popular due to its wide array of features. First of all, its 5250 RPM motor delivers lots of power and speed, making even the most demanding cuts easy.

This saw comes with a 6.5-inch carbide-tipped blade, which is designed to both crosscuts and rips the material. The blade brake feature quickly stops the blade as soon as you release the trigger to prevent accidents. The tool is capable of making cuts up to 2-¼ inch at both 45- and 90-degree angles. Because this saw has a 5/8-inch arbor, you can use a different variety of blades for your different cutting job.

The magnesium shoe feature provides Jobsite durability, helping the saw last longer and maintaining long-term accuracy. A 0 to 50-degree bevel increases the saw’s overall capacity to make swift and accurate bevel cuts. Being just 7 lbs, you won’t get tired much working with this tool.

The saw is compatible with all types of Dewalt batteries (minimum 5ah battery). We found the optimized, rubber grip on handle very comfortable. This DeWalt cordless circular saw also comes with three years limited warranty.

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2. Makita XSS02Z 18V Battery Cordless Circular-Saw – The Runner-Up

The Makita XSS02Z has a powerful but relatively quiet motor that delivers 3,700 RPM for fast and smooth cuts. This saw has the same 6.5-inch blade and 2 ¼ cutting capacity as the Dewalt, allowing it to handle most pieces of wood.

The heavy-gauge, precision-machined base is surprisingly smooth to provide accurate cutting in harsh job site conditions. It is made of heavy-gauge material for improved durability.

With just over 7 lbs, including the battery, it still feels lightweight & sturdy; you can use it for a long time before feeling fatigued.

Like Dewalt, it comes with 6.5″ Blade which provides a 2.25″ cutting capacity & bevel up to 50-degree. It does not include the blade brake safety feature. The saw can bevel to a maximum of fifty degrees, which allows you to use it for a variety of projects and applications. This saw is compatible with all Makita batteries.

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3. BLACK+DECKER BDCCS20C 20V – Best Cordless Circular Saw for the Money

The Black + Decker BDCCS20C is a value for money option for a cordless circular saw. Even though it’s half the price of our top pick Dewalt, it comes with battery and charger.

This motor has high torque but not much as compared to our top 2 picks. It comes with slightly smaller but efficient 5 ½-inch fast cutting blade for a variety of cuts. If you are a professional or works on Jobsite, then this saw is not the most powerful one; it is only good for homeowners.

This saw also lets you adjust the depth of the cut without using tools for quick adjustments on-the-go. Our favorite thing about this saw is that it comes with both a battery and a charger, so you don’t need to buy them separately.

If you are buying a circular saw (cordless) for the first time, then it is an excellent decision to buy with a 2-year limited warranty.

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4. PORTER-CABLE PCC660B 20V Lithium-ion Cordless Circular Saw

This Porter-Cable PCC660B is a good power saw up to some degree. Its high-performance 4000 RPMs motor deliver aggressive & smooth cutting. It also uses the same 6 ½” carbide blade & offers 2 1/8” cutting depth like our favorite models.

At only 6.5 lbs, this is the lightest saw to use all day.
Like other most cordless power tools makers, it is also compatible with other Porter-Cable batteries. You can interchange the batteries of other Porter-Cable tools.

The shoe is not made out of high-quality, durable materials even though it bevels up to 50 degrees. It does not keep its shape well over time, which can result in inaccurate cuts. The rest of the saw is made out of flimsy, low-quality material as well, which makes us question the long-term durability of this machine.

The safety mechanism on the trigger is not acceptable and may lead to an injury. The blade is not easy to replace. If you are working with other Porter-Cable tools, then you may think of buying this otherwise go for our top choices.

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5. Milwaukee M18 2630-20 Circular Saw (Cordless Battery Version)

When performing a woodcutting job, you wish for high power and heavy-duty performance. In that case, the Milwaukee 2630-20 circular saw is the one for you. Along with the sturdy construction, it comes with a powerful motor that spins the blade at a speed of 3500 RPM.

This circular saw comes with magnesium guards present on blade top and bottom. These guards help the saw by protecting them from any bumps and drops and assures its safety. The electronic brake safety feature on this 6.5 inch saw helps you to stop the blade in case of an accident.

You can make bevel and depth adjustments of up to 45 degrees providing great flexibility in getting different cuts. It is compatible with M1818 volt lithium-ion batteries. As it is a bare tool so you will need to buy the batteries separately. This circular saw comes with a 5-year warranty.

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6. SKIL CR5406-10

SKIL CR5406 is an ideal choice for any DIY-Enthusiast looking to make fast and precise cuts. This cordless circular saw comes with a 20V Lithium battery and a charger that keeps it through your cutting job. Also, you get a powerful motor that spins the blade at speed of 4500 RPM to cut through hardwoods easily.

This powerful compact size circular saw comes with a 6.5-inch carbide-tipped blade, flexible enough to provide clean and curved cuts. You will get a bevel capacity of 0-50 degrees, which allows you to cut at different angles. It is effortless to adjust the cutting depth & angle-of-cut without using any tool.

With the ergonomic design and safety lock, it is easy and comfortable to handle the saw for safe and efficient work. It comes with a LED light feature that provides excellent visibility of the cut line, making it more useful.

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7. Hilti SCW 22-Volt

Most of you may not have heard about this Hilti tool, but one thing to note about it is highly expensive. And their Hilti 3482502 SCW cordless circular saw is also costly. Although it has all the essential features for a good tool like its powerful motor of 4000 RPM produces enough power to handle most types of wood.

It uses a 6 ½-inch blade, which gives it a cutting depth of 2 ¼-inches. This saw bevels to 50-degrees, allowing you to make a variety of cuts.
As you’ll notice, this saw does come with a bag, charger, and two batteries, that’s why it is so much more expensive than other options.

It comes with an electric blade brake that stops the tool quickly when the trigger is released to stop accidents. These types of tolls are made for a heavy-duty construction site, not for any homeowner or hobbyist.

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Buyer’s Guide

While we did review five different saws, we understand that there are plenty of other options on the market. If none of the saws we reviewed are suitable, this buyer’s guide can help you sort through all the best circular saw options out there. Here’s a quick rundown on the corded versus cordless choice.

Power

When you think about the power of a saw corded/cordless debate comes in mind. But that was old talk. Nowadays, battery technologies have become so powerful that they can compete with the plugged-in tool. If you are going to do most of your work in the house or just doing tasks like plywood and 2x4s, then find a cordless saw. But if you are a pro and like to do heavy-cutting, corded is the better choice.

They are best suited for cutting wood and wood products, due to the limitations of their batteries. You can also cut tough materials, but the extra power needed for those applications drains batteries quickly. Higher the volts more the cutting power.

Size

Cordless saws typically range in size from 5-3/8 to 6-1/2 inches. This factor is going to determine how deeply you are going to cut. The size of your saw will determine the depth of the cut. Cordless saws will have a smaller depth of the cut due to their smaller blades. You must know what depth you are going to cut before choosing one for you. Most of the models will provide you a standard depth of 2-1/4, which is limited due to smaller blades.

Blade

The larger the blade, the deeper the cut. A saw is only as good as the blade it has on it. Even the best saw can’t perform well if it has a low-quality blade. At the same time, adding a well-designed blade to a lower-quality saw can significantly enhance its performance. As you might expect, choosing a blade is often just as important as selecting the saw itself. 

Not all the saws come with the best quality blades. We recommend purchasing a separate blade for your circular saw. Not all cordless tools are designed to handle all blades; however, so be sure to consider the size of your saw before you purchase a blade. The high-quality blade comes with carbide-tipped for cutting wood, plywood, and other wood products; applications include framing and fine finishing.

The Blades designed to cut wood and other materials are vastly different because wood is the most common material being cut with circular saws. Blades for timber have clearly defined teeth ranging from over 100 small ones to around 24 large ones and categorized by the type of cuts they make. Rip cut blades and crosscut blades are different, though there are some blades designed to make all sorts of cuts, including shave cuts. 

Blades for metal cutting are toothless but have channels to allow heat to escape. Blades for stones, concrete, and other masonry have no teeth and instead appear to have a sandpaper-like covering. You can learn more about the types of circular saw blades.

Check the blade size of other power tools in your workshop. If you have power tools that use the same size blade, they can be swapped, which can save you more money in the long run. You can also use the miter saw & table saw blades on circular saw if they are of the same size.

You should also consider how easy it is to change the blade on your saw, especially if you’re going to be tackling a wide variety of projects. Some saws come with an onboard wrench that makes it easy to change the blade, while others have toolless blade changes. 

Battery Life

Cordless saws get their power from batteries and can only run for as long as their batteries last. How long the battery lasts depends on several factors, including battery size, how old it is, what you’re cutting, and even the temperature. 

Some cordless circular saws naturally have longer run times than others. Still, there are plenty of ways for you to affect the runtime of any saw directly. You can purchase bigger batteries or even buy a backup battery, which would effectively double your runtime. 

Having batteries also means that you have to charge them. A dead battery isn’t going to get you anywhere. Usually, chargers are not included with the saw and cost quite a bit of money too. If you’re working outside your workshop, you will likely want to take the charger with you, adding yet another thing to remember and carry.

Portability

Cordless saws are often very portable and useful in the areas where there is no electricity. You don’t have to worry about dragging out miles of extension cords, either. Often, people choose to purchase a cordless saw due to its sheer portability alone. 

However, some cordless saws are more portable than others. Some just aren’t made for the rough-and-tumble of the back of a truck, and others have such a short battery life that they are difficult to use away from your workshop. Weight can also play a factor here. Heavier saws are going to be more difficult to lug around, especially when you add on the need for a couple of batteries and a charger. 

If portability is important to you, choose a saw that is easy to transport and durable. Our number one pick is a great option, as are a couple of the other saws we reviewed. 

Maneuverability

A bulky or poorly designed power saw can make even simple cuts difficult, lead to fatigue, and even be dangerous. Luckily, most well-designed saws are easy to use. If ease of use is particularly important to you or if you’re a new user, be sure to look at things like weight, grip, and line-of-sight when choosing a saw. For instance, a sidewinder circular saw is lightweight because the motor is on one side of the saw, as compared to a worm drive saw.

Safety

Many cordless circular saws come with built-in safety features, such as safety locks and blade guards. Occasionally, you’ll find a tool with an extra safety feature or two, but this is pretty uncommon. You should specifically look for cordless tools with good blade guards, which prevents you from accidentally touching the blade. Most power tools have semi-transparent blade guards, though some have solid blade guards as well.

Storage

You likely aren’t going to be using your saw all the time, so it is essential to consider how easy it is to store. Luckily, most cordless models are easy to store. They can be easily put into a tool bag or stashed in a closet. Many saws even come with their tool bags, which makes storing and transporting them even easier. Since they are smaller than most corded saws, they work well in confined spaces.

Brand and Flexibility

When it comes to cordless tools, brand matters, in many cases, all the battery-powered tools from one brand can share batteries. If you already have a couple from one brand, it might be in your best interest to buy the same brand’s saw as well. That way, you won’t have to purchase another battery and might even have a few on backup. 

Cost

Corded and cordless models have different prices. More expensive is not always better, as you can see from our reviews. You can even find pretty good circular saws in the budget. These saws cost somewhere between $50 to $500. 

Conclusion

So, in the end, we firmly think that Dewalt DCS391B is our Top Pick for a cordless circular saw. It is powerful, accurate, and lightweight with the most runtime with the right battery. This saw is an excellent option for both DIYer and Professional. As a value for money option, we also recommend the Black + Decker BDCCS20C. This little saw is far cheaper than the competitors but still performed well in our tests. It comes with a battery, charger and a saw and two years warranty.

With battery and motor technology improving rapidly, you don’t need to think about the performance of a cordless tool. Batteries nowadays are so much power over their counterparts that they can handle just about any job. We are confident our reviews will help you to find a perfect cordless circular saw for the right job.

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