Which Circular Saw: Why do power tool manufacturers offer so many variants?

[daleyd]

To be fair we've had good results from the Milwaukee blades, 165x40T and I think it's a 22T blade on the M12 circular saw.

The Dewalts just seem to be cheaper.

The Bosch 22T that came with the saw has been excellent for general cutting - I also picked up a Trend 40T blade to do the worktops but found it was too thin to grip with the screw clamp! I ended up making a washer from a cornflake box which was enough, I hadn’t realised they did different thickness blades

 

[Keith 66]

First circular saw i used was Dads big old Black & Decker one of the old blue green metal cased bodies, It was big, noisy & scary, Dad told me always stand on the side away from the blade so if it kicks back it goes out & away. Made sense to me! I used it for roughing out big stuff in the boatyard for years.
It finally expired & let its magic smoke out about 6 years ago.
I replaced it with a Festool TS 55 tracksaw... Bought to do one big job it paid for itself in a week. I was astounded at the sheer accuracy & cleanness of the cuts, literally like they had been planed. They are a gamechanger.

 

[Pigeon_Droppings2]

I replaced it with a Festool TS 55 tracksaw... Bought to do one big job it paid for itself in a week. I was astounded at the sheer accuracy & cleanness of the cuts

I have the same setup...the cuts are beautiful. It's only gets used when required of course.

 

[Smallfry]

I think thats a bit over the top. We rip 12mm and 18mm chipboard all day freehand with cordless battery Milwaukee and Makita saws freehand. Maybe you need a bit more practice?

As I made and restored furniture for twenty years before I packed in working, I think I have had enough practice, thanks very much.

 

[Mikey D]

First circular saw i used was Dads big old Black & Decker one of the old blue green metal cased bodies, It was big, noisy & scary, Dad told me always stand on the side away from the blade so if it kicks back it goes out & away. Made sense to me! I used it for roughing out big stuff in the boatyard for years.
It finally expired & let its magic smoke out about 6 years ago.
I replaced it with a Festool TS 55 tracksaw... Bought to do one big job it paid for itself in a week. I was astounded at the sheer accuracy & cleanness of the cuts, literally like they had been planed. They are a gamechanger.

I remember my dad had a metal cased black and decker drill , you could get all kind of attachments for it , I remember the circular saw attachment ....
Things have come a long way since those times !

 

[Craig-SM]

I remember my dad had a metal cased black and decker drill , you could get all kind of attachments for it , I remember the circular saw attachment ....
Things have come a long way since those times !

I think that was my first experience of circular saws with that attachment, not a good one either but still have all my fingers but probably explains why it took so long to get another.

 

[Keith 66]

The Drill attachments are not to be confused with the metal bodied saws, it was at least 1.5 hp & had a blade a foot in diameter. You hung on to that beast for grim death! Its last job was cutting a keel from a plank of oak 3" thick & 18ft long, the magic smoke started to issue forth halfway along the last cut & it struggled on & just managed to do the last bit. Dad bought it not long after i was born so it had lasted 60 years. A worthy end!

 

[Craig-SM]

The attachment was the spinny blade of death, jumped about everywhere probably due to the heavy drill ensuring there was no way it was ever going to be balanced. Ripping a full length of wood with a blunt handsaw with a cracked wooden handle that would nip your skin repeatedly was preferable to using the circular saw attachment.