6 best circular saws to help you achieve cleaner, straighter cuts (tested by our team)

Are you on the lookout for the best circular saws? The right one can help you trim down your wooden doors, board out your loft, build a new deck and much more. Whatever project you have lined up, a circular saw will give you that all-important professional finish.

While most people prefer a handheld option, which is usually cordless and lightweight, more serious DIYers or woodworking hobbyists may choose something larger, like a table saw.

With the help of this guide, you'll be able to make an informed decision about the best circular saw for your next DIY project – whatever your ability level and budget.

The Quick List

Short on time? Here's a quick round-up of the best circular saws, including jump links to our full review.

The best overall circular saw

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If you want a well-built, quality circular saw that’s fit for cutting doors and laminate wood flooring, then this great all-rounder from Makita is one for your shopping list.

The HS7601J/2 comes with a decent-sized aluminium base plate to keep it steady and an aluminium safety cover to help stop unwanted accidents. Equipped with a 1200W motor that delivers 5200rpm, it has enough power to make light work of cutting through standard 35mm doors and thicker wood.

It also has a maximum depth of 66mm at the default zero degrees. An easy-to-use rear angular guide allows for up to 45° bevels, but this reduces the maximum depth for a cut to 46mm – still enough if working on a door.

While there is no laser guide to assist with cuts, a functional metal guide ensures that you get straight and accurate lines. The blade that comes with the saw is a little coarse, so you might need to invest in one with more teeth for smoother cuts. But thanks to its flat motor housing, it's easy – and safer – to switch blades with this model.

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The best cordless circular saw

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The Ryobi ONE+ HP RCS18X Brushless Circular Saw gives you the freedom to take it wherever your latest DIY project happens to be, without worrying about needing to be near a power point.

This is a very capable circular saw that is as happy being used as an occasional tool at home or for more serious projects. It easily rips through a variety of materials including battens, studwork CLS timbers, chipboard, and gloss-coated MDF. Its rotation speed of 4500 RPM and the 184mm blade with a cutting depth of 62mm also allows for the cutting of most sheet materials.

It comes supplied with a removable adjustable fence for accurate cutting of long strips or trimming sheet materials, and the base is marked with guides when free cutting a pre-drawn line. There's also an LED light which proves useful for highlighting the guide markings if there are any shadows.

The tool is sold separately, but it is part of Ryobi's ONE+ range so it shares battery compatibility with all the usual suspects such as drills, saws and finishing tools.

Read our full Ryobi 18V ONE+ HP Cordless Brushless Circular Saw review.

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The best budget circular saw

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If you want a circular saw that will get the job done with minimum fuss but can’t justify splashing out on a top-of-the-range model, then this saw is definitely one to consider.

The Mac Allister 1500W Corded Circular Saw may not be built for heavy-duty use, but it's a top choice for the occasional DIYer. Powered by a 1500W motor, it has enough grunt to get through wood with ease.

The supplied disc is a 24T model, which is great for ripping through timber — especially along the grain — and the cutting depth of 66mm is ideal for most DIY jobs. The only downside is that our tester would have preferred a longer lead to make manoeuvring around easier, and it would be nice if a carry case were included.

Read our full Mac Allister 1500W Corded Circular Saw review.

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The best circular saw for accuracy

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This DeWalt Circular Plunge Cut Saw is much more than an occasional tool – it’s not cheap, but you are getting a pro-level circular saw here. This model brings quality, precision and comes as a kit with some essential extras.

The saw has a parallel plunge action for quick, precise cuts, and the blade is fully enclosed for both accuracy and safety. It also makes sure that 90% of dust goes out the exhaust port rather than around the room, meaning there's less mess to clear up afterwards.

Powered by a 1300W motor, the saw has a maximum of 4200rpm and comes with a 165mm 48T blade that helps create clean, sharp and smooth crosscuts. The smaller blade means that you don’t get quite such a deep cutting depth, but at 59mm, it's still more than enough for wooden doors and flooring.

Plus, it’s capable of up to 45° bevel cuts at 40mm – again, still ideal for doors. Also included in the kit are 1.5m guide rails for perfect straight cuts, a heavy-duty carry case, and two clamps for improved accuracy.

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The best circular saw for serious DIYers

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Cordless, sturdy and well-designed, this circular saw is a great option that you can take with you anywhere.

You get a 190mm blade – with a maximum cutting depth of 65mm – and an 18V motor which, during testing, powered through a range of renovation projects, from plywood and MDF to softwood and hardwood.

The brushless motor delivers an excellent runtime of 68 minutes, according to the manufacturer's guidelines, but it doesn't come with a battery or charger, so you'll have the extra expense of purchasing these separately.

During testing, we were impressed with its high-quality design, the neat and accurate cuts it produced, and the locking button for extra safety. While it is more expensive than many of the options in this guide, we couldn't find much to dislike about this model, making it a worthwhile investment for those who DIY regularly.

Read the full Einhell Professional Cordless Circular Saw review.

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The best mid-range circular saw

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You get plenty of performance from this cordless saw, which has high torque and a longer runtime thanks to its brushless motor technology.

With a maximum speed of 5400rpm, the included 165mm disc still boasts a cutting depth of 61mm and up to 45° bevels. A standard parallel guide, a laser guide and a soft grip help ensure that you can get good straight lines when cutting wooden doors, boards and flooring.

It is worth noting that while the Erbauer saw is part of the EXT one battery system, it doesn’t include a battery, so you will need to purchase this separately. Be warned, this will up the price by around 70%, as the saw is not compatible with previous generation Erbauer tools.

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How we tested the best circular saws

The Homebuilding & Renovating team has hands-on experience with the products in this buying guide to help you feel confident about choosing the right tool for your project.

In our ongoing independent reviews, we have tested the motor power and build quality to gauge each saw's efficency, and assessed key factors, including ease of use and value for money. We've also reviewed everything in-between from included attachments to which households will most benefit from buying a specific circular saw.

Our team is passionate about DIY and home improvement (which probably won’t be a surprise) so we already have detailed knowledge about the brands that make the best circular saws.

For more information on our process, read our dedicated page on how we test products.

Our review panel

Wondering who tested the best circular saws? Meet our review panel below:

Curated by

Curated by

Megan Milstead

This buying guide was curated by Homebuilding’s content editor, Megan Milstead.

Tested by

Tested by

David Hilton

David is a renewables and ventilation installer, with over 35 years experience, and is a long-standing contributor to Homebuilding and Renovating. He is a member of the Gas Safe Register, has a Masters degree in Sustainable Architecture, and is an authority in sustainable building and energy efficiency. He tested the Ryobi 18V ONE+ HP Cordless Brushless Circular Saw.

Tested by

Tested by

Steve Jenkins

Steve Jenkins is a freelance content creator with over two decades of experience working in digital and print and was previously the DIY content editor for Homebuilding & Renovating. He tested the Mac Allister 1500W Corded Circular Saw and Einhell Professional Cordless Circular Saw.

How to choose the best

Looking to cut your wooden doors, lay some laminate flooring, or board your loft? You need to get the best circular saw for the job. Here, we take a look at some of the things you need to look out for:

1. Cutting depth and bevel capacity

The cutting depth is how deep the saw can cut into the wood. The common depths range from 40mm to 60mm+.

This is ideal for popular DIY jobs, like cutting doors, MDF, boards and flooring. Remember though that not every cut will be a straight cut, so choose a product that helps you get the cleanest possible edge.

2. Saw blades

Saw blades come in a few different sizes, have different bores (the hole in the middle) and a different amount of teeth.

When replacing a circular saw blade, the first thing you need to check is the size of the blade itself and the bore size. Get either wrong and the blade won't fit.

Once you have the right size blade, you need to choose how many teeth. As a general guide, the more teeth, the smoother the finish. 60T-80T (this is the amount of teeth) is good for cross-cutting (cutting across the grain) on doors and flooring.

If you’re cutting timber with the grain, however, you can choose a blade with less teeth, like 24T.

3. Safety features

Power tools can be dangerous, so take a look at what safety features a circular saw has. An electric brake is a useful addition, as it helps bring a blade to a stop quicker.

Check out the blade guard, how much of the blade it covers, and how sturdy it is.

4. Accessories

A couple of accessories that work well with the best circular saws are a hard carry case and a dust bag.

A hard carry case will protect your circular saw from knocks and damage, while a dust bag will collect any excess dust. This will stop it spraying everywhere, prevent you from breathing any dust in, and there will be less mess to clear up afterwards.

FAQs

What size circular saw do I need?

The most common size circular saw is a handheld that boasts a 165mm-190mm saw blade.

Physically, they are very similar in size, but bigger blades need more room, so these are generally larger and slightly heavier.

The larger saw blades typically have a slightly deeper cutting depth, but both choices are ideal for standard interior doors, flooring, boarding and most woodcutting DIY jobs.

Do I need a bench to use a circular saw? 

No. Handheld circular saws are the popular choice for DIYers, as they are typically the least expensive option and do the job that most hobbyists want.

Bench/table saws are larger, more expensive, less portable and generally the tradesperson's choice. Unless you do a lot of woodworking and have your own workshop, there’s no real need to own one.

For more expert-backed advice on the best tools, read our guide on the best mitre saw and best cordless drills.

Edited by Beth Murton.