Most heavy-duty projects usually require owning a corded circular saw with a strong motor with more than 3000 RPMs that can cut through everything from wood to metal.
Circular saws are known for making straight and accurate cuts that table saws and routers cannot achieve easily.
However, not all of us are experts and know how to handle such devices, which is where compact circular saws come into play.
This article will revolve around finding the best compact circular saw on the current market and help you learn about the specs and intricacies that constitute a quality compact circular saw.
We’ve done our end of the research and found seven circular saws that can be classified as the best ones out there, so stay tuned until you find the one you like the most.
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If you’re not that thrilled about reading tons of information about compact circular saws, here’s the general overview of our three favorite picks!
Top Products on the Market: Top 7 Circular Saw Reviews
If you’re trying to find the perfect mix of efficiency and compactness, you should search no longer. The Worx WX429L 4 Amp WORXSAW review will undoubtedly make you realize why you should invest in this product.
The Worxsaw WX429L is the ultra-compact circular saw that all woodworkers should experience. It measures 15.08 x 4.17 x 5.79 inches, weighs 4.4 pounds, and the blade length is 4.5 inches. Most mini saws have similar dimensions, but the special thing about this Worx WX429L compact unit is the efficiency at which it runs despite its lowered specifications.
The motor runs at 3,500 RPM, which is the appropriate speed for making quick and accurate cuts on all wooden materials, including hardwood and some metallic alloys. Of course, you can make bevel cuts up to 45 degrees by adjusting the lever that is conveniently put on the side of the compact saw.
Some of you might be worried about the positioning of certain parts and think that it’s designed for left-handed people, but that’s where you’d be wrong. It’s designed in this way to optimize a clear line of sight on the work area and to give you maneuvering options. The maximum depth is two inches, which is the standard for compact saws.
This is also a corded-electric unit, meaning you won’t have to worry about losing power in the middle of a project and messing up your straight line cut. Of course, you’ll have to hassle with cords, but it’s a small price for a product of this value for money you’ll be investing in.
Moreover, we’d like to mention that this model bears a lot of similar features to its brother, the 7-¼-inch circular saw, but it gives you much more space for maneuvering. All in all, you won’t find a better and more compact mini circular saw than the Worx WX429L.
- Lightweight design
- Left-handed optimization
- 3,500 RPM motor with corded power
- 45-degree bevel cuts
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You all know about DeWalt and the amazing work they do with power tools, so it makes sense to include one of their compact circular saws on this list. So, here’s the DEWALT ATOMIC 20V MAX Circular Saw.
Unlike most compact circular saws, this DeWalt model features a brushless motor that pulls 4500 RPMs at full power. For those that are not informed, a brushless motor has an integrated electromagnet powered by a direct electrical current, without any brushes that regular motors have.
The resulting outcome is much more efficient and allows the user to experience cutting at higher speeds without worrying about going over the limit. On the other hand, these motors are more expensive, but they don’t require maintenance.
Naturally, the DeWalt brand carries a price tag of its own, so you can expect that you’ll pay a bit more for this compact circular saw than you would for a regular one, but the features are there to prove you otherwise. This mini circular saw features a removable handle and a hang hook for easier handling and more control.
Also, the unit features an electronic brake for safer cutting conditions and bevel gear that’ll allow you to make consistent curved cuts at solid cutting depth. With DeWalt, you can count on it all - the battery is consistent and has a long lifespan, the model comes with a dust port adaptor and a solid 2-inch wood blade.
We’d like to say that this cordless compact circular saw is not flawed, aside from the high price. If it were cheaper, it would undoubtedly take first place on this review list. For now, we’ll leave it as a runner-up.
- 4500 RPM brushless motor
- It comes with a hang hook, dust port adaptor, and an electronic brake
- Long battery life
- 2-inch high-quality blade
- Slightly overpriced
All compact cordless circular saws have the size for a home workshop and the features to prove it, but the best mini circular saws should also be included as they’re still viable for light-duty projects that require fast cuts. So, here’s our favorite mini circular saw, the Teccpo Mini Circular Saw.
Teccpo produces all woodworking power tools - from drills and drivers to heat guns and saws, such as this one. Their power tools have also found their way into the gardening world thanks to their strong motors and safety features. Also, they’ve integrated some smaller firms like Popoman into their franchise, meaning that they’ve spread and diversified their selection of saws.
In this case, you know that you'll be getting a great deal when you take a look at the specifications of this compact circular saw. It has a powerful 4.8 amp motor that gives the user the ability to cut at the maximum speed of 3700 RPMs. The best thing about it is that you don’t have to limit yourself to wood, thanks to the efficiency of its motor and blade. You can cut wood, metal, plastic, and more in a single cut.
If you’re worried about its overall accuracy, you’ll be glad to hear that it has a laser guide system and a 7-inch ruler to make sure you don’t drift when you cut. The laser guide is very easy to use, and it doesn’t affect the general field of view when you’re cutting.
The best compact saw will usually differ from its competition in the overall balance of features in combination with its weight and size. In this case, you’re getting a lightweight product, weighing only 5.25 lbs, that can still compete with corded circular saws that contractors use.
The manual is a bit confusing, so it’s best to either contact customer support or search for a YouTube tutorial on how to change blades and use some of the accessories. Next to this, we can’t find any flaws that could dissuade a potential buyer, including us.
- Quality manufacturer
- Powerful motor with a laser guide system
- Carbide-tipped blade x3
- Lightweight mini circular saw
- Confusing manuals
There are many bare-tool compact saws on the market, but it’s quite rare to find a solid circular saw kit that matches the information that was advertised. Well, here’s the exception with the Rockwell Versacut 4.0 Amp Ultra-Compact Circular Saw.
First, let’s talk about the build and the design of Rockwell RK3440K Versacut. It has a 4.0 amp motor that can achieve a maximum speed of 3500 RPM. With the combination of a strong and durable blade and this motor, the Rockwell RK3440K Versacut is capable of cutting through a wide selection of materials, including sheet metal.
This ultra-compact circular saw has an ergonomic design with a slim and soft-grip handle that’ll work wonders on your hands and also allow you to have more control over the saw and the workpiece.
But, we haven’t answered the question from the beginning - why is it the best kit? Well, it comes with some cool accessories, including a laser guide indicator, three blades with 24 teeth that have the maximum cutting depth of 1-1/16 inches, and a carrying case for the unit and the power cord, including the blades. The best part is this is one of the rare kits that you can get for around $100.
Also, this compact circular saw comes with a dust extraction adapter that will keep your working area clean and help you focus on the cutting line and the depth of cut. Furthermore, many Rockwell products, including this one, are backed up by a two-year warranty, which is quite fair for a mid-range compact circular saw.
The adjustments could use some fine-tuning, but that’s all in terms of flaws. Otherwise, this is the kit you want to have on the field if you’re a contractor.
- Easy to maneuver
- 3500 RPM speed
- Safety features
- Depth of cut/ maximum cutting depth
- Dust extraction adaptor and a carrying case
- Two-year warranty
- Flimsy adjustments
If you already have spare blades and no room for extra accessories in your kit, maybe the optimal solution would be to order a bare tool as a replacement for your current compact circular saw. Well, we’ve done the job for you and found the best one, the Genesis GCS445SE Compact Circular Saw.
The obvious benefit of ordering a bare tool is, naturally, savings. However, it’s not a bad idea to purchase a bare tool even if you have one already, just in case it gets damaged. This circular saw has a 4.0 amp motor that can cut the stock at 3500 RPM with no effort. It is a corded circular saw that measures 17 x 4 x 5 inches and weighs only 4.7 lbs, lower than most mini circular saws.
The depth and bevel controls are easy to master, and the levers are placed in easy-to-reach locations on the sides of the saw. Thanks to the design and a crafty blade from Genesis, you’ll be making bevel cuts and crosscuts before you know it.
It should worry you that this is a mini circular saw since it can cut through 2x4’s with ease, no matter whether they’re made of wood, metal, plastic, or anything else. Small circular saws are one of the best products that you’ll use for small and precise cuts, which is only possible due to their design and light-duty properties.
In this case, the premium 24T carbide-tipped blade rotates at fast speeds and leaves no debris behind, thanks to the dust extraction adaptor. Even if you damage it, you’ll be happy to know that the 2-year warranty covers all parts of this compact circular saw.
Searching for its flaws hasn’t been an easy job, and the only thing we could find was the occasional flimsiness of the blade guard that had to be readjusted manually. It didn’t fall off, it only extends to a certain degree, and then you have to move it back to start cutting.
- Affordable bare circular saw
- Depth and bevel controls
- Dust port and a 2-year warranty
- Powerful motor
- Blade guard adjustments
Since there are so many similar cordless circular saws, it can be hard to find the right one for a beginner. Therefore, we searched through Amazon’s pages and found the best compact cordless circular saw for beginners, the Makita SH02R1 12V MAX Cordless Circular Saw.
So, why should beginners be interested in this model?
Well, it doesn’t offer that much power as most of the previous small circular saws, which isn’t bad in this case since beginners should learn how to use these power tools with a less advanced product.
Secondly, the Makita SH02R1 12V is one of the smallest units on this list, measuring 14.5 x 8 x 10.2 inches and weighing only 3.5 lbs.
Such a lightweight circular saw will be great for a beginner since he or she will be able to get a better grip on the tool and make more precise cuts without accessories or laser guide systems.
Also, the Makita SH02R1 12V is a cordless compact circular saw, which means that the user will be able to cut freely without hassling with cords.
The overall specs are a lot lower, and that is generally the downside, especially when it comes to the lithium-ion battery. However, this kit comes with two slide-style batteries that’ll expand on the overall time it takes you to cut a board and give you additional power.
Also, Makita is a solid manufacturer of power tools, so it’s logical to expect a nice deal from them in terms of the warranty. This compact circular saw, the Makita SH02R1 12V MAX, would land you a 3-year deal on all the parts, including batteries.
We should also mention that the cutting depth for bevel cuts at 90 degrees is 1 inch and ⅝ of an inch at 45 degrees. Naturally, we don’t have to tell you that the base can be tilted to the standard 45 degrees.
Overall, it’s a great deal that you shouldn’t skip out on if you’re getting into woodworking and carpeting. The Makita SH02R1 12V MAX doesn’t offer much, specifications-wise, but it’ll do wonders for developing your skills.
- The Makita SH02R1 12V is extremely lightweight.
- Perfect for beginners
- Makita’s line of the best compact mini circular saws
- Two 12V batteries
- Low specs
We’ve made it to the final product of these compact circular saw reviews, and we have another quality saw from Worx to wrap it all up. So, here’s the last product in the mini circular saws reviews, the WORX WX427 Compact Saw.
As you know, Worx has a pretty decent lineup of saws in general, not just circular saws. They have beautiful devices with great performances and great blade design. The same goes for their line of compact circular saws, including this model.
Same as our second pick, the DeWalt model, this compact circular saw has a brushless motor that works excellent in pairing with the direct AC output since this isn’t a cordless circular saw. It can deliver 4000 RPM in speed, and the overall runtime is almost 50% higher than with the models that have brushed motors.
The reason we think that this mini circular saw is the easiest to use is due to some of the features that we think are pretty useful to beginners.
The cutting depth adjustments are made on the side levers that are easy to reach, the left-handed design and the laser guide system allow you to work precisely and accurately, and the slim handle offers you absolute control over the compact circular saw.
However, it lacks some things. For example, the handgrip, albeit slim, could be more ergonomic since it doesn’t fit all hands universally. Also, the finger-pull lever cannot be fixed, so you won’t be able to put your finger on the saw if you need a tighter grip. Overall, we’d say that there are some small errors in terms of design, but it’s nothing that could create a serious problem.
Overall, it’s an affordable mini circular saw that comes with a lot of benefits, including a limited warranty, so there shouldn’t be any reasons not to purchase it if you’re okay with smaller design flaws.
- Powerful, brushless motor
- Quality lithium-ion battery
- Left-handed design for a better field of view
- Cutting depth
- Smaller design flaws
How to Find the Best Small Circular Saw?
If you’ve been woodworking for years, you’ve certainly operated a mini circular saw. If not, and you’re just starting to learn about all of these, the buyer’s guide is for you. Also, it couldn’t hurt for some experienced woodworkers to freshen up their knowledge of these devices since they’re being updated each day.
We’ll dedicate the next couple of paragraphs to showing you some of the features that you should observe and learn about regarding the best compact circular saws.
Stay tuned!
1. Design
You’ve probably noticed that we dedicated a lot of sentences to the overall design of the best compact circular saws that we’ve reviewed. It’s an important segment of their overall build since it dictates the way you’ll use it and how quickly you’ll master the way it functions.
Of course, the more features and accessories it has, the better, but there are some things that we’d like to point out to you. For example, all compact mini circular saws have bevel and depth adjustments, but their positioning is important when working with a handheld device.
In order to get a good grip and a precise cut, you’ll sometimes have to use both hands to control the compact saw, and having the levers close to your fingers on the side will undoubtedly prove useful in such cases.
Also, small details, such as the compact grip on the handle and the way the saw looks and feels against the palms, are important, so make sure not to get a saw that doesn’t correspond to the size of your hands. It also wouldn’t hurt to get a circular saw with a laser guide system, or at least a ruler, since it’ll help you improve the overall feel over the saw very fast.
2. Strength
We’ve talked a lot about motors and how they function, but we’ll give you a quick rundown of how it all works.
Each compact circular saw has either a brushed or a brushless motor that has a certain capacity and, consequently, the speed that it can rotate the blade at.
The motors in the best compact circular saws can rotate the blades at 5000 RPMs, but that shouldn’t be a priority for you if you’re new to this.
The same goes for the capacity.
You’ll find models with 3.8 Ah or 4.0 Ah, but for now, you should be looking at either a cordless circular with a good battery and decent speed or a corded machine with a high capacity. Either way, you’ll do fine, but it’s something to think about.
3. Stability
Finally, we want to address stability as an important factor in choosing a compact saw. The main thing you should focus on is the weight - the smaller, the better. That’s not always the case, but it does work for compact circular saws.
Secondly, most of these units have metallic shoes on the bottom that help you stabilize it against the workpiece, so look for the one made out of the best material. We recommend stainless steel or different steel alloys.
Finally, the grip is very important since you’ll be using it to control the way your best compact mini circular moves across the table, especially if you’re going against the grain.
Ask the seller to let you feel the machine if you’re purchasing it directly from the store. Otherwise, check for dimensions and measure them up against your hand.
FAQs
What is a mini circular saw?
A mini circular is a type of saw that features a smaller blade size at its disposal and slightly lowered specifications than larger saws. It usually makes cuts that are 1-inch deep or 2-inches deep, and it works quite fast in comparison to some corded circular saws.
Are compact circular saws good?
Absolutely yes. Even though they have lower specifications than most bulkier circular saws, they’re still efficient and able to cut through all the materials that corded and stationary models can.
Furthermore, they’re more affordable and let you practice without restraints, such as weight or cords.
What is a mini circular saw good for?
Since a lot of larger saws tend to have bigger blades, they’re mostly used for heavy-duty projects and contractor tasks.
If you’re working on something smaller, you’ll definitely need a mini circular saw since it makes clean and precise cuts that are not that easy to make with a large saw.
What’s the best handheld circular saw?
If we’re talking about compact saws, it’s undoubtedly the Worx WX429L 4 Amp WORXSAW. However, if we’re focusing on the general picture, we can name many products from reliable firms such as DeWalt or Skil. As for us, we prefer the Rockwell RK3441K mini saw.
Can a mini circular saw cut a 2x4?
It depends on the saw, but absolutely. Most premium manufacturers will include quality blades with cutting capabilities of two inches and more, but the battery life will suffer since most compact saws have low capacities.
Still, if you’re in a hurry and you don’t have a larger saw at the moment, a mini saw will do the trick.
Final Thoughts
We know that this has been a very long article, and we won’t keep you here much longer. For some final words, we’d just like to say that it doesn’t matter if you’ve liked a certain cordless circular saw or a brushless corded model; the bottom line is that these units are the best compact circular saws out there right now.
If you need a recommendation, we believe that the Worx WX429L 4 Amp WORXSAW will do wonders for you.
Also, DeWalt’s products and Makita’s are absolutely necessary for today’s age, so make sure to check them out too.
- [SMALL FOR A REASON] Quick, more efficient cuts and you can take it with you when you don’t want to lug a big saw around
- [EZ-SET DEPTH GAUGE] The lever lets you go from 0-45 degree bevel settings with quick adjustment
- [MADE FOR LUMBER] Excellent depth-of-cut for slicing up to 2" stock lumber. Cut 2x4s in a single pass. It also cuts metal, tile, and plastic
- [SEE THE CUT] Left-sided blade optimization gives you a clear line of sight on anything you’re cutting
- [DO IT YOURSELF. DO IT BETTER. DO IT WITH WORX.] WORX tools are engineered with cutting-edge technology, and above modern efficiency standards, so you can build a cost-effective tool collection...