The circular saw is a hand-held tool for sawing blanks from a wide range of materials: wood, plastic and even metal. The tool is irreplaceable on a personal plot where construction of a country house is conducted. In the apartment the saw will be necessary during repair: with its help it is possible to cut off plywood, a laminate, door, plastic panels.
Content:
The best manufacturers of circular saws - which company to choose
European and Asian companies are competing for a long time, fighting for a leading position in the market of construction tools, while improving product quality and expanding its functionality.
The best manufacturers of circular saws:
1. Bosch
2. Hitachi
3. Husqvarna
4. Makita
5. Metabo
Circular saw design and principle of its operation
Most circular saws have a similar design, the difference is made up of additional elements that expand the functions of the tool or increase the safety of working with it.
The main elements included in the design of the saw:
- Case with one or two handles;
- Protective cover for the saw blade;
- Platform to hold the disc in the desired position;
- Riving knife to release the disc stuck in the wood;
- The electric motor on which shaft the disk by means of bolts fastens.
The peculiarity of the saw is that it can be used to cut the material only in a straight line (transversely or longitudinally), without the possibility of arc cutting.
The principle of operation is to transfer the torque from the motor shaft to the sawing disc, which, rotating at high speed around the axis, cuts off wood or other material.
Depending on the depth of cut, the tool is divided into saws:
- Small - 40-46 mm;
- Medium - 50-55 mm;
- Large - 65-70 mm;
- Professional - 65-140 mm.
Types of circular saws
Hand Saw
This type is used by home craftsmen most in demand due to the combination of compactness and sufficient power, which, depending on the model, is from 1.2 to 2.2 kW. Professional models have a power of about 5 kW.
The cutting depth of the proposed tool is from 40 to 70 mm. In some models, it is possible to adjust the angle of the cut.
Benefits:
- Simplicity of a design in combination with efficiency and high efficiency;
- Convenience in work thanks to the small weight and compactness, simplicity of transportation;
- Easy to care.
Disadvantages:
- High noise level;
- A slight coefficient of use of the diameter of the disk in the process;
- The difficulty of controlling the placement of the cutting disk relative to the workpiece, which reduces the accuracy of the cut.
Table saw
When using a stationary saw, the tool stays in place during operation, and the cut material is moved in the area of the rotating disk to perform a cut. While using the hand-held circular saw, the workpiece is still stationary.
The depth of cutting table saw varies in the range of 40-70 mm. The tool copes with cutting material at different angles in both the longitudinal and transverse directions.
Benefits:
- Mobility, low weight;
- Ability to work with blanks over 60 cm wide.
Disadvantages:
- Significant vibration reduces sawing quality;
- The length and width of the blanks is limited.
Stationary circular saw on the bed
The tool of this type will be useful to those who have a small home workshop. Cutting depth depending on the model can be from 50 to 140 mm.
The peculiarity of the tool is the presence of a bed, which can be of two types:
1. Cast - used in the construction of powerful saws, it is characterized by great weight and stability. For installation, you need a reliable base, preferably of concrete.
2. Team (welded) - used in small machines. Differs in mobility.
The desktop of the tool can be made of a metal sheet (aluminum, steel or cast iron). The table has a special slot for the work disk. The surface of the table is equipped with guides for easy cutting material.
Benefits:
- The use of the frame reduces the vibration of the tool, which improves the quality and accuracy of processing of the material;
- Noise reduction;
- Ability to process broader blanks;
- The ability to set the exact settings for processing blanks;
- Dust collector (most models).
Disadvantages:
- Restriction of the sizes of the processed preparations.
Immersion saw
The dip saw was developed to solve the problem that arises when the workpiece is machined with a circular saw: insufficient cutting accuracy. The positioning of the circular saw with absolute accuracy is impossible, since there is no possibility to control the position of the disk relative to the workpiece.
The dip saw is free from these disadvantages; it has a slightly different principle of operation. In the non-working position, the disk is completely hidden under the protective cover and is located above the base plate. The cutting disc is lowered only when the tool is turned on.
With the help of an immersion saw, you can perform a local repair of the floorboards or cut the required opening in the tabletop. Cutting accuracy is adjustable to the millimeter. The depth of cut at an angle of 90 °, depending on the model, is from 10 to 75 mm.
When working with laminated material, the upper layer is cut to an incomplete depth of the workpiece, eliminating the appearance of chipping.
Benefits:
- High precision machining blanks;
- Multifunctionality;
- The ability to perform transverse and longitudinal cuts.
Disadvantages:
- High price in comparison with usual models;
- Difficulties when cutting parts of small width - their minimum size is limited by the dimensions of the bearing part of the tool.
Cordless Circular Saw
The tool is powered by its own power source - the battery. The saw is used for work in hard-to-reach places. Depending on the type of battery used and its charge capacity, the tool is enough for a short working period of 15 to 50 minutes. After which the battery needs to be charged, which lasts about 4 hours.
Benefits:
- Compactness, mobility;
- Ability to work in the absence of an external power source.
Disadvantages:
- Short time;
- The high price for models that are able to work for about an hour.
Circular Saw Selection Parameters
Before purchasing a circular saw, it is necessary to clearly define which tasks will be performed with the tool. Depending on these tasks, opt for the type of saw. Selection of tools are based on the most important characteristics.
Power
The thickness and density of the workpiece depends on the power of the tool. When working with wood, one should take into account that the density of wood depends on its type. A more powerful tool to cope faster with dense wood.
It should be noted that the power of the saw is directly proportional to its weight. Working for a long time with a heavy tool is uncomfortable.
After analyzing the estimated amount of work, select the power of the saw, which can be:
- Minor - up to 0.8 kW;
- Medium - from 0.8 to 1.2 kW;
- Large - more than 1.2 kW.
Weight
An important parameter especially for the circular saw, which is on the weight during operation. It is preferable to choose a lightweight version.
Depth of cut
This indicator depends largely on the used disk, the dimensions of the material being processed depend on the diameter of which. A tool designed for the use of small-diameter discs will not allow for accurate cutting of large-sized workpieces.
The most popular for performing one-time work are saws with a depth of 40-50 mm. For professional work, where efficiency and quality are important, they acquire a tool with a cutting depth of 60-70 mm or more.
Speed
From this parameter depends on the performance, the quality of sawing and the ability to work with different materials. The larger the index, the more dense the material is able to overpower the saw. It should be borne in mind that the higher the score, the less likely the disk is jamming.
Work at an angle
Most of the proposed models are able to cut not only in a straight line, but also at an angle of 45 °. Manufacturers have mastered the production of models with the possibility of cutting at an angle and at 60 °.
It is important to focus on the characteristic "maximum cutting depth at an angle of 90 °," this is the depth of the disc entry into the workpiece when the saw moves perpendicular to its surface. For work with workpieces with a thickness of up to 40 mm, choose a saw with the same depth of cut at a right angle, that is, 40 mm.
Ability to work with metal
Saws capable of cutting metal is a multifunctional tool. It is successfully used to perform woodwork, plastic.
In comparison with the usual grinder, which is used for cutting metal, most of the characteristics of the cut, performed using a circular saw, have the best parameters.
Benefits:
- Higher performance;
- Reduced noise and vibration;
- The ability to cut metal at an angle;
- No sparks;
- The metal barely heats up;
- Security (the disk is not subject to rupture);
- Higher carbide disc life (100 times higher than the angle grinder disc);
- Low cost of cutting (only guillotine is cheaper);
- High quality of a cut (lack of agnails).
Disadvantages:
- The relatively high price of the disk.
Body material
Most models are made of high-strength plastic. The body of a professional tool can be made of metal, which increases the working life of the tool.
Diameter of used disks
The outer diameter of the disk does not affect the speed of work, it determines the depth of the cut. This diameter depends on the size of the protective casing. For most models, it ranges from 130 to 250 mm.
Internal landing diameter: from 16 to 32 mm. It must correspond to the diameter of the power shaft.
Additional functions
Most models have additional features that facilitate the work, make it more comfortable:
1. Smooth start-up - when cutting the workpiece, sharp cuttings into the material are minimized, the cut quality is improved. Increases the working life of the engine.
2. Collecting sawdust - the presence in the design of a pipe for connecting a vacuum cleaner.
3. Laser mark - a laser beam forms a trajectory along which to cut. The beam allows you to not use the guide bus when working with a circular saw. However, to master a function, a certain skill is required to own the tool as a whole.
4. The stationary chip removal system is practical for small amounts of work when there is no need to connect a vacuum cleaner.
5. Block start - protects the master from accidentally starting the tool (to turn on the saw, you must press two buttons).
Which circular saw to choose
Recommendations for choosing a circular saw for home and garden:
1. To perform a small amount of work from time to time, you can purchase a tool with a capacity of 1-1.2 kW.
2. For construction work on the dacha where you need to cut timber, boards, plywood and other lumber, you can buy a circular saw with a capacity of more than 1.2 kW and with a depth of at least 60 mm.
3. For professional use, you can purchase models with a capacity of more than 1.2-1.5 kW, with a large number of revolutions (more than 5 thousand) and a maximum cutting depth at a right angle (more than 60 mm).
4. If it is necessary to manufacture grooves, cutouts, you can purchase an immersion saw.
5. When performing work related to the construction of metal structures where metal cutting is required, the option of using a circular saw for metal may be considered. The benefits of using it are described above.
How much are circular saws
The price of the tool depends on the brand, country of production and technical characteristics of the circular saw.
Approximate prices for circular saws of average power (from 0.8 to 1.2 kW):
1. Manual disk - from 2 to 45 thousand rubles.
2. Desk - from 5 to 9 thousand rubles.
3. Stationary on the bed - from 11.2 to 99 thousand rubles (at a power of up to 2 kW).
4. Submersible disk - from 10.8 to 48 thousand rubles.
5. Rechargeable - from 4.8 to 47 thousand rubles.
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