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The Best Mini Circular Saws
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Best 115mm cordless with brushless motor - DeWalt DCS571N XR Brushless Compact Circular Saw
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Best 85mm cordless kit - Worx WX527 Compact Circular Saw
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Best 125mm corded kit - Hychika Mini Circular Saw
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Best 85mm corded saw - WORX WX423 Compact Circular Saw
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Best 85mm cordless for quality and cost - Makita HS301DZ Mini Circular Saw
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Best 115mm corded kit - Ginour 750 Watt Mini Circular Saw
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Best 85mm cordless for cutting sheet materials - Bosch Professional GKS 12 V-26 Cordless Circular Saw
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Best value 115mm cordless kit - VonHaus Cordless Mini Circular Saw
Mini Circular Saw Reviews
1. DeWalt DCS571N XR Brushless Compact Circular Saw[ SAVE 35% ]
Best 115mm cordless with brushless motor
- Changing blades is a piece of cake. All you need is a hex key, and DeWalt have thoughtfully added onboard storage for one. It’s hidden down near the battery for when you need it.
- You also get a handy belt hanging hook for when you need both your hands for something else. I wouldn’t want to walk far with it on there, but it’s ideal for when you’re up a ladder.
- A maximum cut depth of 38 mm means you can deal with almost all types of sheet material like ply or OSB. You can even tackle standard flooring thicknesses at 45° if you need to.
- The safety switch can be operated by right- or left-handed operators. Alongside the large, comfortable trigger, controlling this little circular saw is incredibly easy.
- Unless you’re an extremely keen DIYer or a professional tradesperson, it’s hard to justify the price of this tool. For what it can do, it’s really expensive. A full size circular saw is cheaper.
- Compared with the Bosch GKS 12 V-26, this is a heavy beast. Weighing 2.5 kg without a battery, it’s already more than a kilogram heavier. It makes a big difference.
- It’s a shame that this tool doesn’t come with a work light or other guidance assistance. For the money, you’d expect a few gadgets to help you out while you work.
- It’s quite disappointing that the blade guard on this saw is made from plastic. It’s an exposed piece, and vital for safe operation. Even if it adds weight, it should be made from metal. on this saw is made from plastic. It’s an exposed piece, and vital for safe operation. Even if it adds weight, it should be made from metal.
- Power
- Battery - 18V
- No-Load Speed
- 4,500rpm
- Blade Diameter
- 115mm
- Blades Supplied
- 1
- Cut Depth @ 90°
- 38mm
- Cut Depth @ 45°
- 25mm
- Weight
- 2.5kg
- Laser Guide
- No
- Build Quality
- 5
- Performance
- 5
- Ease of Use
- 5
- Value For Money
- 4
The big tool brand with the yellow and black tools, DeWalt are one of the most respected manufacturers out there. Used by tradespeople as much as DIYers, you can guarantee that their tools are built tough. The DCS571N compact circular saw is no exception, it’s the big beast on my list, a wholly capable 18 Volt saw that’s great for chopping up sheet materials.
Sporting a chunky top handle and a familiar grip to anyone who’s used DeWalt power tools before, you know this is going to be a comfortable bit of kit to use. There’s plenty of rubberised plastic to soften the handle and help keep vibrations down to a useable minimum.
The powerful 18 Volt XR battery system powers a strong brushless motor, which spins the 115 mm blade up to a whopping 4,500 rpm. That’s a whole lot of power to have in just one hand! The depth of cut is an impressive and class-leading 38 mm, and you can bevel the saw up to 45° and still cut down to 25 mm.
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2. Worx WX527 Compact Circular Saw
Best 85mm cordless kit
- The included laser guide should help keep you on track.
- The small footprint means you can comfortably work on small dimension boards without obscuring what you’re trying to cut.
- The 20 Volt battery means you can ditch the cords and use it away from a power source.
- The small diameter blade size means you can make plunge cuts without having to hang on for dear life! It means you can cut from the middle of a board, as long as you don’t need to be millimetre accurate.
- Even with the battery in place, this is a handy lightweight tool that fits nicely in the hand and can get into really tight spots.
- The reduced cutting depth means this is only really suited to thin boards less than 27 mm deep.
- You can’t make bevel cuts; the sole can only be adjusted to change the cutting depth.
- Don’t expect to replace your full size circular saw with the WX527 – it’s only suited for light duty work.
- You should only use this compact saw for quite rough work, it’s not accurate enough to use for a fine, millimetre perfect finish.
- It’s a one handed saw, but there’s no place to put your other hand to keep it steady if you need to.
- Power
- Battery - 20V
- No-Load Speed
- 2,300rpm
- Blade Diameter
- 85mm
- Blades Supplied
- 3
- Cut Depth @ 90°
- 27mm
- Cut Depth @ 45°
- n/a
- Weight
- 3.98kg
- Laser Guide
- Yes
- Build Quality
- 5
- Performance
- 4
- Ease of Use
- 5
- Value For Money
- 4
Worx produce a comprehensive family of saws for the keen DIYer, and their WX527 cordless circular saw is great when you need to go off-grid. Boasting a powerful 20V Max battery, you can work on light jobs for ages without having to swap out the battery. And if you’ve got other cordless Worx tools you can share the batteries around as well.
The first thing we noticed was the included case – a lot of saws in this price bracket come in a cardboard box so it was a nice change to get a smart box to keep things organised. The adjustable cutting depth gauge is bright and easy to read, which is another smart touch when you want to make changes on the fly.
This cordless compact circular saw is an ideal tool for making plunge cuts to 27 mm at 90°, something we end up doing with a drill and jigsaw otherwise. It’s never going to be as powerful as its corded WX423 cousin, but the WX527 is so convenient, you can throw it in your tool bag or use it up a ladder without having to trail cords all over the place.
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3. Hychika Mini Circular Saw[ SAVE 25% ]
Best 125mm corded kit
- The laser guide helps to keep you on target when you’re making cuts.
- For an inexpensive power tool, the build quality is superb- everything feels well put together and robust enough to last for a very long time.
- Everything comes packed in a nice quality carry bag, there’s even an inside pocket to stash the spare blades. It’s a nice touch and it’ll keep everything organised when not in use.
- The dust extraction adapters are conical in shape, meaning you can attach them to most vacuum systems.
- The adjustable depth stop is easy to set, and it’s easy to see exactly what you’ve dialled in on top of the blade housing.
- I can never quite understand why a corded power tool needs a laser that’s battery powered- if you forget to turn it off and it runs flat, you’ll need to find a replacement cell.
- If the laser line is slightly off centre, you can’t adjust it at all.
- For a compact saw, this one’s rather heavy at 3.7 kg. In comparison to some of the more professional brands, it’s a bit hefty if you want to use it for long periods.
- Some users have found it difficult to find replacement blades from HYCHIKA.
- Power
- Mains - 750W
- No-Load Speed
- 3,500rpm
- Blade Diameter
- 125mm
- Blades Supplied
- 3
- Cut Depth @ 90°
- 48mm
- Cut Depth @ 45°
- 32mm
- Weight
- 3.76kg
- Laser Guide
- Yes
- Build Quality
- 4
- Performance
- 4
- Ease of Use
- 4
- Value For Money
- 4
With a growing range of quality power tools that won’t empty your wallet, Hychika have made a mini circular saw that’s every bit as good as something you’d pay twice as much for if it had a different name.
Lightweight and quiet, it’s not a heavyweight circular saw for cutting metres of board, but for trimming tiles and laminate flooring it’s ideal. The barrel grip is easy to hold on to and changing the blades out is particularly easy with the push button spindle lock.
We think this is one of the best compact circular saws for the price. The universal vacuum attachment is great, and the accurate laser on top will help you follow a straight line.
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4. WORX WX423 Compact Circular Saw
Best 85mm corded saw
- Compared with the basic fence you get with the DeWalt DCS571N, Worx haven’t held back here. It’s large and well put together, the measurements are easy to read too.
- The obvious benefit of a corded tool is that you don’t need to worry about keeping your batteries charged. And if you’re working indoors, you don’t need cordless tools anyway!
- I like that the blade guard is made from metal. It’s one of the parts of this saw that will take the most punishment, so I’m glad it’s built tough.
- Weighing just 1.4 kg, this saw is the lightest on my list. The lack of extra weight of batteries makes it easy to handle and should help reduce fatigue if you’ve got a lot of cutting to do.
- To adjust the sliding fence, you need to use the hex key that comes with the saw. It’s great that there’s onboard storage for the key, but a simple wing nut would have been better.
- Compared with having a large front handle on the DeWalt DCS571N, there’s no easy way to use this saw two handed. One handed tools are convenient, but harder to control.
- It’s great that this saw is rated to cut through different materials, but it’s only supplied with a single wood blade. For the money, I think Worx could have included a couple more.
- Several users have complained that the saw doesn’t cut straight. It seems to pull to the left or the right, even when using the fence. It might just be a problem with quality control.
- Power
- Mains - 400W
- No-Load Speed
- 3,600rpm
- Blade Diameter
- 85mm
- Blades Supplied
- 1
- Cut Depth @ 90°
- 27mm
- Cut Depth @ 45°
- 17mm
- Weight
- 1.4kg
- Laser Guide
- No
- Build Quality
- 4
- Performance
- 4
- Ease of Use
- 4
- Value For Money
- 5
With a whole bunch of decent DIY tools and even robot lawnmowers in their catalogue, Worx know how to make clever kit. The WX423 is a capable corded compact circular saw that does away with expensive batteries and cuts through sheet materials easily.
This is the corded version of the excellent 20 Volt Worx WX527. Featuring a comfortable barrel grip shape and a useful safety switch on the bottom of the body, it’s been ergonomically designed to work well, even with gloves on.
The 400 Watt brushed motor pushes the 85 mm blade up to 3,600 rpm, and can cut down to a depth of 27 mm. You can cut bevels up to 45°, but this reduces the cut depth to 17 mm. A bonus of this saw is that you can cut through ceramic and plastic, as well as wood. You just need to swap out the blade.
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5. Makita HS301DZ Mini Circular Saw
Best 85mm cordless for quality and cost
- The dust blowing feature keeps the cut line visible, a feature you might only expect to find on larger circular saws.
- This is a lightweight and low noise compact circular saw that makes about as much of a racket as a vacuum cleaner- you won’t annoy your neighbours if you run this little tool.
- The rubberised overmoulded grip is ergonomically designed and amazingly comfortable compared to some of the cordless circular saws I’ve tried out- it feels very natural.
- Maximum cutting depth is 16.5 mm at a 45° bevel, or 26 mm at 90° - enough for most sheet materials you’re going to be using.
- The footprint is small, but well made. It’s easy to see where the saw blade will contact the workpiece, and you can store the hex key inside the body for easy access.
- Unless you’ve already bought into Makita’s 10.8 V battery system, you’re going to be spending a fair bit more money as this is a “naked” tool that doesn’t come with a charger either.
- The motor sticks out quite far on the left of the tool, so you’ll have to plan your cuts if you’re up against a wall or other object on that side.
- The standard 2.0 Ah battery doesn’t last too long if you’re making lots of cuts, so you’ll need to upgrade to the more expensive 4.0 Ah to get the most out of this little saw.
- Compared to some of the other compact circular saws on my list that come with full accessory kits, this is quite expensive for a “naked” tool.
- To keep the weight down, Makita have gone for a plastic blade guard- it seems sturdy, but it might be one of the first things to break if you drop the saw from height.
- Power
- Battery - 12V
- No-Load Speed
- 1,500rpm
- Blade Diameter
- 85mm
- Blades Supplied
- 1
- Cut Depth @ 90°
- 26mm
- Cut Depth @ 45°
- 16.5mm
- Weight
- 1.7kg
- Laser Guide
- No
- Build Quality
- 4
- Performance
- 4
- Ease of Use
- 5
- Value For Money
- 4
Japanese tool experts Makita are trusted on building sites and in toolboxes across the world, so I was keen to get my hands on their HS301DZ mini circular saw. It’s the ideal lightweight tool for cutting through thin sheet materials, especially if you don’t want to lug around one of Makita’s full size circular saws.
The HS301DZ makes up part of Makita’s popular 10.8V range of power tools- built for portability and convenience without sacrificing power or durability. The handle is rubberised and easy to hold, as you’d expect from one of the best small circular saws and has a convenient one-handed lock as well.
My only gripe with this saw is that it’s a “naked” tool- you’ll have to get a 10.8V battery separately, and don’t think you can use one of your 18V batteries instead. Some users might be put off by the relatively shallow 25.5 mm cutting depth, but it’s more than adequate for most thin boards.
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6. Ginour 750 Watt Mini Circular Saw
Best 115mm corded kit
- Compared with any of the other saws on my list, the six blades that come with this tool is generous. You can tackle wood, soft metal, and even tile without buying other blades.
- This saw features a laser guide on the top of the saw. It’s separately powered by two small watch type batteries. It’s always good to have a guide to follow if you adjust it correctly.
- You get quite a lot for your money. This saw has the deepest cut depth of any of the saws on my list and comes with plenty of saw blades to get you started. Not bad for the price!
- The power cable that comes with this saw is generous. You get 3 metres to play with! That’s plenty of lead to allow you to work on big boards without getting tangled up.
- The safety switch is located on the left side of the saw body. This means that anyone using this tool with their left hand is going to struggle to turn it on. This could be dangerous.
- Weighing just under 2.5 kg, this is a hefty saw compared with the super-light Worx WX423. It’s more than double the weight, so you’re going to get tired sooner.
- Although the blade guard is made from metal, it feels a bit wobbly. The build quality just isn’t there for such a vital part of this saw. It’s a bit disappointing.
- The sole plate on this saw is quite narrow. Even though this is a compact saw, a bit more width would make cuts a lot more stable. The metal could be thicker as well.
- Power
- Mains - 750W
- No-Load Speed
- 3,600rpm
- Blade Diameter
- 115mm
- Blades Supplied
- 6
- Cut Depth @ 90°
- 43mm
- Cut Depth @ 45°
- 28mm
- Weight
- 2.5kg
- Laser Guide
- Yes
- Build Quality
- 4
- Performance
- 4
- Ease of Use
- 4
- Value For Money
- 4
Budget tool brand Ginour make a decent range of power tools, hand tools, and measuring devices. If you want a circular saw kit with everything you need to get to work, and you don’t want to fiddle about with batteries, the Ginour circular saw is a good choice.
This is a chunky tool to hang on to. If you’ve got big hands then you won’t have a problem with the barrel type grip. There’s a large rubberised section at the rear of the saw, which makes it easy to hang on to, but it’s quite basic and not that comfortable to use for long periods of time.
Built with a 750 Watt brushed motor, the 115 mm blade spins up to 3,600 rpm and can cut down to a maximum depth of 43 mm. If you bevel the sole plate round to 45°, it can still cut to a maximum depth of 28 mm. That’s deep enough to deal with most sheet materials and even pieces of timber without a problem.
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7. Bosch Professional GKS 12 V-26 Cordless Circular Saw[ SAVE 36% ]
Best 85mm cordless for cutting sheet materials
- If you spend most of your time cutting up sheet materials, then why would you need to cut much deeper than 26.5 mm? It’s the best mini circular saw for plywood and chipboard jobs.
- There’s an effective electronic brake on this circular saw. It means that once you’ve taken your finger off the trigger, the blade stops almost immediately. It’s much safer this way.
- There’s a handy battery charge level indicator on the side of the tool. Knowing how much fuel you’ve got left in the tank is always a good thing.
- For fast depth of cut adjustment, the sole plate is held in place with one wing nut. It’s still solid though, and the measurements are cast into the guide as well as painted on.
- This saw is supplied without a battery or charger. If you’ve already bought into Bosch’s 12 Volt system, great, but if not, you’ll be forking out more money. And you can’t use your 18 Volt batteries either!
- One of the drawbacks of having a smaller battery in a power hungry tool is that it chews through your batteries. Just make sure you’ve got spares or you’ll be downing tools.
- Compared with the DeWalt DCS571N’s 38 mm depth of cut, the Bosch is really left behind. You’re only going to be able to cut sheet materials, most timber is much bigger.
- When cutting at 45°, the depth of cut is reduced to a tiny 17 mm. That means you can’t bevel cut standard thickness chipboard, for example.
- Power
- Battery - 12V
- No-Load Speed
- 1,400rpm
- Blade Diameter
- 85mm
- Blades Supplied
- 1
- Cut Depth @ 90°
- 26.5mm
- Cut Depth @ 45°
- 17mm
- Weight
- 1.4kg
- Laser Guide
- Yes
- Build Quality
- 5
- Performance
- 4
- Ease of Use
- 5
- Value For Money
- 4
Tool brands don’t get much bigger than Bosch, and their blue line of professional-level tools are used by tradespeople and keen DIYers all around the world. The GKS 12 Volt V-26 cordless circular saw is the ideal balance between a big capable saw and something you can handle easily.
The first thing to note about this saw is how it’s powered. This mini circular saw is powered by Bosch’s excellent 12 Volt professional system. You get the same level of power as their bigger 18 Volt battery but in a much smaller package. This reduces weight and because the battery is contained within the handle, it’s much smaller overall.
The small size doesn’t mean this tool is a toy though. Far from it, you get the same level of functionality from the pint-sized 85 mm saw blade as you would from one of its bigger cousins. The motor puts out 1,400 rpm, you can make bevelled cuts up to 45°, and the maximum cut depth of 26.5 mm is ideal for most sheet materials.
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8. VonHaus Cordless Mini Circular Saw
Best value 115mm cordless kit
- You get a generous cutting depth of 43 mm compared to some other compact circular saws.
- Cordless power tools are infinitely more portable than corded ones, you can use them almost anywhere without worrying about extension cables!
- The E-Series 18V battery is powerful and can be shared with any other VonHaus E-Series tool.
- The motor power is impressive compared to some of the more expensive compact circular saws I’ve looked at. The faster the speed, the more powerful the machine usually is.
- The soft grip handle is comfortable and helps keep your hand in a natural cutting position.
- It feels a little underpowered if you try to cut more than 10 mm deep at a time. You need to make deeper cuts in more than one pass, which can become frustrating.
- The cam levers that lock off the depth and bevel cut settings are easy to knock loose if you’re not careful when using the saw.
- The included blades aren’t the best, some users have found them to blunt quickly and cut a bit rough.
- You need to make sure you’re fully charged before a big job because the two hour charge time can put a real dent in your DIY plans for the day.
- It would have been nice to see a laser guide or work light to help you keep on the cut line.
- Power
- Battery - 18V
- No-Load Speed
- 3,400rpm
- Blade Diameter
- 115mm
- Blades Supplied
- 2
- Cut Depth @ 90°
- 43mm
- Cut Depth @ 45°
- 28mm
- Weight
- 1.7kg
- Laser Guide
- No
- Build Quality
- 3
- Performance
- 3
- Ease of Use
- 4
- Value For Money
- 4
With a huge range of useful tools and home gadgets, VonHaus certainly know a thing or two about making compact saws. Their 18V E-Series cordless range of power tools are well rated, and all take the same battery, so you could build up your collection for less than you might think.
If you need to cut boards and you don’t want to drag a cable behind you, this cordless saw is great. The chunky rubberised handle feels good in the hand and it’s easy to adjust the cutting depth and angles.
With a maximum cutting depth of 43 mm at 90°, or 28 mm at 45° it’ll cut through big boards, but don’t expect it to cut miles of hardwood easily. Built to be light and easy to handle, the thin vacuum adapter works well when you need to get into tight spots and still extract dust.
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Compare Product Features
Use the dropdown to sort the table by the feature you want to see.
DeWalt DCS571N XR Brushless Compact Circular Saw
- 4.8
- Battery - 18V
- 4,500rpm
- 115mm
- 1
- 38mm
- 25mm
- 2.5kg
- No
Worx WX527 Compact Circular Saw
- 4.5
- Battery - 20V
- 2,300rpm
- 85mm
- 3
- 27mm
- n/a
- 3.98kg
- Yes
Hychika Mini Circular Saw
- 4
- Mains - 750W
- 3,500rpm
- 125mm
- 3
- 48mm
- 32mm
- 3.76kg
- Yes
WORX WX423 Compact Circular Saw
- 4.3
- Mains - 400W
- 3,600rpm
- 85mm
- 1
- 27mm
- 17mm
- 1.4kg
- No
Makita HS301DZ Mini Circular Saw
- 4.3
- Battery - 12V
- 1,500rpm
- 85mm
- 1
- 26mm
- 16.5mm
- 1.7kg
- No
Ginour 750 Watt Mini Circular Saw
- 4
- Mains - 750W
- 3,600rpm
- 115mm
- 6
- 43mm
- 28mm
- 2.5kg
- Yes
Bosch Professional GKS 12 V-26 Cordless Circular Saw
- 4.5
- Battery - 12V
- 1,400rpm
- 85mm
- 1
- 26.5mm
- 17mm
- 1.4kg
- Yes
VonHaus Cordless Mini Circular Saw
- 3.5
- Battery - 18V
- 3,400rpm
- 115mm
- 2
- 43mm
- 28mm
- 1.7kg
- No
How to Choose The Best Mini Circular Saw
One of the best-kept secrets in power tools is the mini circular saw. More power than a jigsaw, and none of the annoying wobbly blade problems.
The Benefits of a Mini Circular Saw
The most common material that you’re going to cut for home DIY projects will be sheet materials like plywood or MDF. And it’s likely you’ll want to cut straight lines, so a mini or compact circular saw is the ideal step up from a handsaw. The better models come with attachable guides for cutting straight lines and even lasers that light up the way.
Corded or Battery Power?
There are more and more battery-powered tools out there, from drills to chainsaws, and they can be great. If you’re working up a ladder or away from the power grid, battery power is a game-changer. However, corded power tools can’t run out of battery just when you need them, and if you’re working at home you don’t really need batteries anyway. If portability is at the top of your list, go for battery power, if not then keep it corded.
Cutting Depth is Key
Before you pull the trigger on your next compact circular saw, you need to think about what you’re going to use it for. If you want to cut through 2 x 4″ timbers you’ll need a cutting depth of around 35-40mm, but if you’re working on laminate flooring a cutting depth of around 25mm is fine.
Mini Circular Saw FAQs
The most common use of a circular saw is to make straight cuts in a variety of materials. Blades are available that can cut through wood, metal, plastic and metals. A more compact circular saw is best suited for working in areas with limited access or when you need to make precise cuts that aren’t possible with a normal-sized circular saw.
Check your user manual for the precise steps, but the common way to change the blade goes like this: Make sure your saw is unplugged or the battery is removed. Then, press and hold the spindle lock to stop the blade from spinning and use the included Allen key to undo the nut that holds the blade on. Then you can swap the blade out and replace the nut.
A plunge cut is useful for cutting holes from the middle of sheet materials. You start the blade of your circular saw above the workpiece, then press it down using the sole as a lever. It might take a few goes before you’re comfortable, but it’s a useful technique for adding things like light fittings and plug sockets.
You should wear the correct personal protective equipment whenever operating power tools. Even though these small saws are relatively quiet, you should wear appropriate ear and eye protection. It’s not usually a good idea to wear gloves when operating rotating equipment though.
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