I was given 2 circular saws, a skill brand 13amp saw with a laser guide and a makita 15amp saw. I have a fair amount of experience using a circular saw, but have never purchased one for myself. I can see at a glance how helpful the laser guide will be on my job site, but before i return the makita, i want to hear from someone if i’m really going regret giving up those 2 amps for the sake of a better guide system?
To me- 2 amps doesnt seem like a big difference, but i’d like to hear from someone with a few more years in the trade than i have.
Oh- and everything else about the saws are identical- weight, blade size, depth of bite, cord length, etc.
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No pro would be caught dead using a saw with a laser guide, or for that matter a Skil (other than worm drives). The extra 2 amps makes a huge difference, especially when ripping a board. Makita saws are much more durable than Skil saws. On a jobsite, the laser will actually interfere with your ability to see your cutting line when cutting boards. Go with the Makita. Hope this helps.
Unless you can’t cut a straight line, which I’d think, if you can’t, you’d improve with practice, I’d go with the saw with more power. It will make cutting much easier, and the saw will manage much better in the long run.
I may not be a carpenter, but I DO know that as far as motors go, 2 amps can be a big difference. If the motor is on ‘load’ with every cut, eventually that will take its toll on it. That extra power will be noticed.
From experience, never give up a Makita for anything else
. you will always love the makita, makita is a tool you can take on a job and never worry about it breaking down.
Laser is useless if your off track anyway, you will just end up following an off track line. The laser will only point in the direction your going. You can’t follow a line when your line is moving. The laser on a circular saw never made sense to me.
I’m not a carpenter, but I would keep the Makita. It’s more expensive and durable. You can always buy the Skill back for less than you can the Makita. You can’t always go by the rated power when it comes to tools. A 14v Makita drill will outperform an 18v Skill drill any day.
Go with the Makita. I’m a builder and my framers swear by the Makita. The laser guide is for amateurs, the pros want power.
I find the lasers just one more thing I have to fiddle with before using my tools. They eventually just don’t get turned on anymore.
Go for more power and a best quality sharp thin kerf blade.
I always try to get the best answer and hate to waste an answer if I am not sure I will do so, and this is probably a wasted one, because you have gotten great answers already.
The Makita hands down. I have been doing construction work for 40 years and I haven’t owned anything but a Makita since I bought my first one and that’s when they first came out tears ago..
I am a small framed guy so the weight of the saw is a big deal for me. 10/12 hours with a saw that doesn’t fit is a killer.
Also the ease of use is a big deal and the Makita can’t be beat. If you’re bigger than I am, it will just make it easier to use.
Two words of advice.
Always use a sharp blade. A dull blade will kill any saw. You can actually sharpen a good carbon tooth blade by driving a 16 penny nail into a 2×4 straight into the side and then ripping the 2x on the flat side, ever so slowy, and I mean slowly. From the time you touch the nail, it should take you about 12 to 15 second to cut the nail in half. I found this out at the end of a day oncre and have done it ever since when one starts dulling.
The second thing is take care of the platform, (the aluminum plate on bottom) because, as with any saw, once bent, it saw rocks back and forth when cutting and makes it bind and cut crooked.
But the Makita’s plate is the strongest of any saw I have seen and easy enough with a keen eye to straighten even when they fall off a roof, which is easy enough to happen with hired help around. It is easy enough to straighten if it starts rocking. Do So.
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