Buying a circular saw: what to look for

on Nov 04, 2026

in DIY Guides & Building Tips, Tools & Machinery

Short answer: choose a circular saw based on what you cut. First look at the cutting depth, because that decides how thick your material may be. Then choose between corded and cordless, check the power and the guiding, and always use a saw blade that suits the material. For most jobs in and around the house, a saw of around 1200 W with a 165 mm blade is more than enough.

Read this article in Dutch as well: Cirkelzagen kopen: waar let je op?.

What does a circular saw do?

With a circular saw you cut quickly and straight through planks, beams and sheet material such as plywood, OSB and chipboard. You cut lengthwise (ripping) and across (cross-cutting). A circular saw is faster and straighter than a hand saw and makes longer cuts than a jigsaw. For curves, choose a jigsaw instead.

1. Cutting depth and blade diameter

Cutting depth is the most important choice. The larger the blade, the deeper you cut.

Blade diameter	Cutting depth at 90 degrees (approx.)	Suitable for
165 mm	about 55 mm	planks, sheet material, thin beams
190 mm	about 65 mm	thicker beams, scaffold boards, floorboards
larger	more than 65 mm	heavy carpentry and structural timber

When you cut at 45 degrees, the cutting depth gets smaller. Always check the exact values on the product page. You can cut a beam that is thicker than your cutting depth from two sides, but the result is less neat.

2. Corded or cordless?

A corded saw delivers constant power and has no charging time. That is handy when you cut a lot and for long periods, for example when laying a floor. The CSS165 1200 W circular saw is a good all-rounder. For thicker timber, the CSS190 1500 W circular saw with more power and a larger blade is a logical choice.

A cordless saw gives freedom on site, on scaffolding and in the garden, without an extension cable. If you already work with the Stalco 20V battery system, you use the same batteries in the CSS20 cordless circular saw. That saves on batteries and chargers. Just starting out? Then the cordless set with circular saw, jigsaw and screwdriver is handy: one battery system for sawing and screwing. An extra 20V 4Ah battery and a 20V fast charger let you keep working. Read more about the battery system in our blog on the Stalco 20V battery system.

💡 Stick to one brand and one battery system. Every battery then fits every machine and your toolbox stays organised.

3. Power and speed

Around 1200 W is enough for most jobs. More power helps with hardwood, wet timber and long cuts in thick material. A saw with too little power loses speed, burns the wood and gives a rough cut.

4. Guiding: cutting straight

A straight cut starts with good guiding:

with the parallel guide you cut parallel to a straight edge;
with a straight batten and a 300 mm quick clamp you make your own guide for sheet material;
with a 300 mm aluminium square you draw a square pencil line and cross-cut neatly.

Mark out with a tape measure with auto-lock and a carpenter pencil. Read more about measuring tools in our blog on tape measures and measuring tools. Always clamp the workpiece; you can find clamps in our blog on carpenter's clamps.

5. The right saw blade

The saw blade determines the quality of the cut, even more than the machine.

Two toothed circular saw blades in close-up

Fewer teeth (around 24) cut fast and coarse. Handy for ripping and construction timber.
More teeth (40 to 60) cut slower but cleaner. Better for cross-cutting and sheet material.
Aluminium and plastic need a special blade, such as the aluminium saw blade (200 mm, 60 teeth). Always check that the bore size and the maximum speed of the blade suit your saw.
Steel is not cut with a hand circular saw. For that there is a separate SSP355 steel cutting saw with a steel cutting saw blade (355 mm).

⚠️ Never use a blade with a lower permitted speed than the speed of your saw, and replace blunt or damaged blades in time.

6. Setting the cutting depth correctly

Set the blade so that it sticks out about 5 mm below the material. You then cut cleanly, the blade gets less hot and the risk of kickback is lower. A blade that sticks out far too much is more dangerous and causes more splintering.

Working safely with a circular saw

Kickback happens when the blade gets pinched. The saw then shoots back with force. This is how you prevent it:

place the workpiece firmly and well supported, so the cut does not close up;
hold the saw with two hands and stand beside the cutting line, not behind it;
let the blade reach full speed before it touches the wood;
do not push too hard, let the saw do the work;
check that the blade guard springs back freely and let the blade stop before you put the saw down.

Also read our blog on safety glasses for professionals and our blog on hearing protection.

PPE when sawing

Always wear safety goggles when sawing, against flying sawdust and splinters. A circular saw is loud, so use earmuffs. When cutting sheet material such as MDF or chipboard, wear an FFP2 dust mask against fine dust. Use work gloves with nitrile coating when carrying timber and sheet material, but keep loose sleeves and gloves away from the blade while sawing.

👷 A circular saw is fast and powerful. Cutting a plank to size is fine to do yourself. For structural carpentry, a complete floor or a lot of cutting at height, the experience of a carpenter or contractor is worth its weight in gold. They work faster, safer and with a tight finish.

Quick choice

Situation	Advice
cutting a plank or sheet now and then	CSS165 1200 W circular saw
a lot of thicker timber and beams	CSS190 1500 W circular saw
working without a power point	CSS20 cordless circular saw
starting with a battery system	cordless set with circular saw, jigsaw and screwdriver
cutting steel to length	SSP355 steel cutting saw