Who Makes The Best Circular Saw: DeWalt, Milwaukee, Or Makita?

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When you want one of the most efficient ways to cut large pieces of wood while working in remote areas, a cordless circular saw is a popular choice. You certainly need to follow safety tips while using a circular saw to avoid injuring yourself with the high-speed blade, but few other tools give you the ability to make rip cuts, cross cuts, and plunge cuts as quickly as this one. If you choose a cordless model that runs from a battery, you can use it in the most convenient locations, even if you're nowhere near an electrical outlet. When you're looking for the best circular saw, you may want to stick with some of the best-ranked power tool brands. Purchasing power tools is a significant investment, and you receive good durability, performance, and warranty support when you stick with a well-known brand.

With that in mind, three of the best power tool brands are DeWalt, Milwaukee, and Makita. They offer a long history of delivering good quality for DIYers and some professionals. All of them have highly-regarded circular saws available that are worth considering. Based on our research into reviews from professionals, customer reviews, and the tools' feature sets, the Milwaukee M18 Fuel 7-1/4-Inch Circular Saw is the best option among these three manufacturers in terms of build, performance, warranty, and more. However, both DeWalt and Makita have their own excellent circular saws that we'll discuss, too. (If you already own other tools from one of these three brands, you might want to pick a circular saw that matches your other tools' brand, allowing you to share batteries among all your tools instead of investing in a new battery system.)

The Milwaukee M18 Fuel 7-1/4-Inch Circular Saw (model number 2732-20) features a brushless motor that delivers 40% more power than brushed motors. "Very well built, and it's brushless," one Home Depot customer says. "Can't beat it. And I have used Ridgid and DeWalt, and neither one even compares to this Milwaukee; top of the line!" It costs $200 at Home Depot for the tool only. (You might be able to find this saw cheaper on Amazon, but Amazon is not an authorized reseller for Milwaukee tools, meaning the manufacturer will not honor the saw's warranty when bought on Amazon.)

The Milwaukee 2732-20 tool might not rank as the best circular saw in any single category, but it's an overall strong performer, offering an excellent combination of cutting power and speed. Its sightlines make it easy to stay on the cutting line, and it carries an above-average warranty of five years. Customer reviewers give it an impressive 4.6-star rating on Home Depot's website, 4.8 stars on Ace Hardware, and 4.5 stars on Amazon. At the Milwaukee website, 96% of customer reviewers recommend purchasing this saw out of nearly 1,400 total reviews. Many customer reviewers were impressed with its ability to handle tough jobs. I "put this machine [through] a torture test," one Amazon customer says. "It kept up with me, slicing and dicing all day long!"

When you want maximum cutting time out of your cordless circular saw, the DeWalt 20V Max 7-1/4-Inch Circular Saw is near the top of the list. It costs $249 for the tool only at Home Depot. Because this tool can run from DeWalt's 20V/60V Flex Volt battery, you can make far more cuts on one charge than competitors. The DeWalt saw makes cuts faster than most other cordless circular saws, too. "This replaced a very old DeWalt 18V saw, so it was a huge upgrade," one Home Depot customer says. "Very powerful and sturdy." If you choose the DeWalt model, you'll be using the most popular tool brand in the United States, so there's a lot of reasons to like this model. (Some sellers on Amazon are not authorized DeWalt retailers, so be wary of products listed for a low price on Amazon.)

For those who need maximum cutting capacity, the Makita 40V XGT 7-1/4-Inch Circular Saw is a powerful choice. It costs $275 on Amazon and $279 at Home Depot, so it's pricier than the Milwaukee and DeWalt models, but it's made for professional framers and builders. It spins at a blade speed of 6,000 RPM, which is faster than the 5,500 RPM of the DeWalt product and the 5,800 RPM of the Milwaukee saw. "At the cutting capacity of 2-5/8 inches in fir, the performance is effortless," one customer reviewer says. "The saw is nicely balanced and is actually 2-1/2 pounds lighter than my corded circular saw."