What the saw is
A motor drives a round blade that projects below a flat shoe; the shoe rides the work and the blade cuts as you push the saw forward. Because the teeth travel upward through the wood at the front of the blade, DEWALT tells users to put the good face down: any splintering is on the face that is up. OSHA's standard for portable powered tools requires every such saw with a blade over 2 in to have guards above and below the shoe, the lower one returning automatically and instantly to cover the blade when the saw leaves the work, and a constant-pressure switch that cuts the power when it is released.
- Upper and lower guards. The lower guard swings back as the saw enters the work and must spring closed when it leaves. DEWALT says never to clamp or tie it open.
- Shoe. The flat base, with notches or a kerf indicator showing where the blade will cut.
- Depth and bevel adjustments. The shoe drops to set how far the blade projects and tilts for bevel cuts; DEWALT's DWE575 goes from 0° to 57°.
- Electric brake. On some models the blade stops within seconds of the trigger's release — about two seconds on DEWALT's DWE575SB, about three on its DWS535B — but Makita and Milwaukee both say a brake is no substitute for the lower guard, and DEWALT notes that a brake can occasionally fail to stop the blade in its stated time.
Kinds of saw
| Kind | What differs | An example in the documents |
|---|---|---|
| Sidewinder (direct drive) | Motor beside the blade, driving it directly | DEWALT DWE575, Makita 5007MGA |
| Worm drive | Motor behind the blade, turning it through worm gears in an oil bath; diamond arbor | DEWALT DWS535B: gear oil to check, diamond-arbor blades only |
| Cordless | Battery instead of a cord, often a smaller blade | Milwaukee 2730 (6-1/2 in), 2732 (7-1/4 in); Makita XSH03 (6-1/2 in) |
| Track (plunge) saw | Plunges into the work and rides a rail | See track saws |
| Blade-left or blade-right | Which side of the motor the blade sits, and so which side you sight | Set by the design; check the maker's description |
Each example is the named maker's saw. Capacities by model are compared in choosing a saw.
Equipment notePaid link
7-1/4-in circular saw
DEWALT DWE575
DEWALT's DWE575, the sidewinder in the table above: a 7-1/4 in blade, 2-9/16 in at 90° and a bevel to 57°, by its manual.
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Blade sizes and what they cut
A saw takes the blade diameter on its nameplate and no larger. DEWALT's and Makita's 7-1/4 in sidewinders reach about 2-1/2 in at 90° (DEWALT 2-9/16 in, Makita 2-1/2 in), enough for a framing 2× and for sheet goods; 6-1/2 in cordless saws reach a little over 2 in (Milwaukee's 2730 2-3/16 in, Makita's XSH03 2-1/4 in). Arbor holes are round or diamond and must match the saw — DEWALT's worm-drive saw takes only diamond-arbor blades. DEWALT's corded manual says to use only blades designed for cutting wood and never abrasive wheels. Choosing and fitting blades is in blades, and changing, cleaning and sharpening them in blade care.
Kickback, in one paragraph
DEWALT defines kickback as a sudden reaction to a pinched, jammed or misaligned blade that drives the saw up and back toward the operator, and lists the causes: work supported only at its ends so the kerf closes, a cut-off that sags, a long narrow rip, the blade set too deep, forcing the saw through a knot or nail, or steering it back to the line in the cut. Every cause is about the work and the setup more than the saw. Supporting, setting depth and guiding are worked through in cutting plywood and boards, and the track saw's extra safeguards in track saw safety.
When a track saw or table saw is the better tool
For long, straight, clean cuts in sheet goods, a track saw on its rail removes most of the steering; a shop-made track gives a saw much the same guide — see DIY track saw. For repeated rips and narrow parts, a table saw's fence does the guiding: see table saws. Straight cuts by any method are compared in cutting straight, and supporting work at the right height in sawhorses. Planning sheet cuts first saves material: the cut list optimizer and the plywood calculator do the arithmetic.
Dust and protection
OSHA treats wood dust as a health hazard, and DEWALT's manuals say dust collection, where the saw has a port, can reduce dust-related hazards. Eye and hearing protection are standard in every manual cited here.
Before switching on a circular saw
- Lower guard swings freely and snaps closed
- Blade the right diameter and arbor, sharp, arrow matching the saw
- Depth and bevel levers tight
- Work clamped and supported on both sides of the cut
- Cord or battery clear of the cut line
- Eye and hearing protection on
The rest of this series
- Machines: track saws, blades.
- Technique and care: cutting plywood and boards, blade care, track saw safety.
- Build: DIY track saw.
- Choosing: a saw, a corded saw, a cordless saw, a blade, a track saw, a cordless track saw, a track saw to carry.
Sources
Each manual is cited for its own saw; figures are that maker's, with the unit it uses. Where makers' depth and blade rules differ, each is attributed and your own manual governs.
- 1.
29 CFR 1910.243, Guarding of portable powered tools (Code of Federal Regulations text). U.S. Department of Labor, Occupational Safety and Health Administration; published by the U.S. Government Publishing Office, 2024.
Used for: Paragraph (a)(1)(i): portable power-driven saws with blades over 2 in fitted with guards above and below the base plate, the lower guard returning automatically and instantly to cover the blade; (a)(2)(i): a constant-pressure switch that cuts power when released.
- 2.
DWE574, DWE575 7-1/4" (184 mm) Circular Saws, Instruction Manual. DEWALT.
Used for: The DWE575's parts; kickback as a sudden reaction to a pinched, jammed or misaligned blade, and its causes; depth set to expose half a tooth below the work; never clamping or tying the lower guard open; only blades for wood; round or diamond arbor holes matched to the saw; a 2-9/16 in maximum depth and 0–57° bevel; the saw cutting upward.
- 3.
DWS535B Heavy-Duty 7-1/4" (184 mm) Worm Drive Circular Saw, Instruction Manual. DEWALT.
Used for: A worm-drive saw: gear oil checked and topped up, an electric brake of about three seconds that occasionally may not stop the saw in that time, only diamond-arbor blades, a blade rated at or above the saw's speed.
- 4.
Circular Saw 5007MG / 5007MGA, Instruction Manual. Makita.
Used for: A 7-1/4 in sidewinder: 2-1/2 in at 0°, 1-3/4 in at 45°, 1-3/8 in at 56°, 5,800 rpm, 10.1 lb; the brake not a substitute for the lower guard.
- 5.
M18 FUEL 7-1/4" Circular Saw, Cat. No. 2732-20, Operator's Manual. Milwaukee Tool.
Used for: A cordless 7-1/4 in saw: 5,800 rpm, 5/8 in arbor, depth to 2-1/2 in at 90°; the brake no substitute for the guard.
- 6.
M18 FUEL Circular Saw, Cat. No. 2730-20, Operator's Manual. Milwaukee Tool.
Used for: A cordless 6-1/2 in saw: 5,000 rpm, 5/8 in arbor, depth to 2-3/16 in at 90°.
- 7.
Cordless Circular Saw XSH03, Instruction Manual. Makita.
Used for: A cordless 6-1/2 in saw: 5,000 rpm, 2-1/4 in at 0°, 6.8–7.3 lb.
- 8.
Wood Dust: Hazard Recognition. U.S. Department of Labor, Occupational Safety and Health Administration.
Used for: Wood dust as a workplace health hazard.
About this guide
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