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Rankings re-checked weekly · Last re-checked 19 September 2026
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The biggest cordless cut on this list: a 184mm blade taking a published 58mm at 90 degrees, a 57 degree bevel, and a sole plate that runs on DeWalt's guide rail. Body only.
Why it's number one: Leads the dimension worth 45 per cent of the score: a 184mm brushless blade with a published 58mm cut at 90 degrees, a 57 degree bevel and guide-rail compatibility, on the 18V XR platform DeWalt lists at 250-plus tools with a published runtime figure behind it.
8.3Top7 Score
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★ 4.6(60 reviews)
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A 184mm blade is the size corded saws use, and putting one on an 18V brushless motor is the whole point of this tool - DeWalt publishes 58mm of cut at 90 degrees, which is a 4x2 stud laid flat in one pass, a 50mm deck joist with room over, and any sheet material you are likely to meet. It bevels to 57 degrees, adjusts depth and bevel without tools, and the sole plate runs on DeWalt's guide rail, so sheet goods get a straight edge without buying a plunge saw. There is an electronic brake, a lock-off switch, an LED on the cut line and direct AirLock connection to a DeWalt extractor. It is also the only pick here with a published runtime figure behind it: 20 linear metres of 50mm softwood on a single 5.0Ah charge, on a platform DeWalt lists at 250-plus solutions, with a three-year warranty once the tool is registered. The costs are real. This is the most expensive saw on this list and it is body only, so the battery and charger are a separate purchase. It carries 60 Amazon UK ratings, the thinnest owner evidence of the seven, which is why the shrunk rating matters more than the headline. And DeWalt publishes no no-load speed, no bare weight and no depth at 45 degrees for this model, so none of those are claimed here. Being cordless, it has no 110V question attached to it - the -XJ suffix is a bare European unit, not a voltage.
Cutting
8.5
Build
8
Battery
9
Owners
7.9
Owners is the 4.6★ Amazon UK rating from 60 reviews, weighted toward the category average when there are few. Fewer than two published reviews of this exact model, so the owner rating carries that weight too. Tick marks show the category average.
How we scored it
Cutting 8.5: 184mm blade with a published 58mm at 90 degrees and a 57 degree bevel on an XR brushless motor - the biggest cordless cut here. Short of the card's 9 and 10 bands because DeWalt publishes no no-load speed for this model and 58mm is under the 65mm those bands require.
Build 8: Electronic brake, LED cut line, lock-off switch, tool-free depth and bevel to 57 degrees and AirLock dust connection - the card's 8 anchor. No published shoe material, bare weight or hook, which is what keeps it off 10.
Battery 9: Brushless body-only on DeWalt 18V XR is the card's 8 anchor; plus half a point for a platform published at 250-plus solutions and half for the published runtime figure of 20 linear metres of 50mm softwood on one 5.0Ah charge.
Pros
+ 184mm blade with a published 58mm cut at 90 degrees - the deepest cordless cut here
+ Sole plate runs on DeWalt's guide rail, so sheets get a straight edge without a plunge saw
+ Electronic brake, LED cut line, lock-off switch and AirLock dust connection; bevels to 57 degrees
+ Published runtime of 20 linear metres of 50mm softwood on one 5.0Ah charge, on a 250-plus tool platform
Cons
− The most expensive saw on this list, and body only - no battery and no charger in the box
− 60 Amazon UK ratings is the thinnest owner evidence of the seven picks
− DeWalt publishes no no-load speed, no bare weight and no 45 degree depth for this model
− A guide rail is a separate purchase on top of a saw that is already pro-priced
184mm Blade18V XR Brushless58mm at 90 DegreesRail CompatibleElectric BrakeBody Only
Evolution R185CCSX 185mm Multi-Material Circular Saw with 1020mm Track
185mm Blade1600W Corded64mm Depth
Premium
Rank #2
Evolution R185CCSX 185mm Multi-Material Circular Saw with 1020mm Track
Our Verdict
A 1600W corded saw with the deepest published cut here - 64mm at 0 degrees - and a three-piece 1020mm track in the box, so sheet goods get a straight edge out of the carton.
7.8Top7 Score
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★ 4.6(1,031 reviews)
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This is the saw for a day of sheet work. Evolution publishes 64mm of cut at 0 degrees and 47mm at 45, off a 1,600W mains motor turning 3,900rpm at 230V, and the sole plate is cast aluminium and cut for the track that comes with it - three 340mm sections and connector bars that make up 1020mm of guided cut, which is most of the way across a sheet rather than the full 1220mm. Running on the track costs you depth, which Evolution is honest about in its own manual: 59mm rather than 64mm at 0 degrees, and 42mm rather than 47mm at 45. The blade is the reason people buy Evolution at all - a 16 tooth tungsten-carbide multi-material blade rated for 3mm mild steel plate and box section, aluminium, plastic and timber with nails still in it, which is a genuinely useful thing on a strip-out. What you give up against the plain R185CCS below is bevel range and steel capacity: the tracked version stops at 45 degrees and 3mm of steel where the untracked one goes to 60 degrees and 6mm. At 5.1kg it is the heaviest tool here, there is no brake, and the 3m lead means a socket. This ASIN is the 230V mains version; Evolution lists 110V site versions of this family as separate products. Three-year warranty once the tool is registered.
Cutting
8.5
Build
7
Battery
7
Owners
8
Owners is the 4.6★ Amazon UK rating from 1,031 reviews, weighted toward the category average when there are few. Fewer than two published reviews of this exact model, so the owner rating carries that weight too. Tick marks show the category average.
How we scored it
Cutting 8.5: 185mm blade with a published 64mm at 0 degrees and 47mm at 45 - the deepest cut on this list - off a 1,600W mains motor at 3,900rpm, with a TCT blade rated for 3mm mild steel. Under the card's top bands because the motor is a brushed corded unit.
Build 7: Cast aluminium track-compatible sole plate, 3m lead and a 1020mm three-piece track with connector bars supplied, plus Evolution's three-year registered warranty. No brake and no published hook, and at 5.1kg it is the heaviest here.
Battery 7: Corded, so the card's mains clause applies: no pack to buy and no runtime limit, scored level with a brushless tool on a DIY platform, against the loss of cordless freedom and a 3m lead that ties it to a socket.
Pros
+ Deepest published cut on this list at 64mm at 0 degrees, and 47mm at 45 degrees
+ Three-piece 1020mm track and a track-cut cast aluminium sole plate in the box
+ Multi-material TCT blade rated for 3mm mild steel plate and box section as well as timber
+ Corded: nothing else to buy, no pack to charge, and Evolution's three-year registered warranty
Cons
− Bevels only to 45 degrees where the untracked R185CCS below goes to 60
− On the track the cut drops to a published 59mm at 0 degrees and 42mm at 45
− 5.1kg is the heaviest tool here, and the 3m lead ties it to a socket
− No electric brake, and the 16 tooth blade is a ripping blade - a fine-tooth blade is extra
The same 185mm 1600W saw without the track, for a great deal less: it bevels to 60 degrees and takes 6mm mild steel, double the tracked version's steel capacity.
7.7Top7 Score
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★ 4.6(1,119 reviews)
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Strip the track off the saw above and you get the better cutter for less money. Evolution publishes the same 64mm at 0 degrees off the same 1,600W motor at 3,900rpm, but this version bevels to 60 degrees rather than 45, publishes 24mm of cut at that full 60 degree tilt, and its 20 tooth multi-material blade is rated for 6mm mild steel plate and 6mm box-section wall - twice what the tracked R185CCSX manages. It is also lighter at 4.9kg, on the same cast aluminium sole plate with a 3m lead. The trade is what the track bought: 40mm at 45 degrees rather than 47mm, and no straight-edge system in the box, so a long cut in sheet goods means clamping a straight edge yourself. With 1,100 UK ratings at 4.6 stars it is the best-evidenced corded saw here and it takes Best Value on the ranking. One thing to get right at the checkout: this ASIN is the 230V mains version with a standard plug. Evolution sells a 110V site version of this exact saw as a separate product, which its own manual rates at 3,700rpm rather than 3,900, and that one needs a transformer. Three-year warranty once registered.
Cutting
8.5
Build
6.5
Battery
7
Owners
8
Owners is the 4.6★ Amazon UK rating from 1,119 reviews, weighted toward the category average when there are few. Fewer than two published reviews of this exact model, so the owner rating carries that weight too. Tick marks show the category average.
How we scored it
Cutting 8.5: Same published 64mm at 0 degrees and 1,600W at 3,900rpm as the tracked version, with a wider 60 degree bevel and a blade rated for 6mm mild steel; 40mm at 45 degrees rather than 47mm. Under the top bands because the motor is a brushed corded unit.
Build 6.5: Cast aluminium sole plate, 4.9kg and a 3m lead, lifted half a point by Evolution's three-year registered warranty. No brake, no published hook and no track-cut sole plate - the card's 6 band.
Battery 7: Corded, so the card's mains clause applies: no pack to buy and no runtime limit, scored level with a brushless tool on a DIY platform, against the loss of cordless freedom and a 3m lead that ties it to a socket.
Pros
+ 64mm published cut at 0 degrees and a 60 degree bevel - the widest bevel range on this list
+ 20 tooth TCT blade rated for 6mm mild steel plate and box section, double the tracked version
+ 1,100 UK ratings at 4.6 stars, the best-evidenced corded saw here, and it costs far less than the R185CCSX above
+ Cast aluminium sole plate, 4.9kg, 3m lead and a three-year warranty once registered
Cons
− No track and no track-cut sole plate: a straight cut in sheet goods is down to your own straight edge
− 40mm at 45 degrees, against 47mm for the tracked R185CCSX above it
− No electric brake, and Evolution publishes no hook for this model
− The 110V site version is a separate product - buy this one only if you are running it from a domestic socket
If you want the safest cordless purchase on this shelf, this is it. No other saw in the category comes close to 4,400 UK ratings, and none is rated as highly. Makita publishes 57mm of cut at 90 degrees, 40mm at 45 and 36mm at 50, on a 165mm blade taking a 20 or 30mm bore, with the shoe tilting to 50 degrees on a large lock lever and a calibration line moulded into the guard. Net weight is 2.4kg, or 2.9 to 3.2kg with a battery on it, which makes it the lightest full-size saw here and noticeably easier to hold square on a vertical cut. It runs on 18V LXT, which Makita publishes as over 325 tools and calls the largest compatible 18V slide-style system, so the packs are everywhere and so is the service. It sits fourth rather than first because of what it does not have. The motor is brushed - Makita's own feature list points at the externally accessible carbon brushes as a serviceability feature - and it turns 3,700rpm, the slowest cordless saw on this list. There is no electric brake, no LED on the cut line and no rafter hook, and Makita publishes no shoe material. Body only, so budget for a pack and a charger unless you already run LXT.
Cutting
6
Build
6.5
Battery
5.5
Owners
9
Owners is the 4.8★ Amazon UK rating from 4,419 reviews, weighted toward the category average when there are few. Fewer than two published reviews of this exact model, so the owner rating carries that weight too. Tick marks show the category average.
How we scored it
Cutting 6: The card's rule for a 165mm brushed saw under 4,000rpm: Makita publishes 3,700rpm with 57mm at 90 degrees, 40mm at 45 and 36mm at 50.
Build 6.5: Bevels to 50 degrees on a large lock lever, calibration line on the guard, externally accessible brushes for servicing, and 2.4kg net - the lightest full-size saw here. No brake, LED or hook and no published shoe material, so the card's 6 band plus half a point.
Battery 5.5: Brushed body-only is the card's 5; half a point for 18V LXT, which Makita publishes as over 325 tools on one battery and the largest compatible 18V slide-style system, with 5.0Ah packs sold throughout the UK.
Pros
+ 4.8 stars from 4,400 UK ratings - by far the strongest owner evidence in this category
+ 2.4kg net, the lightest full-size saw here, and it bevels to 50 degrees on a large lock lever
+ Published 57mm at 90 degrees, 40mm at 45 and 36mm at 50 on a 165mm blade
+ 18V LXT, published at over 325 tools, with packs and servicing available everywhere in the UK
Cons
− Brushed motor at 3,700rpm - the slowest cordless saw on this list, and it will bog in wet hardwood
− No electric brake, no LED cut line and no rafter hook
− Body only: no battery, no charger, no case at this ASIN
− 57mm of depth is well short of the 184mm and 185mm saws above it
165mm Blade18V LXT3700rpm57mm Depth2.4kg NetBody Only
Bosch Professional GKS 18V-51 140mm Cordless Circular Saw (Body Only)
140mm Blade18V BrushlessProfessional Blue
Value
Rank #5
Bosch Professional GKS 18V-51 140mm Cordless Circular Saw (Body Only)
Our Verdict
Bosch Professional blue, not the green Home & Garden range: a 140mm brushless saw at a published 2.2kg without a battery, the lightest and fastest-spinning tool here.
6.9Top7 Score
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★ 4.4(312 reviews)
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This is the one to carry up a ladder. Bosch Professional (blue) publishes 2.2kg without a battery, which is lighter than anything else ranked here, and the brushless motor turns 5,800 to 6,300rpm - by a wide margin the fastest on this list. The trade is capacity: a 140mm blade gives a published 51mm at 0 degrees and 35mm at 45, so it handles 18mm sheet goods, batten, floorboards and studwork but will not take a 50mm joist or a deep rip. For overhead work, cutting out a loft hatch, or anything you are holding one-handed against a joist, that is the right compromise. There is an electric brake, soft start, an LED, a dust blower and a redesigned extraction port, and a 140mm 30 tooth Eco for Wood blade is supplied. The battery warning matters more than any specification here: this is the blue Professional range, so it takes ProCORE18V and other blue 18V packs, and it will not accept a green Bosch Home & Garden Power for All battery from a UniversalCirc or EasyCirc. Amazon listings blur the two ranges constantly. At 4.4 stars from 312 ratings it carries the lowest owner rating of the six branded picks, and Bosch Professional publishes no bevel range and no shoe material for this model, so neither is claimed.
Cutting
6
Build
7
Battery
8
Owners
7.1
Owners is the 4.4★ Amazon UK rating from 312 reviews, weighted toward the category average when there are few. Fewer than two published reviews of this exact model, so the owner rating carries that weight too. Tick marks show the category average.
How we scored it
Cutting 6: 140mm blade with a published 51mm at 0 degrees and 35mm at 45. The brushless motor at 5,800 to 6,300rpm is the fastest here, but the card's higher bands all require a 165mm or larger blade, so speed lifts it only to the level of the 165mm brushed saws.
Build 7: Electric brake, soft start, LED and dust blower at a published 2.2kg without a battery - the lightest tool on this list. Short of the card's 8 because Bosch Professional publishes no shoe material and no bevel range for this model.
Battery 8: Brushless body-only on the blue Bosch Professional 18V platform, which the card's 8 anchor names by name: ProCORE18V packs of 5.5Ah and larger are sold in the UK. Green Bosch Home & Garden Power for All packs are not compatible.
Pros
+ 2.2kg without a battery - the lightest tool on this list, and genuinely one-handed
+ Brushless motor at a published 5,800 to 6,300rpm, the fastest here
+ Electric brake, soft start, LED, dust blower and a 140mm 30 tooth blade in the box
+ Blue Bosch Professional platform: ProCORE18V packs of 5.5Ah and larger are sold throughout the UK
Cons
− 140mm blade gives only 51mm at 0 degrees and 35mm at 45 - the shallowest cut of the branded picks
− Green Bosch Home & Garden Power for All batteries do not fit this blue Professional saw
− 4.4 stars from 312 ratings, the lowest owner rating of the six branded picks here
− No published bevel range and no published shoe material for this model
140mm Blade18V BrushlessProfessional Blue2.2kg BareElectric BrakeBody Only
Einhell owns the volume end of cordless in the UK, and this is the saw that does it. The specification is fuller than the price suggests: a 150mm HW/TCT blade at 4,200rpm, a published 48mm of cut at 90 degrees and 32mm at 45, an aluminium base plate rather than pressed steel, an LED over the cut line, a spindle lock for blade changes, a 36mm dust adapter and compatibility with Einhell's own guide rail. It weighs 2.56kg and carries a three-year warranty. Know what 48mm means in practice: 47mm carcassing goes through in one pass with a millimetre to spare, and at 45 degrees it does not - this is a saw for sheet goods, battens, floorboards and light framing, not for joists or worktops. The motor is a brush motor, so it will slow in wet timber where the brushless saws above hold their speed. Body only, with no battery or charger in the box, and the platform is the real purchase: Einhell publishes over 350 tools on one Power X-Change pack. One caveat on the rating - the 4.6 stars from 3,900 ratings is a pool shared with the 165mm version of the same saw, so read it as a verdict on the family rather than on this exact blade size.
Cutting
5.5
Build
7
Battery
5.5
Owners
8
Owners is the 4.6★ Amazon UK rating from 3,912 reviews, weighted toward the category average when there are few. Fewer than two published reviews of this exact model, so the owner rating carries that weight too. Tick marks show the category average.
How we scored it
Cutting 5.5: 150mm blade with a published 48mm at 90 degrees and 32mm at 45 off a brush motor at 4,200rpm - the card's 5 band for a 150mm brushed saw, half a point up for the 48mm depth and the speed.
Build 7: Aluminium base plate, LED, spindle lock, 36mm dust adapter and guide-rail compatibility at a published 2.56kg, with a three-year warranty. No brake and no hook, and the table tilts 45 degrees rather than 50, which keeps it under the card's 8.
Battery 5.5: Brushed body-only is the card's 5; half a point for Power X-Change, which Einhell publishes as over 350 tools on one 18V battery. Battery and charger are not supplied.
Pros
+ Aluminium base plate, LED cut line, spindle lock and 36mm dust adapter at the cheapest cordless money here
+ Published 48mm at 90 degrees and 32mm at 45, on a 150mm TCT blade at 4,200rpm
+ Power X-Change is published at over 350 tools on one battery, and carries a three-year warranty
+ 2.56kg and compatible with Einhell's guide rail for straight cuts in sheet goods
Cons
− 48mm at 90 degrees is the shallowest cut on this list - 47mm carcassing clears by a millimetre, a joist does not
− Brush motor: it loses speed in wet timber where the brushless saws above hold theirs
− Tilts to 45 degrees only, with no brake and no hook
− The 3,900-rating pool is shared with the 165mm version of the same saw
150mm Blade18V Power X-Change48mm DepthLED Cut Line2.56kgBody Only
The unbranded saw that actually sits near the top of the Amazon UK bestseller list: a 185mm blade at 5,800rpm, a laser guide and two blades - and almost no published specification.
6.1Top7 Score
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★ 4.2(737 reviews)
✓ Ships from the UK✓ Free delivery with Prime
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Be clear about what this is. Enventor is a marketplace brand, not a tool company: there is no UK service network behind it, no registered warranty scheme and no manufacturer's data sheet to check. It is ranked here because it is genuinely one of the saws UK buyers keep choosing - 737 Amazon UK ratings at 4.2 stars, alongside several near-identical listings from DEKOPRO and GLAXIA that fill the same shelf - and leaving that off a list of the best-selling circular saws would be a fiction. What the listing publishes is a 1,200W mains motor, 5,800rpm, a 185mm blade, a laser cut guide and two blades in the box. What it does not publish is everything you would normally rank a saw on: no depth of cut at 90 or 45 degrees, no bevel range, no weight, no shoe material, no blade bore. None of those are guessed at here, and the score reflects the gap. The honest use case is a one-off job - cutting a stack of loft boards to width, breaking down a couple of sheets of ply for a shed - where a saw that costs a fraction of the Makita above and does the cut is the right answer. For anything you do weekly, spend up: the Evolution at number three costs more but publishes its numbers, cuts 64mm, bevels to 60 degrees and carries a three-year warranty.
Cutting
6.5
Build
4.5
Battery
7
Owners
6.1
Owners is the 4.2★ Amazon UK rating from 737 reviews, weighted toward the category average when there are few. Fewer than two published reviews of this exact model, so the owner rating carries that weight too. Tick marks show the category average.
How we scored it
Cutting 6.5: The listing publishes a 185mm blade at 5,800rpm off a 1,200W mains motor and nothing else - no depth of cut at 90 or 45 degrees. Credited on blade size and no-load speed alone; with no published depth it cannot reach the card's depth-based bands.
Build 4.5: Nothing is published beyond a laser cut guide and two supplied blades: no shoe material, no bare weight, no brake and no bevel range. The card's bottom band, half a point up for the laser line, with no UK service network behind it.
Battery 7: Corded, so the card's mains clause applies: no pack to buy and no runtime limit, scored level with a brushless tool on a DIY platform, against the loss of cordless freedom and a lead that ties it to a socket.
Pros
+ 737 Amazon UK ratings at 4.2 stars - genuinely large owner evidence for an unbranded saw
+ 185mm blade at a claimed 5,800rpm, the same diameter as the Evolution saws above it
+ Laser cut guide and two blades supplied, off a 1,200W mains motor
+ Corded, so there is no battery or charger to buy on top of it
Cons
− No published depth of cut at any angle, no bevel range, no weight and no shoe material
− No UK service network, no registered warranty scheme and no manufacturer data sheet
− 4.2 stars is the lowest owner rating of the seven picks
− A one-off-job saw: for weekly use the Evolution at number three publishes its figures and carries a warranty
Nothing on this site is bought, tested or handled. Each saw is scored against a published rubric - Cutting power 45%, Build and ergonomics 30%, Battery and runtime 25% - using specifications taken from the manufacturer's own UK site (dewalt.co.uk, makitauk.com, evolutionpowertools.com, einhell.co.uk, bosch-professional.com/gb) or from the Amazon UK listing itself, plus owner ratings at scale. Where a figure is not published for a specific model it is left out rather than borrowed from a sibling: Evolution's R185CCS and R185CCSX share a manual but not a bevel range or a steel capacity, and the difference decides which one you want. The battery dimension scores corded saws on what mains supply is actually worth - no pack to buy, no runtime limit, no cordless freedom - rather than scoring them zero for not having a battery. Owner ratings are shrunk towards the category mean, so a saw with 60 ratings cannot outrank one with 4,400 on a rounding difference, and the number-one slot is gated on owner evidence as well as specification. No product in this category has a published review of the exact model from an allowlisted outlet, so the critics' share of the score sits with the owner rating and the card says so. Prices move daily and are not quoted in this text - tap through for the current figure on Amazon.
Scored on Cutting power 45%, Build and ergonomics 30%, Battery and runtime 25%, plus owner ratings and critic reviews
The number that tells you whether a saw does your job is the published depth of cut at 90 degrees. A 150mm blade gives you around 45 to 48mm, which clears 47mm carcassing with nothing to spare and will not get through it on the diagonal. A 165mm blade gives around 55 to 57mm, enough for almost all framing. A 185mm blade gives around 64mm, which takes a 50mm structural timber in one pass with room over, and 190mm is the corded standard for the same reason. Then check the depth at 45 degrees, because it drops sharply - the saws below fall from 64mm to 40mm, or from 57mm to 40mm, the moment you tilt the shoe. Work out the deepest cut you actually need, add a margin, and buy to that figure rather than to the motor's wattage.
Corded, cordless and what "body only" means
Body only is UK retail for a bare tool: no battery, no charger, often no case. Almost every cordless saw at the top of this category is sold that way, and the listing price is not the price of owning it unless you already have packs. A corded saw sidesteps all of that - it never runs flat, there is nothing else to buy, and for a fixed workshop or a day cutting sheets on trestles it is the cheaper and simpler answer. The trade is the lead: three metres of cable and a socket within reach of it. If you are cutting on a roof, in a loft or halfway down a garden, cordless wins regardless of the specification.
110V, 230V and the suffix that tells you which
UK building sites run power tools at 110V through a yellow centre-tapped transformer because it is far safer on a wet site than 230V, and site rules will normally require it. This category really does sell both: Evolution lists a separate 110V version of the R185CCS ranked below, and HiKOKI's C7SB3 is sold in a 110V site trim. Every mains saw ranked here is the 230V domestic version. Check the suffix before you buy - Makita marks 110V with /1 and 230V with /2, DeWalt appends -LX to its 110V corded tools, and Evolution and HiKOKI list 110V as separate products with a yellow 3-pin plug. A 110V saw will not run from a domestic socket without a transformer, and a 230V saw is not allowed on most sites. Cordless tools sidestep the question entirely, which is one reason site chippies moved to them.
You are buying a battery platform, not just a saw
A body-only saw commits you to one maker's packs for years, so the platform matters as much as the tool. Makita publishes over 325 tools on 18V LXT and calls it the largest 18V slide-style system; DeWalt lists 250-plus solutions on 18V XR; Einhell publishes over 350 tools on Power X-Change; Ryobi ONE+ is quoted at over 200 and, unlike some markets, is sold everywhere in the UK - B&Q, Homebase, Screwfix, Argos and Amazon. The trap is Bosch, which runs two 18V ranges that do not share batteries: Bosch Professional (blue, GKS codes, ProCORE18V packs) and Bosch Home & Garden (green, Power for All, UniversalCirc and EasyCirc). Amazon listings blur the two, and a green battery will not fit the blue saw ranked below. Erbauer EXT and Titan TXP are Screwfix-only platforms, and TXP packs are not backward compatible with older non-TXP Titan tools.
The blade in the box is rarely the blade you want
Most saws ship with a 16 to 24 tooth blade, which is a ripping blade: fast through softwood and rough on the face of the cut. For clean crosscuts in ply, MDF or laminate you want a 40 to 60 tooth blade, and it costs a fraction of the saw. The exception is Evolution, whose TCT multi-material blades are the reason people buy the brand - the R185CCS ranked below is rated for 6mm mild steel plate and box section as well as timber with nails in it, and the tracked R185CCSX for 3mm. Check the bore as well as the diameter when you buy a replacement: 165mm and 185mm saws here take a 20mm bore, and Makita's 165mm takes 20 or 30mm.
Guide rails, tracks and why a straight cut is hard
Freehand along a pencil line, a circular saw will wander - the kerf is wide enough to hide the line and the shoe rides on whatever the offcut does. A track fixes it. Two of the saws below are built for one: the DeWalt DCS572N-XJ runs on DeWalt's guide rail, and the Evolution R185CCSX comes with a three-piece 1020mm track in the box. The Einhell here runs on Einhell's own rail, sold separately. Note that a track costs you depth - Evolution publishes 64mm freehand against 59mm on the track - because the saw is sitting on the rail. If you do not want a track, a long spirit level clamped to the work and a parallel edge guide will get most of the way there.
A circular saw is the first tool that lets you cut a full sheet of ply on your own. Decking boards, joists, studwork, floorboards, a kitchen worktop cut down to fit an awkward alcove - all of it is a straight line through something too big to carry to a bench, and that is the job this tool exists for. Get the blade size and the depth of cut right and one saw covers first fix and most of the sheet work on a house.
The Amazon UK shelf here is not like the others on this site. Five of the top fifteen best sellers in the circular saw node are unbranded corded saws sold under names like DEKOPRO, Enventor and GLAXIA at entry-level money, and several of them carry hundreds of owner ratings apiece. That is the real market, and pretending otherwise would be dishonest - so one of them is ranked below, at number seven, with a plain account of what it is and what it is not. Above it sits the credible shelf: the Makita DSS611Z, which carries 4.8 stars from 4,400 UK ratings and is the most-owned saw in the category by a distance; Evolution, the Sheffield firm whose multi-material blades cut mild steel as well as timber; Einhell at the volume end of cordless; and DeWalt and Bosch Professional (blue) at the top. What you will not find on Amazon are Erbauer EXT and Titan TXP, which are Screwfix's own lines - familiar to a lot of UK buyers, but not sold here, so they cannot be picks.
Three questions settle which saw you want. How deep does it need to cut? Blade diameter is what decides that: 140mm to 165mm covers most cordless saws, 184mm and 185mm are the big-capacity sizes, 190mm is the corded standard, and the published depth at 90 degrees is the number that matters, not the wattage. Cordless or corded? A cordless saw sold body only has no battery and no charger in the box, so it only makes sense if you already run that maker's packs, or intend to. And does it need to run on a building site? UK sites run tools at 110V off a yellow transformer, and this category genuinely does sell both voltages of the same saw - every mains saw ranked below is the 230V domestic version, and buying the 110V one by mistake leaves you with a tool that will not start in your own kitchen.
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What blade size do I actually need - 150mm, 165mm or 185mm?+
Work backwards from the deepest cut you need. A 150mm blade, like the Einhell below, publishes 48mm at 90 degrees: that clears 47mm carcassing by a millimetre and handles sheet goods, battens and floorboards, but not a joist on the diagonal. A 165mm blade, like the Makita below, publishes 57mm - enough for almost all framing. A 185mm blade gives 64mm, which takes a 50mm joist in one pass with room over, and 190mm is the corded standard for the same reason. Remember that tilting the shoe costs you depth: the 185mm Evolution drops from 64mm to 40mm at a 45 degree bevel.
What does "body only" mean, and should I buy one?+
Body only is the UK term for a bare tool: no battery, no charger, usually no case. Four of the seven saws ranked below are sold that way, because the makers assume you already own packs. It is the right buy if you do - you are paying for a saw rather than a third battery - and the wrong buy if you do not, because a pack and charger can cost as much again as the tool. Check the platform before you commit: the packs are what lock you in, not the saw. If you have no 18V tools at all, a corded saw like the Evolution R185CCS gets you cutting for less and never runs flat.
What is 110V, and do I need one?+
UK building sites run power tools at 110V through a yellow centre-tapped transformer, because it is far less dangerous on a wet site than 230V, and site rules will normally insist on it. Circular saws are one of the categories where both voltages really are sold side by side on Amazon: Evolution lists a separate 110V version of the R185CCS ranked below, and HiKOKI sells the C7SB3 in 110V site trim. Every mains saw ranked here is the 230V domestic version. Check the code before you buy - Makita marks 110V with /1 and 230V with /2, DeWalt appends -LX to 110V corded tools, and Evolution and HiKOKI list 110V as separate products with a yellow plug. A 110V saw will not run from a socket at home without a transformer, and a 230V saw will not be allowed on most sites. Cordless tools avoid the question altogether.
Are the cheap unbranded circular saws on Amazon any good?+
They are real products with real owners - five of the top fifteen best sellers in this category are unbranded corded saws from names like DEKOPRO, Enventor and GLAXIA, and the Enventor ranked at number seven has 737 UK ratings at 4.2 stars. What you give up is information and support. None of them publish a depth of cut, a bevel range, a weight or a shoe material, there is no UK service network and no registered warranty scheme, and the listings change names and specifications between batches. For one job - a stack of loft boards, a couple of sheets of ply - a saw at that money that makes the cut is a reasonable call. For anything repeated, a named brand that publishes its figures and honours a warranty is worth the difference.
Bosch blue or Bosch green - which battery fits which saw?+
Bosch sells two 18V ranges in the UK (Professional and Home & Garden) and they do not share batteries. Blue is Bosch Professional: GKS model codes, ProCORE18V packs, and the GKS 18V-51 ranked below. Green is Bosch Home & Garden: the Power for All system, with names like UniversalCirc and EasyCirc. A green Power for All pack will not fit a blue Professional saw and vice versa, and Amazon listings routinely put the two next to each other with no warning. If you already own Bosch packs, blue or green, check the colour before you buy the saw - it is the single most common way to end up with a body-only tool you cannot power.
Can a circular saw cut metal?+
With the right blade, yes, and that is Evolution's whole pitch. The R185CCS ranked below is supplied with a tungsten-carbide multi-material blade rated for 6mm mild steel plate and 6mm box-section wall, as well as aluminium, plastic and timber with nails still in it; the tracked R185CCSX version is rated for 3mm. That is genuinely useful on a strip-out or on reclaimed timber, where a nail would wreck a fine-tooth wood blade. The trade-off is finish and speed - these blades run slower and leave a rougher edge in clean softwood than a dedicated 40 to 60 tooth crosscut blade, which costs very little and swaps in minutes. Do not fit an abrasive cutting disc to a circular saw that was not designed for one.
When is the best time to buy a circular saw in the UK?+
Black Friday falls on 27 November 2026 and is the deepest power-tool discounting of the year, followed by Boxing Day and the January sales. The next real window is the run-up to Easter on 28 March 2027, when the DIY and garden season opens and decking and shed projects start, then the May bank holidays on 3 and 31 May and the August bank holiday on 30 August. Father's Day on 20 June 2027 moves a lot of mid-range tools. If you are buying through a business, the date that matters more is the tax year ending 5 April and what the Annual Investment Allowance lets you write off against it.
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