Incredible Porter Cable 20v Circular Saw Review
Anyone who has ever tried to use a circular saw knows that it can be difficult. The blade is constantly moving, the cord gets in the way, and there is always a chance of cutting your fingers when you’re trying to pick up the saw or move it around. This is why so many people love Porter Cable’s 20v circular saws– they have all of these problems solved! Not only are they lightweight because of their lithium batteries, but they also have an ergonomic design with different grips for left and right-handed users. We did some research on this product and found out that this model has an average rating of 4.5 stars from over 2,000 reviews as well as being listed as one of Consumer Reports.
Pros
1) Incredible Porter Cable 20vcomes with a lightweight, ergonomic design that is very convenient to use and easy on the hands.
2) This saw has an efficient safety button that must be depressed when initially squeezing down its power trigger- I think this should come standard in all saws so there’s no confusion or accidental cuts while using it! It only takes three tries for most people before they get used to doing it right every time.
3) So far, out of 10 2x12s and 10 2×10 boards created from this rather powerful cordless tool (I can’t say how long these blades last but my experience was pretty good), 4 battery packs have been drained by now which really isn’t bad considering
Cons
1) Changing the blade used in a circular saw is one of the more difficult tasks that you could perform with this saw. This can be a more difficult task to change than assembling and putting together the different pieces of the saw.
2) The circular saw is cordless, though users are warned that they need to purchase an expensive lithium battery.
3) The Porter-Cable drill and impact driver don’t have battery charge indicators on them. There is no built in system to tell you when the battery needs more charge. This is a disadvantage when compared to Milwaukee or Ryobi drills which do have this feature.
What in the box
The box includes a manual, the saw itself, and an Allen wrench. The manual is easy to understand with step-by-step instructions for assembling your saw and using it properly. It also describes how to change blades on this particular model of Porter Cable 20v circular saws.
Power
Running on a 20v battery, the Porter Cable is able to deliver more power and torque than other saws with similar voltage. I found that it has faster blade speed at 4,000rpm compared to Makita’s 3,800rpms as well as Milwaukee Tools’ 5400 rpm which leaves these two behind again in terms of overall performance. The motor never bogged down nor did I feel like it was overheating when cutting 2×4 studs or plywood either way so this means you can cut for longer without needing a break!
Battery
Porter Cable 20v circular saws don’t come with batteries or chargers. So you need to buy it separetely. This means that it’s more expensive than other saws on the market.
Ergonomics
The Porter-Cable 20v saw has a perfect weight distribution which is what makes it so comfortable to use. The battery, motor and blade are all in the ergonomic design’s center of gravity so that you can cut with one hand or two while easily maneuvering the cordless tool around. It weighs only 11 lbs total without batteries and it’s a much lighter saw than the other competitors. The grip is easy to hold onto and even though it’s light, you won’t find that your arm tires out prematurely as you’re cutting through wood or sheet metal!
Value
The Porter Cable 20v circular saw is a good value for the money– it’s lightweight, ergonomic and powerful! There are some drawbacks to this cordless model (it doesn’t come with batteries or chargers!), but on the whole, I think that these pros outweigh those cons.
Conclusion
I would recommend this saw to people who want a light, agile saw for the occasional use. If you need it on an everyday basis then think about getting something else because once adjusted and used enough times, switching blades becomes frustrating. This product has been great when cutting over edges or from ladders but if often feel like I am working against myself with this blade set up (because of my own lack of adaptation) which can be difficult at times.