Here’s the list of products reviewed. More details in the video description. Thank you! Milwaukee: amzn.to/3v353V4 Bosch: amzn.to/35W8ioK Makita: amzn.to/3Jmnedw DeWalt: amzn.to/3jk865C WORX: amzn.to/3jq7jA1 Ryobi One+ HP: amzn.to/3KijydX Craftsman: amzn.to/3NYU5Za Ridgid: amzn.to/3vnL8QX Kobalt: Sold at Lowes FLEX: Sold at Lowes
The DeWalt link, i'm in Britain, takes me to a DeWalt leaf blower. Could just be different sales codes but usually they work. Thank you for another great video! DEWALT DCM562P1-GB 18 V 5 A Li-Ion XR Brushless Cordless Blower - Yellow - that's what it takes me to.
The way this channel figures out intuitive cheap consistent ways to test tools is so impressive I always have to watch whether I'm interested in the product or not. Imagine what this man could do with massive funding. He's smarter than most engineers 😂
He's impressive. Was just telling the manager at advanced auto why I was buying the Icon wipers. My friend wrote down Project Farm as he knows how much lying is going on with some products.
More UA-camrs need to take a lesson from this guy. Deliver your information clearly and fast and without wasted babble. These are some of the most informative videos on UA-cam. Well done as usual.
most of the time he has consistent tempo to you can watch at 125% if it's an extremely technical video or if it's a less technical video 150% speed but he always seems to maintain a good natural speed that lends well to faster playback.
Nah, I like the uniqueness 🍇 Just think about all of those junk restoration channels: Pretty much all of them are the no-dialogue silent kind. When everybody goes for the exact same format it actually gets really boring. I went out of my way to find people who actually did different(talking restorators instead of silent ones and practical reviewers instead of those guys who just drive lags in 2x4s) My god it's actually HARD to find unique channels.. It's all conformity all the way down.. xD I would believe it works the opposite way as well: eg. If everyone did it exactly like PF then it's still gonna get boring eventually ... eventually..!
@photog1529 no need to flex your 2-4 year piece of paper on here. Real knowledge comes from doing the work, not drinking cappuccinos with your baby soft hands. Keep trying to flex that piece of paper bro.
Literally the best channel on UA-cam. This is exactly what consumers need to make unbiased, informative purchasing decisions. Thank you for what you do.
You sir, are my new gold standard for tool reviews and testing and comparison videos! I am very impressed with the ingenuity and how you design your testing rigs. I have bought and used Dewalt, Bosch, Milwaukee, Craftsman, and Makita tools for more than 25 years (more than 12 years professionally). Excellent work! Please keep the videos coming!
@@Tallnerdyguy Probably USA made. As an Englishman i lusted after some Craftsman tools for many years. When i was finally able to get some they where ALL Chinesium Rubbish :(
I've still got the all metal Craftsman belt sander my grandpa gave me 30+ years ago because the cord got ruined. It still works like new to this day...all be it with a different cord.
Check out his video on adjustable wrenches where he compares a brand new craftsman versus an old one, the old one is WAYY better quality. They are basically riding on the coattails of Craftsman's good reputation at this point just building "Meh" tools that work
Thank you so much for including the Flex line! I suggested Flex incorporation just 2 months ago and you've already included it! I am especially grateful that you did the cordless circular saw because I wanted to know how the DeWalt I have compares to the Flex that I want. You really make it easy for me to confidently buy tools with your unbiased and thorough testing. Thanks again so much.
Yeah he really does make you feel confident in the product you are buying. I'm starting my own contracting business and I need to buy a lot of tools. This channel seems to take a lot of guessing and hope out of the equation.
I know the dewalt requires a battery that is 6 amp hr be or better for full power(flex volt advantage it in the manual). I don’t know if the other manufactures have the same or similar technology. What if you did this test with each saw using with the optimum size battery?
Thanks for doing this video. I would say my #1 thing to consider in a saw is what brand I already have batteries for but beyond that not many of these test really matter to me besides the vibration in the hand test and my ultimate characteristic I look for is a good solid shoe for the saw. It needs to have 0 deflection and a good straight reference surface for use with a straight edge. Just one man's opinion. Again great video.
valid, point which is a good and bad thing now days, since it does limit, and if you already have alot of tools from 1 brand you rly dont want to buy from another, but as some1 that hasnt invested in tools yet these are very useful. as i can see how each brand preforms etc. and so far Milwaukee seems to Be the more consistant preformer in the top 3 or atleast top 5
@@ProjectFarm toddyyyyy.. british drink.. anyhoo,as before, makita is the best. made in japan,overseen in china.. not influenced by 3rd parties..as dewalt,milwalki bosch ect are.. did you look for the devils symbol,?. circle with tci in it. do not buy those tools. mark of the devil.. have you watched ave,s tool teardowns.. that,sums it up..great vids. im a 1 eyed makita owner. [ i do have a desperation buy bosch saw.]. i worked with vikings for a while in construction,cairns casino,au. there wrecking bars were something to sleep with.. if you stole it, or touched it,,you die.. how about wrecking bars.. sweedish,wins, ill bet..or german..
Very true, but as someone who owns mostly M18 tools, which I have a number of M18 batteries for; when I see a Ryobi soldering station, hot glue gun, or tire inflator that has a tool only option, I take it. I then get a "Badapter" battery adapter, so I can use my M18 batteries, with those couple of ryobi tools that I want. I find these videos an absolute must to watch, as I can adapt my M18 batteries to many different brands.
Agree! I also look at durability. Those plastic guards won't last long after a drop which is very common. I'm not too concerned about endurance because it doesn't take too long to swap batteries. I might want to take a look at cutting power: can I cut through thick hard wood?
I was just telling my wife yesterday how perfectly craftsman has positioned themselves in the market after they were purchased from Sears. Literally every single time he tests them they are just edging into the "professional" brands performance but at only slightly more than the "value" brands in cost.
I have been slowly stocking up on craftsman power tools, perform great, basically are derated dewalt. Nothing but good things to say about them, catch them on sale and they are hard to beat
Already have the DeWalt Flexvolt Advantage saw and the worm drive style flexvolt saw. Love them. So glad you tossed in the flexvolt battery so we could see the potential gains from it. Thanks for all your time and effort! It's nice seeing comparisons🤘👏
Taking into account comfort and cost, I would still choose the Makita. The low vibration, would pay off in the end I think. However, I am not sure what it would weigh with the batteries inserted. It would have been nice to know battery life in this test. Thanks for posting this.
I have that Makita and it's weight isn't an issue for this 54 year old man. Most my tools are red but there's something about the makita saws that just reak of quality. I got into the red tools simply for their power and durability. I'm a bit of a clutz at times.
I have used millwuki, dewalt and Makita. There is something about makita that I feel very comfortable. .not only it is light weight and low vibration, it is a well weight balanced saw.
@@thegoodfight365 I agree, all my cordless tools were Milwaukee and I was looking to get their circular but I found a deal that was too good to pass on this makita and I had to get it. So far I’m very impressed it’s very smooth and seems well built.
I’ve got the Makita. It replaced a 30-year old corded Craftsman, and it’s such a joy to use. Also about half as loud as my old corded saw. I got the kit on special with four 5-amp batteries for $249.
Outstanding as always! You're saving countless people time and money when purchasing power tools like these. You make deciding a much easier task. Thank you!
As a man that absolutely loves that double battery makita skill saw, I feel a test that doesn't get tested often (due to the fact that feasibly, it can't) is the longevity test, and also a durability test. Makita may not have the flashiest skill saw, or best value out of the box, but they can be darned hard to beat. All of our Makita skill saws have been exceptionally durable, pack plenty of power and have given years of service. Whether it be this double battery, a rear handle saw, or single battery (6&1/2"). DeWalt certainly does have it's own fans, but in our experience, longevity is quite lackluster. The only cause of death of one of our double battery Makita skill saws, was being left haphazardly next to an open can of Great Stuff in a trailer that was going down the road. The Great Stuff filled the motor with foam and it died then and there. It was quite sad. But, great video!
Lol poor makita suffocating in the trailer. I must say I totally agree with your experiences with makita. My experiences are similar minus the great stuff. Makita loyalist myself
makita batts, might not last as long, but they have longevity. &,,are made by makita, not some 3rd hand. like the rest. even chinese, are overseen my makita. its japanese, they make the best tools. unless you pay for fein,ect.. look up ave, tool reviews.. he pulls them down to nothing. tells you the sht they do..or,,dont..
Dear old Dad bought a Makita corded drill when I was a kid, some time in the late 80's. He's still got it, still uses it for big drilling jobs, I think the only thing that's ever worn out on it is the power cord. It's a bit different than a modern drill though, it's heavy, sounds like a jet engine spinning down when you let go of the trigger, and only spins 550 rpm. But it has all the power you could want from a hand-held drill.
Using an HP or a High Performance Ryobi battery will definitely help it in the rankings. Since they're stuck with the battery format, that limits the current the tool can pull from a single contact, so the HP batteries have an additional pair of contacts to pull more juice out of the battery.
At least he's using the newer models now, I like that he's listening to feedback. But I don't think it would make too much a difference, maybe bump them up a position or two. And this is coming from a guy whose barn is covered in lime green tools
The extra contacts in the HP batts are not for current, they are some type of communication with the tool. Basically without the communication the tool will limit itself to a much lower output than it could have. Check out the torque test channel for verification on this, the difference is large, around 30% increase IIRC when using the HP batts vs say a 3AH standard batt. All my cordless tools are Ryobi and I'm not changing brands because the circular saws stink. I have a Skillsaw for real work. :) He said he was using 4ah batts for everything but it looked like a standard not HP. It would make a large difference in torque and therefore cutting speed, also trigger response. The rest would likely be similar.
I've recently updated all my tools and bought an all flex line up and I can tell you they are amazing. I've been in the trades for 15 years and seen all brands at work and now I have some of the best tools at work. Flex also just came out with new battery platform that will blow away other batteries.
Smoothness (vibration) is paramount for quality and longevity. Makita was by far the best in that test (I may be a little biased). Can't get enough of this channel. Thanks again for another awesome video. Keep it up
I did buy the Milwaukee 2732 (same in this test) and it is extremely smooth, you cannot actually feel any vibration that transfers into your bare hands. You can hear the motor, but you can't feel anything--this is with the stock Milwaukee blade on it. Milwaukee's brushless drills and especially their impact drivers, are extremely rough and coarse with a lot of noticeable vibration which is really annoying.
Thanks again for including kobalt. I think for the price for tools and batteries they are a HELL of a brand. Never had an issue and this year they’re buckling down on new products!
I was SO excited to see you include a Kobalt XTR 24v tool. Then I was immediately disappointed (especially for experimental purposes) that you didn't use the 'new' XTR 4ah battery that was intended for the tool. 18650 cells vs the new 21700 cells with much more advanced cell balancing. Absolutely incredible batteries, can't wait to get my hands on the new 12ah version!
I feel like this was a worst case senario test for kobalt. The more expensive XTR tools are advertised as compatible with non xtr batteries so you don't have to swap batterys only. If Project Farm didn't have an XTR battery, he shouldn't have bought the XTR tool. The Kobalt circular saw non XTR can be bought for $100 sometimes, making it comparable to the Ryobi in terms of pricing.
Fantastic testing and procedure as usual! I have a Skil saw that is about 40yrs old with sealed ball bearing. I've never done anything with it but replaced the cord. It replaced an older, metal bodied Skil saw. All these newer features are nice, but come at a price point as far as build quality. My saw even fell out of the back of my truck in a residential neighborhood...went back, snagged it, straightened the bottom plate and it's still going today....nothing broken and no duct/electric tape holding anything together...lol.
That Craftsman looks like a winner for the occasional weekend project that otherwise will spend most of its time on a shelf in the garage. Many thanks again for incredibly useful and frugal videos!
@Tom Smith Not if you're going to be using your tools every day, if you're just going to use them for some jobs around the house or small projects here and there they offer great value
Yes, craftsmen was dying out but they revised/modernized all their tools and have done a good job with lots of options at a good price. I am a pro and bought hundreds of power tools some very expensive some much cheaper. Sometimes the cheaper brands do out preform the more expensive "top" tools. Name is important but its not everything. I have meet alot of guys with expensive fancy tools that had no idea what they are doing. At the end of the day does the tool get the job done and does it last. No matter what you are doing (kitchen Remodel, building a deck or a fence) people will notice the job not what tools were used.
If anyone is interested, Lowe's currently has a sale going on where you buy a charger and TWO 4 amp batteries for $149, you get a free tool, and the Craftsman circular saw is one of them. It's going on until the 3rd week of April 2023. This saw alone is now $130, so basically for $20 more you get TWO 4 amp batteries and a charger. That is a great deal!
Good recommendation on the Craftsman. Nice to see that affordability is considered, as long as performance isn't far off. If I used one for a living, I'd buy one of the better performers, but infrequent use would put me in the Craftsman category.
Kobalt makes extremely good tools. I have one of their air compressors and I've used it for hundreds of hours and it's never had a single leak. It holds air for months at a time, it has absolutely no loss of air after several months, which is just insane. Some air tools and tanks, when you buy them from Harbor Freight, they lose air because they don't even use real teflon on the joints. I also have a Kobalt sliding miter saw, and I've made thousands of cuts with it, and it will probably last forever.
Your tests are awesome! On cordless tools, I see though that once we have bought in to a battery system, we tend to stay with that brand. For example, once I had about three DeWalt 20v tools with six batteries and three chargers (now up to 14 tools, 22 batteries and a bunch of chargers), I tend not to even look at the red, blue, or orange stuff. Not sure how you'd do it, but would be interesting to see how each set of tools performed overall against another set of tools. Maybe pick five or six common tools and see which set, overall, comes out on top. I could have really used that before I was so far into yellow that it would be really, really hard to change (some of the red stuff looks pretty good). Thanks again for all you do.
Would definitely like to see the PF take on a core cordless tool system, 4-8 of the same tools. He should have enough data by now. Part of the issue is he'll get a ton of hate and they all have trade-offs depending on your exact needs and preferences. Id say, drill/hammerdrill, impact, fullsized sawzall, 6.5 or 7.25 circ saw, OMT. Maybe tools: grinder, one handed sawzall, jigsaw, ????, Lighting, nail guns, inflator,?
Same here with being a member of the DeWalt Nation. I do have some older or specialized tools of other brands that I am trying to wear out in brute force hard labor but I purchase or make a battery adapter so I don't have to chase a different infrastructure if there is ever an issue of battery failure. That being said in other applications, the Ingersol Rand, Worx, and Milwaukee batteries nor their chargers have not failed yet.. They are not used frequently (how often do I need 1100 ft./lbs of torque for example) but I would rather not buy mainstream tools that do not use my standard DeWalt batteries, given all their offerings.
Depends what you're prioritizing. (fine woodworking in a dedicated shop or transporting in a truck for remodling, etc.) Overall milwaukee's lineup (esp drills, drivers, osc. tools and even their new cordless nailers and m18 jigsaw) is probably best performing but you do pay a little more. Ryobi has the "most" tools in their system including stuff like a hot glue gun. Dewalt is super durable and the easiest to find in stores. I have a LOT of milwaukee and ryobi and have used a lot of Dewalt on jobsites. For the average homeowner I usually recommend ryobi.
Another really well done test. I love the attention to detail, like ease of viewing blade depth gauge, and measuring handle vibration. Other items to evaluate: 1) Flexing of base when applying weight to the handle, that results in a change of blade angle. 2) Also a quick mention of blade depth adjustment type. Most pivot at the front, but some use a slide mechanism that keep the saw parallel to the surface, regardless of blade depth, which is much nicer when reaching across long boards. Suggestion for a future test: I would love to see a test of inspection cameras.
Seeing all his reviews, Milwaukee is definitely always close to the best or the best overall. And considering Milwaukee has the most tool options out there, I’d go for Milwaukee because I could interchange batteries and chargers between tools.
Several other brands do the same nowadays, to prevent people from buying different brands. EU will probably at some point force all big brands to use same batteries, to get less battery waste.
Normally I'd have been too cheap to go Milwaukee Fuel for all my tools, but Home Depot has had crazy 75% off deals lately due to the new Gen 4 stuff coming out, so now I'm all in on Milwaukee for like Ryobi prices haha
Great testing! Good to see the Kobalt 24V tools in the testing. I got my elderly mom the 24v 120mph 500cfm leaf blower as its the lightest weight with the most output. It lasts longer and is much better than my Ryobi 18v blower.
I love all of the engineering and thought you put in to all of your tests. A+ It's a shame that you are unable to include Longevity for these tests. I have 6, 18 V batteries that are all more that 10 years old and have never replace any of them. I still believe that time tells the story. Also I have been in construction and wood crafting for 50 years. Therefore I know that there is a variance between the wood grains even in the same board. You have proven that buy cutting 3 different blocks and coming up with 3 different time readings. None of these tools are designed for brute force too much force will instantly stop any of these tools. Experience Example, I can't tell you how many times I've had to stop a young man when using a drill and teach them a simple trick of saving bits and motors by pulling the drill bit in and out of the hole you are drilling ( especially masonry )to clear the fluke on the bit and keep the bit from seizing up and binding the motor.
Milwaukee circular saw is the same way. Goes "ka-kunk" and stops easy, on small or old batteries. I actually just about scrapped my sawzall until I put a new 5ah battery in it, that was 1.5 yrs ago.
Yeah I've pretty much got rid of all my 2a batteries for that reason. Smallest I run is the 3a cpo Milwaukee batteries... My ridgid stuff I get the old 4ah batteries because they're cheap.
I appreciate the consistency you strive for in your testing, and also seeing the difference that a battery can make in the same situation. Great job thanks.
Glad to see you including flex in your lineups now 👍I'm an early adopter of the top end drill and impact and can attest to their quality. Flex is up there with the best.
As an M18 aficionado, I am always cheering for Milwaukee in these tests. The common denominator is the Diablo blade. If you have not used Diablo, you will not be disappointed is cut quality and speed.
It's always nice to see a Ridgid tool included in these consistently excellent tests. However, I feel compelled to say something about the R8652. Not only does it have the inherent disadvantage of being brushed, it's also quite old. Best I can determine, it was introduced no later than 2015. Seven years is pretty long-in-the-tooth in the cordless tool world. Ridgid has released no fewer than four 18V brushless circular saws since then, including the Gen5x Brushless R8653, the Octane R8654, and their two current brushless models, the R8657 and Subcompact R8356 (both 6.5" bladed). Putting the R8652 up against a bevy of more-modern, brushless models doesn't feel like an even remotely fair fight. But that's just my $0.02 USD.
Thx for pointing this out. I don't think you can order Ridgid off of Amazon and get the lifetime warranty(has to be Home Depot), so I wonder if the link is a reseller?
I've learned over the years that often what is more expensive now, ends up being cheaper in the long run. I myself prefer quality tools Makita, Bosh or DeWalt. I'm not a tradie, but I do many projects at home and for me those three brands are very intuitive, a pleasure to use and I think ultimately improve my work.
ryobi has a couple winners that are dirt cheap for the performance returns, especially at diy level. ill recommend and swear by their 18g brad nailer and the 7-1/4 miter saw. each can be had at or under $100(direct tools) and add tons of portability, versatility and convenience. the miter saw isnt fine woodworking exact but its been good to me and easy to move around/setup.
@@fixerupperer Thanks man! You are right... today this theory is less true. There is much bigger competition, more advanced and widely accessible technology, often copied by China at much reduced production costs. About 8years ago I bought Ryobi industrial vacume cleaner which I use a lot and is still going strong, but I'm trying to stick with brands I already have, as I don't want to buy yet another type of battery or keep even more bulky chargers around.
@@fixerupperer I have all Dewalt Flexvolt and Milwaukee 18v Red Lithium, and the 16" and 18" Ryobi brad nailer's. Those brad Ryobi brad nailers run circles around every other brand out there! Just wish all batteries were interchangeable.
That’s exactly what I’ve been telling people. The makita just has a nice, refined, finesse feel to the saw. Love using makita saw. I personally think they are the best in terms of longevity, durability, lineup, and performance.
As a guy that has owned several of these saws and settled on the Craftsman brushless saw I must say I’m pretty impressed with it and your testing proves it’s quality. Also having owned the Ryobi saw for a hot minute I will say Ryobi really crapped the bed with their “pro model” circular saw. Everything about it felt cheap and the performance was on par with your testing.
Hello mate ,yes I had the first brushless Ryobi 7 1/4" saw a few years ago and was VERY disappointed and when this gen 2 was introduced I can see they still haven't learnt anything!!!! I have seen the performance other manufacturers have achieved on 18 volt so there is no excuse for Ryobi.
@Praise Jesus, Repent or Likewise Perish You're on the wrong channel buddy ,go over to Kenneth Copeland or some other religious channel . Allah Akbar 😎
I was actually more impressed with the first gen Brushless circ saw regarding power. That cheap stamped shoe that you can’t get flat is a real downer however. I like you assumed they’d build on that first gen and the newer one would fix the issues the first brushless saw had. Boy was I disappointed.
Once again you have done an amazing job! Thank you Todd for helping all of us make an informed decision on which tools to purchase. You never cease to amaze! Please keep up the great work!
One thing to keep in mind with ryobi hp tools is they will work with other older batteries but will perform really bad. You need to make sure you use one of the hp batteries with the extra 2 contacts on the back to see their true performance. Regardless great video as always!
Yes. Testing the premium brands with really big batteries and leaving out the Ryboi HP batteries skewed the results. Still a very good test, but Ryobi is so popular, it would be nice to see the brand represented with its best foot forward.
I definitely factor in battery size when working on various projects. I've noticed quite a difference between tool performance depending on whether I grab my 12amp/hr or 2amp/hr battery for my Milwaukee tools.
For any high drain tools like superhawg I never use anything smaller than xc5ah. Funnily enough the $4k press tools perform just as well with 1.5 and 3ah
The amp hour doesn’t matter, it’s the volts that matter. Amp hour is just how much capacity the battery has but has nothing to do with how much power the battery can output, that all comes down to voltage
@@mikeiscoo2 Capacity does actually affect the power of the tool. All batteries have a maximum current draw which is usually set as a percentage of their capacity (say 10C or 10 x capacity as an example). So a 5AH battery could supply 50 amps, whereas an 8AH battery could provide 80 amps, or whatever the manufacturer decides. Obviously the tool will only ever draw a certain maximum so putting a larger battery in won't always make a difference.
Depends how much draw the tool has. I saw another test where Todd used different amp/hr Milwaukee batteries & the tool's performance was worse with the larger batteries than with the 2 amp/hr battery. That wasn't the case for the other brands, just Milwaukee. I wish I could recall what lower draw tool it was that this occurred.
I agree. I've mentioned this in the past. While we all know Ryobi will never be a top contender, constantly testing HP devices with batteries not designed to provide the tool's full performance, provides a poor review comparison.
I noticed the Bosch saw was the only item with a round discharge that might rotate and likely fits a vacuum hose. Some of the other saws appeared to have the capability of a vacuum connection. That feature wasn't noted in the test.
the Bosch wasn't tested with a bigger battery which makes a big difference . Also the 36v Makita is not fair because it uses two batteries Bosch says for full power 5,5ah procore or bigger
The Makita has a slow start feature to reduce fatigue and that is why it was slow in response it also was just behind flex for speed and since both are 36 volt that makes sense. The low vibration of makita is huge for the professional makita. Price per feature I think craftsman is pretty darn good but wonder how that value changes when you add batteries - flex was 300 with batteries and top performer and Makita was $224 for kit. Tough call
Another great video, thanks! Wonder why you chose the brushed Ridgid and not the R8653 Brushless model when all the other contenders had brushless motors? I have both the Brushless Ridgid and Milwaukee Fuel and use them almost every day. Both great saws in my opinion.
Also the R8653 was on the market way back in January 2016. Even it is considerably outdated when compared to the other contemporary models. Weird choice.
I have been watching this channel for a couple years now, always excellent information and I love the creative ways of testing different products, and no sponsorships to taint the results. Keep up the great work.
Great review. Regarding cut speed and force, I think that blade depth should not be overlooked. I own a Kobalt 7-1/4", but I discovered after my purchase that the superior deck design of the lower cost 6-1/2" Kobalt, the overall cutting depth was almost the same.
I've been desperately waiting for this test! I have a 60v Flex DeWalt and it has incredible power. But the 60/20v flex battery says 9Ahr, but that 9 is only when using it on the 20 volt tools like your saw here. On the 60 volt tools like mine, it's actually a 3Ah. But I can still do a full day with it. I'm also very interested in the Bosch Profacter.
I have a comparable Bosch saw (the one with guide rail compatibility) and it's great. For optimal performance, you do need a 5.5 Ah or more (meaning double or triple row) battery. 4Ah (single row) is fine for thin and soft wood. For thicker and harder woods, it will work (just slower and more prone to stalling), but it performs significantly better with the 5.5 Ah battery.
I like the testing method, but I would’ve also liked to see some sort of endurance test. Also would’ve been cool to throw in a generic corded skillsaw for comparison
Sadly the two most important tests are ones he can’t necessarily perform. Tool functionality and durability. Circular saws require effort to keep straight while cutting. This is why the CORDED DeWalt worm drive was considered the best circular saw for decades. Unfortunately, if he were to try such hand held tests, his opinion would be perceived as objective. A durability test would require a year of testing. Our construction company has owned DeWalt and Milwaukee. Out of the box the CORDLESS Milwaukee drills and saws slightly out performed the DeWalts. But every CORDLESS Milwaukee tool we purchased broke within a year, while every DeWalt tool has not broke. We’ve had to replace many DeWalt batteries, but some of the tools are over twenty years old.
When you do episodes like this with battery dewalt stuff, can you also include the 60V flex batteries to compare? You mentioned the battery alternative and I think it would be a great thing to compare what the extra voltage does.
Dewalt 60v Flexvolt batteries do not operate at 60V on 20V saws, they operate as 20V batteries with a higher amp-hour rating. And he did use a Flexvolt 12ah battery on the Dewalt saw during the testing at @12:44.
@@nelsonbrum8496 ah, that is what I was wanting... Was expecting them to be back to back and didn't get that far in the video. That is my bad for not watching the full video before replying, thanks for calling me out. Edit for clarification: Back to back in the first part, when he first shows the saw and stuff.
I’m female and a hobby DIYer, and my hubby wants to buy a cordless circular saw (to complement my growing tool kit collection😅) for my birthday and I stumbled upon your video. Wow, I was only thinking about rpm and weight, as had no idea about the rest! I just wanted it to be practical for a female (hence weight) and powerful so I don’t have to push the darn thing through wood. Your video has certainly armed me with all I need to go an speak to a supplier, with a confident, and hopefully, knowledgable manner. I’ve just subscribed!,
That was a very interesting testing matrix, thanks for all the work you did. However, the one thing I'm really interested in about a cordless circular saw is how many 8' cuts I can make in 3/8" plywood before changing the battery? Or, how many crosscuts in a 2 x 6" can be made with one battery? If I need a generator to charge the batteries I might as well use a corded saw.
As someone who frame's homes and mainly uses corded tools, having a cordless circular saw was a complete game changer for those times that having to deal with the weight of a corded saw plus the weight of the extension cord. when you are 16ft off the ground, not needing to deal with extra stuff in the way in an already awkward position is almost invaluable. Just disappointed the right handed saws aren't more common place. That is my only problem with cordless saws.
Just carry extra batteries. I have many cordless tools going back 25+ years. Since I got into Li-Ion in 2010, I've had great success with these batteries lasting years. My 18V Kobalts are still going strong at 12 years and one even got left in the attic for over two years before I found it.
One thing to note about the Makita is it adjusts torque based on the load. An unloaded cycle up and down isn't a realistic test but your loaded tests definitely are!
I wonder if the Bosch does this too? (Electronic speed regulation based on load, like their routers do?) I think the Bosch regulates the RPM exactly at 5,000 rpm, even when it's heavily loaded. Because it performed higher than it should have in the cut speed tests, which would indicate that it's not slowing down at all, while the other saws are slowing down significantly from their rated free speed?
As always, great video. I use these every day doing trim, and the framers I work with also do... For me, weight and cutting time are second to how accurate and durable the shoe is made, it takes the most abuse.
I don't know if they've fixed it, but a year or two ago they had a LOT of crib death's on their batteries. One time a customer had to go through 3 before getting one that worked, all brand new out of box (after the first one we tested them in store to make sure it was good before leaving.) Their overall quality seemed fine for homeowners, we had a craftsman impact we used in the yard and it held up just fine to some hard use. The battery issue was unacceptable for my store though, i HATE selling defective products almost as much as the customer does having to come back for a replacement.
I am not a professional contractor but a normal home owner. If I have a choice, all of my tools would be Craftsman. Their older cordless drill is unbeatable and easily mixed buckets after buckets of cement and mortar while other brands (ryobi, rigid, etc...) had to be returned. Was so happy when I found upgraded batteries from nicad to lithium for my old cordless Craftsman. Even the new Craftsman are not built the same as the old Craftsman.
I’m in the market for a Rear Handle Circular Saw….either Makita, Milwaukee or the Lifetime Warranty Metabo HPT 36V! Would love to see you do your great comparison tests on these rear handle models, too! Thanks for your expertise, brother!
Although this represents random rather than statistical sampling of product for controlled durability and performance testing….I find it to be some of the best consumer information available. I am a retired Director of Quality from both the stainless and appliance industries - I work part time now in outdoor power equipment and I recommend this channel to both customers and coworkers. I do wish we saw more tests were Porter Cable, Skill and Freud tools are included.
Bosch broke my heart. I really wish they'd make a comeback. They were once the standard by which all other tools were measured for reasonably priced pro tools. DeWalt? They're hit & miss. I'm giving up on DeWalt. Flex, here I come ready to fully invest in your line of tools. Throughout the years, they've consistently managed to come out at or near the top over better established brands and they continue to offer the best bang for the buck even if they are higher priced than the rest. I'm ready to make that commitment. Thanks for the review.
Well, to be fair the Bosch in this test was from their middle class line. They also have saws at the price point of the Milwaukee. Bosch still has many very good products, but yes, they also spread their line up and outsourced most of their production lines which resulted in an overall quality drop in some aspects. I really would like to see Festool in these tests. They are considered the best circular saws here in Europe and also have other top notch products. It's often a battle between Bosch, Festool, Makita and Milwaukee.
Also try a flex volt battery in the 20v tools. They offer a lot higher amps since they rewire internally to 20v inside the battery when used in lower voltage tools.
What I don't like about Makita is their battery management. Those Makita battery packs have circuit boards in them that can black ball the pack when it senses any fault. Doesn't mean the battery is bad. Does mean the pack will never work again though. It's all just a bit too clever for my tastes. I'd rather be the one making the decisions.
@@1pcfred I have never had a real brand name makita 18v battery fail in any way for me except damage to it from either a fall or having been left in weather. Same with the tools themselves. I have had the same first generation fast charger since I purchased it years ago. Unless Makita makes the 18V no longer available I will buy only Makita and no other tool brand can convince me otherwise.
@@1pcfred I’ve never had a Makita battery fail on me. I’ve had the damaged cell light come on but I just leave it on the Charger and it corrects itself. Can’t say the same about my other brand batteries though.
I have all the major brands / battery packs and Makita has to be the most reliable with never a single failure. That's pertaining to the last five six years though. I know a lot of the brands with 18650 cells had issues with first generation packs. Makita is not always the most powerful when it comes to tools but there's one thing that's kind of overshadowed in the video and that is the vibration/smoothness. You'll notice that when he tests it's 1/10 most the tools. You just pick up a Makita and it is like driving in a Mercedes luxury car versus an old pickup truck down a dirt road to your hand. Places like Europe post these figures because they have found they have a dramatic impact on the users well-being.
@@thomasechols8834 I think it's more the principle of the thing that bothers him. The fact that doing something so innocuous as putting an overly-discharged battery onto a charger lacking the capability to salvage that situation several times will result in it bricking the battery by design is just not a good look. I say this as a big time Makita user.
Project Farm, I love your channel and what you do. I am a small business owner that does remodeling work, and I am invested in the Milwaukee brand. My brother/partner loves the DeWalt brand. It is good fun to rag on each other about tools, and your channel helps us decide our debates sometimes. We have a carpenter whom uses the Makita brand, so this helps us to keep our tools separated for the most part. I truly think that your videos are just something wonderful, and I eventually would love to give insight from the field to engineer the best tools that could ever be made. I truly hope that the engineers designing these tools watch some of your methods, and take the information into account. One major thing I would love to see overcome is the saw guard be able to not catch when ripping 1/2” or 3/4” plywood. I often like to use one hand to rip plywood when they are small cuts, and it makes it difficult when the guard gets caught making necessary the use of both hands on the saw, which ends up requiring either a clamp, or some kind of weight. Thanks again Project Farm. We love what you do sir! Many Blessings!
Very nice test, I would love to see these put through some kind of durability/longevity test, I have one of the smaller 5 1/2" saw and it sounds like the bearings are going bad after less than 2 years of intermittent usage.
Our construction company has owned DeWalt and Milwaukee. Out of the box the CORDLESS Milwaukee drills and saws slightly out performed the DeWalts. But every CORDLESS Milwaukee tool we purchased broke within a year, while every DeWalt tool has not broke. We’ve had to replace many DeWalt batteries, but some of the tools are over twenty years old.
@@WontSeeReplies this is very similar to my experience, I have a whole bag of broken Milwaukee tools in my garage, 6 different 12volt tools and 5 different 18 volt tools and of those only the 12 volt impact still works but all the 12 volt and 18 volt batteries are dead and won't charge. I bout a "cheap" $100 Ryobi set of drill and impact and 2 batteries to "get me by" that was 9 years ago and they are still going strong, I have something like 25 Ryobi tools now and so far they are all still working, the only one having an issue is the small circular saw but even then it still works just sounds like a bucket of gravel when it runs.
I used to live dewalt for all my drills, saws, etc but had a lot of bad luck with them. Then I switched to makita and haven’t looked back since. I’ve never had any of their tools break on me(I did burn out a friend’s smaller 1/2” drill but I was over working it), and have used them full time in the trades for many years. That, plus their extensive line of tools that cater to carptentry has me sold on them. Cordless, that is. I use Bosch for my compound miter saws, and dewalt makes the best job site planer in the business.
I always liked my ryobi, have had it about 4 years and it's seen a lot of use. one test you might think about would be run time for equal battery amps. ryobi even has a high performance battery specially designed to interact with brushless tools in a beneficial way. As you demonstrated, different batteries yield different results
@@MaFTB it's funny you mentioned that. Mine came as a kit with the 6amp battery. I put a ( brand new) 5ah in & it kept timing out/ over heating, flashing. I thought the battery was defective. Good to know.
I really enjoy your comparison videos. I started my DIY life with DeWalt tools (after a few cheap tools which broke quickly). Since then, I have just kept buying DeWalt. When cordless came out, I just stuck with DeWalt. Since you have tested just about every cordless tool there is, can you add them all together and come up with a recommendation for someone who is just starting their DIY journey? Overall, which system would you recommend, knowing that once someone starts with a particular brand, it is highly likely that they will stick to that brand because of the battery interchangeability. Drill, driver, reciprocating saw, circular saw, jig saw.
I'm all proud because I got the flex circular saw with 3 batteries and the charger plus the impact driver for only 100$. Slightly used but definitely a steal!
It would be interesting to see comparisons across a single brand. For example that I am familiar with, Dewalt markets brushed options, atomic brushless, xr brushless, power detect, flexvolt advantage, and flexvolt flavors of many tools. It is not always clear where they line up in rankings.
The Ryobi HP line of tools will only perform as advertised when used with a HP battery. You will notice that there are two extra contacts in the tool that will line up with the corresponding extra contacts on a HP battery. The 4Ah battery that you used was not one of these and so did not have those extra two contacts, but there are 4, 6 and 9Ah HP batteries available and I would love to see how it performs when used with the correct battery which would allow it to draw the full rated current. I've noticed this to be VERY significant on the Ryobi HP angle grinder and would expect the same to be true of the circular saw. Given that the manual does state that HP batteries are required to achieve full rated performance from the tool, I think it would be a much more apples-to-apples comparison were it not being tested with a battery that does not have all the contacts.
I noticed some gains on my 1/2" mid torque P262 impact wrench when using the HP battery compared to my regular 4Ah battery but there are some tools like the hammerdrill and impact driver that work about the same. I've got this saw and have used both batteries. I can't find noticeable differences but then again I'm not timing my cuts. The brake is slow no matter which battery is in it, though
@@luisinhoens90 to be fair, I don't think you would notice any difference unless you were pushing the cuts hard for timing (and the maximum cutting force test he did). The main factor for performance in a battery is how much voltage sag it experiences under heavy current loading. So, at the 5-10 amps this thing pulls when you're cutting like you should and not forcing it, it wouldn't make any difference, but force the blade and that current might climb to 40+ amps. At this point a high discharge rate battery is going to be providing those amps with noticeably less volltage sag. For example, a full "18v" battery is actually at around 21 volts. At low loads, this doesn't change much, but put that same full battery under 30 amps of load and you will see it sag down to as low as 15 volts. A higher discharge rate battery might only sag down to 18 volts. Those extra 3 volts translate to higher motor output by almost 20%. Again, it's an effect you will only notice at high current loads, such as when you are forcing the blade to cut way faster than you should, like in this test
One thing that I would have found interesting is to see how the DeWalt flexvolt circular saw would have performed. (which is a step up from the flexvolt advantage which was tested).
@@ProjectFarm To add to above, the FlexVolt Advantage is made to take advantage of the FlexVolt batteries, I am curious to the difference it would have had if it was compared using the 20v/60v FlexVolt batteries. In fact a comparison of many of the FlexVolt advantage as well as the Dewalt Power Detect would be interesting, as well as any other dual voltage tools (or tools that are advertised to give more from the same voltage, but higher AH batteries) I know that it would be expensive as a startup venture, but I have seen you have the batteries and a couple of the tools already.
Thanks for including the source country of these saws, i have bought most of these brands and find that DeWalt brand to survive far longer than the Rigid. Mikita, Milwaukee and Ryobi
Very well done as always and invaluable for objectively assessing the actual performance of these tools. I still use corded power tools but will transition over to battery as I replace them. Seems like no single brand consistently out-performs across various types of battery-powered tools, which creates a dilemma as one would want to stick to a single brand to minimize purchase of the costly batteries. Also, I wish manufacturers would get over their ill-advised decision to source their products from China. Nothing against the Chinese people, it is their tyrannical government that I loathe.
I go Makita, a super huge 18v lineup, and some of their tools can be bought manufactured in japan or elsewhere if you look online. One of the big factors for me is that they are still on their own and attach their name to everything they make (same with Hilti but they are way too expensive), unlike Dewalt, Milwaukee, and most of the other brands that are part of tool conglomerates ie: TTi, StanleyBlack&Decker, Chervon . . .
It is the nature of OUR form of government that allows corporations free reign to do as they please that permits and even encourages them to seek profits in any way possible, including doing business with and in characters and environments. This is the nature of a largely unregulated free market. There is nothing ill advised about it. Profit seeking is the name of the game. To complain about manufacturing moving to China is to complain about the deregulation of the market and to be against an open and free market. I personally do my best to avoid products from China (Made in Japan Makita power tools, Made in Korea batteries, etc as much as possible, for example) but then again, I am also for much heavier regulation of multinational corporations than we have now.
@@ryhk3293 America, assuming you are talking about it, has plenty of restrictions. Tariffs for example can have a massive effect on the cost-effectiveness of manufacturing in a specific country. Choosing not to buy a product because it is made in china is an example of the market. Forcing companies to mark where the product was made is government intervention. I buy things made in China, but I also like it when I can buy something made elsewhere or even in America.
I've used that ridgid saw for several years now and I know there have been improvements from other brands since then, but I personally don't think you can beat it when you can snag it on sale for 60ish bucks from DTO if you're already in the ecosystem.
Just bought my first house and ended up going with Craftsman before doing any research. Pleasantly surprised with how they seem to balance quality with price. Nothing in the tool line has been amazing, but nothing has really let me down either
Great comparison video. Thank you. It would be interesting to see the runout at the arbor bearing when new and after some heavy use. Been a carpenter since '79 and have seen a significant decline in quality. Now tools are designed to be as inexpensive to build and sell. Don't expect any of these to last longer than the warranty if subjected to day to day jobsite use and abuse.
I'm a professional carpenter and I run cordless Makita saws, and I've NEVER had one die. I just sold two says that were 10+ years old, only because I've upgraded to brushless. If you've really been a carpenter since '79 then you know that with batteries, brushless motors, brakes, lights, soft starts, carbide blades etc etc the modern saws completely blow the vintage saws away in every possible category.
Shouldve tested the 60v dewalt. Those 20v saws are all worthless for any kind of production work. The only thing that kills the 60v dewalt saws is dropping them repeatedly.
I think a more complete test would have included a Dewalt 60v saw AND a DeWalt 20v saw. The tool tested here is the 'Flexvolt Advantage' which is supposed to be the best of both worlds, but in reality seems to be neither here nor there.
Yeah my eyes were all squinty when Flex showed up on the market, until I realized they were just the hand tool arm of EGO lawn tools. Instantly respected them after that.
Brushless motor doesn't mean nothing when it comes to power just look at the dewalt 61/2 saws the brushed version is more powerful and has higher blade speed plus its older brushed tools outlast Brushless tools
Well done, thank you. I have purchased most of these brands as a building contractor and found that drills, saws etc purchased from HD or Lowes are made with lesser quality bearings etc than the "same" appearing tool purchased from lumber yards... they look identical but use slightly different model numbers.
Great testing as usual Todd. I wonder if the Makita can function with only 1 of the battery slots filled with a fully charged battery? That would be useful in a pinch. I'd like to see just a little more time with the results on the charts though. It helps with getting things straight in the minds of your audience. Thanks and keep up the good work.
Would like to see a proper flexvolt saw compete. The flexvolt advantage is still a 20v tool even with the 60v battery. Where as the true flexvolt will get more out of the battery
Especially when tested against the 36v Makita instead of the 18v version. Why would you not use the flexvolt battery for more of a comparable test for the first round?
@@stevehirst536 I absolutely agree, I think that if you're going to do a true comparison, might as well do them with the best configuration of each brand
@@brandenheit8329 totally with you on that, especially when you pay the extra for the flexvolt advantage over the standard 18v saw then don't use the battery its optimally designed for!
Another awesome Project Farm comparison video. Just have to add: The DeWalt saw, when using the 60v battery, is like a completely different beast from when using it with the 20v battery. It's more powerful and lasts so much longer. It feels as powerful as my corded saw.
![Best Circular Saw? Milwaukee, DeWalt, Makita, Flex [2024]](/img/n.gif)
Here’s the list of products reviewed. More details in the video description. Thank you!
Milwaukee: amzn.to/3v353V4
Bosch: amzn.to/35W8ioK
Makita: amzn.to/3Jmnedw
DeWalt: amzn.to/3jk865C
WORX: amzn.to/3jq7jA1
Ryobi One+ HP: amzn.to/3KijydX
Craftsman: amzn.to/3NYU5Za
Ridgid: amzn.to/3vnL8QX
Kobalt: Sold at Lowes
FLEX: Sold at Lowes
The DeWalt link, i'm in Britain, takes me to a DeWalt leaf blower. Could just be different sales codes but usually they work.
Thank you for another great video!
DEWALT DCM562P1-GB 18 V 5 A Li-Ion XR Brushless Cordless Blower - Yellow - that's what it takes me to.
The way this channel figures out intuitive cheap consistent ways to test tools is so impressive I always have to watch whether I'm interested in the product or not. Imagine what this man could do with massive funding. He's smarter than most engineers 😂
Great shop built test rigs, AND useful commercial test equipment! Never noticed the vibration meter before! (Now I want one!) 👍🏼😎✌🏼
It really is impressive. The boards never bound, once
He's impressive. Was just telling the manager at advanced auto why I was buying the Icon wipers. My friend wrote down Project Farm as he knows how much lying is going on with some products.
Thanks!
No doubt, he definitely does a great job!
More UA-camrs need to take a lesson from this guy. Deliver your information clearly and fast and without wasted babble.
These are some of the most informative videos on UA-cam. Well done as usual.
Thanks!
most of the time he has consistent tempo to you can watch at 125% if it's an extremely technical video or if it's a less technical video 150% speed but he always seems to maintain a good natural speed that lends well to faster playback.
UA-cam algorithms/monetization prefer 10 minute videos. That's why alot of people stretch their videos with nonsense.
Nah, I like the uniqueness 🍇
Just think about all of those junk restoration channels: Pretty much all of them are the no-dialogue silent kind. When everybody goes for the exact same format it actually gets really boring.
I went out of my way to find people who actually did different(talking restorators instead of silent ones and practical reviewers instead of those guys who just drive lags in 2x4s) My god it's actually HARD to find unique channels.. It's all conformity all the way down.. xD
I would believe it works the opposite way as well: eg. If everyone did it exactly like PF then it's still gonna get boring eventually ... eventually..!
Got that right!
I'm a mechanical engineer by trade, and I just have to say your test methods are always top-notch as well as practical. Kudos.
Thanks so much!
Engineering at its finest: simple, practical, rigorous, and meaningful
Figured you'd be more interested in cappuccino machines than tools. My boss is a mechanical engineer and doesn't even know what a wrench is.
@@ah4800 Was that remark supposed to be an insult towards engineers? If so, it didn't work. But hey, keep punching that time clock.
@photog1529 no need to flex your 2-4 year piece of paper on here. Real knowledge comes from doing the work, not drinking cappuccinos with your baby soft hands. Keep trying to flex that piece of paper bro.
Literally the best channel on UA-cam. This is exactly what consumers need to make unbiased, informative purchasing decisions. Thank you for what you do.
Thanks and you are welcome!
As a man transitioning from corded tools to cordless, these tests are invaluable. Thanx and how about a farm update?
Thanks! Thanks for the suggestion.
trans man lol
Yeah, show us a plane landing on the airstrip!
@@snakeyjaake Cousin Eddie is a drunkard - don't trust him with your money and buy no tools from him!
real men dont us cordless tools
You sir, are my new gold standard for tool reviews and testing and comparison videos! I am very impressed with the ingenuity and how you design your testing rigs. I have bought and used Dewalt, Bosch, Milwaukee, Craftsman, and Makita tools for more than 25 years (more than 12 years professionally). Excellent work! Please keep the videos coming!
Thanks, will do!
I still have a Craftsman power saw that my dad bought when I was a kid, 55 years ago and it still works fine. A metal case too.
Not made like that anymore. Also corded are much much more reliable
@@Tallnerdyguy Probably USA made. As an Englishman i lusted after some Craftsman tools for many years. When i was finally able to get some they where ALL Chinesium Rubbish :(
I've still got the all metal Craftsman belt sander my grandpa gave me 30+ years ago because the cord got ruined. It still works like new to this day...all be it with a different cord.
Check out his video on adjustable wrenches where he compares a brand new craftsman versus an old one, the old one is WAYY better quality. They are basically riding on the coattails of Craftsman's good reputation at this point just building "Meh" tools that work
My dad still uses a corded skill saw from 40 years ago, he refuses to use mine because it’s not a worm drive
Thank you so much for including the Flex line! I suggested Flex incorporation just 2 months ago and you've already included it! I am especially grateful that you did the cordless circular saw because I wanted to know how the DeWalt I have compares to the Flex that I want. You really make it easy for me to confidently buy tools with your unbiased and thorough testing. Thanks again so much.
You are welcome!
Yeah he really does make you feel confident in the product you are buying. I'm starting my own contracting business and I need to buy a lot of tools. This channel seems to take a lot of guessing and hope out of the equation.
I know the dewalt requires a battery that is 6 amp hr be or better for full power(flex volt advantage it in the manual). I don’t know if the other manufactures have the same or similar technology. What if you did this test with each saw using with the optimum size battery?
@@richardthompson2494 DeWalt would still of lost.
How those flex 24 volt batteries,leaking? Longevity test would sort that out for ya
Thanks for doing this video. I would say my #1 thing to consider in a saw is what brand I already have batteries for but beyond that not many of these test really matter to me besides the vibration in the hand test and my ultimate characteristic I look for is a good solid shoe for the saw. It needs to have 0 deflection and a good straight reference surface for use with a straight edge. Just one man's opinion. Again great video.
Great point!
valid, point which is a good and bad thing now days, since it does limit, and if you already have alot of tools from 1 brand you rly dont want to buy from another, but as some1 that hasnt invested in tools yet these are very useful. as i can see how each brand preforms etc. and so far Milwaukee seems to Be the more consistant preformer in the top 3 or atleast top 5
@@ProjectFarm toddyyyyy.. british drink.. anyhoo,as before, makita is the best. made in japan,overseen in china.. not influenced by 3rd parties..as dewalt,milwalki bosch ect are.. did you look for the devils symbol,?. circle with tci in it. do not buy those tools. mark of the devil.. have you watched ave,s tool teardowns.. that,sums it up..great vids. im a 1 eyed makita owner. [ i do have a desperation buy bosch saw.]. i worked with vikings for a while in construction,cairns casino,au. there wrecking bars were something to sleep with.. if you stole it, or touched it,,you die.. how about wrecking bars.. sweedish,wins, ill bet..or german..
Very true, but as someone who owns mostly M18 tools, which I have a number of M18 batteries for; when I see a Ryobi soldering station, hot glue gun, or tire inflator that has a tool only option, I take it. I then get a "Badapter" battery adapter, so I can use my M18 batteries, with those couple of ryobi tools that I want.
I find these videos an absolute must to watch, as I can adapt my M18 batteries to many different brands.
Agree! I also look at durability. Those plastic guards won't last long after a drop which is very common. I'm not too concerned about endurance because it doesn't take too long to swap batteries. I might want to take a look at cutting power: can I cut through thick hard wood?
I can't believe how well the Craftsman did. Please include Craftsman in more power tool reviews!
Thanks for the suggestion.
And add who makes that power tool for Craftsman..
Craftsman and DeWalt come out of the same factory
I was just telling my wife yesterday how perfectly craftsman has positioned themselves in the market after they were purchased from Sears. Literally every single time he tests them they are just edging into the "professional" brands performance but at only slightly more than the "value" brands in cost.
I have been slowly stocking up on craftsman power tools, perform great, basically are derated dewalt. Nothing but good things to say about them, catch them on sale and they are hard to beat
Already have the DeWalt Flexvolt Advantage saw and the worm drive style flexvolt saw. Love them. So glad you tossed in the flexvolt battery so we could see the potential gains from it. Thanks for all your time and effort! It's nice seeing comparisons🤘👏
Thanks and you are welcome!
The amount of time to set up these tests for 1 sec of film time is impressive, no shortcuts making for a solid test as always. Nice work
@knfjdkghjudfhsgkjdhf me too
Thanks so much!
@@ProjectFarm out of subject.. what's your go to motor oil
Taking into account comfort and cost, I would still choose the Makita. The low vibration, would pay off in the end I think. However, I am not sure what it would weigh with the batteries inserted. It would have been nice to know battery life in this test. Thanks for posting this.
You are welcome! Thanks for the feedback.
I have that Makita and it's weight isn't an issue for this 54 year old man. Most my tools are red but there's something about the makita saws that just reak of quality. I got into the red tools simply for their power and durability. I'm a bit of a clutz at times.
I have used millwuki, dewalt and Makita. There is something about makita that I feel very comfortable. .not only it is light weight and low vibration, it is a well weight balanced saw.
@@thegoodfight365 I agree, all my cordless tools were Milwaukee and I was looking to get their circular but I found a deal that was too good to pass on this makita and I had to get it. So far I’m very impressed it’s very smooth and seems well built.
I’ve got the Makita. It replaced a 30-year old corded Craftsman, and it’s such a joy to use. Also about half as loud as my old corded saw. I got the kit on special with four 5-amp batteries for $249.
Outstanding as always! You're saving countless people time and money when purchasing power tools like these. You make deciding a much easier task. Thank you!
You are welcome!
This guy should be teaching engineers. I love all the hard work you do. Merry Christmas sir
Thanks! Merry Christmas!
Without a doubt. Very well thought out tests. I'm waiting for the (5 year) longevity test. Time lapsed of course.
As a man that absolutely loves that double battery makita skill saw, I feel a test that doesn't get tested often (due to the fact that feasibly, it can't) is the longevity test, and also a durability test. Makita may not have the flashiest skill saw, or best value out of the box, but they can be darned hard to beat. All of our Makita skill saws have been exceptionally durable, pack plenty of power and have given years of service. Whether it be this double battery, a rear handle saw, or single battery (6&1/2"). DeWalt certainly does have it's own fans, but in our experience, longevity is quite lackluster.
The only cause of death of one of our double battery Makita skill saws, was being left haphazardly next to an open can of Great Stuff in a trailer that was going down the road. The Great Stuff filled the motor with foam and it died then and there. It was quite sad.
But, great video!
Me too. I don’t want to fanboy out, but as far as cordless tool tech goes, all others can’t compete.
Lol poor makita suffocating in the trailer.
I must say I totally agree with your experiences with makita. My experiences are similar minus the great stuff.
Makita loyalist myself
makita batts, might not last as long, but they have longevity. &,,are made by makita, not some 3rd hand. like the rest. even chinese, are overseen my makita. its japanese, they make the best tools. unless you pay for fein,ect.. look up ave, tool reviews.. he pulls them down to nothing. tells you the sht they do..or,,dont..
Dear old Dad bought a Makita corded drill when I was a kid, some time in the late 80's. He's still got it, still uses it for big drilling jobs, I think the only thing that's ever worn out on it is the power cord.
It's a bit different than a modern drill though, it's heavy, sounds like a jet engine spinning down when you let go of the trigger, and only spins 550 rpm. But it has all the power you could want from a hand-held drill.
All my tools are Makita they are simply the best you can buy.
Using an HP or a High Performance Ryobi battery will definitely help it in the rankings. Since they're stuck with the battery format, that limits the current the tool can pull from a single contact, so the HP batteries have an additional pair of contacts to pull more juice out of the battery.
Yeah definitely unfair not to use the 3ah hp there.
At least he's using the newer models now, I like that he's listening to feedback. But I don't think it would make too much a difference, maybe bump them up a position or two. And this is coming from a guy whose barn is covered in lime green tools
it's still old non HP-Ryobi battery on HP tool
The extra contacts in the HP batts are not for current, they are some type of communication with the tool. Basically without the communication the tool will limit itself to a much lower output than it could have.
Check out the torque test channel for verification on this, the difference is large, around 30% increase IIRC when using the HP batts vs say a 3AH standard batt.
All my cordless tools are Ryobi and I'm not changing brands because the circular saws stink. I have a Skillsaw for real work. :)
He said he was using 4ah batts for everything but it looked like a standard not HP. It would make a large difference in torque and therefore cutting speed, also trigger response. The rest would likely be similar.
It’s frustrating when reviewers miss on this simple factor. It happens a lot to Ryobi.
I've recently updated all my tools and bought an all flex line up and I can tell you they are amazing. I've been in the trades for 15 years and seen all brands at work and now I have some of the best tools at work. Flex also just came out with new battery platform that will blow away other batteries.
Thanks for the feedback.
Smoothness (vibration) is paramount for quality and longevity. Makita was by far the best in that test (I may be a little biased). Can't get enough of this channel. Thanks again for another awesome video. Keep it up
Thanks, will do!
I did buy the Milwaukee 2732 (same in this test) and it is extremely smooth, you cannot actually feel any vibration that transfers into your bare hands. You can hear the motor, but you can't feel anything--this is with the stock Milwaukee blade on it. Milwaukee's brushless drills and especially their impact drivers, are extremely rough and coarse with a lot of noticeable vibration which is really annoying.
Thanks again for including kobalt. I think for the price for tools and batteries they are a HELL of a brand. Never had an issue and this year they’re buckling down on new products!
I was SO excited to see you include a Kobalt XTR 24v tool. Then I was immediately disappointed (especially for experimental purposes) that you didn't use the 'new' XTR 4ah battery that was intended for the tool. 18650 cells vs the new 21700 cells with much more advanced cell balancing. Absolutely incredible batteries, can't wait to get my hands on the new 12ah version!
I feel like this was a worst case senario test for kobalt. The more expensive XTR tools are advertised as compatible with non xtr batteries so you don't have to swap batterys only. If Project Farm didn't have an XTR battery, he shouldn't have bought the XTR tool. The Kobalt circular saw non XTR can be bought for $100 sometimes, making it comparable to the Ryobi in terms of pricing.
Thanks for the constructive feedback.
Fantastic testing and procedure as usual! I have a Skil saw that is about 40yrs old with sealed ball bearing. I've never done anything with it but replaced the cord. It replaced an older, metal bodied Skil saw. All these newer features are nice, but come at a price point as far as build quality. My saw even fell out of the back of my truck in a residential neighborhood...went back, snagged it, straightened the bottom plate and it's still going today....nothing broken and no duct/electric tape holding anything together...lol.
I will take my skilsaw worm drive full metal jacket anytime over plastic.
Thanks and you are welcome! Thanks for sharing.
That Craftsman looks like a winner for the occasional weekend project that otherwise will spend most of its time on a shelf in the garage. Many thanks again for incredibly useful and frugal videos!
Great point and thank you!
I agree. The new craftsman tool lineup is ideal for sitting on a shelf.
@Tom Smith Not if you're going to be using your tools every day, if you're just going to use them for some jobs around the house or small projects here and there they offer great value
Yes, craftsmen was dying out but they revised/modernized all their tools and have done a good job with lots of options at a good price.
I am a pro and bought hundreds of power tools some very expensive some much cheaper. Sometimes the cheaper brands do out preform the more expensive "top" tools. Name is important but its not everything.
I have meet alot of guys with expensive fancy tools that had no idea what they are doing. At the end of the day does the tool get the job done and does it last. No matter what you are doing (kitchen Remodel, building a deck or a fence) people will notice the job not what tools were used.
If anyone is interested, Lowe's currently has a sale going on where you buy a charger and TWO 4 amp batteries for $149, you get a free tool, and the Craftsman circular saw is one of them. It's going on until the 3rd week of April 2023. This saw alone is now $130, so basically for $20 more you get TWO 4 amp batteries and a charger. That is a great deal!
Good recommendation on the Craftsman. Nice to see that affordability is considered, as long as performance isn't far off. If I used one for a living, I'd buy one of the better performers, but infrequent use would put me in the Craftsman category.
Thanks for watching!
Kobalt makes extremely good tools. I have one of their air compressors and I've used it for hundreds of hours and it's never had a single leak. It holds air for months at a time, it has absolutely no loss of air after several months, which is just insane. Some air tools and tanks, when you buy them from Harbor Freight, they lose air because they don't even use real teflon on the joints. I also have a Kobalt sliding miter saw, and I've made thousands of cuts with it, and it will probably last forever.
Your tests are awesome! On cordless tools, I see though that once we have bought in to a battery system, we tend to stay with that brand. For example, once I had about three DeWalt 20v tools with six batteries and three chargers (now up to 14 tools, 22 batteries and a bunch of chargers), I tend not to even look at the red, blue, or orange stuff. Not sure how you'd do it, but would be interesting to see how each set of tools performed overall against another set of tools. Maybe pick five or six common tools and see which set, overall, comes out on top. I could have really used that before I was so far into yellow that it would be really, really hard to change (some of the red stuff looks pretty good). Thanks again for all you do.
Would definitely like to see the PF take on a core cordless tool system, 4-8 of the same tools. He should have enough data by now. Part of the issue is he'll get a ton of hate and they all have trade-offs depending on your exact needs and preferences.
Id say, drill/hammerdrill, impact, fullsized sawzall, 6.5 or 7.25 circ saw, OMT.
Maybe tools: grinder, one handed sawzall, jigsaw, ????, Lighting, nail guns, inflator,?
Same here with being a member of the DeWalt Nation. I do have some older or specialized tools of other brands that I am trying to wear out in brute force hard labor but I purchase or make a battery adapter so I don't have to chase a different infrastructure if there is ever an issue of battery failure. That being said in other applications, the Ingersol Rand, Worx, and Milwaukee batteries nor their chargers have not failed yet.. They are not used frequently (how often do I need 1100 ft./lbs of torque for example) but I would rather not buy mainstream tools that do not use my standard DeWalt batteries, given all their offerings.
Thanks and you are welcome! Thanks for the video idea.
Depends what you're prioritizing. (fine woodworking in a dedicated shop or transporting in a truck for remodling, etc.) Overall milwaukee's lineup (esp drills, drivers, osc. tools and even their new cordless nailers and m18 jigsaw) is probably best performing but you do pay a little more. Ryobi has the "most" tools in their system including stuff like a hot glue gun. Dewalt is super durable and the easiest to find in stores. I have a LOT of milwaukee and ryobi and have used a lot of Dewalt on jobsites. For the average homeowner I usually recommend ryobi.
Another really well done test. I love the attention to detail, like ease of viewing blade depth gauge, and measuring handle vibration.
Other items to evaluate:
1) Flexing of base when applying weight to the handle, that results in a change of blade angle.
2) Also a quick mention of blade depth adjustment type. Most pivot at the front, but some use a slide mechanism that keep the saw parallel to the surface, regardless of blade depth, which is much nicer when reaching across long boards.
Suggestion for a future test: I would love to see a test of inspection cameras.
Thanks! Thanks for the video idea.
Seeing all his reviews, Milwaukee is definitely always close to the best or the best overall. And considering Milwaukee has the most tool options out there, I’d go for Milwaukee because I could interchange batteries and chargers between tools.
Thanks for the feedback.
Several other brands do the same nowadays, to prevent people from buying different brands.
EU will probably at some point force all big brands to use same batteries, to get less battery waste.
Normally I'd have been too cheap to go Milwaukee Fuel for all my tools, but Home Depot has had crazy 75% off deals lately due to the new Gen 4 stuff coming out, so now I'm all in on Milwaukee for like Ryobi prices haha
@@enthused7591 wish home depot had done the same in Canada.. can't seem to find any deals
Great testing! Good to see the Kobalt 24V tools in the testing. I got my elderly mom the 24v 120mph 500cfm leaf blower as its the lightest weight with the most output. It lasts longer and is much better than my Ryobi 18v blower.
Thanks! Thanks for sharing.
That Makita is a beast. Used on on a few jobs a while back. Its heavy, but sometimes that helps for making accurate cuts.
The new XGT 40 VOLT is better again too
Got both Makita 18v and 40vMax, the 40v is more pro-user, the higher power and speed gives considerable cleaner cuts.
Thanks for sharing.
I love all of the engineering and thought you put in to all of your tests. A+ It's a shame that you are unable to include Longevity for these tests. I have 6, 18 V batteries that are all more that 10 years old and have never replace any of them. I still believe that time tells the story.
Also I have been in construction and wood crafting for 50 years. Therefore I know that there is a variance between the wood grains even in the same board. You have proven that buy cutting 3 different blocks and coming up with 3 different time readings. None of these tools are designed for brute force too much force will instantly stop any of these tools.
Experience Example, I can't tell you how many times I've had to stop a young man when using a drill and teach them a simple trick of saving bits and motors by pulling the drill bit in and out of the hole you are drilling ( especially masonry )to clear the fluke on the bit and keep the bit from seizing up and binding the motor.
Thanks! Thanks for sharing.
I have 2 Dewalt 18v - 20v max 4ah batteries that are 11 years now and still running as new.
I love my kobalt, its never given me any problems. That said, it strongly prefers big batteries doesn't like being run on the 2ah batteries.
Milwaukee circular saw is the same way. Goes "ka-kunk" and stops easy, on small or old batteries. I actually just about scrapped my sawzall until I put a new 5ah battery in it, that was 1.5 yrs ago.
Great point on battery size! Thank you
Yeah I've pretty much got rid of all my 2a batteries for that reason. Smallest I run is the 3a cpo Milwaukee batteries... My ridgid stuff I get the old 4ah batteries because they're cheap.
No circular saw runs well on 2 Ah batteries. The cells overheat due to the high current draw and they discharge quickly.
Old Ryobi user here, i think that when you go higher that generic cheap shit, you start to get pretty good results from any decent brand
I appreciate the consistency you strive for in your testing, and also seeing the difference that a battery can make in the same situation. Great job thanks.
Thanks and you are welcome!
i was amazed by the makita i used with inbuilt dust/swarf collector. cut thru metal strut like butter. so light and easy to use
Impressive!! Thank you
Before cordless... Makita made the best circular saws hands down.
@@RandiRain this one was cordless! made me wish i was invested in the makita ecosystem already. sadly all my tools/batteries are dewalt haha
@@UnimportantAcc Think hand-me-down or resale? Never regret buying quality but OTOH amazing what high grade blades, bits, etc. can do.
Glad to see you including flex in your lineups now 👍I'm an early adopter of the top end drill and impact and can attest to their quality. Flex is up there with the best.
Thanks for the feedback.
As an M18 aficionado, I am always cheering for Milwaukee in these tests. The common denominator is the Diablo blade. If you have not used Diablo, you will not be disappointed is cut quality and speed.
Thanks for the feedback.
It's always nice to see a Ridgid tool included in these consistently excellent tests. However, I feel compelled to say something about the R8652. Not only does it have the inherent disadvantage of being brushed, it's also quite old. Best I can determine, it was introduced no later than 2015.
Seven years is pretty long-in-the-tooth in the cordless tool world. Ridgid has released no fewer than four 18V brushless circular saws since then, including the Gen5x Brushless R8653, the Octane R8654, and their two current brushless models, the R8657 and Subcompact R8356 (both 6.5" bladed).
Putting the R8652 up against a bevy of more-modern, brushless models doesn't feel like an even remotely fair fight. But that's just my $0.02 USD.
NEW RIDGID TOOLS ARE BRUSHLESS. DO NOT WHY HE SELECTED SUCH AN OLD SAW. $$
Yes, this! The test should of been done with the R8657B (7 1/4)and their new batteries
Thx for pointing this out. I don't think you can order Ridgid off of Amazon and get the lifetime warranty(has to be Home Depot), so I wonder if the link is a reseller?
The Milwaukee is old to released 2014
Was going to post the same thing till I saw yours, you beat me too it.
I have been using the dewalt flex saw for a living over 5 years so far that thing is a beast still going strong !
Nice!
It's the best saw by far in my opinion.
I've learned over the years that often what is more expensive now, ends up being cheaper in the long run. I myself prefer quality tools Makita, Bosh or DeWalt. I'm not a tradie, but I do many projects at home and for me those three brands are very intuitive, a pleasure to use and I think ultimately improve my work.
ryobi has a couple winners that are dirt cheap for the performance returns, especially at diy level. ill recommend and swear by their 18g brad nailer and the 7-1/4 miter saw. each can be had at or under $100(direct tools) and add tons of portability, versatility and convenience. the miter saw isnt fine woodworking exact but its been good to me and easy to move around/setup.
Thanks for the feedback.
@@fixerupperer Thanks man! You are right... today this theory is less true. There is much bigger competition, more advanced and widely accessible technology, often copied by China at much reduced production costs.
About 8years ago I bought Ryobi industrial vacume cleaner which I use a lot and is still going strong, but I'm trying to stick with brands I already have, as I don't want to buy yet another type of battery or keep even more bulky chargers around.
@@robotstonka7118 many are still stuck in 10+ year ago mindset regarding power tools where significant innovation is happening annually.
@@fixerupperer I have all Dewalt Flexvolt and Milwaukee 18v Red Lithium, and the 16" and 18" Ryobi brad nailer's. Those brad Ryobi brad nailers run circles around every other brand out there! Just wish all batteries were interchangeable.
That’s exactly what I’ve been telling people. The makita just has a nice, refined, finesse feel to the saw. Love using makita saw. I personally think they are the best in terms of longevity, durability, lineup, and performance.
Thanks for sharing.
As a guy that has owned several of these saws and settled on the Craftsman brushless saw I must say I’m pretty impressed with it and your testing proves it’s quality. Also having owned the Ryobi saw for a hot minute I will say Ryobi really crapped the bed with their “pro model” circular saw. Everything about it felt cheap and the performance was on par with your testing.
Great feedback on the Craftsman! Thank you
@@ProjectFarm I can't help reading all your comments in your energetic voice
Hello mate ,yes I had the first brushless Ryobi 7 1/4" saw a few years ago and was VERY disappointed and when this gen 2 was introduced I can see they still haven't learnt anything!!!! I have seen the performance other manufacturers have achieved on 18 volt so there is no excuse for Ryobi.
@Praise Jesus, Repent or Likewise Perish You're on the wrong channel buddy ,go over to Kenneth Copeland or some other religious channel . Allah Akbar 😎
I was actually more impressed with the first gen Brushless circ saw regarding power. That cheap stamped shoe that you can’t get flat is a real downer however. I like you assumed they’d build on that first gen and the newer one would fix the issues the first brushless saw had. Boy was I disappointed.
Once again you have done an amazing job! Thank you Todd for helping all of us make an informed decision on which tools to purchase. You never cease to amaze! Please keep up the great work!
Thanks, will do!
One thing to keep in mind with ryobi hp tools is they will work with other older batteries but will perform really bad. You need to make sure you use one of the hp batteries with the extra 2 contacts on the back to see their true performance. Regardless great video as always!
Thank you!
Yes. Testing the premium brands with really big batteries and leaving out the Ryboi HP batteries skewed the results. Still a very good test, but Ryobi is so popular, it would be nice to see the brand represented with its best foot forward.
I definitely factor in battery size when working on various projects. I've noticed quite a difference between tool performance depending on whether I grab my 12amp/hr or 2amp/hr battery for my Milwaukee tools.
Thanks for the feedback.
For any high drain tools like superhawg I never use anything smaller than xc5ah. Funnily enough the $4k press tools perform just as well with 1.5 and 3ah
The amp hour doesn’t matter, it’s the volts that matter. Amp hour is just how much capacity the battery has but has nothing to do with how much power the battery can output, that all comes down to voltage
@@mikeiscoo2 Capacity does actually affect the power of the tool. All batteries have a maximum current draw which is usually set as a percentage of their capacity (say 10C or 10 x capacity as an example). So a 5AH battery could supply 50 amps, whereas an 8AH battery could provide 80 amps, or whatever the manufacturer decides. Obviously the tool will only ever draw a certain maximum so putting a larger battery in won't always make a difference.
Depends how much draw the tool has. I saw another test where Todd used different amp/hr Milwaukee batteries & the tool's performance was worse with the larger batteries than with the 2 amp/hr battery. That wasn't the case for the other brands, just Milwaukee. I wish I could recall what lower draw tool it was that this occurred.
I’m very happy you threw in the bigger batteries, I was very impressed with all the saws as I only use corded at the moment. Very good tests overall!
It wouldn't have mattered but since their was battery swapping during the test the Ryobi should have been tested with an HP battery.
I agree. I've mentioned this in the past. While we all know Ryobi will never be a top contender, constantly testing HP devices with batteries not designed to provide the tool's full performance, provides a poor review comparison.
@@Protocol-X The same goes for DeWalt, Milwaukee and Bosch. They all need the high output double or triple row batteries to reach max performance.
One thing that was overlooked was how many cuts could each do with a fully charged battery.
There were many things overlooked. Like cutting through more trying materials than kiln dried lumber.
I noticed the Bosch saw was the only item with a round discharge that might rotate and likely fits a vacuum hose. Some of the other saws appeared to have the capability of a vacuum connection. That feature wasn't noted in the test.
Thanks for the feedback.
the Bosch wasn't tested with a bigger battery which makes a big difference . Also the 36v Makita is not fair because it uses two batteries
Bosch says for full power 5,5ah procore or bigger
@@ProjectFarm Use the biggest battery for each brand next time. That way it shows the potential of each tool.
The Flex tools are impressive, the more reviews I see the more they just seem to be a step above the rest.
Thanks for the feedback.
The Makita has a slow start feature to reduce fatigue and that is why it was slow in response it also was just behind flex for speed and since both are 36 volt that makes sense. The low vibration of makita is huge for the professional makita. Price per feature I think craftsman is pretty darn good but wonder how that value changes when you add batteries - flex was 300 with batteries and top performer and Makita was $224 for kit. Tough call
You are a master at devising ways (and actually building them) to test all your products. 👏🏻
Thanks!
Please do miter saws!! I trust this guys assessment of tools more than any other videos!
Thanks! Thanks for the video idea.
Another great video, thanks! Wonder why you chose the brushed Ridgid and not the R8653 Brushless model when all the other contenders had brushless motors? I have both the Brushless Ridgid and Milwaukee Fuel and use them almost every day. Both great saws in my opinion.
Also the R8653 was on the market way back in January 2016. Even it is considerably outdated when compared to the other contemporary models. Weird choice.
I have been watching this channel for a couple years now, always excellent information and I love the creative ways of testing different products, and no sponsorships to taint the results. Keep up the great work.
Thanks, will do!
Great review. Regarding cut speed and force, I think that blade depth should not be overlooked. I own a Kobalt 7-1/4", but I discovered after my purchase that the superior deck design of the lower cost 6-1/2" Kobalt, the overall cutting depth was almost the same.
Thanks! Thanks for the feedback.
I have Dewalt and Milwaukee, bought a Milwaukee thanks to this video.
Thank you for sharing!
I've been desperately waiting for this test! I have a 60v Flex DeWalt and it has incredible power. But the 60/20v flex battery says 9Ahr, but that 9 is only when using it on the 20 volt tools like your saw here. On the 60 volt tools like mine, it's actually a 3Ah. But I can still do a full day with it. I'm also very interested in the Bosch Profacter.
I have a comparable Bosch saw (the one with guide rail compatibility) and it's great. For optimal performance, you do need a 5.5 Ah or more (meaning double or triple row) battery. 4Ah (single row) is fine for thin and soft wood. For thicker and harder woods, it will work (just slower and more prone to stalling), but it performs significantly better with the 5.5 Ah battery.
I have the same saw. Yes the amps are 1/3 but the saw doesn’t have to work as hard in each cut. So the actual runtime in my case is more then expected
A 60v-3ah battery lasts slightly longer than a 20v-9ah. Same capacity battery (same Wh) but less transmission loss with higher voltage.
I also have the 60v dewalt circular saw. It is stronger than a plug in saw and not too heavy. It is the best saw I've ever had.
@@chester8420 in my trailer it is by far the best money I have spent. Also the Dewalt 600mm plugged in table saw is a bloody beast. Love it also
I like the testing method, but I would’ve also liked to see some sort of endurance test. Also would’ve been cool to throw in a generic corded skillsaw for comparison
Sadly the two most important tests are ones he can’t necessarily perform. Tool functionality and durability.
Circular saws require effort to keep straight while cutting. This is why the CORDED DeWalt worm drive was considered the best circular saw for decades. Unfortunately, if he were to try such hand held tests, his opinion would be perceived as objective.
A durability test would require a year of testing. Our construction company has owned DeWalt and Milwaukee. Out of the box the CORDLESS Milwaukee drills and saws slightly out performed the DeWalts. But every CORDLESS Milwaukee tool we purchased broke within a year, while every DeWalt tool has not broke. We’ve had to replace many DeWalt batteries, but some of the tools are over twenty years old.
Thank you for the video idea!
When you do episodes like this with battery dewalt stuff, can you also include the 60V flex batteries to compare? You mentioned the battery alternative and I think it would be a great thing to compare what the extra voltage does.
Dewalt 60v Flexvolt batteries do not operate at 60V on 20V saws, they operate as 20V batteries with a higher amp-hour rating. And he did use a Flexvolt 12ah battery on the Dewalt saw during the testing at @12:44.
Thanks for the feedback.
@@nelsonbrum8496 ah, that is what I was wanting... Was expecting them to be back to back and didn't get that far in the video. That is my bad for not watching the full video before replying, thanks for calling me out.
Edit for clarification: Back to back in the first part, when he first shows the saw and stuff.
I’m female and a hobby DIYer, and my hubby wants to buy a cordless circular saw (to complement my growing tool kit collection😅) for my birthday and I stumbled upon your video. Wow, I was only thinking about rpm and weight, as had no idea about the rest! I just wanted it to be practical for a female (hence weight) and powerful so I don’t have to push the darn thing through wood. Your video has certainly armed me with all I need to go an speak to a supplier, with a confident, and hopefully, knowledgable manner. I’ve just subscribed!,
Thanks for sharing! Thanks for watching and subscribing!
I love the design of your experiments! Nice job.
Thank you very much!!
That was a very interesting testing matrix, thanks for all the work you did. However, the one thing I'm really interested in about a cordless circular saw is how many 8' cuts I can make in 3/8" plywood before changing the battery? Or, how many crosscuts in a 2 x 6" can be made with one battery? If I need a generator to charge the batteries I might as well use a corded saw.
As someone who frame's homes and mainly uses corded tools, having a cordless circular saw was a complete game changer for those times that having to deal with the weight of a corded saw plus the weight of the extension cord. when you are 16ft off the ground, not needing to deal with extra stuff in the way in an already awkward position is almost invaluable.
Just disappointed the right handed saws aren't more common place. That is my only problem with cordless saws.
Just carry extra batteries. I have many cordless tools going back 25+ years. Since I got into Li-Ion in 2010, I've had great success with these batteries lasting years. My 18V Kobalts are still going strong at 12 years and one even got left in the attic for over two years before I found it.
One thing to note about the Makita is it adjusts torque based on the load. An unloaded cycle up and down isn't a realistic test but your loaded tests definitely are!
I wonder if the Bosch does this too? (Electronic speed regulation based on load, like their routers do?) I think the Bosch regulates the RPM exactly at 5,000 rpm, even when it's heavily loaded. Because it performed higher than it should have in the cut speed tests, which would indicate that it's not slowing down at all, while the other saws are slowing down significantly from their rated free speed?
More of the craftsman v20 lineup in your tests! I use them professionally and have found myself very impressed considering the price point!
Thanks!
As always, great video. I use these every day doing trim, and the framers I work with also do... For me, weight and cutting time are second to how accurate and durable the shoe is made, it takes the most abuse.
Thanks! Thanks for sharing.
For my $70 its hard to beat the Craftsman for the home user. It managed 10lb force and at $70 is considerably cheaper than the other leaders.
Thank you!
I don't know if they've fixed it, but a year or two ago they had a LOT of crib death's on their batteries. One time a customer had to go through 3 before getting one that worked, all brand new out of box (after the first one we tested them in store to make sure it was good before leaving.)
Their overall quality seemed fine for homeowners, we had a craftsman impact we used in the yard and it held up just fine to some hard use. The battery issue was unacceptable for my store though, i HATE selling defective products almost as much as the customer does having to come back for a replacement.
No idea who the other leaders are. If you mean the other budget brands i have a clue.
I am not a professional contractor but a normal home owner. If I have a choice, all of my tools would be Craftsman. Their older cordless drill is unbeatable and easily mixed buckets after buckets of cement and mortar while other brands (ryobi, rigid, etc...) had to be returned. Was so happy when I found upgraded batteries from nicad to lithium for my old cordless Craftsman. Even the new Craftsman are not built the same as the old Craftsman.
@@_-_-.-_-_ I agree. My craftsman is still going strong with the original battery
I’m in the market for a Rear Handle Circular Saw….either Makita, Milwaukee or the Lifetime Warranty Metabo HPT 36V! Would love to see you do your great comparison tests on these rear handle models, too! Thanks for your expertise, brother!
You are welcome! Thanks for the suggestion.
Although this represents random rather than statistical sampling of product for controlled durability and performance testing….I find it to be some of the best consumer information available.
I am a retired Director of Quality from both the stainless and appliance industries - I work part time now in outdoor power equipment and I recommend this channel to both customers and coworkers.
I do wish we saw more tests were Porter Cable, Skill and Freud tools are included.
Thanks! Thanks for the suggestions.
Bosch broke my heart. I really wish they'd make a comeback. They were once the standard by which all other tools were measured for reasonably priced pro tools. DeWalt? They're hit & miss. I'm giving up on DeWalt.
Flex, here I come ready to fully invest in your line of tools. Throughout the years, they've consistently managed to come out at or near the top over better established brands and they continue to offer the best bang for the buck even if they are higher priced than the rest. I'm ready to make that commitment. Thanks for the review.
I wonder if the Bosch in Germany is still like the old stuff. Many brands sell cheaper crap in the US.
Well, to be fair the Bosch in this test was from their middle class line. They also have saws at the price point of the Milwaukee. Bosch still has many very good products, but yes, they also spread their line up and outsourced most of their production lines which resulted in an overall quality drop in some aspects.
I really would like to see Festool in these tests. They are considered the best circular saws here in Europe and also have other top notch products. It's often a battle between Bosch, Festool, Makita and Milwaukee.
Great video as always!!!! I’d be interested to see how the 60v dewalt stacks up against these.
Thank you for the video idea!
Also try a flex volt battery in the 20v tools. They offer a lot higher amps since they rewire internally to 20v inside the battery when used in lower voltage tools.
@@Tillyface89 he did in this video and it did improve performance alot
Makita is, from my decades of experience, the one brand that delivers all around consistency no matter the tool they power with their 18V system.
What I don't like about Makita is their battery management. Those Makita battery packs have circuit boards in them that can black ball the pack when it senses any fault. Doesn't mean the battery is bad. Does mean the pack will never work again though. It's all just a bit too clever for my tastes. I'd rather be the one making the decisions.
@@1pcfred I have never had a real brand name makita 18v battery fail in any way for me except damage to it from either a fall or having been left in weather. Same with the tools themselves. I have had the same first generation fast charger since I purchased it years ago. Unless Makita makes the 18V no longer available I will buy only Makita and no other tool brand can convince me otherwise.
@@1pcfred I’ve never had a Makita battery fail on me. I’ve had the damaged cell light come on but I just leave it on the Charger and it corrects itself. Can’t say the same about my other brand batteries though.
I have all the major brands / battery packs and Makita has to be the most reliable with never a single failure. That's pertaining to the last five six years though. I know a lot of the brands with 18650 cells had issues with first generation packs. Makita is not always the most powerful when it comes to tools but there's one thing that's kind of overshadowed in the video and that is the vibration/smoothness. You'll notice that when he tests it's 1/10 most the tools. You just pick up a Makita and it is like driving in a Mercedes luxury car versus an old pickup truck down a dirt road to your hand. Places like Europe post these figures because they have found they have a dramatic impact on the users well-being.
@@thomasechols8834 I think it's more the principle of the thing that bothers him. The fact that doing something so innocuous as putting an overly-discharged battery onto a charger lacking the capability to salvage that situation several times will result in it bricking the battery by design is just not a good look. I say this as a big time Makita user.
Project Farm, I love your channel and what you do. I am a small business owner that does remodeling work, and I am invested in the Milwaukee brand. My brother/partner loves the DeWalt brand. It is good fun to rag on each other about tools, and your channel helps us decide our debates sometimes. We have a carpenter whom uses the Makita brand, so this helps us to keep our tools separated for the most part. I truly think that your videos are just something wonderful, and I eventually would love to give insight from the field to engineer the best tools that could ever be made. I truly hope that the engineers designing these tools watch some of your methods, and take the information into account. One major thing I would love to see overcome is the saw guard be able to not catch when ripping 1/2” or 3/4” plywood. I often like to use one hand to rip plywood when they are small cuts, and it makes it difficult when the guard gets caught making necessary the use of both hands on the saw, which ends up requiring either a clamp, or some kind of weight. Thanks again Project Farm. We love what you do sir! Many Blessings!
Thanks so very much! Thanks for sharing!
Very nice test, I would love to see these put through some kind of durability/longevity test, I have one of the smaller 5 1/2" saw and it sounds like the bearings are going bad after less than 2 years of intermittent usage.
Our construction company has owned DeWalt and Milwaukee. Out of the box the CORDLESS Milwaukee drills and saws slightly out performed the DeWalts. But every CORDLESS Milwaukee tool we purchased broke within a year, while every DeWalt tool has not broke. We’ve had to replace many DeWalt batteries, but some of the tools are over twenty years old.
@@WontSeeReplies this is very similar to my experience, I have a whole bag of broken Milwaukee tools in my garage, 6 different 12volt tools and 5 different 18 volt tools and of those only the 12 volt impact still works but all the 12 volt and 18 volt batteries are dead and won't charge. I bout a "cheap" $100 Ryobi set of drill and impact and 2 batteries to "get me by" that was 9 years ago and they are still going strong, I have something like 25 Ryobi tools now and so far they are all still working, the only one having an issue is the small circular saw but even then it still works just sounds like a bucket of gravel when it runs.
I had one like that, bit the bullet and price and went makita haven't looked back
I used to live dewalt for all my drills, saws, etc but had a lot of bad luck with them. Then I switched to makita and haven’t looked back since. I’ve never had any of their tools break on me(I did burn out a friend’s smaller 1/2” drill but I was over working it), and have used them full time in the trades for many years. That, plus their extensive line of tools that cater to carptentry has me sold on them. Cordless, that is. I use Bosch for my compound miter saws, and dewalt makes the best job site planer in the business.
How the fuuuu is Skil brand not included in this comparison??? Lmao!
Loved the 5 cycle on/off test, and vibration measurements. Thanks again for an excellent video so that I know what I am really getting.
You are welcome!
I always liked my ryobi, have had it about 4 years and it's seen a lot of use. one test you might think about would be run time for equal battery amps. ryobi even has a high performance battery specially designed to interact with brushless tools in a beneficial way. As you demonstrated, different batteries yield different results
@@MaFTB it's funny you mentioned that. Mine came as a kit with the 6amp battery. I put a ( brand new) 5ah in & it kept timing out/ over heating, flashing. I thought the battery was defective. Good to know.
I really enjoy your comparison videos. I started my DIY life with DeWalt tools (after a few cheap tools which broke quickly). Since then, I have just kept buying DeWalt. When cordless came out, I just stuck with DeWalt.
Since you have tested just about every cordless tool there is, can you add them all together and come up with a recommendation for someone who is just starting their DIY journey? Overall, which system would you recommend, knowing that once someone starts with a particular brand, it is highly likely that they will stick to that brand because of the battery interchangeability.
Drill, driver, reciprocating saw, circular saw, jig saw.
Thanks for the feedback.
you can’t go wrong with any large brand (dewalt, Milwaukee, Bosch and Makita) they will all get the job done and you won’t be disappointed
As a devout Milwaukee fan, I’d love to see their new cordless lawnmower go head-to-head with the E-Go and the Sun Joe.
Thanks for the suggestion.
Dewalt has one too.
Don’t forget to test how much each one can haul. My 100 lb son can ride the Milwaukee!
I'm all proud because I got the flex circular saw with 3 batteries and the charger plus the impact driver for only 100$. Slightly used but definitely a steal!
Nice!
It would be interesting to see comparisons across a single brand. For example that I am familiar with, Dewalt markets brushed options, atomic brushless, xr brushless, power detect, flexvolt advantage, and flexvolt flavors of many tools. It is not always clear where they line up in rankings.
Thanks for the suggestion.
The Ryobi HP line of tools will only perform as advertised when used with a HP battery. You will notice that there are two extra contacts in the tool that will line up with the corresponding extra contacts on a HP battery. The 4Ah battery that you used was not one of these and so did not have those extra two contacts, but there are 4, 6 and 9Ah HP batteries available and I would love to see how it performs when used with the correct battery which would allow it to draw the full rated current. I've noticed this to be VERY significant on the Ryobi HP angle grinder and would expect the same to be true of the circular saw. Given that the manual does state that HP batteries are required to achieve full rated performance from the tool, I think it would be a much more apples-to-apples comparison were it not being tested with a battery that does not have all the contacts.
I noticed some gains on my 1/2" mid torque P262 impact wrench when using the HP battery compared to my regular 4Ah battery but there are some tools like the hammerdrill and impact driver that work about the same.
I've got this saw and have used both batteries. I can't find noticeable differences but then again I'm not timing my cuts.
The brake is slow no matter which battery is in it, though
@@luisinhoens90 to be fair, I don't think you would notice any difference unless you were pushing the cuts hard for timing (and the maximum cutting force test he did). The main factor for performance in a battery is how much voltage sag it experiences under heavy current loading. So, at the 5-10 amps this thing pulls when you're cutting like you should and not forcing it, it wouldn't make any difference, but force the blade and that current might climb to 40+ amps. At this point a high discharge rate battery is going to be providing those amps with noticeably less volltage sag. For example, a full "18v" battery is actually at around 21 volts. At low loads, this doesn't change much, but put that same full battery under 30 amps of load and you will see it sag down to as low as 15 volts. A higher discharge rate battery might only sag down to 18 volts. Those extra 3 volts translate to higher motor output by almost 20%. Again, it's an effect you will only notice at high current loads, such as when you are forcing the blade to cut way faster than you should, like in this test
One thing that I would have found interesting is to see how the DeWalt flexvolt circular saw would have performed. (which is a step up from the flexvolt advantage which was tested).
Thanks for the suggestion.
@@ProjectFarm To add to above, the FlexVolt Advantage is made to take advantage of the FlexVolt batteries, I am curious to the difference it would have had if it was compared using the 20v/60v FlexVolt batteries. In fact a comparison of many of the FlexVolt advantage as well as the Dewalt Power Detect would be interesting, as well as any other dual voltage tools (or tools that are advertised to give more from the same voltage, but higher AH batteries) I know that it would be expensive as a startup venture, but I have seen you have the batteries and a couple of the tools already.
Thanks for including the source country of these saws, i have bought most of these brands and find that DeWalt brand to survive far longer than the Rigid. Mikita, Milwaukee and Ryobi
You are welcome!
Not for me, deWalt saw was stolen from my front yard two months after I got it :)
Very well done as always and invaluable for objectively assessing the actual performance of these tools. I still use corded power tools but will transition over to battery as I replace them. Seems like no single brand consistently out-performs across various types of battery-powered tools, which creates a dilemma as one would want to stick to a single brand to minimize purchase of the costly batteries. Also, I wish manufacturers would get over their ill-advised decision to source their products from China. Nothing against the Chinese people, it is their tyrannical government that I loathe.
Well said and I concur.
I go Makita, a super huge 18v lineup, and some of their tools can be bought manufactured in japan or elsewhere if you look online. One of the big factors for me is that they are still on their own and attach their name to everything they make (same with Hilti but they are way too expensive), unlike Dewalt, Milwaukee, and most of the other brands that are part of tool conglomerates ie: TTi, StanleyBlack&Decker, Chervon . . .
It is the nature of OUR form of government that allows corporations free reign to do as they please that permits and even encourages them to seek profits in any way possible, including doing business with and in characters and environments. This is the nature of a largely unregulated free market. There is nothing ill advised about it. Profit seeking is the name of the game. To complain about manufacturing moving to China is to complain about the deregulation of the market and to be against an open and free market. I personally do my best to avoid products from China (Made in Japan Makita power tools, Made in Korea batteries, etc as much as possible, for example) but then again, I am also for much heavier regulation of multinational corporations than we have now.
@@ryhk3293 America, assuming you are talking about it, has plenty of restrictions. Tariffs for example can have a massive effect on the cost-effectiveness of manufacturing in a specific country. Choosing not to buy a product because it is made in china is an example of the market. Forcing companies to mark where the product was made is government intervention. I buy things made in China, but I also like it when I can buy something made elsewhere or even in America.
I bought a Milwaukee saw 40 years ago and still using it today,. It is much heaver then the new saws, but it really cuts nice.
Thanks for sharing!
I've used that ridgid saw for several years now and I know there have been improvements from other brands since then, but I personally don't think you can beat it when you can snag it on sale for 60ish bucks from DTO if you're already in the ecosystem.
Thanks for the feedback.
I own pretty much every brand made and I think ridgid is the best for the money, ryobi is junk batteries don't last.
Just bought my first house and ended up going with Craftsman before doing any research. Pleasantly surprised with how they seem to balance quality with price. Nothing in the tool line has been amazing, but nothing has really let me down either
Thank you!
Go Kobalt cheaper batteries and better tools
I bought a DeWalt about two months ago I already have other DeWalt cordless tools they work great for me.
Nice!
Great comparison video. Thank you. It would be interesting to see the runout at the arbor bearing when new and after some heavy use. Been a carpenter since '79 and have seen a significant decline in quality. Now tools are designed to be as inexpensive to build and sell. Don't expect any of these to last longer than the warranty if subjected to day to day jobsite use and abuse.
Thanks and you are welcome! Thanks for the video idea.
I'm a professional carpenter and I run cordless Makita saws, and I've NEVER had one die. I just sold two says that were 10+ years old, only because I've upgraded to brushless. If you've really been a carpenter since '79 then you know that with batteries, brushless motors, brakes, lights, soft starts, carbide blades etc etc the modern saws completely blow the vintage saws away in every possible category.
Shouldve tested the 60v dewalt. Those 20v saws are all worthless for any kind of production work. The only thing that kills the 60v dewalt saws is dropping them repeatedly.
Best extension cord?
I'll do it! Great suggestion and thank you!!
I think a more complete test would have included a Dewalt 60v saw AND a DeWalt 20v saw. The tool tested here is the 'Flexvolt Advantage' which is supposed to be the best of both worlds, but in reality seems to be neither here nor there.
Thanks for the feedback.
Agreed. Also it's not really a fair comparison to use Makita's 36V saw in this test either.
I just saved a load of time choosing a saw! Thanks a billion!
You are welcome!
The flex was definitely impressive. I’m also glad to see Kobalt getting to see some testing lately
Yeah my eyes were all squinty when Flex showed up on the market, until I realized they were just the hand tool arm of EGO lawn tools. Instantly respected them after that.
@@EricLS My sentiments exactly.
@@EricLS Kobalt and Skil are owned by the same parent as Ego as well, doesn’t really mean much.
The XTR line is badass
Thanks!
Hey Todd, would you ever review rear handle saws. They are more powerful
Thanks for the suggestion.
The Craftsman looks like a great option at the price. I wonder how a higher end Ridgid max output/octane series brushless motor would have performed.
Brushless motor doesn't mean nothing when it comes to power just look at the dewalt 61/2 saws the brushed version is more powerful and has higher blade speed plus its older brushed tools outlast Brushless tools
Thanks for the suggestion.
Well done, thank you. I have purchased most of these brands as a building contractor and found that drills, saws etc purchased from HD or Lowes are made with lesser quality bearings etc than the "same" appearing tool purchased from lumber yards... they look identical but use slightly different model numbers.
Thanks and you are welcome!
Great testing as usual Todd.
I wonder if the Makita can function with only 1 of the battery slots filled with a fully charged battery? That would be useful in a pinch.
I'd like to see just a little more time with the results on the charts though. It helps with getting things straight in the minds of your audience.
Thanks and keep up the good work.
Thanks, will do! Thanks for the suggestion.
in which direction does the saw blade turn on the DeWalt saw ?
Would like to see a proper flexvolt saw compete. The flexvolt advantage is still a 20v tool even with the 60v battery. Where as the true flexvolt will get more out of the battery
Especially when tested against the 36v Makita instead of the 18v version. Why would you not use the flexvolt battery for more of a comparable test for the first round?
@@stevehirst536 I absolutely agree, I think that if you're going to do a true comparison, might as well do them with the best configuration of each brand
@@brandenheit8329 totally with you on that, especially when you pay the extra for the flexvolt advantage over the standard 18v saw then don't use the battery its optimally designed for!
Thanks for the suggestion.
Another awesome Project Farm comparison video. Just have to add: The DeWalt saw, when using the 60v battery, is like a completely different beast from when using it with the 20v battery. It's more powerful and lasts so much longer. It feels as powerful as my corded saw.
Thanks! Thanks for sharing.