Two new cordless circular saws, the 18-volt Milwaukee M18 Fuel and the 36-volt Makita 18V X2 LXT, claim to wed corded performance with cordless convenience. Can these new saws really stand in for corded framing saws and do serious production work? After putting both saws through their paces over several months, I'm ready to report my opinions.
MILWAUKEE M18 FUEL
The 6 1/2-inch left-bladed M18 Fuel (model 2730-22) is the first cordless circular saw with a brushless motor, and it is part of Milwaukee's Redlink Plus advanced electronics system, which the company says protects against overloading, overheating, and overdischarging.
The shoe and the blade guards are made of rigid lightweight magnesium, and the saw bevels to 51° and can cut through a 2-by at 45°. The saw is also equipped with an electric blade brake, an LED headlight, a pivoting rafter hook, an onboard blade wrench, and an easy-to-read accurate depth gauge. The kit's 4-amp-hour batteries have built-in fuel gauges and take about 1 1/2 hours to fully recharge. According to Milwaukee, the saw cuts up to 30% faster than other 18-volt models and can consistently crosscut more than 225 2x4s per charge under optimal testing conditions. I didn't do my own tedious runtime testing, but I have cut a wide range of materials using this saw, including all of our routine framing materials. I have found it to be smooth, powerful, and well-balanced.
That said, what matters is how fast you can push the blade through the wood you're cutting. While this saw performed well, it isn't as fast as a corded Milwaukee sidewinder, which spins at 5,800 rpm versus 5,000 rpm for the M18 Fuel. Although higher rpm ratings don't always translate to higher cutting speeds, coupled with the larger blade circumference of the corded saw, the difference is definitely noticeable.
Nevertheless, the lightweight Milwaukee has become my go-to saw for small jobs and for quick cuts. My crew and I have used the M18 Fuel a lot on staging and roofs, where it has been perfect for adjusting our trim cuts and sawing red-cedar roof shingles and caps. I have also used it for breaking down materials at the lumberyard and the Dumpster. I already have a fleet of compatible M18 tools, so I always have plenty of fully charged batteries on hand.
Like other cordless circular saws, this one has a safety that you have to press with your thumb before pulling the trigger. Milwaukee's safety is easier to operate than others I've tried, but when cutting in awkward positions, I wish it wasn't there.
MAKITA 18V X2 LXT
Like the other tools in Makita's unique 18V X2 LXT line, the new 36-volt, 7 1/4-inch, right-bladed sidewinder (model XSH01X) is driven by two batteries from the company's flagship 18-volt LXT platform (which now includes more than 80 tools). The shoe and the blade guards are made of magnesium, and the saw bevels to 50° and has a positive stop at 45°. It has protective electronics, a blade brake, and an onboard blade wrench; unlike the Milwaukee, the saw doesn't have a rafter hook or a headlight.
The X2 is clearly designed to replace its corded counterparts on the jobsite. According to Makita, it crosscuts up to 250 2x4s per charge, and cuts as fast as its corded 7 1/4 inch model 5007F sidewinder. I've comfortably framed with it all day long, cutting mostly 2x4s, 2x6s, plywood, and LVLs. It's rugged, smooth, powerful, and nicely balanced despite the two batteries.
On the downside, the blade wrench quickly fell off the saw and disappeared, the depth scale is inaccurate, and the trigger safety is a bit of a stretch for my average-size hands.
This saw would fit seamlessly into a collection of 18-volt LXT tools. But I don't have other compatible 18-volt Makita tools, so the kit's single-port charger created a battery management problem. Each 3-amp-hour battery can fully recharge in less than 30 minutes, but I can't simultaneously charge both of them at lunchtime or overnight. This means that they don't stay equally charged, and when one is depleted, the saw shuts down. And although there are two LED lights on the tool that tell you when a battery is almost dead, there are no fuel gauges on the tool or the battery.
THE BOTTOM LINE
If I had to choose one of these saws to keep on the truck, I'd go with the Milwaukee M18 Fuel. It can handle most cutting tasks where corded sidewinders would be impractical, it has a rafter hook, and it provides fuel gauges on the batteries.
That said, if you've already bought into Makita's 18-volt LXT platform and are ready to cut the cord on your circular saws, the 36-volt dual-battery Makita appears to be capable of handling the job. The saw might also be ideal for mobile applications, such as cutting floor joists in place or building concrete forms.
The two-battery Milwaukee and Makita kits that I tested are pretty pricey, but you can buy the bare tools for about $200 less. Milwaukee also sells a one-battery kit.
John Spier is a builder on Block Island, R.I.
