The benefit of using a circular saw is that it is portable. Because of the design, these saws are very compact. You can use the circular saw on-site and save a significant amount of time it will take to complete your project.

When you are buying a circular saw, splurge and pick up the 7 1/4-inch blade. There is little cost difference between it and the 5-inch blade, but it is much more versatile. You really will not need to go much larger than that on the blade unless you plan some heavy-duty projects.

The motor of the saw sits crosswise across the motor shaft. This design contributes to the compact nature of the circular saw. The bottom of the saw will have what is called a "foot" on it. That means that it is a flattened surface through which the blade protrudes as you are cutting. If you want to increase or decrease the depth of any cut, simply tilt the circular saw so that more or less of the blade is sticking out below the foot. You should be sure that the knob to change the angle or the depth of the blade is easy to use, or you could end up frustrated every time you use your saw.

The basic set up of a circular saw has a blade guard. That means that the blade will not be able to cut you as easily as without the blade. The guard is retractable. Do not remove this guard; it is an essential safety feature on this type of saw.

Two other safety features are the braking mechanism and the blade lock. The braking mechanism halts the blade from moving when it is not in use. Without a braking mechanism, the blade can spin manually or by accidentally brushing against something even if the saw is unplugged. That can be dangerous to any fingers that get in the way, so consider the blade lock essential.

The blade lock is not essential, and there are ways to get around having one. When you change the blade on your circular saw, you will need to unbolt the old saw. Although the blade likely will be dull, it can still be harmful. The blade lock halts the blade from moving while you are unbolting it. If you opt not to get a blade lock, you should imbed the blade in a piece of wood before you change the blade.

The final warning is about back sawing. This accidental sawing happens to novices and experts alike. The saw blade can be too dull or the saw could run over a warp in the wood. When this happens, the saw will jump backward and injure you if you are in the way. The best way to avoid this problem is never to put your fingers near the saw blade and to stand to the side of the saw instead of behind it.

If you look for these basic features and make sure you know how to use them before you start working with your saw, then you will find the entire process easier to handle.

Julia Mercer