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The 8 Best Circular Saws for Powering Through Lumber and Plywood

created: Jan. 14, 2026, 5:19 p.m. | updated: Jan. 19, 2026, 12:32 p.m.

Unlike stationary table saws or precision-focused miter saws that excel at angled cuts, circular saws combine mobility with impressive cutting capacity, and each comes in a convenient handheld package. Here at Popular Mechanics, we’ve put dozens of circular saws through their paces across countless lumber cuts, plywood sheets, and renovation projects. But if we’re choosing the best circular saw, you’d be foolish not to look in this direction, as it checks every box. Circular saws that use 7-1/4-inch blades are useful for so many applications, and since they’re so popular, spare blades are easy to find. For corded circular saws, you also need a heavy-duty extension cord.

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