No one could have known then what God in his providence would move him into as a career. Now more than 10 years into his role as the Managing Editor of Pro Tool Reviews, he has enjoyed seeing many of the greatest innovations in tool technology develop and launch, changing the way both Pros and DIYers work. Each year, we bring in and review more than 350 individual products. Our team will put makita circular saw our hands on hundreds of additional tools at media events and trade shows throughout the year. By adding a chip and using a Makita AWS vacuum or universal adapter on vacs with pass-through power, the XSH07 version of this saw can automatically turn on and off the vacuum as you work. It helps you keep your workspace cleaner, the overall noise down, and manage the battery use in cordless vacs.
Using two 18V LXT batteries to step up to 36V power, it’s a smooth, confident saw with an electric brake. On the build side, it has magnesium construction for the shoe, blade guard, and blade cover, offering strength while keeping the weight down to 10.5 pounds with two 5.0Ah batteries. With manufacturers working so hard to develop cordless tools, you also may wonder if these are the best fit for you. Homeowner-grade cordless saws have enough power to cut 2 x 3 and 2 x 4 lumber, pine planks, and plywood. But if you expect to make more difficult cuts such as plunging through an interior floor, frame out your basement, or cut pressure-treated lumber, opt for a pro-duty cordless or corded circular saw.
This is made for light duty – medium duty metal cutting applications. I don’t think it would have enough juice to cut through thicker, stronger metals but thinner gauged metals would be ideal. This saw has the brushless makita cordless drill motor, so longer run times and smoother operating is achieved. I can say with certainty that this is a heavy duty circular saw and is designed for some of the most demanding tasks that even a corded model can take on.
The extended run time, due to the brushless motor will make hundreds of cuts on a single charge (4.0Ah battery). Makita is the clear winner in terms of battery quality, but the budget Ryobi saw is surprisingly viable in every other category. It has more horsepower, more features, and is available at a lower price. This not only makes the Ryobi the bargain option, but perhaps the better tool overall.
Some users experienced a couple of problems when cutting, mainly described as a power issue so I would recommend using the 5.0Ah batteries instead of the 3.0Ah ones, to avoid this problem altogether. This saw will be a little bit heavier than the 18V models and weighs about 10 pounds with both batteries attached and the balance of the tool may take some getting used to. I would definitely categorize the XSS03Z to be for light duty use but they can also be used for medium duty applications in the sense that it can cut a lot of plywood or other sheeting material, including interior trim.
The recalled product contains sodium hydroxide which must be in child resistant packaging as required by the Poison Prevention Packaging Act (PPPA). The packaging of the product is not child resistant, posing a risk of chemical burns and irritation to the skin and eyes. This was a tremendous help to me because I would probably spend the extra money on a much better makita circular saw saw and get a MUCH BETTER performing model, but that’s just me. The kits was around $380, for everything, in comparison to just the saw itself, which was around $200 in price. The Makita XSC02Z is a more compact saw and is designed to cut metal. The plastic viewing window on the front is one feature that will increase visibility, through all of the sparks.