This saw is great for cutting rafter and truss tails and it is great for remodeling. I'm an older carpenter and we've pretty much got out of framing and stick to remodeling, trim, wood siding and the occasional room addition. These saws have done the job for us and we've beat the heck out of them and nothing has broke yet. I give this saw 👍👍.
I'm liking the Makita subcompacts a lot for the weight and simplicity. I'm a 60 yo female and not a lot of upper arm strength so these tools have been great for me to do some basic renovation work. My husband does the heavy duty stuff and I'm using these tools to get comfortable with powertools. The lighter weight helps reduce fatigue. If you're wanting a tool for use by teenagers or women who haven't been to the gym in a while the Makita subcompact line is great.
Just purchased one of these after borrowing an old Black & Decker cordless circular saw. Feels like a ton of power with the brushless motor. Perfect for me and the amount of use it gets. I bet it doesn’t compare to the 36v/40v options, but that’s more than I need.
This saw works great for me and I do the same work as this guy here. My solution is to have several batteries on hand to swap out with. I supplement my corded saw for when I’m doing lots of rips, but if all you are doing is cutting 2x4’s to length then this has become my go-to saw for that. Use it for what it was intended and you will be fine. If you are cutting a couple of sheets of plywood this little saw is fine, but if you are sheathing a house you definitely want a more capable saw. Bottom line: Great for light use, which is what it excels at.
No kidding. The convenience of light weight and no cord cannot be underestimated! The batteries charge faster than i can run a fresh one out, so all i really need is one spare ( although I have 4). It increases production by saving time. There is no reason not to have one.
The most honest and helpful review I've ever seen. The honesty does not hurt Makita since there is a perfect niche for this tool in the professional trades. As he pointed out, those of us in HVAC or Sparky's that only need a circular on an occasional basis are the target market. Carpenters would need something more serious.... they make those too lol.
I noticed that when using the 2.0 amp battery the speed is not that optimal, and when I used the 5.0 the speed was noticeable faster, and most likely stronger. I thought the amps was Only about lasting longer but it increases power also.
Hello! Can anyone offer a long term review? After putting through hard work and job sites? I’ve been using the flex volt for a couple years and have had three now. Though I love the power and feel of it, I’m fed up with the blade and spindle going out of alignment to the shoe and no way to fix it. I’d like to know if the makita will hold up as a framing saw as it is supposed to be 😁
Like Scott mentioned in the introduction, Makita's PR Department claims "the XSH04ZB... is ideal for any contractor seeking a more compact cutting solution for framing; roofing; formwork; and more." ¯\_(ツ)_/¯
As a framer that almost exclusively uses corded circular saws.. These saws are great for those now and then cuts where a corded saw just isn't easy or practical. Out of cord range, up high hard to reach, tight places where a normal saw won't fit. Going way up on a roof just to cut a quick hole etc.. for that these sub compacts are the best hands down, but for straight framing I wouldn't recommend any cordless circular saw for full time application. If i had to cut 500 2x6 mid blocks I would pray I had a corded saw.
Do you think this would be an upgrade if you already have an older burshed 6 1/2 inch Makita saw? I currently have the older one and was thinking of going to the 7 1/4 one. Only thing keeping me back is the one I have works for what I need it to do.
I'm the gentleman who won it your saw your show on the show I cut some two-by-sixes make my wife a little sit still when she does gardening and a cut through the pressure treated no problem then do a lot of cuts but it did what I needed to do I haven't had to use the guitar against plywood yet but it's coming up but other than that it was nice use of a speed square and it didn't lose any power during the pressure treated thanks again for giving me the chance to Windows and you guys take care and waiting for The Showdown this weekend
I got this saw just for the fact that they put the blade on the proper side as a normal circular saw...Nice !.. It annoys the hell out of me that 95% of cordless circular saws the damn blade is backwards..
This would blow away the M12 Fuel saw . The M12 saw only has 3600 RPM I have it and it’s not very powerful but it does ok for quick cuts. It’s definitely not good for ripping anything except for thin sheet goods.
@@JJ-lu6mg I have the M12 as well. Very nice for cutting siding. Sounds like this Makita is pretty weak too. I think a side by side would be interesting.
D I do like my little M12 saw but after watching this video it looked like the Makita did that rip cut on the 2x4 pretty easy. I don’t think that my M12 saw can make a cut like that and the Mikita is 18 Volts. But I am going to try to do a rip cut on a 2x4 with the M12 just to see if it can do it. I hope they make a Gen 2 M12 saw with more power but I don’t think Milwaukee will anytime soon if not ever. Or if they made a new HO Batteries for the 12 volt line that would be awesome, because I do think Milwaukee’s 12 volt lineup is the be out there. Mikita does make a 12 volt circular saw but it is even smaller the the M12 saw. I think that would be a better comparison 👍🏼
I don't know, but i see a lot of tradesmen doing this on RUclips when they cut. NEVER seen anyone do it on a job site. And i've been on a lot of them. It looks ridiculous.
This saw is great for cutting rafter and truss tails and it is great for remodeling. I'm an older carpenter and we've pretty much got out of framing and stick to remodeling, trim, wood siding and the occasional room addition. These saws have done the job for us and we've beat the heck out of them and nothing has broke yet. I give this saw 👍👍.
I'm liking the Makita subcompacts a lot for the weight and simplicity. I'm a 60 yo female and not a lot of upper arm strength so these tools have been great for me to do some basic renovation work. My husband does the heavy duty stuff and I'm using these tools to get comfortable with powertools. The lighter weight helps reduce fatigue. If you're wanting a tool for use by teenagers or women who haven't been to the gym in a while the Makita subcompact line is great.
as a framer in California, i carry this with the 36v rear handle. work all day with 2 extra batteries. my old corded skilsaw is a collecters item now.
Just purchased one of these after borrowing an old Black & Decker cordless circular saw. Feels like a ton of power with the brushless motor. Perfect for me and the amount of use it gets. I bet it doesn’t compare to the 36v/40v options, but that’s more than I need.
This saw works great for me and I do the same work as this guy here. My solution is to have several batteries on hand to swap out with. I supplement my corded saw for when I’m doing lots of rips, but if all you are doing is cutting 2x4’s to length then this has become my go-to saw for that. Use it for what it was intended and you will be fine. If you are cutting a couple of sheets of plywood this little saw is fine, but if you are sheathing a house you definitely want a more capable saw. Bottom line: Great for light use, which is what it excels at.
No kidding. The convenience of light weight and no cord cannot be underestimated! The batteries charge faster than i can run a fresh one out, so all i really need is one spare ( although I have 4). It increases production by saving time. There is no reason not to have one.
"Would you buy this saw for yourself?"
"Mmmmmm, no."
You have got to love the honesty, Thanks!
Looks like an interesting saw for light duty cutting if you're already invested in the Makita line
Come on this is a bad review compare apples to apples, this saw has so many applications super compact saw powerful enough to cut doors, plywood’s etc
The most honest and helpful review I've ever seen. The honesty does not hurt Makita since there is a perfect niche for this tool in the professional trades. As he pointed out, those of us in HVAC or Sparky's that only need a circular on an occasional basis are the target market. Carpenters would need something more serious.... they make those too lol.
But it feels so good in the hand. Anyone know how it compares to the single battery 18volt blue circular saw?
I noticed that when using the 2.0 amp battery the speed is not that optimal, and when I used the 5.0 the speed was noticeable faster, and most likely stronger. I thought the amps was Only about lasting longer but it increases power also.
The 5ah is way better in higher drain situations.
I like how honest the guy was I just wish that they put the tool to the test to show what it can really do
Hello! Can anyone offer a long term review? After putting through hard work and job sites? I’ve been using the flex volt for a couple years and have had three now. Though I love the power and feel of it, I’m fed up with the blade and spindle going out of alignment to the shoe and no way to fix it. I’d like to know if the makita will hold up as a framing saw as it is supposed to be 😁
Why is a framer testing a tool that is not made for framing 🙄
Like Scott mentioned in the introduction, Makita's PR Department claims "the XSH04ZB... is ideal for any contractor seeking a more compact cutting solution for framing; roofing; formwork; and more." ¯\_(ツ)_/¯
@@ToolShow Oh i didn't catch that. I just assumed that saw of this size and power was designed for lighter work. Thanks for clarifying.
All good - we thought the same thing when we read that!
As a framer that almost exclusively uses corded circular saws.. These saws are great for those now and then cuts where a corded saw just isn't easy or practical. Out of cord range, up high hard to reach, tight places where a normal saw won't fit. Going way up on a roof just to cut a quick hole etc.. for that these sub compacts are the best hands down, but for straight framing I wouldn't recommend any cordless circular saw for full time application.
If i had to cut 500 2x6 mid blocks I would pray I had a corded saw.
Love your comment. You are right
Unusually honest video. Very good!
Do you think this would be an upgrade if you already have an older burshed 6 1/2 inch Makita saw? I currently have the older one and was thinking of going to the 7 1/4 one. Only thing keeping me back is the one I have works for what I need it to do.
I'm the gentleman who won it your saw your show on the show I cut some two-by-sixes make my wife a little sit still when she does gardening and a cut through the pressure treated no problem then do a lot of cuts but it did what I needed to do I haven't had to use the guitar against plywood yet but it's coming up but other than that it was nice use of a speed square and it didn't lose any power during the pressure treated thanks again for giving me the chance to Windows and you guys take care and waiting for The Showdown this weekend
You no speak English very well
@@Glorious_Kim_Jong_Un I used talk to text I'm sorry I'm dyslexic
Punctuation would be helpful.
You keep doing you!
Man I would love to see you guys get your hands on their new Makita circular saw with AWS bluetooth andbopen that bad boy up 👍
Would like to see a video on the inside look of the makita rear handle.. 👍
I think Kris has been watching AvE BOLTR videos.
looks like a nice trim saw
I worked in resedential carpentry and there was nothing this saw couldn't do
I have gone through 2 680 18volt saws and i agree i bought the flex volt 18 volt and is a beast in my opinion don't bother
I got this saw just for the fact that they put the blade on the proper side as a normal circular saw...Nice !.. It annoys the hell out of me that 95% of cordless circular saws the damn blade is backwards..
I'd like to see how it compares head to head with the Milwaukee 5-3/8" M12
This would blow away the M12 Fuel saw . The M12 saw only has 3600 RPM I have it and it’s not very powerful but it does ok for quick cuts. It’s definitely not good for ripping anything except for thin sheet goods.
@@JJ-lu6mg I have the M12 as well. Very nice for cutting siding. Sounds like this Makita is pretty weak too. I think a side by side would be interesting.
D I do like my little M12 saw but after watching this video it looked like the Makita did that rip cut on the 2x4 pretty easy. I don’t think that my M12 saw can make a cut like that and the Mikita is 18 Volts. But I am going to try to do a rip cut on a 2x4 with the M12 just to see if it can do it. I hope they make a Gen 2 M12 saw with more power but I don’t think Milwaukee will anytime soon if not ever. Or if they made a new HO Batteries for the 12 volt line that would be awesome, because I do think Milwaukee’s 12 volt lineup is the be out there. Mikita does make a 12 volt circular saw but it is even smaller the the M12 saw. I think that would be a better comparison 👍🏼
EXCELLENT REVIEW!!
I need a minimum 14 inches mobile circular saw
I sort of question the guy who took it apart’s compétence for no other reason than he isnt AVE lol
Great little saw but plan on losing the blade allen wrench.
Why his fingers under the shoe?
I don't know, but i see a lot of tradesmen doing this on RUclips when they cut. NEVER seen anyone do it on a job site. And i've been on a lot of them. It looks ridiculous.
He is pinching the deck, and letting his finger ride the side of the lumber like a rip fence
Is this saw for lefthanders?
It's for both, the blade is on the "Normal" right side just like all circular saws made since grandma was a little boy.👍
Sawll
I give the 10 like
90 Views
Thumbs down on this review. I love the honesty but why not give it to a trade suited for it's intended use?
What idiot puts their hand under a saw while cutting....seriously????
Experienced ones
He’s pinching the guard and letting his finger tip ride the edge of the lumber like a rip fence