# Cordless Ryobi circular saws...



## joecaption (Nov 30, 2011)

Ryobi has not made a cordless ciruler saw worth buying.
Unless your only planing on one or two light cuts, buy a corded saw.
Even the corded ciruler saw is not worth buying.


----------



## NiNe O (Nov 24, 2012)

I've had a revelation recently. I used to carry my 18v powertools with me in the truck. At the jobsite, I would grab the tools, extra batteries, and a charger or two if needed. Then it occurred to me if I am going to bring something in to plug in, why not just bring the corded tool, they work 100 times better, and they don't get weak. I still carry a small mini impact in my service backpack, however, and if there is access to use it, I do.


----------



## jeffsw6 (Oct 28, 2012)

I think a cordless circular saw is just not going to be a good tool. I have a cordless jig saw and I kinda regret buying it. Now imagine how much you use a jig saw compared to a circular saw, how fast the battery will go, and how much you will cuss because the saw cuts slow.

Just not a good purchase. Maybe when battery technology gets better. My first "cordless drill" was powered by my arm. 25 years later I don't even own a corded drill (except drill press.) I'm sure batteries will be powerful enough to be useful for circular saws someday.

If you think about it, your average circular saw says it is 15 amps. If true, that is 1800 watts. The "wall" can power your tool for unlimited time. If you have a 3.0Ah (amp*hour) 18V battery that's like 54 watts if the battery was going to last for an hour. Of course it won't last that long because the tool demands a lot more than 54 watts, otherwise you wouldn't be able to cut veneer with it, let alone a board.

If the cordless circular saw could do the same work as a 15A corded saw it would use up a 54Wh battery in 2 minutes. You won't be building any decks with that!

This is a simplistic view because the motor in a brushless circular saw might be far more efficient than a corded saw, or you might change your saw blade more often to save battery power, or just not need to use your saw more than 2 minutes between charges. But really ... the battery technology is just not there yet for cordless saws.


----------



## itguy08 (Jan 11, 2011)

It entirely depends on your use of the saw. If you're building a deck or framing a house or putting a roof on, a cordless circular saw is a waste. You'll be forever changing batteries or waiting for them to charge.

I've got the Craftsman C3 7.5" circular which is basically the Ryobi saw. Forget a NiCad for any serious cutting. You'll be lucky to cut more than a few 2x4's with one. With the big LiIon it's much better. For it's use of cutting 2x4's, plywood and other things I like it just fine. Yes it will cut slow but I'd rather not drag a cord out anyway.

Just this past weekend I sed it to build a ramp for our shed. Cut the 4' 2x8's on a 45 degree angle just fine, all 4 of them. The battery was pretty much toast when I was done but it did it fine and still had some power left. I've also used it around the house for cutting plywood for my workbench and other light duty stuff around the house when I needed a quick cut. Works great for that.

Again, for the lighter jobs or the one off things you can't beat it. If I were to rebuild our deck I'd definitely be buying a "real" circular saw but for now I'll stick with my cordless. With the new 4.0Ah batteries tht are starting to come out from the major brands these types of tools will only get better.


----------



## jeffsw6 (Oct 28, 2012)

If your cordless saw can cut around four 2x8s before exhausting a 3.0Ah battery, won't it be able to cut like five or six 2.8s on a 4.0Ah battery? I do not think that will make a very big difference to most circular saw buyers. It will be helpful for other tools, but saws need a really big improvement in battery technology which will take time.


----------



## NiNe O (Nov 24, 2012)

I nominate batt recips for the garbage pile.


----------



## ddawg16 (Aug 15, 2011)

I have the Ryobi cordless saw.......with luck I can rip down two sheets of plywood before the battery dies (NiCad).....

But....when you up on a ladder 25' in the air and having to reach out to make a difficult cut.....that small light saw is a real champ.....


----------



## toolaholic (Jul 31, 2011)

NiNe O said:


> I nominate batt recips for the garbage pile.


I have a milwaukee hatchet sawzall. It has a 3/4 inch stroke and orbital. It runs on v18lith or 18 volt Nicads. I rarely use my milwaukee 9.5 amp super sawzall. Runtime is very good.


----------



## oh'mike (Sep 18, 2009)

I've got a couple of those Ryobi battery saws----I only use them for final trimming of cedar trim boards when I,m up on a scaffold---that's where they shine---a few cuts up in the jaws of death---

But for serious work I use a corded saw.


----------



## NiNe O (Nov 24, 2012)

I work with a lot of metal, batts just can't hang.


----------



## itguy08 (Jan 11, 2011)

jeffsw6 said:


> If your cordless saw can cut around four 2x8s before exhausting a 3.0Ah battery, won't it be able to cut like five or six 2.8s on a 4.0Ah battery? I do not think that will make a very big difference to most circular saw buyers. It will be helpful for other tools, but saws need a really big improvement in battery technology which will take time.


The LiIon I have for the Craftsman one is not 3 Ah. It's the older 2 Ah battery. I know this because I just got the new 4 Ah battery this weekend and it's double the watt hours.

Like I said those 2x8's were cut on a 45 degree angle for building a ramp for our shed. So figure 4 ft long * 4 cuts or 16 feet of cutting. Not saying it's great battery life or anything but for those quick jobs it works great.

They are not meant to replace a corded saw but be for the smaller jobs where you need a few cuts.


----------



## raylo32 (Nov 25, 2006)

Well, I love my Makita 18v li-ion circ saw. It is the more expensive of their 2 models. Granted I am not in the construction trade... but for harry homeowner projects this thing is great. I just built a couple of platforms out or 3/4" plywood for the decking and 2x6's for the "joists"(platforms are about 5x3 feet). Piece of cake and no stinkin' cord to drag around or get tangled up in.. or to cut with the saw (did that once!)


----------



## woodworkbykirk (Sep 25, 2011)

the lith ion makita's work well, so does the dewalt 36v. i own the makita and canning custom on here uses the dewalt regularly.. their not designed for constant cutting but they can handle light duty cuts such as sheathing and other odd cuts.. if your going to be cutting 2x all day you need a corded.. dont buy some rinky dink homeowner grade though.. they dont have the guts in them to last very long


----------



## princelake (Feb 19, 2012)

i use to have the makita cordless 18v, want a pile!! i got the ridgid cordless and its a great little saw with more power then any other 18v cordless i ever used. its great for going jobsite to jobsite and great for jobs with no power and the large ridgid batteries last forever.


----------



## raylo32 (Nov 25, 2006)

And now Rigid warrants their batteries for life! Not sure how they can do that but if I wasn't set up already I'd give those a serious look.



princelake said:


> i use to have the makita cordless 18v, want a pile!! i got the ridgid cordless and its a great little saw with more power then any other 18v cordless i ever used. its great for going jobsite to jobsite and great for jobs with no power and the large ridgid batteries last forever.


----------



## woodworkbykirk (Sep 25, 2011)

ridgid also changes their batteries every year so its a nightmare to get replacement batteries..
makita has had the lxt battereis out for 7 years with only a couple minor changes and their still compatible with the first gen lxt tools. this is a reason their the leader in cordless gear


----------



## princelake (Feb 19, 2012)

every year? they had the x2s for a few years, the x3s for a few years and now they have the x4s and they are all interchangeable. 
i love the makitas they are the lightest most comfortable drills out there but they are soooo cheap, they have a 1 year warranty and thats how long they last. i had the 5 piece kit and the only tool that survived the one year was my reciprocating saw. a guy i work with also had a bunch of makita tools that just past the 1 year warranty and his were falling apart to and bought my tools off of me basically to have parts tools. i went out bought ridgid and its been 2 years and they are still running strong and i use them daily.


----------



## ToolSeeker (Sep 19, 2012)

Kirk I have had my Ridgid for 7 years now and the only battery change has been from nicad to lithe and they made them so they will work in my old tools.


----------



## woodworkbykirk (Sep 25, 2011)

my first makita cordless drill lasted 4 years being used every other day, my ridgid had one battery go bad after 6 months.. my ridgid 12v had one battery go stale after 3 months and only a handful of charge cycles another one after maybe 100 cycles. i know multiple trademan who have had the same issue both with ridgid and milwaukee which come from the same parent company. before i bought my bosch kit i asked the toolcrib managers at both home depot locations here about which cordless tool line comes back defective the most.. RIDGID. even the milwaukee rep who handles ridgid here as well has said the same thing

if you had a makita go bad in under a year either you got a dud or abused it. we have 4 kits between 3 guys at work and they get used every day. the only issue weve had is batteries getting mixed up as to whos whos,


----------



## princelake (Feb 19, 2012)

im always hard on my tools and my ridgids take a serious beating and get used nonstop, i'll even mix drywall mud with my cordless hammer drill and havent burned it out yet. the batteries still hold a like the day they came out of the box. everyone i know with the makitas hate them and have the same problems with me. so its weird, different grade of tools get sent to different parts of the world haha!


----------



## woodworkbykirk (Sep 25, 2011)

i highly doubt your mixing mud all the time.. cordless drilsl arent designed to mix mud. it will burn out the motor on a cordless in no time.. a high torque low speed d handle is needed for that. so i hardly believe what your saying


----------



## ToolSeeker (Sep 19, 2012)

There is probably no one harder on batts. than I am. One summer a couple years ago we were building a deck in the hottest part of summer. We were using composite decking when the batts would discharge they were too hot recharge so we put them in the fridge to cool them down(never said I was real smart) and those batts still lasted about 6 years. But toy be honest they were the 18 volt Ni-Cad. I was pretty impressed. Maybe I've just been lucky but I have only ever replaced 1 set of batts.


----------



## raylo32 (Nov 25, 2006)

I see Makita has some LXT models with brushless motors. Anybody tried these? In most application brushless gives you higher power in a lighter package... and of course no brushes to replace. As a DIY homeowner I am not in danger of rapidly going through brushes but wonder how much better these perform.


----------



## woodworkbykirk (Sep 25, 2011)

makita developed the brushless gear for industrial use about 15 years ago, in the last year it just came out to mass market. milwaukee and dewalt also have brushless gear and bosch just released theirs last month. 

i almost bought the brushless makita set last week but held off solely because the canadian release of them doesnt come with the 3.0 amp batteries only the 1.5`s same with milwaukee. im buddies with canningcustom here on the boards and he has the makita brushless drills and is blown away by them both for power and the difference in runtime with the batteries compared to using his lxt models. his partner has the milwaukee set and says their just a few steps behind the makita


----------



## princelake (Feb 19, 2012)

i mix mud, thin set, grouts, etc. with my cordless hammer drill, i also do heavier drilling like drilling the 2 1/8" hole saw holes for door knobs. the thing is still going strong. i'd also like to try out the brushless drills, the only one i see here in town is the 20v dewalt brushless and its a pretty sweet drill but im not going to drop cash on it just cause its brushless but i will get one when it comes time to get a new one.


----------



## woodworkbykirk (Sep 25, 2011)

2 1/8 " hole saws arent heavy drilling it requires far less torque than mixing mud or mortar for tile. a 4" hole saw on the other hand will fry a cordless in no time


----------



## princelake (Feb 19, 2012)

if i had a reason to drill with a 4" other then pot lights into drywall i would! basically what i was saying i use it for everything and everything your not suppose to


----------



## toolaholic (Jul 31, 2011)

princelake said:


> if i had a reason to drill with a 4" other then pot lights into drywall i would! basically what i was saying i use it for everything and everything your not suppose to


Least your honest. I match the drill for the job. I use my corded spades for drilling out tree stumps, big hole saws and mixing. I did, however, mix a small batch of concrete, with my Milwaukee 0624 lok tor 18volt cordless. My mom has no outside outlets and I repaired her curb. I cooked the batteries about 10 yrs ago on a PC 9862 12volt drill driving 4" timberlock screws(5/16 hex head). It only drove about 3 per battery and batteries weren't the same. Since then I match drill to the job.


----------



## woodworkbykirk (Sep 25, 2011)

doing large remodels we typically run the dryer vent pipes out through the ribbon of the first floor this requires major torque drilling through 2x and sheathing with a 4 " hole saw. ive seen 3 cordless drills get fried doing it. run a corded and theres no issue


----------



## ToolSeeker (Sep 19, 2012)

If your interested Fine Homebuilding Mag did a good article on the brushless tools can't find it now will keep looking to see what month. Maybe find it on line.


----------



## woodworkbykirk (Sep 25, 2011)

hey toolseeker
. i have the issue.. its one page blurt in issue 226 pg 28 . theres another issue this year that went into more detail i believe but i think i skipped picking up that issue because most of it was just rehashed info from earlier issues.. i dropped my subscription this spring for that reason.. after 7years the magazine is starting to repeat itself more often


----------



## french_guy (Sep 11, 2012)

Well, i see that my post generated a lots of answers and discussions
I think the answer is both are a must have
A cordless saw for light jobs (such as shelving, etc...) and a corded one for heavier stuff (deck, etc...)
I will try to find a good deal on the net (ebay maybe) for the Ryobi cordless, and later on I will buy a corded one (15 amps)

For the Ryobi who knows the difference between P501, P503, P504G, P506?

Thanks


----------



## woodworkbykirk (Sep 25, 2011)

its hard to say other than going by the model number it just means the higher the number the newer the version


----------



## french_guy (Sep 11, 2012)

Well, I know the P501 is the oldest one (the blue one) and the P506 has the laser and the P503 doesn't
Not sure about the P504G
Both P503, 506 and 504G are the "newest" green models


----------

