MakitaSH02R1 12V max CXT® Lithium-Ion Cordless 3-3/8" Circular Saw Kit (2.0Ah)

I used the 9.6v model from 1987 to 1996 five days a week cutting out grout doing tile repair. It always performed well on grout but strained it self on wood. My 9.6v Nicad batteries finally wore out and were too pricey to repurchase and I stopped doing tile repair so I wasn’t using it as much. Now years later this 12v model I just purchased performs very well on 3/4” wood. It seems to have the same rotation speed but extra strength to keep going through the wood. I only have used it very little so far but it seems like it will be better then it’s predecessor.I like it for plumbing repair. To access a pipe in the wall I’ve been using a key hole saw. A saw with a long pointed blade and large teeth. You have to be careful not to cut into pipes or electrical wires with a push and pull type of hand saw but with the 12v Mikita circular saw I set my depth to the drywall thickness and I’m able to cut anywhere without worrying about cutting through wires or the new type of plastic plumbing pipes. I tried it on a 2x4 for kicks. It cuts fine but you have to cut through both sides since it’s cutting depth is about an inch. The kit comes with two batteries, charger and a carbide tipped wood saw blade.When cutting through drywall you get a cleaner cut than with a hand saw and about the same amount of dust. This saw is going to make my work much easier and faster.

I haven't found anything that I don't like about the Makita circular saw ... except that you have to be very careful not to back up when cutting. The two batteries that came with it have a long battery life. I like the case, which adds to the portability. Have been using it to cut floor tile. Also cut 2 x 4 by cutting both sides.The blade turns slower than a plug-in circular saw, so you have to go slower - but it is easy to use. The one down side ... there are more replacement blades sold in the 4" diameter range than the 3 3/8". I would order again ...

I had originally bought a DeWalt supposedly mini circular saw. It was heavy and really did not function much differently than my full sized DeWalt circular saw (which I like!). I returned it for this Makita mini circular saw which is very light weight, easily used with one hand, especially for trimming fascia or any item when on a ladder and very well designed. Come with a very nice and spacious solid case that can hold extra blades, etc. It does quite an acceptable job in a pinch where the full sized circular saw is the better option

I wanted to give five stars. This is clearly an amazing tool. Small, light, and effective. I’m perplexed at all the reviews stating this saw won’t cut stuff or is too weak. It’s a battery powered saw with a 3-3/8 inch blade! Smaller, lighter, and less powerful than larger saws. Simple logic tells us it’s not going to cut nearly as fast or with as much force as a corded 7-1/4 inch or larger saw. I’ve used it a few times on some 3/4 inch common wood, cutting and ripping. It takes longer than a bigger corded saw, but it gets the job done with less noise and less hassle (cords and sawdust spray.)That said, I have an annoying peeve and why I’m giving it four stars. The manual clearly describes two optional accessories: a rip fence and a vacuum attachment or “dust nozzle”. But the manual doesn’t explain how to obtain these accessories or what the part numbers are. The manufacturer’s website is equally useless. I was left with searches across the Internet. Nothing concrete like with other tools and other manufacturers. When the company’s support department opened Monday morning, I called them. The rip fence was found and sent along with the extra thumb screw that is not included with the saw or the rip fence. I can see why it isn’t included with the rip fence – the rip fence is compatible with different saws which means different screws for each application. Just be sure to get that screw when you call the support folks. The rip fence and thumb screw work nicely with the saw. The rip fence part number is 164095-8 and the thumb screw part number is 265756-4.Now to the vacuum attachment. Get this: after about 10 minutes on hold, the support technician tells me the part IS NOT AVAILABLE IN THE UNITED STATE! Seriously? And, because it isn’t available in the United States, he has no part number to give me! His best idea when I asked “then how do I get one?” was to call the Canada support department! The Canada lead was a dead end. So now I start using Google image search looking for anything that looks like the drawing in the instruction manual. I finally found something on ebay from Finland and I ordered it. Three weeks later it arrives and it’s the right part (part number 452237-9) but there is no screw (and I’m not surprised at this point in this Alice-in-Wonderland adventure.) A trip to the local hardware store and an M4 x 16 .70 pitch Phillips pan head machine screw with M4 lock washer and that part of the task is done.And then I discover why they don’t sell the vacuum attachment in the United States: it has a 2.12 cm outside diameter and a 1.7 cm inside diameter - it isn't compatible with anything that I can find. I’ll rig something up eventually by modifying a 1.25 inch reducer but I’m done with this report.Bottom line: Makita makes an amazing saw, but the documentation people screwed up and created a minor mess. A few minutes editing and all this would be resolved, and I would have saved a few hours of research and phone calls. I included the part of the documentation that shows the saw being attached to a vacuum with this so-called “optional accessory”—it’s on page 9 of the English section of the manual! Note the ease at which the saw with the accessory is attached to the vacuum—one has to wonder who makes such a hose that attaches so seamlessly to both ends.Epilog: One more Amazon order (Multi-Fit Wet Dry Vacuum Accessories VT1215 Vacuum Micro Cleaning Kit) and a trip to the hardware store for some 1/2 inch vinyl tubing and I have a working vacuum solution! I used the 1.25 inch reducer from the accessory kit and six feet of vinyl tubing. The tubing fits over the unmodified end of the reducer and fits snugly into the top of the Makita vacuum attachment. The nice part of this solution is that we can get as much tubing as we need to give us ample working room with the saw. Get the braided vinyl tubing as it resists deformation when the vacuum is on.One final note: If you don’t want to use your shop vac and you have one of those foreign made vacuums like a Miele or Bosch, then you will need a 35 mm to 1.25 inch converter like the EZ SPARES 35 mm to 32mm Vacuum Hose Universal Adapter Kit.

I can't say enough about the Makita 12V Max CXT line of power tools. I own several tools in this line (drill/driver, impact driver, muilti-tool and now this), and the build quality and performance of these tools are second to none, and perfect for my home owner/DYI'er needs (95% of the time).I bought all of my 12V Max CXT tools via Amazon Warehouse. They seem to have a lot of returns of the bare tools (customers not understanding what "bare tool" means). Each tool has been complete and in perfect condition and I've saved about 20% on average.I just received this tool, so the review is based on my initial impression.Build quality is excellent, and on par with any professional grade tool. Performance is good; when I first inserted the battery and pulled the trigger I was underwhelmed, then I grabbed a piece of scrap wood (brick molding, 1 1/4" thick it think) and started making cuts. It cut like a hot knife through butter (with the brand new included blade of course).Included is a wood cutting blade and hex wrench that stores on board and is required to change the blade.It's rated to cut up to 1" think and it did leave about 1/32" of wood uncut on my scrap piece of 1 1/4", but still acceptable for a rough cut in a pinch.