Compact circular saws are very versatile and helpful tools that most people cherish, but they're often too big or cumbersome for certain jobs.

If you tackle small jobs from time to time or work in confined spaces, you'll find that a compact or mini product makes it easier to focus on your work and get the job done.

These saws offer the same functionality and versatility like the bigger circular saws, but they do it in a more convenient size, which makes them more flexible, lightweight and of course, portable.

The following review lists the best mini saws available and takes a closer look at each one to show you what to watch out for when making your choice. Whichever product you pick from the list is going to be a great choice though.

Editor's Rating: (4.4 / 5)

• Power: Corded, 6 Amps
• Blade diameter: 4 inches
• Speed: 17,000 RPM
• Weight: 6.4 lbs

The Dremel Saw-Max is a versatile cutting tool, designed to give you a variety of cutting options. It comes with a 6-Amp motor which drives the blade with 0.9 horsepower to cut through plastic, wood, metal, and tiles with ease.

One important feature of this mini saw is its ability to flush cut. In addition to straight and plunge cutting, you can add the flush cut blade to the saw and make flush cuts with ease through plastic or wood.

This top-rated saw comes with 4 blades including a carbide tipped blade, a metal cut-off wheel, a tile diamond wheel, and the flush cut carbide wheel. You also get a hard-wearing storage case, a cutting guide, and an adapter for the dust port.

Editor's Rating: (4.2 / 5)

• Power: Corded, 4 Amps
• Blade diameter: 4.5 inches
• Speed: N/A
• Weight: 5 lbs

Worx's 4.5-inch Worxsaw is specially designed for those who want a compact and versatile package rolled into one. Although it's not as powerful as the Dremel saw above, it does offer you some features of its own.

You can adjust the cutting depth down to 2 inches, enabling you, for example, to rip through 2x4s with ease. You can also adjust for bevel cuts up to 45 degrees.

Worx includes a parallel guide so you can make straight cuts, plus this saw's grip includes a safety trigger for better control and comfort.

It's also quite lightweight at just under 5 lbs, making it ideal for both men and women. The package includes a blade, the parallel guide, Allen key, a vacuum adapter, and Worx's 3-year warranty.

Editor's Rating: (4.1 / 5)

• Power: Corded, 4 Amps
• Blade diameter: 3.4 inches
• Speed: N/A
• Weight: 3.4 lbs

Powered by a 4 Amps motor, this quality product got designed with portability in mind. It weighs just 3.4 lbs and features an ergonomic design, which makes it easy to maneuver and work with.

It will cut all kinds of materials, including aluminum, plastic, wood and sheet metal. Rockwell also packs in some interesting features, such as a dust extraction system, a laser guide for perfect straight cuts, and a depth adjustment system with pivoting guard.

Because of its compact size and weight, this adjustable saw can do more stuff and get into more places where others can not.

This package includes a carrying bag, two Allen wrenches, a vacuum adapter, and 3 blades for cutting different materials.

Editor's Rating: (4 / 5)

• Power: Cordless, 20V
• Blade diameter: 5.5 inches
• Speed: N/A
• Weight: 6 lbs

Editor's Rating: (4.4 / 5)

• Power: Cordless, 12V
• Blade diameter: 3.4 inches
• Speed: 1,500 RPM
• Weight: 3.5 lbs

Makita's SH02R1 is an ultra-light, cordless, and small circular saw with a weight of only 3.5 lbs including the battery. This makes it ideal for both men and women of all sizes because possible hand fatigue is kept to a minimum.

It comes with a 3.4-inch blade which offers you a 1-inch cutting depth plus the ability to do bevel cuts. Makita also designed it exceptionally well, with its rubber hand grip and sideways motor placement making it different from the rest.

This offer is for the complete kit, although you can get only the bare-tool if you want. The kit includes 2 batteries, a charger, a blade, and the carrying case.

Another notable feature is the attaching of the wrench to the saw to make it more convenient to change blades. Makita backs this mini saw with a 3-year warranty. If you keep it in the carry case, it should last a lot longer.

Editor's Rating: (4.1 / 5)

• Power: Corded, 5 Amps
• Blade diameter: 4.5 inches
• Speed: 3,500 RPM
• Weight: 5 lbs

If you are looking for the most powerful mini circular saw, then take a closer look here because this saw might be small, but it does pack a lot of power for its size.

You get a very thin blade rotating at 3,500 times per minute, and this makes the saw able to cut through most materials comfortably and with just one hand.

It will cut up to 1.7 inches deep at a go and will also do bevel cuts up to 45 degrees. The package includes an Allen wrench, a vacuum adapter, and a parallel edge guide.

Editor's Rating:  (4.3 / 5)

• Power: Corded, 5.8 Amps
• Blade diameter: 4.5 inches
• Speed: 3,500 RPM
• Weight: 7 lbs

When it comes to full power delivery, then here's another good one with all the features and accessories you need to keep you happy for some time.

You get 6 blades, each with a 4.5-inch diameter and a 1.9-inch cutting depth. This saw will do straight cuts, as well as angle cuts from 90 down to 45 degrees.

There is an integrated laser guide, so you can make as accurate cuts as possible using just one hand. With this saw, you can cut wood, plastic, tile, and metal.

The package includes the 6 blades for cutting different materials, an Allen wrench, a vacuum adapter for keeping your work neat, a guide fence slot, and a warranty.

Editor's Rating: (4 / 5)

• Power: Corded, 5.8 Amps
• Blade diameter: 4.5 inches
• Speed: 3,500 RPM
• Weight: 6 lbs

Genesis offers a 5.8 Amps mini saw here, which in Genesis' own words is a small saw with a big performance. It will easily cut through soft and hardwoods, including composites, copper, aluminum, and drywall.

This saw comes with a cast aluminum gearbox for durability and it uses a triple gear reduction to offer 3,500 rotations per minute of the blade and with an impressive torque.

You get a rip guide for parallel lines, a dust collection system, plus the adapter to make it work. Genesis backs it with a 2-year warranty covering both parts and labor.

Editor's Rating: (4.2 / 5)

• Power: Corded, 5.8 Amps
• Blade diameter: 3.4 inches
• Speed: 4,500 RPM
• Weight: N/A

Featuring a 5.8-Amp motor and triple gear drive, this saw spins its blade at 4,500 RPM, delivering an outstanding amount of power to tackle any work with ease.

VonHaus includes three blades with this offer. The diamond blade will cut masonry, tiles, and drywall, while the HSS blade will cut aluminum and other thin metal sheets. The third blade, the TCT, cuts wood and plastic.

This saw comes in its own unique carrying case and includes a laser and a rip guide. VonHaus also adds a slim grip handle and ergonomic design to make working with this saw as comfortable as possible.

Editor's Rating: (3.7 / 5)

• Power: Corded, 3.6 Amps
• Blade diameter: 2.1 inches
• Speed: 3,700 RPM
• Weight: 5 lbs

There are times you just need a simple and quick tool to get the job done and that's what this mini saw offers. It comes with a complete kit that offers you 6 blades including a diamond, a Tungsten Carbide, and a High-Speed Steel blade.

The kit also includes a dust extraction hose and 2 Allen wrenches. On the saw, the On/Off switch includes a spring and so, switches off automatically once released.

One disadvantage of this mini saw is its smallness. The blade is just 2.1 inches in diameter, and therefore, offers a cutting depth of just 0.5 inch. This limits its scope of application to only small jobs.

Compact circular saws are very specialized tools that offer specific advantages as well as disadvantages over standard circular saws. You'll need to watch out for the following features, therefore, if you want to make the right choice.

#1. Power

Power refers to the amount of force that turns the saw's blade. It's important because more power means a faster and easier job completion, but these saws are normally fitted with smaller motors, so every bit of power is important.

With electric power tools like circular saws, power can easily be calculated by multiplying its operating voltage with its operating current to get its Watts, which is the unit of power.

#2. Corded vs Cordless

Since the major attraction of compact circular saws is their flexibility and portability, being corded or cordless needs asking as well. All saws were originally corded until battery-powered ones came along and these batteries have continued to improve.

Surely, cordless saws are more portable and easier to work with but they also cost more than their corded counterparts. This creates a situation where you have to make a compromise between cost and portability.

#3. Blade

A blade is a very important part of a saw and should as well receive some consideration during shopping. The questions to ask include the type of blade and how easy or affordable it is.

A second question is if there are blades in the package, and the last question is how easy it is to replace the saw's blade once it gets dull. Some packages come with two, three, or even more blades.

#4. Ease of Use

The ease of using a small saw includes many features such as ergonomics, weight, the type and position of its controls, and its size.

Ergonomics is the science that makes things fit better in the hand and prevents hand stress from prolonged use. A well-designed product will fit naturally into the hand and not cause any discomfort.

#5. Safety

Different manufacturers come up with different safety measures or technologies for their saws. No single safety measure is the best and none will make it completely safe.

You should keep this in mind, knowing that a small saw is as potentially dangerous as a normal circular saw, which is one of the most dangerous power tools. Saws are not toys.

#6. Cutting Depth

The depth of a saw's cut determines how many jobs you can do with it. This means that you need a saw with a good cutting depth, of which 1 inch or longer is ideal for compact saws.

Keep in mind though, that the deeper you cut with a mini saw, the less accurate the cut may turn out. This usually depends on how much torque the saw's motor produces. Torque is the measure of how easily a saw's blade, for example, will cut through any material.

#7. Extra Features

Different manufacturers will offer different extra features in their mini circular saws and there are no rules here. Some offer laser guides, while others offer a dust port, bevel cutting features, and even a waterproof system for working with plumbing systems.

It's left for you here to make your choice and this includes choosing a saw based on these extra features, as long as it offers you what you need.

#7. Warranty

Having a warranty to back the product you just bought gives a good feeling and lets you know that you are buying the work of serious professionals. With warranties, more is better, so a saw with a longer warranty should always get more points.

Conclusion

We have come to the end of this compact mini circular saw review and you have seen that although they all look alike, each saw has unique features that set it apart.

All the saws above fulfill the basic job of cutting, but some do it faster than others, while others are more precise or compact. Your choice, therefore, will depend on what your needs are.

You are free to choose whichever saw you wish, either based on price, rating, size or power. Just take your time and go through the features before you make your choice.