Evolution Power Tools R185CCS Circular Saw with TCT Multi-Material Blade, Cuts Wood, Metal, Plastic & More, Includes Parallel Edge Guide, 0-60˚ Bevel Tilt, 64mm Cutting Depth, 230V, 185mm

Bought this to replace an ancient Makita. First impressions were very good, felt really well built and solid and quickly got to grips with installing the blade. I like the way the tool to tighten the blade fitting is stored securely in the body of the saw and the way the parallel guide can be inserted and securely held out of the way "upside down" in the body of the saw when not in use is great as well. Cuts brilliantly of course with the Evolution blade and the cutting line indicator is clear and accurate. Great bit of kit at a very reasonable price - very happy with my purchase.

Bought this as I'm selling my house and needed a few jobs done and th beloved had been angling for a circular saw for a while. I'd bought th evolution mitre/bevel chopsaw thing for her birthday present, and that worked really well, so when I decided to buy a circular saw, I decided to see what evolution offered. I've had decent tools all my life (grandads tip, buy good, buy once), so I looked at established makes, but unless I was selling a kidney, th good models were well beyond th price range I could afford. Th Evolution model that I could justify buying for possibly only a few tasks looked a tad weedy too, so I looked at th more expensive range, even reduced, they were a bit expensive, then I noticed th 'save money buy used,as new' tag. I was sceptical, that old saying about if something looks too good to be true it usually is...but, it's thru amazon, you get th same guarantee and all that, so, I ordered one, it said it was as new but th packaging was damaged, cost 51 quid. It turned up th next day, and yes, th box was all taped up and battered, and th cord looked like it had been unravelled, but th blade was new and in its packaging, there was no sign of any actual use, so perhaps it was an ex display, I dunno... I've used it, it works brilliantly, made new kitchen kickboards and fitted some new doors using it. Absolutely faultless. So, if you've been a bit concerned about a little known make, sold as a second, as mine was, my experience has been absolutely positive, for 50 odd quid I've got, what seems and feels like, a really good product with a blade that makes an angry wife's tongue seem blunt. I have no hesitation in recommending evolution as a brand, at least with my admittedly limited use so far, but that's exactly why I bought it, for these few jobs, hence my tight wallet, if they complete another task, that's a bonus, and I get th feeling, there's going to be many bonus jobs to come. It's well equipped, as you'd expect, depth adjustment, and you can cut levels and there's a parallel guide, and it all feels pretty good and th instructions all make sense, yeah, I read instructions, that's why I've got all my fingers and all th cuts were straight... honestly, if I needed 2 circular saws, I'd buy another tomorrow, and it'd still be cheaper than th equivalent name brand, but as well appointed.

So far so good I am doing a bit of work in the garden and usually would use a hand saw. Wow this makes such a huge difference and has saved me so much time. I have never used one of these before but this seems to be perfect cuts through wood like butter. Had to cut through some metal conduit too which was fine as long as you have a full face visor and gloves for the bits. This is ideal for a complete newbie easy to set up and use. I am really pleased with this and it also has a 3 yr warranty.

The tool itself is brilliant and excellent quality for the price, though not exactly as easy to use as some, with 'fiddly' depth control. excellent blade slices straight through any staples or nails left in the wood (great for trimming doors) The track is not so good, the plastic edge (to reduce tearout) is stuck on and soon loses adhesion, then seems to defy any kind of glue to re-attach. Powerful, (heavy!) and would have 5* if the track tearout edge was better and the tool slightly lighter.

Good seller, good product, easy to use, cuts well.

Great circular saw, cuts a varied array of materials, wood, copper, metals, this can be bought with a guide too! Or can buy the guide as an add on later should you want one, does the job well, easy to use, I love it? I bought this without the guide but will more than likely buy one later for big board cutting? So it’s a versatile machine overall, can be connected to a vacuum too! Most guide on the machine are thumb type screws one needs an Allen key but not required mostly

Talking as a novice DIYer: I got this to assist me in making some structures for my garden. A chicken shelter and also a chicken run. Also with a view of using it to cut fence posts to size in the future when I replace all my fencing. I couldn't be more please with this. I was daunted by it as it was my first major power tool purchase beyond a drill. But I took to it really well and got to grips with it. It really is powerful and accurate. It is simple to change the angle. I love the handles. Coated in rubberised material really aids my grip and that combined with the ergonomic positioning really helps me hold and use it confidently. I like how easy it is to replace the blade by always having the correct Allen key, which is conveniently to hand by being slid and stored into the handle. The only thing I do not like about it is the circular saw blade had orangey yellow print on it, which obviously gets distorted after use but due to the colour it gives the appearance of rust. Change the print to green or blue! I'm really please with this and glad I spent a bit extra and went for the top of my budget. I could have got a circular saw cheaper but I doubt I'd have been as pleased with it. I haven't used the guide rail yet but I will be to cut some board when I make a workbench for my garage. Its a nice extra that will come in handy. It looks strong and robust. My carpenter friend who works on listed and historical buildings, had a look at this and said it was a good bit of kit.

I got this with some of the Evolution track system as well. The two work very well together and with nothing to compare to (first circular saw) it seems pretty good. First things first. This is NOT a plunge saw. Regular circular saw with a sweep away guard. When using with the track it can catch a bit so be aware and adjust your technique accordingly but stay safe. Depth of cut is set before cutting starts and there is no way I have found to be able to plunge this in to a specified depth so no cut outs for worktops really. Quality of cut. With the supplied all singing and dancing blade it's not terrible but there is some breakout and chipping to melamine when not used with the track (or a fence) and this is clear on the waste side of the cut. S make sure the tack is on the good side of the cut. I am ordering a spare blade with a lot more teeth for when I need better cuts but for now the stock one is fine. CHECK. when supplied the saw may not have had the angles set properly. The little grub screws to set the angle for 90* and 45* were not quite spot on. I went to YouTube to find ways to check this without a protractor.... it can be done provided you have a square to check it against. It's not hard to adjust but do take a bit of time on this before you start any actual job cutting. I've seen some criticism of the bag for carrying this about. Well it's sturdy enough and shouldn't fall apart this year. Or the next. One issue. It's a bit small. If I'm using a power tool over and over I most often leave the last bit or disk in it whether this is screwdrivers or grinders or even occasionally drills. With the blade in the tool this saw will not fit in the bag. Got to keep taking the blade off and when packing it away swing the guard up out of the way to the soleplate sits flat against the floor of the bag. Then it will close over. I daresay it's very good practice to always remove the cutting bit/blade/disk from a tool when storing and if you are fabulous enough to do this then you won't even see this as an issue. As soon as you have resolved to work this way then the issue disappears. Overall? A budget option but I'm no cabinet maker so it does the job for me. Do I recommend? Yes. For what it is, it does the job.