BLACK+DECKER 20V 5-1/2" Cordless Circular Saw, Bare Tool Only (BDCCS20B)

This saw gets the job done for most household projects—it's lightweight, cordless, and easy to control. Blade changes are super simple, and the battery life is decent, though I wish it came with a second battery.

I own a couple of the B&D 20v tools, so I decided to add this to my inventory. Overall, it's a good little saw.I used this for a couple small projects, including cutting a 1 1/2 thick worksurface in half to make a small 2 level workbench. The saw struggled if I pushed it to fast, but it cut through the material cleanly and quickly. I've also had to cut down a few 2x2 posts for newly planted trees, again - it got the job done. The portability of the saw makes it very versatile for completing these quick one-off tasks. The design of the saw (handles, weight, and operation) are very comfortable. It's not overly heavy but still feels solid.Battery life is what you'd expect for a high-draw application like this. I have not yet run the battery down while using it, keeping in mind that I'm using this saw for smaller, quick finish projects.I like the functionality that the saw provides with the ability to adjust the cut depth and angle, along with not having to work around a cord. This saw will not replace the traditional electric saw for heavy workloads, but it will definitely keep your projects moving forward. If you don't already have one, buy an extra battery or two. The standard 1.5AH battery drains pretty quickly.

I bought the less expensive one. The one without the battery and charger. It also came without the a blade which the description says was included. So first thing I need to do was install a blade. Luckily I had ordered a spare when I ordered the saw. Installing the blade was awkward at best. I've been changing all types of saw blades for 50+ years so I'm not new at it. It has a blade lock, very nice, works well. The shoe plate adjusts up and down for depth of cut, very nice and expected. It comes with an onboard Allen wrench to loosen or tighten the blade bolt, very nice and convienant. The difficult part is sliding the blade up onto the spindle. after rotating the blade guard up all the way, I still had to actually force the blade up into place onto the spindle. The blade has to slide through the shoe plate and under the guard until it slides up far enough the center hole will fit ove the spindle shaft. This is normal, however on this saw you have to slightly flex the blade to get it under the blade guard and then actually force it the rest of the way up until the center hole drops onto the spindle. Take caution doing this, saw blade teeth can be very sharp and will cut flesh. I put the blade on several times. Rotating the blade guard and moving the shoe plate in all positions without finding an ideal postion to make the blade slide on easily. After finally getting the blade installed I went to work testing the rest and it all worked well. I cut multiple pieces and types of wood from 2 x 4's to plywood and white oak. Both ripping and crosscutting. If you are cutting large sheets of plywood or MDF, support them with 2 x 4's or sheet foam so they don't bind as you go through the cut. If you have to stop part way through the cut, back the saw up slightly before restarting it. That will keep it from binding on start up. This is normal procedure for any saw, corded or battery powered. Corded saws will also bind when jammed into a piece of wood before starting the blade up. The saw has other nice features such as a hight gauge etched on the blade guard so you can set the depth of cut to the approximate depth needed. I recommend setting the blade to just below the thickness of the piece your cutting. Especially when cutting sheet goods resting on 2 x 4's or even foam. Supporting both sides of the cut is very important to keep the cut from binding or splinttering as the cutoff side starts to sag or falls from gravity. This is the first circular saw I've had with the blade on the left and it does make it easier to watch the cut line although I usually opt for using a guide for cuts over a few inches, so using a guide with the blade on the left will take some getting used to for me. I like to rough cut my sheet goods into more managable size pieces with a circular saw before final cutting to size on the table saw or band saw. I haven't used it enough yet to comment on battery life but I have several 4 amp hour batteries so change out is not a problem and I suspect I will be able to slice up a sheet of ply without having to do so. All in all I like the saw, except for the blade changes.

Well what can I say it is a B&D product and whether anyone likes to admit it or not, they still make pretty darn good tools after all these years, I realize most will say this is not for a major heavy duty job site in construction, and maybe that is true, BUT for the handy man job around your home or doing small maintenance projects or to have to carry in truck for small jobs you cannot go wrong with this circular saw plus it can use your 20 volt batteries from your outdoor lawn and garden cordless tools, a money saver on the extra batteries and chargers.It works wonderfully and is very accurate in its cuts, it is small blade or 5.5 inches but hey it gets the job done on many projects for the handy man. I highly recommend it, easy to use, lightweight and very durable with great clean cuts.

OK, disclaimer -- this is the first circular saw I've owned -- but it far exceeded my expectations, both in performance and quality! I've borrowed and used other saws, so not a complete neophyte. This saw is light, maneuverable, and makes accurate, clean cuts. The standard blades has held up well cutting a variety of treated lumber (2x4, 2x6, 2x8, 4x4, 1x5, and more) over the course of building a 10x14' deck, resurfacing a 3x20' walkway, and building a 6' bench. The adjustable depth and angled bevel features came in handy multiple times. And the best surprise was the battery life -- a 2 AH battery lasted all day for me! Recharge it overnight and it's ready to go the next morning.I initially bought this B&D circular saw because I had a weed eater of the same brand that used the same 20V battery, but given my experience, I'd buy it on its own merits! I now own a B&D cordless drill as well as this saw and the previously mentioned weed whacker and have been more than pleased with the performance of all three!I'm not a professional and don't use these tools on an everyday basis, but if you're a weekend projects person, I highly recommend the B&D 20V line of tools. From my research, these are about half the price of Makita, Dewalt, Craftsman, Ryobi, and the like.