A circular saw is a tool that helps make strong and precise cuts into different types of materials such as wood, metal, and plastic. They have a sharp blade that moves at variable speeds to cut through materials. They come in several sizes with different rotation speeds for blades and varying power consumption. Ultimately, you can determine how many watts a circular saw uses by its size and utility.
Circular saws are relatively easy to use, maintain and carry around. The portability of a circular saw qualifies it for various uses. A circular saw can slice wood (cut wood with the grain to create width) and crosscut (cut wood across the grain to create length). It makes straight, clean, and deep cuts without creating any fuss or damaging the material.
A circular saw offers exceptional assistance around the house. It helps you cut easy and straight cuts in no time. However, the saw’s performance for a particular task depends on that saw’s features. The type and speed of the blade and how much electricity it consumes make a big difference.
The energy consumption of a circular saw is measured in starting wattage and running wattage. Starting wattage means the power the saw needs to get the motor and blade to start running while running wattage is the watts required to keep it running. A strong saw needs 2400 watts and 1200 watts as the starting and running wattages.
Nonetheless, the primary power consumption depends on the size of the motor and blade in the saw. However, several other factors determine how many watts a circular saw consumes.
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Factors Affecting the Power Consumption of a Circular Saw
Having a circular saw around the house is invaluable if you are into DIY woodwork. You can use a circular saw to work around household items or professional carpentry.
However, a circular saw is an electrical appliance that needs a high power supply to work smoothly without interruptions. The power consumption of a circular saw is labeled after considering certain working factors, and those factors are:
Type of blade
There are different types of blades a circular saw uses. Crosscuts, rip cuts, and combination blades are the various blades in a circular saw. Crosscuts blades have more than 40 teeth, rip cut blade has less than 40 teeth, while a combination blade does the job of both crosscut and rip cut.
The type of blade in the circular saw determines the power watt it will consume. Generally speaking, the more the teeth, the finer the cut with more power consumption.
Size of blade
The size and diameter of the blade greatly affect the power rating of the saw. The smaller the blade, the less electricity it will consume. For a 6″ blade, energy consumption is less, around 900 watts. However, a typical blade size of 7-7.5″ is good enough for average usage around the house. Although, this blade will consume around a thousand watts.
RPM
Speed of the blade or revolution per minute is the main determining factor of the power consumption in a circular saw. It determines the efficiency of the blade and affects the saw’s performance. A circular saw has an RPM in the range of 1725-3450 RPM, but there are blades with 4000-5000 RPM for the new upcoming technology.
The higher the RPM, the more the power consumption.
Condition of the blade
The condition of the circular saw determines its performance and electricity consumption. If the blade in the saw is old and worn out, it can be slow and consume more electricity. For an inefficient blade, you will keep the saw running longer. This process will cost you more electricity while doing lesser work.
How Many Watts Does a Circular Saw Use?
Circular saws are great power tools to use at home or in the shop. These handy blades can cut through nearly anything. However, it is essential to have a fast and efficient saw that helps you cut quickly and perfectly.
The more efficient the saw the fewer watts it will consume. It is relatively inexpensive to use a circular saw. Energy consumption in an average household in the USA is around 11,000 kWh (kilowatt-hour). Hence, if the use of a circular saw around your house is minimal, it will not impact your electricity bill as much. Just make sure your saw blade is in prime condition, so it works faster.
Since a circular saw needs more energy to start, it’s better to keep it running rather than repeatedly switching it on and off. The energy consumption in terms of different types of circular saws is explained below:
Small circular saw
A small circular saw with a typical 6-7″ blade size consumes the least energy. Needing only 900 watts to keep the blade spinning, it is handy for household use. However, the saw will not be able to tackle heavy-duty tasks.
Nevertheless, it might not be wise to buy a light performance circular saw to save some power. A small circular saw is adequate for doing light woodwork around the house and won’t cut through hard metal.
Heavy-duty circular saw
It is challenging to cut planks, beams, and thick wood boards with a smaller circular saw. For professional woodwork and metal shaping, people require saws with higher RPM. Not only are these saws more robust, but they also consume more electricity.
While 1200 watts is the standard running electricity consumption, heavy-duty circular saws may consume 1800-2000 watts or even more. This power consumption depends on the difficulty levels of cuts they have to make.
Features to Consider Before Buying a Circular Saw
Although power consumption is an important issue to consider, there are other factors to keep in mind before buying a circular saw. The market is full of various manufacturers that have a variety of products. However, you should identify your requirements and factors that make your purchase good value. Some features are a must-have in a circular saw, no matter the required usage.
Let us look into features that you need to look for in a circular saw.
Design
There are different manufacturing styles of a circular saw. The two primary types of design are sidewinders and worm drive. The handle of a sidewinder is higher than the blade. It makes up for a left-hand-sided saw with the placement of the blade on the right to the handle.
On the other hand, the worm drive saw has a handle behind the blade and to the left of the saw handle. This type of saw assists right-handed people better. A sidewinder is lighter and less expensive than a worm drive. However, worm drives are better suited for heavy-duty work.
Corded or Cordless
You can buy a circular saw with or without a cord. The cordless circular saw uses batteries instead of a direct plug into the power source. Subsequently, some people might prefer a cordless saw due to its mobility and ease. Moreover, your work won’t suffer if there’s a power outage or a lack of a plug-in switch. Alternatively, some prefer a saw with a cord due to its direct connection and no need for charging or battery replacement.
Power Consumption
Power consumption becomes an essential factor when buying a circular saw. A circular saw, on average, consumes 1200 watts. You can also find a saw with lower and higher energy consumption, ranging between 900 and 1800 watts.
Additional Features
With all the new technological advances, there are significant additional features available in circular saws. These other features can include a power break, a lock to change blades easily, a design with built-in lights, and so on. You have to pay a premium to get these additional features, though.
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Conclusion
A circular saw is a great and efficient tool that comes in handy with small and heavy-duty woodwork and other tasks. These power tools can make deep and clean cuts without ruining the quality of the material. Moreover, fast blades make cutting through thick materials easy.
A circular saw is a potent cutting tool that requires a good power connection. Although cordless circular saws are available on the market, a circular saw with a cord will give you continuous use without running out of battery.
A circular saw requires an uninterrupted power connection. Since its blade runs when charged up from the motor. Moreover, it requires high power when starting up.
However, you can find circular saws with lower or high energy consumption. Nonetheless, 1200 watts is the standard energy consumption for a circular saw. We hope this article has helped you understand how circular saws work and how much power they consume. They’re great power tools, and we hope we helped with your purchase decision.