Most circular saws offer the ability to set the cutting depth and the angle of a bevel by adjusting the saw’s angle relative to its baseplate guide. The depth of a cut will vary according to the angle – most saws will be able to cut more deeply when positioned at 90 degrees to the material, while angled cuts won’t be quite as deep. It’ll cut to a depth of 66mm (46mm at a 45 degree angle), and can easily be adjusted by sliding a lever to tilt the footplate, but there’s no guide, so you’ll have to make your own measurements. The bevel is better – it can be adjusted by loosening or tightening two screws, and there’s a guide to ensure accuracy. The saw comes with a parallel guide, an allen key (which stores in the saw’s handle) and, impressively, a tough, plastic carrying case.

If you’re working in a confined space, a mini circular saw can be indispensable and Einhell’s TC-CS is a great example. At just 2kg, it’s light and, with a handle roughly the same size as a grinder, it’s easy to hold.This will depend on what you’re planning to cut and how you’ll be using the circular saw. Larger blades will cut more deeply, but they can also be unwieldy. Not all blades will fit on all saws, but you can swap between blades depending on what you’re cutting.

Key specs – Weight: 2.16kg (excluding battery); Blade diameter: 150mm; Cutting depth at 90 degrees: 45mm; Cutting depth at 45 degrees: 32mm; No-load speed: 4,700rpm The best circular saws operate at the fastest speeds, measured in revolutions per minute (rpm). And the faster a circular sawblade can spin, the more control you’ll have over the cut and the cleaner it will be. You’ll generally find a correlation between the blade speed and the power rating of the tool, where bigger is almost always better. Key specs – Weight: 3.37kg; Blade diameter: 85mm; Cutting depth at 90 degrees: 23mm; Cutting depth at 45 degrees: NA; No-load speed: 6,000rpm Key specs – Weight: 3.8kg; Blade diameter: 190mm; Cutting depth at 90 degrees: 66mm; Cutting depth at 45 degrees: 46mm; No-load speed: 5,200rpmThe big decision you’ll have to make is whether to go corded or cordless. Corded circular saws will never suffer from a flat battery, and a consistent 240V power supply delivers the kind of oomph that more powerful saws need. On the flip side, cordless saws offer ultimate portability, away from a conventional power source, and you won’t have to worry about slicing through a cable, especially if you’re working in a confined space. With the blade to the right of the handle, it’s a little easier for right-handers, but, thanks to the well-positioned two-way release switch, left-handers will have little problem using it.