Bosch CS20 15 Amp 7-1/4-Inch Circular Saw with Direct Connect

I recently purchased a house, and not being a person who has the money to hire someone else to do it for me, I've become my own handyman. Not to mention I was interested in building stuff for my house and garage, as well.

I've never owned a circular saw before. I had never even used one. I went into this completely new to it. I did extensive research prior to purchasing.

My research quickly narrowed it down to three saws - the Bosch CS20, the Milwaukee 6394-21, and Porter-Cable 325MAG. From everything I've read, these are all excellent choices and each have their benefits. The Porter-Cable had the quik-blade change system (no tools required) and adjustable dust port. The Milwaukee had the Quik-lok cord and tilt-lok handle. The Bosch has the quick-disconnect cord and rafter hook (so you can hang your saw from a rafter or something while working). To me, the best way to decide from here was to go to a store and handle all the saws.

After handling the saws, I found that I liked the Bosch best overall and here's why: it wasn't too heavy and felt well balanced. The depth and angle adjustments were EXTREMELY easy to use. I could change them with one hand. On the Porter-Cable, I had to sit it down or support it against my body to change them. Not very ergonomic if you ask me. And finally, the Milwaukee wouldn't even adjust; the handle was so tight, neither me or my friend could loosen it. I also felt that the Bosch had the best line of sight out of all of them. Also, there were detents on the angle adjustment AND the Bosch goes to 56 degrees. And finally, the features - I've read that the tilt-lok on the Milwaukee isn't that great. A friend of mine that owns this model agreed; he set it once and rarely messes with it. The Porter-Cable's features weren't all that important to me. The tool-less blade change would be great but didn't make up for the angle and depth adjustment controls. With the Bosch, the rafter-hook wasn't that big of a deal to me but the quick disconnect was. If I accidentally cut through my cord on the Bosch, all I have to do is go to Wal-Mart and pick up another extension cord and I'm back in business. The Milwaukee has a detachable cord but it's only sold by them meaning you'd still have to order it from them and probably pay an arm and a leg.

So I settled upon the Bosch and ordered it when I got back my tax return. I haven't used it very much yet but so far, it has been an excellent saw. It's without mention that it goes through 2x4s like a hot knife through butter. But I was also impressed with the way it handled 2x6s. The line of sight was also excellent. The saw is easy to handle and doesn't sound to be all that loud. The blade guard is smooth and easy to operate by hand. The trigger also has a nice tactile feedback. The saw as a whole is very easy to control.

To me, this saw is a 5-star in every way. I wish it had a quick blade change feature like the Porter-Cable but it's a minor complaint. Also, the saw, in my opinion, looks as good as it works.

I've always been drawn to Bosch products and this reminds me why - this saw is high quality for the price, looks good and works great. Everything I love about Bosch. And it's made in the good old U.S.A. Can't beat that.

To me, this is the best saw in this price range. Before anyone buys it, though, I recommend you go to your local home improvement store and handle the various circular saws and see which works best for you.

this saw is without a doubt one of the best on the market. i work on a framing crew and use this saw everyday. the bosch cs20 has lasted a full year now without any problems. we have tried other ones and they just can't beat the bosch. with the 56 degree bevel it makes cutting rafters a breeze. and the rafter hook really comes in handle. the power of this saw is incredible.

to answer some of the other reviewers complaints...

with the speed square hitting the motor housing of the saw. try flipping it over. i thought the same thing, that i wouldn't be able to use the speed square. but alas. just turn it the other way and it works fine.

and now to the direct connect. anyone who complains about this feature obviousely does NOT use a saw that often. this is the greatest feature to ever be placed on a saw. you no longer have to tie the ends of your cords together. and with that means no more cord snags from getting caught on things. with the cord now gone, putting the tools away goes much faster. roll the extension cord up and your all done. no 5 foot cord to have to wrap around the saw.

as for the bag that the saw comes in. i believe this also to be a better feature b/c those plastic cases that normally come with tools seem to crack and break somehow, some way. this bag is lasting the test of time so far.

also, to those who are wondering about a rip fence for this saw. amazon.com carries it. just look up Bosch model# WD7RIP

i don't think i'll be buying any other brands for a circular saw anytime soon. as long as the bosch cs20 is on the market, this is my saw. A+ to Bosch for thinking up this great tool

This is my second circular saw in 3 months. I originally bought a Craftsman 14 amp and was dissatisfied with the claimed amount of power. I had a medium sized fence project which called for about 300' of pressure treated wood that required a 3/4"x3/4" rabbet cut lenthwise on 2"x4"x8'. While cutting, the Craftsman constantly bogged down. This produced some jagged cuts with an edge guide when it happened. I thought it was the generic blade that it came with so I went out and bought a Makita M force blade for it. It did better, but still bogged down so much that a kickback wasn't even in order. So it was returned and I went after the Bosch CS20. I took it home and paired it up with the Makita blade and it cut the remainder of the 200 feet of PT stuff like butter. Not a single bog to cause a crooked cut while using an edge guide. The wet treated stuff ejected out like shavings instead of splintering like the Craftsman did. The blade speed and power had quite a bit to do with that. I love the direct connect feature that Bosch has on some of their tools. The positive detent stops for depth are an excellent feature also. I have one gripe about this saw though and its the composite base. While it does work well for dry wood, there is a noticable amount of drag on pressure treated stuff ( other saws that I've used that have a standard aluminum or stamped steel base plates are noticably more drag resistant on wet lumber).

This saw does lack an edge guide though and that was no surprise because Bosch makes most items an accessory when other manufacturers include them as standard equip. But I'll let you guys in on a secret. The Porter Cable edge guide fits (can't remeber which model, but it's about 5/8" wide at the slot) and then find a 10-32 threaded bolt with a knob on top and use the tension springs that come with PC quide kit. If you want to get the guide really close to the blade, then shave off the little button on the top of the guide. You'll know what I'm talking about when you see the it. Oh and use a washer where the tension spring comes in contact with the composite base to keep the spring from tearing up the threads. It came out to less than 10 bucks. :)

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