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Fuel, or brushed milwaukee m18 circ saw?


mike_dave

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well I'll be torqued....lol, either way the fuel circular saw I have works just as good as any corded circular saw I ever used. Then again I never had to own anything high end for a circular saw.....I'm not ripping 3/4" plywood stacked 4 deep all day. it cuts and it cuts well I'm happy....

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I went with the 7 1/4" Fuel and I have to say it was worth the extra $$$ up front.  It cuts through anything that I can throw at it without bogging down.  The extra run time from the brushless motor really helped out a lot when I took it to my father's house last year and forgot my battery charger.  I had enough juice with two battery packs to run the circular saw, an impact driver and hammer drill (all fuel) to build and install a new set of steps outside of his kitchen, including cutting all of the PT, drilling Tapcons into the slab and putting everything together.

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I went with the 7 1/4" Fuel and I have to say it was worth the extra $$$ up front.  It cuts through anything that I can throw at it without bogging down.  The extra run time from the brushless motor really helped out a lot when I took it to my father's house last year and forgot my battery charger.  I had enough juice with two battery packs to run the circular saw, an impact driver and hammer drill (all fuel) to build and install a new set of steps outside of his kitchen, including cutting all of the PT, drilling Tapcons into the slab and putting everything together.

Just wait until the 12.0ah batteries come out!

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To me, the FUEL is the only one that really feels like the same power as a corded model. And if you're going to go for the FUEL, go 7 1/4 over 6 because price is either the same or sometimes on sale will be cheaper and is much more common to find blades for. I have the FUEL 7 1/4 and am not a contractor, just use for basic home use and it's fantastic. The light doesn't seemed to be placed in the right spot, but it helps some. I'm guessing that's probably the same on all their models. I don't think I've ever regreted spending a bit extra for a better tool, but have often regreted getting a cheap tool.

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30 minutes ago, Daniel Julian said:

To me, the FUEL is the only one that really feels like the same power as a corded model. And if you're going to go for the FUEL, go 7 1/4 over 6 because price is either the same or sometimes on sale will be cheaper and is much more common to find blades for. I have the FUEL 7 1/4 and am not a contractor, just use for basic home use and it's fantastic. The light doesn't seemed to be placed in the right spot, but it helps some. I'm guessing that's probably the same on all their models. I don't think I've ever regreted spending a bit extra for a better tool, but have often regreted getting a cheap tool.

You can get killer deals on 7 1/4 inch blades not so much on the 6 1/2.

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Well the fuel 6 1/2 is a beast and realistically you will be cutting 2by material most of the time which it does with ease so the extra money for the 7 1/4 and the fact the the blade is on the right side is a pain if your right handed and use to using a worm drive.The fact the you can get blades cheaper for 7 1/4 is a small factor but the compact size of the 6 1/2 makes it even out.Also if you are already building a milwaukee too line then i would say go with the 2730-22 cause then you get the charger and the two 4.0s and you can buy it for around 369.99 definately worth every penny.

 

M18 fuel 6 1/2 with a diablo blade and 4.0 will always be pleased especially if you in a roof or remote location.

just my 0.02
 

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1 minute ago, cwebby said:

Well the fuel 6 1/2 is a beast and realistically you will be cutting 2by material most of the time which it does with ease so the extra money for the 7 1/4 and the fact the the blade is on the right side is a pain if your right handed and use to using a worm drive.The fact the you can get blades cheaper for 7 1/4 is a small factor but the compact size of the 6 1/2 makes it even out.Also if you are already building a milwaukee too line then i would say go with the 2730-22 cause then you get the charger and the two 4.0s and you can buy it for around 369.99 definately worth every penny.

 

M18 fuel 6 1/2 with a diablo blade and 4.0 will always be pleased especially if you in a roof or remote location.

just my 0.02
 

I agree, the lighter smaller saw that probably does 90% of what the larger saw does is a good trade off. I like the blade on the left and I love the lighter weight......

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6 hours ago, DR99 said:

You can get killer deals on 7 1/4 inch blades not so much on the 6 1/2.

true but the blades on the wrong side for me, so the 6-1/2" will be the one

 

blade price isn't a factor for me either. if the blade was on the left side on the 7-1/4 id maybe consider it but I will not buy that saw for the reason that the blades the wrong way. I'm leaning toward the fuel.. I already have a 4 piece kit, 3 3.0ah batteries, and a 1.5ah for my flash light. I have a couple other compacts but those stay with another cheaper m18 drill driver kit for home projects.

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Ok for someone who only ever cuts 2x or deck boards plus plywood how would you rate the M12 fuel 5 3/8" vs the M18 fuel 6 1/2"? The M12 claims to cut 2x lumber and I have both lines with multiple batteries for both. Sorry to hijack the topic...

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3 hours ago, Dano123 said:

Ok for someone who only ever cuts 2x or deck boards plus plywood how would you rate the M12 fuel 5 3/8" vs the M18 fuel 6 1/2"? The M12 claims to cut 2x lumber and I have both lines with multiple batteries for both. Sorry to hijack the topic...

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If your doing a deck I think you would be better with the 18v.

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I use deck boards for the patio chairs and tables I build and my bar and counter top in my outdoor kitchen. I can use corded if I needed too plus I use my miter for 99% of my crosscuts and my table saw for any rip cuts. Milwaukee advertises that saw make 170 or so cuts per charge, I was curious if that is legit. I would only need a few cuts here and there and it would be way cheaper for me to get the m12 vs m18

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I use deck boards for the patio chairs and tables I build and my bar and counter top in my outdoor kitchen. I can use corded if I needed too plus I use my miter for 99% of my crosscuts and my table saw for any rip cuts. Milwaukee advertises that saw make 170 or so cuts per charge, I was curious if that is legit. I would only need a few cuts here and there and it would be way cheaper for me to get the m12 vs m18

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Baretool m12 Fuel is 149... Baretool m18 Fuel 7 1/4" is 199... 50 bucks more you got a full sized saw

Or screw it but both!! Lol

Jimbo

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I don't really need the 7 1/4" if I need the depth of a full size I will use corded. Plus I like that the blade is on the left on the smaller saws. I saw IHL has the m12 for 159 cad, not sure on shipping to Ohio though?

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I don't really need the 7 1/4" if I need the depth of a full size I will use corded. Plus I like that the blade is on the left on the smaller saws. I saw IHL has the m12 for 159 cad, not sure on shipping to Ohio though?

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That being said, if the m12 is a joke I don't want to waste my money. I have used my m12 hackzall to cut a few boards that I didn't feel like getting my corded saw out. Normally I try to stick to the rule if a job would have worked smoother with a certain tool or if it requires a certain tool I buy one. Then I decide the quality needed. A few uses, check harbor freight, moderate/frequent use I look for better quality.

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Dano123, 

i tried the 7 1/4" fuel and I own the 6 1/2" fuel I like the blade on the left I like the lighter weight between the two and didn't notice enough cutting power difference ....I think the M18 6 1/4" fuel is the happy medium between the 3 of them. blade price is cheaper for the larger saw but how many blades are you really going to be buying. I waited until Home Depot had a more you buy the more you save deal and bought some blades, I think it turned out rather well to stock up on blades for everything table saw/miter saw and circular saw........walked out with a wack of diablo that day...lol

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6 hours ago, Dano123 said:

That being said, if the m12 is a joke I don't want to waste my money. I have used my m12 hackzall to cut a few boards that I didn't feel like getting my corded saw out. Normally I try to stick to the rule if a job would have worked smoother with a certain tool or if it requires a certain tool I buy one. Then I decide the quality needed. A few uses, check harbor freight, moderate/frequent use I look for better quality.

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If building a deck is your type of project, and you're the kind to drag out corded for more power, M12 will probably feel like a toy.  My impression is the M12 is meant for people who do lighter work so they don't need a cord or 18V just to get a circular saw.

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Kinda smart of Milwaukee to have the 7-1/4 and 6-1/2 have blades on the opposite sides. They're pretty close to each other in capacity so it gives you the choice of what you like. For me I just got used to the 7-1/4 and don't even think about it though...

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