Milwaukee 2630-20 Circular Saw Review – Powertoolbuzz

Milwaukee 2630-20 Circular Saw Review

milwaukee circular saw

Milwaukee 2630-20 Bare-Tool 18-Volt 6-1/2-Inch Circular Saw (Tool Only, No Battery)

Don't Feel Like Reading ? Here's A Summary On The Milwaukee Circular Saw

milwaukee circular saw

Source: Milwaukee

The Milwaukee circular saw is very affordable for budget conscious woodworkers with an extra battery included with each new purchase. The combination of a trigger mechanism powered electronic blade and blade guard serves as a perfect safety measure. The heavy duty magnesium guards and an aircraft aluminum shoe provide comfort and stability to help meet the demands of professional carvers with this Milwaukee 2630-20 18V saw.

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Who doesn’t like a trusty ol’ circular saw; especially when it’s introduced by the hardy men n’ women of Milwaukee? Recently, I had the distinct pleasure of carving through a few planks with the all-new Bare-Tool Milwaukee 18 Volt Circular Saw. I can certainly say that you can rely on this Milwaukee circular saw to see your way through a sticky situation. However, this skillsaw wasn’t made for the faint of heart.

 Read on and find out why…

Milwaukee 2630-20 Bare-Tool 18-Volt 6-1/2-Inch Circular Saw

Milwaukee has upheld a long tradition of creating power tools since several decades ago. Back in 1924, Milwaukee Electric Tool Corp. started with the earliest versions of the modern circular saws. Woodcutters did not have the luxury of anything cordless or battery powered. Most of the times, it was all manual labor – and whatever little convenience those men could get by with, they’d use it to double their work output.

milwaukee circular saw

Source:Milwaukee

The model 2630-20 is a state of the art circular saw with a dandy 18V Li-on battery to brag about. If it weren’t for the lack of extra 2 volts as seen in the case of Dewalt DCS391B skilsaw, I could recommend this current unit to anyone out there, but let’s just leave it at that. Dewalt’s DCS391B comes with a 20V Li-Ion battery and it pretty much takes the lead over other circular saws in that department.

You see, 2 volts charge storage capacity in a battery means an extra 5 planks that you can cut through without having to plug the battery in a power outlet again. However, the Milwaukee D18 circular saw is not too shabby. It has its pros and cons, and seeing the price tag, the company has put it in line with some of the toughest competitors in the power tools market.

Fun Fact: The entire Milwaukee circular saws product lineup can be a good self-defense tool too. I am not giving you any weird ideas but come to think of it! The cordless feature is convenient enough to aid woodworkers, professionals and damsels in distress alike.

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What Does “Bare” Mean Exactly in Milwaukee Bare Tool Circular Saw?

A bare tool circular saw is any saw that does not come with a circular blade. A lot of people have no idea why companies do it, but when the Milwaukee 2630-20 skill saw was released, they clearly wanted to help customers with a wide range of compatible blades. Perhaps a newbie level woodworker won’t understand this theory, but professionals usually want to use an others company blades with their circular saw.

milwaukee saw

Know your circular saw before settling down with any model on impulse

The model 2630-20 is a state of the art circular saw with a dandy 18V Li-on battery to brag about. If it weren’t for the lack of extra 2 volts as seen in the case of Dewalt DCS391B skilsaw, I could recommend this current unit to anyone out there, but let’s just leave it at that. Dewalt’s DCS391B comes with a 20V Li-Ion battery and it pretty much takes the lead over other circular saws in that department.

You see, 2 volts charge storage capacity in a battery means an extra 5 planks that you can cut through without having to plug the battery in a power outlet again. However, the Milwaukee D18 saw is not too shabby. It has its pros and cons, and seeing the price tag, the company has put it in line with some of the toughest competitors in the power tools market.

Fun Fact: The entire Milwaukee circular saws product lineup can be a good self-defense tool too. I am not giving you any weird ideas but come to think of it! The cordless feature is convenient enough to aid woodworkers, professionals and damsels in distress alike.

Since the notion of replacing the entire base unit body seems cumbersome, Milwaukee Tools wanted to give the comfort and reassurance to their loyal fan base. You can use combo kits ranging from blades to batteries to meet tough cutting material demands. The 2630-20 Milwaukee circular saw is therefore suitable for not only woodworking, but also for plumbing, carpentry and electrical use purpose.

Bare-Tool Milwaukee 2630-20 D18 Circular Saw Key Features

Feature wise, I’d say that this saw is bit of a doozy. The simplest way to explain it would be an imaginary product with hundreds of features. While one man could be enjoying all these features with ease and comfort, someone with limited skills will have a hard time understanding how things work. Milwaukee introduced many of such features for a specific audience – i.e. experts and skilled circular saw operators.

If you are a newbie, this model is not recommended for you. Your learning curve will be longer than in case of other circular saws such as the Ryobi P506 One+ or the Makita XSS02Z 18V LXT Circular Saw. In addition, some of the enhancements will tend to slow you down half way through a project.

milwaukee cordless saws

Mondays can be a pain in the butt when you don’t have the right power tools at your work site!

Magnesium Guards: Light and tough, magnesium guards ensure extreme durability. What’s more appealing is the inclusion of an aircraft aluminum shoe at the bottom of the 2630-20 Bare-Tool Milwaukee circular saw. You can vigorously cut through any number of planks without paying extra attention to accuracy.

The aircraft shoe automatically guides a saw owner’s hand through straight line cuts – and that too without the support of any margins. However, since it is a bare tool saw, the result depends on your selection of additional tools. We call it the “kitting up” process; you need to know the exact type and thickness of the cutting material to purchase the right blade and additional accessories.

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50 Degree Bevel Cuts Anyone?

milwaukee 18v circular saw

Source:Milwaukee

By default, Bare-Tool Milwaukee 2630-20 D18 circular saw allows both 50 degree and 90 degree bevel cuts. However, I discovered that 45 - 50 degree cuts are easier to make. Things are slightly tough at a 90 degree angle, especially when you have to cut in a bottom to top motion.

The 8 Lbs. weight, plus the density of the material will pull you down. You need to be patient with these angles, but with practice, you’ll get there.

24 Tooth Carbide Blade: This one’s definitely a huge improvement over other models. Milwaukee’s initiative to add a 24 tooth blade as an add-on accessory is a wide and open option available in the market. You can purchase the blade to get by with maximum efficiency.

Balanced Tool: Just for test purposes, I took the liberty of setting this skill saw at an improper depth. Normally, other saws would choke on a 3/4” plywood at top speed, but this bad boy didn’t even budge. The blades whirred their way from one end to another as if it were a pair of scissors through a sheet of paper

milwaukee 2630-20

Bigger knob size and numbered scale for maximum precision!

It all comes down to the calculated calibration between the magnesium guards and the aircraft metal base. On top of that, Milwaukee Tools installed the circular blade on the left side, which made it very easy for me to see where the blade was actually positioned. I didn’t have to look over the saw to re-check my direction.

Electronic Brake: Bare-Tool Milwaukee 2630-20 can stop on a dime whenever it’s needed. In case of any emergency, you can take your fingers off the trigger to stop the blade from rotating. The addition of electronic brakes in circular saws is a much-needed feature that was only introduced after a reported number of accidents. As a result, current models of the latest circular saws such as the Bosch CSW41 come with a brake and extra semicircular guard that automatically covers the blade when not in use.

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Product Specifications Milwaukee 2630-20 Circular Saw

Milwaukee Saw Specifications

Milwaukee 2630-20

Blade Guard

Magnesium

2630-20 Battery Type

Lithium-ion

Milwaukee Blade Diameter

6-1/2 Inch

Milwaukee Saw Model

2630-20

Circular Saw Speed

5000 RPM

  Saw Length

13.5 inches

  Arbor Size

5/8 Inch.

  Maximum Bevel Capacity

50 Degrees

  Model 2630-20 Voltage

18 V

  Circular Saw Weight

6.8 lbs.

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What’s in the box

The following is included with the Milwaukee 2630-20 Circular Saw:

  • Milwaukee 2630-20 Circular Saw
  • check
    Manual

Milwaukee Circular Saw Pros:

  • Lightweight: At approx. 8 Lbs., Milwaukee D18 circular saw manages to maintain a lightweight profile.
  • Extra battery included with each brand new purchase of the circular saw.
  • Safety Factor: The combination of a trigger mechanism powered electronic blade and the blade guard serve as a perfect safety measure for saw owners. A lot of injuries can be prevented if other saw makers would start with the installation of a blade guard.
  • Highly Affordable: At just about $100, this circular saw increases affordability for budget conscious woodworkers.
  • Heavy duty magnesium guards and an aircraft aluminum shoe provide comfort and stability to help meet the demands of professional carvers.
  • Always On fuel gauge display for leftover battery charge indication.

Is There Anything Else I Need to Keep In Mind?

Of course you do. Bare-Tool Milwaukee 2630-20 D18 circular saw has a few chinks that need to be straightened out. For starters, the blade’s RPM is 3,500. It is way too low when compared to Dewalt and the Makita series handheld circular saws. If speed is your main concern, Milwaukee won’t be able to please you with the results.

I have listed down some minor level setbacks for your ready reference:

Cons:

  • No LED Indicator: There is no LED indicator or laser guided pointer on this saw to help determine the exact positioning of the blade.
  • 3500 RMP is not exactly the ideal speed for a rotary motor circular saw. Going a little higher would need additional battery juice or a direct power outlet connection, which is something that Milwaukee wasn’t able to incorporate properly.
  • Fir, Oak and Cedar wood planks offer an absolute hassle free cutting experience. However, any other wood type and thickness can be an issue.

These saws are a little complicated when it comes to material type and thickness. Therefore, please consult with a professional or go through the circular saw’s respective instructions manual for maximum benefits.

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Super Blades Need Super Care!

Perhaps one of the most serious concerns with toothed blades is the amount of care that goes into preserving them. Bare-Tool Milwaukee 2630-20 is no different than the rest of the products out there.

  • With great blades comes great responsibility! Keep it sheathed when not in use.
milwaukee circular saw

Source Milwaukee

  • Never overwork the saw or the blade. If you feel that the blade is not cutting through a plank, pull it out immediately. Sometimes people work their saws through all kinds of panels, which bends the blade tips, hence causing a misdirection in angled cutting.
  • It is not rust free. Some people have claimed that they worked their “whatever” model of Milwaukee circular saw through a night of intense downpour in an open field. And if that’s not impressive enough, the saw blade never got even the tiniest smidge of rust on it. I think we’ve had enough of those fake misguiding reviews already. You should keep your power tools covered and properly oiled to keep the gears in motion.

To Buy or Not to Buy Bare-Tool Milwaukee 2630-20 18-Volt 6-1/2-Inch Circular Saw?

There is a learning curve associated with this particular model of Milwaukee circular saw. If you are expecting a plug and play sort of saw, then this unit is not for you. In layman terms, you’re going to need to master plunge cut techniques for plywood planks; bevel cuts on Cedar boards are slightly difficult at 90 degree angle, and the blade needs manual retraction.

In conclusion, this circular saw is for avid users who have prior experience with worm saws and other similar products. It could be a resourceful power tool in the right hands, but if you are a newbie level user, you’re going to have to consider other alternatives. Good luck and happy cutting!

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Still not sure if the Milwaukee circular saw is right for you? You got 2 options available to you on our website. Read our review and compare the best circular saws or read our complete in depth circular saw tool guide. Hope these can help you make your decision on which saw you should buy.

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