Milwaukee 2630-22 M18 6.5″ Circular Saw Review

Manufacturer:
Model: 2630-22
Price: $349
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Having a cordless circular saw is like having the keys to your
parents’ sports car and a full tank of gas when you’re 16… You can do just about anything… within reason. With the Milwaukee
M18 Cordless 6.5″ Circular Saw, you get the same excitable feeling – plus it’s
even got that sporty red color. This was also the first 6-1/2″ cordless circular saw
we had tested that was based on a lithium-ion 18V platform – and it both worked well and lasted a long time.

The trigger mechanism requires that you push downward on the trigger
lock with your thumb. As far as safety systems go, this one is pretty
easy to use and intuitive. In fact, we tended to keep it down during cuts rather than let it go once we started. This is a much better system than
others we’ve seen where you must press in sideways in a very
unnatural manner.

The circular saw gets up to speed quickly and we noticed a couple of
stand-out features right away. The shoe is made out of 1/8″ thick
aluminum and is deeply etched so that the embedded ruler markings will remain
easy to read, even when they become powdered with sawdust. The
site lines were spot-on and there was even a secondary line for lining
up 45 degree bevel cuts. The top and bottom blade guards are made of
Magnesium, making the tool a tad lighter than it would normally be; and
we found the depth adjustment level to be extremely easy to use (bevel
was more difficult, but that didn’t present any real problems). We measured the rotational
speed as 3220 rpm (about 92% of the rated spec) and noise output was an
amazingly quiet 81 dB at 3 feet away. Don’t worry, when you cut into
wood we’re still going to recommend hearing protection as it will jump, on average,
over 15-20 dB as soon as the blade makes contact with the work material.

Using the tool was a comfortable experience and we especially liked
how easy it was to swap out blades. Milwaukee included a hex wrench which
stores neatly (and securely, I might add) in the front handle and makes
it simple to remove and change the blade. Not having to hunt down
a wrench, and the presence of a spindle lock button, eases this process considerably. The 5/8″ arbor means that this tool can accept blades
from an almost endless number of third parties in addition to Milwaukee
blades.

One of our tests included using it on a 2×4 test piece of old growth “heart” pine. Primarily, we were just curious as to just how long it would
last. After 35 cuts through this rather dense hardwood, the battery
still registered 3 bars (out of 4) – and we quickly realized the tool
was going to outlast our patience.

If it can make that many cuts through even this tough wood, then
it’s perfectly suited to go the distance on your typical framing, flooring, or project
application. The saw was also excellent at failing to bind up, even
when we took off the Swanson Speed Square and allowed the tool to twist
a bit during cuts. Using the tool on a piece of 3/4-inch plywood, we
found that it sliced through the wood like butter and the near
full-sized blade made this type of work almost enjoyable. For those
remote jobs, this can really save a lot of hassle when moving from
place to place within a jobsite. Forget cords, the Milwaukee M18
cordless circular saw really is that perfect ratio of power-to-weight
that gives it pro-level performance in a very portable package. For this reason, we gave it a Performance rating of 8/10. In terms of Value, the M18 2630-22 Circular Saw has a lot of stiff competition, but as it is still an above-average product we gave it a 7/10 rating. We definitely recommend any serious contractor check out this tool.

Specs

• Speed: 3,500 RPM
• Arbor: 5/8″
• Max Depth: 2-1/8″ (90-degrees); 1-5/8″ (45-degrees)
• Shoe: Aircraft aluminum
• Blade: 6-1/2″ 24T carbide tipped
• Weight: 8lb 5oz (with battery)