Makita DHS680 18V Brushless Circular Saw with 2 x 6.0Ah Batteries & Charger

Product Information

I then moved on to something quite literally a bit harder. Some dry English oak I milled up a couple of years ago. I made several of the same 0° cross cuts to test the saw This and motor a bit more. If I was going to buy a cordless saw for working away from the national grid or up a ladder, this would be it.

One of my favourite safety features of this circular saw is also one of the simplest. It solves the age old problem: what to do with your saw when you’re up a ladder and need both hands. It’s basically a bit of bent metal called a rafter hook. All you do is fold out the rafter hook when you need somewhere to hang your saw, and you’re free to concentrate on the task at hand. The 5,000 rpm speed ensures efficient and smooth cuts and the blade brake is a handy addition too. A 24 tooth TCT thin kerf blade fitted as standard reduces cutting friction to a minimum and gives maximum battery life.Another handy new feature is the battery state indicator which uses 3 LED lights to illuminate the amount of battery charge you have left so you'll never be caught without power just when you need it

The DHS680 boasts a no load speed of 5000rpm compared to the DSS611 and DSS610 in the range that sit at 3700rpm. To make a decent side by side comparison of all the circular saws I’ve tested out, I started with the simplest test and then worked up to something a bit more challenging.You could happily use this saw for fine or second fix work. Thanks to the light weight and accurate cutting guide, I was able to follow pencil marks without any problems at all. At first, I was disappointed that the guide was made of plastic. However, unless you’re using this saw for really heavy work or you drop it off a ladder, it should last for years. Having a brushless motor is another key feature that increases power and performance. These sealed motors are impervious to dust, use less power and generate less heat, so all the extra energy goes into improved performance. This is a win-win for end users and also one of the reasons why the new generations of cordless tools are so much better than previous ones. The handles are as comfortable as to be expected from Makita. I’ve always liked that they print the material type on the parts. I know for a fact that the lovely grip shape and feel comes from thermoplastic elastomer, a mixture of plastic and rubber that is ideal for these sorts of parts. Wow! It’s probably thanks to the fantastic Efficut blade and the tiny 1.4 mm kerf that means this saw leaves the most wonderfully clean cuts I’ve ever seen from a circular saw. So long as you let the blade over run the timber slightly, the finish is superb with just the tiniest tufts of wood fibre left on the end of the timber. Makita's brushless and cordless circular saw offers an impressive line-up of useful features. Makita DHS680

Equipped with a built-in computer chip, the automatic speed control feature of the saw determines the most efficient wood cutting speed. The speed increases or descreases based upon the load while optimising energy usage. This brushless 18 V circular saw is also kitted out with 3 LED lights to indicate remaining battery life. 18V Lithium Battery To make things easier if you’re working in low light conditions, the saw comes with a pair of bright LED lights. They switch on when you’ve pressed in the safety switch and lightly touch the trigger. It’s handy that you can switch the lights on without running the saw blade, it should make lining up cuts a bit easier. There are a few more plastic elements on this saw than you might expect from a Makita tool. It’s not heavy duty compared with the Makita HS7061J, but Makita have compromised on rugged durability to keep the weight right down. It’s metal where it counts though- the blade cover is aluminium, a much more durable choice than the plastic chosen by Ryobi. Automatic Speed Control: Automatically changes the cutting speed according to load condition for optimum operation.Dust collection via the optional vac port with a vacuum extractor is very efficient where you have access to mains power for the extractor. The Ergonomic soft grip and overall compact & lightweight design gives the user full control and comfort The DHS680 is Makita's first brushless circular saw, which becomes one of the latest member of Makita's impressive line up of 18v Lithium-ion cordless tools. Boasting a brand new brushless motor and some new in-built features, the DHS680 looks set to become one of the most popular cordless circular saws on the market. Comes supplied body only in a MAKPAC type 3 carry case with inlay.

One more impressive new feature is the ' Automatic Speed Control' found on this saw. This feature allows the computer chip built into the saw to determine the most efficient cutting speed for the job that you're doing! It speeds up or reduces the speed of the saw making sure that it only uses the right amount of energy when required - making sure you get the most out of your saw, blade and battery Another benefit of the brushless motor is that, because there are no moving/touching parts in the motor there is nothing wearing away at anything else and getting damaged. Your motor is actually going to be kept in far better condition than before Then it was on to something that not all the saw blades I have are designed for. Rip cuts along the grain of the wood are much harder, so I made use of the saw guide to see if it kept things straight. You can also get hold of a guide rail adapter, meaning you can upgrade this to a rail saw quite easily. If you’re planning on making lots of straight cuts, a rail is an incredibly useful tool. It will transform this handheld saw into a precision cutting instrument that’s especially good at cutting big sheet materials. This Makita also boasts an automatic speed function that regulates the blade speed according to load and the little blower aimed at the kerf near the built-in LED light helps clear the cut line. Another couple of nice touches.Makitas new Brushless Motors give up to twice the run time of a conventional motor with brushes and an upbeatable 22 minute charge with the DC18RC charger. With deep discharge a weak spot of lithium ion, the provision of a “fuel gauge” in the form of a series of lights on the body under the main handle helps the user to monitor the best time to change batteries. When one bar is blinking at you it’s time for a charge. The 18 V battery has enough power to deal with the precise cuts of up to 57 mm at zero degrees. Simply keep the blade straight in the cut without applying any pressure or force on the tool. The high 5,000 rpm speed delivers extremely smooth cuts without friction. Efficient Sawdust Collection The first task was the most common one. Cross cutting through nice and dry CLS timber. In this case it was 37 mm deep and 135 mm wide. The first cuts were straight across at 0° bevel, then the same at 45°.