Makita DHS660Z 18V Li-Ion LXT Brushless 165mm Circular Saw - Batteries and Charger Not Included

Product Information

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.

The other handy little feature that this saw has is a dust blower. Essentially, it’s a small open port on the front of the blade cover that makes sure dust doesn’t stay on your cut line. I’m always a fan of these little elements that make the job just that little bit more convenient.

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The brushless motor delivers an impressive runtime compared to other cordless saws. The Automatic torque drive technology (ADT) within the machine automatically gives optimal rpm to torque ratio to produce the fastest cut in light or hard applications, meaning you are working as efficiently as possible. The combination of the blower function and twin LED job light means you always have the best possible visibility of the cut line even in low light environments.

The plastic cut guide at the front of the saw is easy to read and has an accurate feel. You simply line up the straight edge of the little notch, and that’s your cut line. It’s much more intuitive compared with some of the competition. It takes out the guesswork of where the blade will precisely hit the timber.

Optional accessories

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. 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 Indication lamp for ADT: High torque = green light on, High speed = lights out, Overload alert = blinks green The Makita DHS660Z is a 165mm / 6-1/2 Inch Cordless Circular Saw powered by 18V Li-Ion batteries. It has a brushless motor with soft start delivering up to 5000 rpm. Equipped with an Electric Brake for safety and a LED Joblight to illuminate the cutting area in poor lighting conditions. Comes with a B-62979 25 Tooth 165mm TCT Saw Blade. The machine is sold as a Body Only without battery or charger in a cardboard box. Features: If I was going to buy a cordless saw for working away from the national grid or up a ladder, this would be it.

The compact and ergonomic design adds maneuverability and control whilst reducing fatigue to the operator. 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. 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. Automatic Torque Drive Technology: Automatically changes the cutting speed according to load condition for optimum operationThe Makita DHS660 Brushless Circular Saw has a indication lamp for Automatic Torque Drive Technology (ADT). If high torque a green is light on, high speed the lights out and overload alert the light blinks green. Featuring a new compact and lightweight design with a side mounted battery means the DHS660 has a lower centre of gravity giving you more control.The ergonomic design also gives the user more comfort for longer time of use. 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°.

Highly efficient brushless motor, that has several benefits over the non brushed equivalent. Firstly, because their are no brushes within the motor, none of the battery power is wasted on creating the heat and friction that happens when using brushes, so consequently the battery lasts longer (per charge) and the energy created by the battery is far more efficient, allowing your tool to achieve higher capacities, so this saw will be able to cut longer, faster and into tougher materials 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 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 MAKITA DHS680Z FEATURES 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.A brushless electronic motor runs more efficiently than brushed types. This can help reduce the tool's energy consumption. 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. 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.