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. 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 CLS timber at 0° was cut incredibly clean, but what really wowed me was how it performed in the English oak. I expected good things, but this cordless saw left a finish to rival the corded Makita saw. It was superbly tidy with fine edges that you could slap some wax on, and call finished! 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.

Dust collection via the optional vac port with a vacuum extractor is very efficient where you have access to mains power for the extractor. 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. Makita's brushless and cordless circular saw offers an impressive line-up of useful features. Makita DHS680A brushless electronic motor runs more efficiently than brushed types. This can help reduce the tool's energy consumption. The DHS680 boasts a no load speed of 5000rpm compared to the DSS611 and DSS610 in the range that sit at 3700rpm. 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 Makita s brushless motor enhances operational performance as well as battery longevity. This enables a Makita 3Ah battery to give users as much work as some competitor s 4Ah products. 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.

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. 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.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. 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. 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. 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. 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 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. 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 Automatic Speed Control: Automatically changes the cutting speed according to load condition for optimum operation. The Ergonomic soft grip and overall compact & lightweight design gives the user full control and comfort One thing that is completely new to me is the inclusion of the strong foldaway bent steel hook on the body. I didn’t use it at all because I am mostly based at ground level. At first I viewed the hook with some skepticism, but after I tried it in various set ups I realized that it could be useful for some trades, especially those working at height in a loft conversion for example. If it really got in the way it is possible to remove it, so no harm done. Or get a Makita model without the hook.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 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. And seeing as the motor is on the right, you can use a roofing square or other set square to chop a parallel crosscut in no time at all. If you’re ganging up work, it saves a noticeable amount of time. 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 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 The saw actually feels a bit too light when you’re making 45° bevel cuts. Doing them freehand takes a bit more practice as it doesn’t sit quite as firmly as the heavier saws I’ve tested out. This is where having a saw guide really helps. You’re also quite limited for depth as the blade only drops down to 41 mm at 45°. 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.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. 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