Garden Last updated · owner ratings verified July 2026
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Side by side
| Our pick Makita Makita 5007Mg Magnesium 7-1/4 in. Better overall $150-190 Check price | Makita Makita XSH04ZB 18V LXT Sub-Compact 6-1/2 in. (Tool Only) Best cordless $120-160 Check price | Makita Makita SH02R1 12V max CXT 3-3/8 in. Kit Best for sheet goods $130-170 Check price | SKIL SKIL 5280-01 15 Amp 7-1/4 in. Corded Best value $60-80 Check price | SKIL SKIL CR540602 20V 6-1/2 in. Cordless Kit Cheapest cordless kit $100-140 Check price | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| What owners rate it | |||||
| Owner rating | 4.8 / 5 (2,190) | 4.7 / 5 (630) | 4.7 / 5 (1,546) | 4.7 / 5 (14,139) | 4.5 / 5 (1,279) |
| Specifications | |||||
| Motor | 15 amp corded, about 5,800 RPM | 18V LXT brushless, about 5,000 RPM | 12V max CXT, about 1,500 RPM | 15 amp corded, about 5,300 RPM | 20V brushed, about 4,300 RPM |
| Blade and depth | 7-1/4 in., left-blade sidewinder | 6-1/2 in., about 2-1/4 in. depth at 90 degrees | 3-3/8 in., about 1 in. depth at 90 degrees | 7-1/4 in., right-blade sidewinder | 6-1/2 in., about 2-1/8 in. depth at 90 degrees |
| Weight | About 10.6 lb | About 7.3 lb bare | About 3.3 lb with battery | About 6.95 lb — the lightest full-size saw here | About 6.6 lb bare |
| Shoe | Magnesium base and guards, heavy-gauge and stiff | Cast base | Small cast base | Stamped steel shoe | Stamped shoe |
| Electric brake | None on this model | Electric brake fitted | None | None | None |
| Warranty | 1-year limited | 3-year limited on LXT tools | 3-year limited on CXT tools | 1-year limited | 5-year tool, 3-year battery |
| Battery platform | Corded, alongside the very large 18V LXT cordless range | 18V LXT, the widest tool range in this comparison | 12V max CXT, a compact and specialized range | Corded only | PWR CORE 20, a small platform |
| Who it suits | |||||
| Best for | Framing and long cutting days where vibration and accuracy add up | Cordless cutting on an existing LXT battery, with a brake and low weight | Plywood, paneling and trim where a full-size saw is unwieldy | Weekend projects, decking and plywood on a budget | A first cordless saw where battery and charger must be included |
Ratings are aggregated Amazon owner ratings, not our own testing. Figures verified July 2026.
Pros and cons
Makita 5007Mg Magnesium 7-1/4 in.
- Magnesium base and guards are stiffer than stamped steel at lower weight, so the shoe stays true after knocks
- Runs noticeably smoother than budget saws, which shows up as straighter freehand cuts late in the day
- Two built-in LEDs light the cut line, which is genuinely useful in a joist bay or a dim basement
- Highest owner rating of any saw in this comparison, sustained over many years of the same design
- No electric brake on this model; the braked version is a separate part number
- Around 10.6 lbs, the heaviest saw here
- Costs roughly twice the SKIL corded saw for advantages a casual user rarely reaches
Makita XSH04ZB 18V LXT Sub-Compact 6-1/2 in. (Tool Only)
- Brushless motor and an electric brake, neither of which the SKIL cordless saw has
- Sub-compact body is genuinely light in the hand for overhead and ladder work
- 18V LXT is one of the deepest cordless tool ranges available, so a battery unlocks hundreds of tools
- Bare tool pricing is the cheap route in if you already own Makita packs
- No battery or charger in the box, so a first-time buyer pays considerably more than the sticker
- 6-1/2 in. blade will not clear a 4x4 in a single beveled pass
- Smallest review base of the Makita machines here
Makita SH02R1 12V max CXT 3-3/8 in. Kit
- Three and a bit pounds, so it can be used one-handed on a workbench without fatigue
- Ships as a complete kit with two batteries and a charger, unlike the bare-tool saws here
- Cuts sheet goods cleanly and is far easier to control on a narrow rip than a full-size saw
- Strong owner rating with the usual Makita build quality at a much smaller scale
- One inch of cut depth means it cannot cross-cut 2x lumber at all
- 12V max CXT is a smaller platform than 18V LXT, so it is a specialist purchase
- Blade size is uncommon, so replacements are a specialty order rather than a shelf item
SKIL 5280-01 15 Amp 7-1/4 in. Corded
- Largest owner-review base of any saw on this page, with a strong rating held over many years
- Under 7 lbs, which is nearly four pounds lighter than the Makita 5007Mg
- Full 15 amps and a full-size blade, so nothing is given up on depth of cut
- Costs about a third of the Makita, which pays for a lot of good blades
- Stamped steel shoe flexes and knocks out of square more readily than a magnesium base
- No electric brake, so the blade coasts for several seconds after each cut
- More vibration through the handle, which is fine for ten cuts and tiring for a hundred
- The single-beam laser is the marketing feature and most owners abandon it
SKIL CR540602 20V 6-1/2 in. Cordless Kit
- Battery and charger in the box, which neither Makita cordless option here offers
- Five-year tool warranty on PWR CORE 20, the longest coverage in this comparison
- Light and manageable for sheet goods, fencing and trim
- The lowest genuine entry cost to a cordless saw on this page
- Brushed motor and no brake, a clear step behind the brushless Makita
- 6-1/2 in. blade limits depth, so 4x4 material takes two passes
- PWR CORE 20 has far fewer tools to grow into than 18V LXT
- Smallest review base here, so the owner evidence is thin
Decision factors
What you actually pay
The corded pair is the clearest comparison on this page: the Makita 5007Mg costs roughly twice the SKIL 5280-01, and both are 15-amp, 7-1/4 inch sidewinders that cut identical depths. What the extra buys is metallurgy, not capability. Magnesium castings, tighter tolerances and a smoother motor are the whole price difference.
Cordless is where the sticker price misleads. Both Makita cordless saws on this page are worth having, but the XSH04ZB is a bare tool, so a buyer with no Makita batteries is committing to a battery and charger on top. The SKIL kit and the Makita SH02R1 kit both include everything, which makes them the honest like-for-like pair on cost.
Running costs are blades, and they matter more than the brand. A sharp 24-tooth framing blade in the SKIL will out-cut a dull 40-tooth blade in the Makita every time. Reckon on replacing a blade once or twice a year with regular use, and buying a second blade dedicated to fine work. This is the cheapest performance upgrade available for any saw here.
The hidden cost is the platform decision. Choosing a cordless saw is really choosing which batteries you will own for the next decade. Makita's 18V LXT range runs to hundreds of tools; SKIL's PWR CORE 20 is a fraction of that. If the saw is your first cordless tool, that decision is worth more than the saw itself. Our guide on corded vs cordless circular saws covers when cordless is worth the entry cost at all.
Which one fits you
- Cuts most days Makita 5007Mg Lower vibration and a magnesium base that stays square are what make a long day of cuts accurate rather than approximate.
- A few weekend projects a year SKIL 5280-01 Same amperage, same blade size, a third of the price, and the biggest owner-review base on this page.
- Already owns Makita 18V batteries Makita XSH04ZB Brushless and braked, light enough for overhead work, and the cheapest way to add a good cordless saw to an existing kit.
- Mostly cuts plywood and paneling Makita SH02R1 12V kit A 3-3/8 in. saw is far easier to control on sheet goods, and it arrives as a complete kit with batteries.
If neither is right
- DEWALT DWE575SB 7-1/4 in. Corded The obvious third option in this class: lighter than the Makita, fitted with an electric brake the 5007Mg lacks, bevels to 57 degrees and carries a three-year warranty. If a brake is a requirement and you do not want to hunt for the braked Makita variant, this is the saw.
- CRAFTSMAN CMES510 7-1/4 in. 15 Amp Corded Sits between the SKIL and the Makita on price and specification with a strong owner rating. Worth a look if the SKIL feels too basic but the Makita premium is hard to justify for occasional use.
- Milwaukee M18 6-1/2 in. Cordless Circular Saw Only relevant if you already own or intend to buy into M18. As a platform it rivals Makita's LXT for professional breadth, and the bare-tool price is competitive. Buying a single M18 tool without the batteries makes little sense.
Which should you actually buy?
Buy the SKIL 5280-01 if a circular saw is an occasional tool. It has the same amperage and blade size as saws costing three times as much, and its owner record is the strongest of anything here. Buy the Makita 5007Mg if you cut regularly and care about the cut being square at the end of the day as well as the start. This is a comfort and durability decision, not a power one.
Do these saws actually cut differently?
On a single cut through dry lumber, no. Both corded saws draw 15 amps, spin similar blade speeds and reach the same depth. Fit the same blade to each and the cut faces will look alike. Anyone who tells you a premium saw cuts cleaner is describing a blade difference, not a saw difference.
The gap opens under repetition and abuse. The Makita runs smoother, so a freehand line stays straight when your arm is tired; the SKIL buzzes more, and small deviations accumulate. The Makita's base survives being dropped; the SKIL's stamped shoe can end up a fraction out of square, which shows up on every subsequent cut until you reset it. Those are the honest differences, and their value scales exactly with usage.
Why vibration is the real premium
It is the specification nobody prints. A saw with a well-balanced armature and stiff castings transmits far less buzz into your hands, and after a few hours that is the difference between working accurately and working carelessly. It is also the reason experienced carpenters have brand loyalties that look irrational to someone comparing amp ratings.
Makita has built its reputation on this specifically, and the owner-review record for the 5007Mg reflects it: the recurring praise is about smoothness and balance rather than power. If you have never used a saw for more than an hour at a stretch, this will read as marketing. If you have, it is the whole argument.
What blade size really costs you
Three of the five saws here run smaller than 7-1/4 inches, and it matters more than the number suggests. A 6-1/2 inch blade cuts roughly 2-1/8 inches deep, which crosses a 2x4 square but not at a 45-degree bevel. A 3-3/8 inch blade cuts about an inch, which handles sheet goods and nothing structural.
So the question is not which saw is better but which cuts you make. If you cut framing lumber, you want a full-size blade and there is no substitute. If you break down plywood in a garage, a small saw is easier to control, lighter to hold and safer to use one-handed on a bench. Buying a 7-1/4 inch saw for sheet goods is the most common mismatch in this category. Our guide on how deep a circular saw cuts has the numbers by blade size.
Where each brand's range is strong and weak
Makita's strength is breadth and consistency. The corded saws are excellent, the 18V LXT platform is one of the widest available, and even the small 12V CXT line is properly engineered rather than an afterthought. Its weakness is pricing discipline: almost nothing Makita sells is cheap, and model variants like braked and non-braked versions of the same saw cause genuine confusion at checkout.
SKIL's strength is that it still sells a good, cheap, full-size corded saw, which is increasingly rare. The 5280-01 has outlasted a great many more fashionable tools. Its weakness is the cordless side, where PWR CORE 20 is a small platform with limited growth, offset by an unusually generous five-year tool warranty that deserves more credit than it gets.
What do owners actually complain about?
The patterns are different for each brand, and both are useful. The recurring Makita complaint on this page is not about performance at all: it is buyers who ordered the 5007Mg expecting an electric brake and discovered the braked saw is a separate model number. That is a purchasing trap rather than a product fault, and it is entirely avoidable if you check the part code before ordering.
The recurring SKIL complaint is the shoe. Owners describe cuts that drift out of square and trace it back to a stamped base that has been knocked, then find that resetting it precisely is fiddlier than it should be. The second theme is the laser, which people buy for and then stop using.
Neither pattern suggests a bad saw. They suggest two saws built to different budgets, failing in exactly the places you would predict from the materials. The useful takeaway is to check your shoe against a square when a cut goes wrong, before blaming the blade or the technique.
Does either handle dust and sightlines better?
Makita, marginally, and mostly through the LED lighting rather than dust extraction. Neither of these saws is a dust-collection tool in the way a track saw is; both blow chips clear of the cut line with an integrated air path and leave the rest on the floor. The Makita's twin LEDs are the practical difference, because most bad cuts happen when you cannot see the line, and a joist bay or a garage in winter is exactly that situation.
Blade orientation matters more than either. The Makita 5007Mg is a left-blade saw and the SKIL 5280-01 is a right-blade saw, which changes where the offcut falls and whether your sightline to the cut line is clear. Right-handed users generally see the line better on a left-blade saw. It is a personal preference rather than a quality difference, but it is worth knowing before you order, because it is the thing most likely to make an otherwise good saw feel wrong in your hands.
The call
Makita 5007Mg takes the overall pick on build: a magnesium base that stays true, the smoothest running of any saw here, and the highest owner rating in the comparison. The SKIL 5280-01 is the value pick and, for most people reading this, the more sensible purchase, because it delivers identical cutting capacity for a third of the money and leaves budget for the blades that actually determine cut quality.
Everything here is ranked from aggregated Amazon owner ratings and published expert consensus rather than first-hand trials, as set out in how we rank. For related head-to-heads, see DEWALT vs SKIL, Makita vs DEWALT and BOSCH vs Makita. The full field is in best circular saw, and best cordless circular saw if you have already ruled out a cord.