Bosch CCS180B 18V Blade Left Circular Saw

Did a lot of research since I needed some extra ‘toys’ during the Covid-19 and to keep me occupied 🙂
Was debating between DeWalt and Bosch. Went with Bosch because the price was pretty good and so were the reviews. After having the saw for a month, I did a few wooden projects such as building a saw horse and a couple of planters and the Bosch saw did very well. I never had a circular saw before so I ‘educated’ myself on YouTube how to use it so I wouldn’t cut my fingers off and it’s all good so far!
I like that blade is located on the left side (I am right handed), as I can easily follow the cut. Make sure you buy a rafter square too, as this will help with all your wood cuttings (2×4, 1×6, etc). I got my aluminum rafter square (7in blue) from Home Depot and it’s been an amazing help with all my cutting projects!
Ok, back to Bosch’s circular saw….
The saw is not too heavy; I did all the cuts with my right hand. Also, I used my 1.5ah batteries from my Bosch’s drill, which surprisingly lasted a decent time. I have also purchased 4ah battery from Lowe’s (since the price was really good) but so far I haven’t even used it yet..
All in all, I would definitely recommend the Bosch’s CCS180B circular saw for any DIY individuals.

I bought this so I could work away from an electrical power source or do quick cuts without the hassle of extension cords. I have a Bosch drill that I bought several years ago that came with two 2.6A batteries that still perform excellently. The first time I used it was to cut up a 4′ x 8′ sheet of 3/4″ ACX plywood into 5 pieces. I couldn’t have been more pleased with how quiet it was and how easily and cleanly it cut, even for an 18 tooth blade. My old Craftsman Construction corded saw will get plenty of rest now (except for the thicker stuff). I am very happy with Bosch so far (I also have a corded planer) and highly recommend this saw. My only con would be the inner blade guard is very close to the blade, making it difficult to remove and install the blade. Wear gloves so you can use some force doing it. Also, to remove the arbor bolt, there is a hex L-key provided that’s difficult to use with gloves on. Luckily the bolt head is also hex, so I use a 1/4″ drive handle with a 10mm socket instead, so that’s not really a big deal. I ordered a 4a battery and a couple more blades for versatility, so I should be good to go for a long while.

Es un dolor intentar meter la hoja, encerio, que tuve que ir a Youtube para averiguar cómo meterla porque está muy justo y tiene un arte que seguro para veteranos no es nada pero para mí, fue un dolor.

Corta rápido la madera, un triplay y esta cosa se ríe, como cortar mantequilla.

El problema son los cortes angulares, ya que solo tiene dos marcas, una para cuando está recta, y la otra con el máximo ángulo, así que aquí sería mucha prueba y error para agarrarle el truco a los cortes angulares.

Es cómoda. Es ligera. El escudo protege bien, el problema es la batería ya que el medidor de carga queda hacia el lado interno así que para saber cuánta energía queda hay que retirar la batería.

I got this saw about 90 minutes ago in via UPS. I have used a lot different circular saws over the past fifty years, this one rates pretty high. It won’t always replace a Skilsaw Model 77 or a decent sidewinder, but it will a lot of the time.

I do tenant repairs and rarely use a circular saw all day long.
* I replace rotten deck boards and fence boards quite often.
* Occasionally I need to repair dry rot around a toilet.
* Tenants like to punch holes in doors, so I replace quite a few doors.
* Sometimes I will build an 8′ section of fence.

What was important to me was that the saw be capable of ripping an 8′ 2×6. I tried it right away, it passed even with the included blade which has a very narrow kerf to blade plate ratio. The saw has all the power I need to rip 2″ stock. It was also important that the saw be able to cut the edge off of a 1-3/4″ door using a 1/4″ thick rip guide, this saw meets this requirement.

What did I like about the saw?
* The blade guard is not as flimsy as some reviewers claim, you have to jam on it to get it to touch the blade.
* The depth of cut gauge is good once you figure out that the settings are for the thickness of the wood you are cutting, not the actual depth of cut: the 2″ mark should be labeled 1-1/2″.
* I really like the location of the depth adjustment locking lever, best location I’ve ever used.
* If you center the bevel cut gauge mark on the center of the scale marks the saw is dead on.
* There is a stop on the bevel gauge at 90 degrees, it is dead on.
* The included hex wrench attached to the saw is a plus, though it could fit a little tighter.
* It has more than enough power to rip 1-1/2″ truck dried Doug Fir.
* It cuts deep enough to cut 3-1/2″ with one flip.
* I have rarely needed to cut 50 degrees, but it is a handy feature.
* A very important feature to me is the angle of the saw’s handle, you push the saw like you would on a Model 77.

What I don’t like:
I have small to medium hands, the “safety button” is hard to reach. I will probably disable it with a short screw.

Within the past two weeks I have purchased the Bosch 18 volt jig saw, Sawsall and now the I have the circular saw, all using the same batteries. Using corded tools I would sometime spend more time running a cord to the back fence or walking back and forth than I did actually cutting the boards. I often times find myself in a crawl space or an attic, or up on a roof; cordless is the way to go. There are a lot of good brands, I chose Bosch.

* It is light yet well constructed, it should last a long time.

Okay so it’s not a massive powerhouse wormdrive cut through re-bar saw. But, it is very accurate, controllable, light, and CORDLESS! I use it for fencing work where you might not want to have to hike back to your power source every time you need to make a cut. I’ve also used it for decks and other shed and storage container work. Mostly 2x and 1x material. It rips 3/4 ply like butter. It’s great. I prefer it to my corded skill saw mainly because it is far more controllable and accurate.
I took several posters’ advice and never even installed the included Bosch blade – I went straight to the Diablo blade, I’ve learned they are simply better. The saw has only bogged down twice. Once, the battery was dead, and the other time I managed to not notice that I was crimping the blade with the board. It behaves much better that other tools when you overstress it. For instance when it binds, the saw does not shoot out of the board threatening to remove a finger or take a chunk out of a knee cap, but slowly and controllably begins to bind before its clutch simply stops the blade from turning. If you’ve ever owned a BMW and taken it to it’s cornering limit you’ll recognize the experience; slow controllable, and easy to correct. Yes, it does have a clutch, and if you read the instructions you’ll find it’s adjustable depending on how many clicks you tighten the blade – in my opinion a very nice feature. I’ve found the saw is good for finish work, some cabinetry, but I think it really shines outside when you’re decking. You can cut 4x with two cuts simply because the saw is so accurate.
A couple of improvements: the safety switch is very hard to reach (I’m sure this is intentional) but it’s so far out of the way that you need to re-adjust your hand position once the saw has started, letting go to some extent of the grip while the saw is at full speed, which actually makes the saw less safe! And the depth lever is too easy to knock to the unlocked position and also not well placed ergonomically. Finally the blade guard is made of plastic, and since most of the time the saws weight rests on it, I would guess it is going to be prone to breaking, leaving a fairly dangerous situation.
The battery life is good, I mean it is a cordless circular saw! I use it in conjunction with a two pack of the drills that came with a high capacity and a slim battery. One nice touch, the saw works fine with either battery, unlike other brands, so in a pinch you can always throw the slim pack on whilst the other is charging, with two batteries and three tools I never have any downtime – maybe because I only have two hands! – and can work a 9-hour day with no problem. Overall a very nice tool to use and highly practical for many applications.