Does what it was designed to do. Light to hold/ use due to small battery and very handy for small jobs. Larger jobs you will need a larger circular saw suitable for application.This one comes as a bare unit ( no battery or charger). You will have to purchase these separately or as a kit.As stated before at times its a handy tool to have at hand for those little jobs rather than run extension leads and lumbering saws around. Remember this is only a 12v battery not 18v and not mains powered . So don't expect the same power availability.

I deliberated for some time whether i could justify having another cordless circular saw, and whether such a small tool would be up to the job. Purchased with a 4Ah battery it’s been a great investment,so agile to used single handed. I have used for refitting s bathroom, as a plunge saw for cutting access hatches in 22mm chipboard , ripping down 18mm plywood with ease. Great tool , excellent battery life.

Amazing little machine

Bought this a while ago to add to the 10.8V drill set. Cannot recommend this enough, it is a very useful little machine and use it daily. The blade is 1mm, very sharp and cuts easily through 25mm MDF and thinner MDF, also cross cuts through timber up to 25mm on a 90 deg straight cut. Used with a roofers sq it proves to be quick to cut with great accuracy. Lightweight and comfy to handle, easy trigger action. Only 'negatives would be - kick back - if you're not careful and not paying attention, it will kick back and ruin the workpiece, not really the tools fault, other problem is getting spares, it doesn't come with a guide fence, but have re=purposed one from another rip saw. All in all it's perfect for what we use it for

Can't fault it

I bought this item as I have the CXT drill and impact driver set and was impressed with their quality, and with this also being in the CXT range it made sense so they could all share their batteries.I bought this to trim off some excess from the end of the 18mm loft boards i installed in the garage for storage and it was effortless. The saw is perfectly capable of the job it was purchased to do, just a shame i wasnt.I have always had "retail" aimed tools (B+D etc) before, but with each new tool I buy, the more i wish i had bought better quality tools in the past!

Does one thing, does it well.

Bought it a few months ago. Used it to cut through 18mm plywood yesterday. It had no problem cutting through this. Better still, cutting ply' is known for leaving a ragged edge, this cut through leaving a very straight smooth edge. The 2Ah battery cut through nearly 4 Metres before running out of charge. Not having the bulk and weight of a full sized circular saw made it easier to manage.

First appearance

Ok this may not be fair as I haven’t got battery for it so I haven’t fired it up yet so may update laterBut appearances/ QualityFor the price tad high I’ve been a makita person man and boy. I have always recommended there products to others I’m disappointed with quality of this iit feels cheap it says plastic Guard so no surprise but why? No measurements on the depth gauge!Not what I would normally expect from matikaI was told You can get a five year Guarantee if you register it on line . I ve never used that before as I’ve always had faith that it will last distance but With this tool I will register it if it doesn’t last

Great bit of kit.

Spot on, just what I needed to cut up some P5 floorboards, great quality, doesn’t come with the guide but no bother, only criticism is the depth adjustment has no measurement scale on it.However, sturdy box, 2 batteries. Jobs a good’un.

Makita HS301DZ 10.8v / 12v MAX CXT Slide 85mm Circular Saw Body Only

I bought this saw to help cut solid oak stair cladding as my standard circular saw was too big. I couldn't have been more pleased. It's a great little saw with good power for its size. Ideal for smaller, more intricate jobs. It had no problem cutting through 14mm solid oak. Battery life isn't as good as the standard makita 18v batteries, but then they are half the size.

Useful powertool

Bought the Makita HS301DWAE before starting some woodwork projects that involved cutting plywood and thin timber at an angle. The saw is light and easy to use, and performs really well (both cutting at an angle and in vertical position). Overall I'm very pleased with it. Just one minor criticism - pity Makita couldn't have included a guide rule in the package. It would have saved me the hassle of sourcing one as an optional accessory.

Very Handy

Used for kitchen fitting. Providing that you use it sensibly, this performs and copes very well with sheet material up to 18mm. By that I mean if you simply plough through a sheet in one cut then you'll get off-square edges. Suffice it to say that, you'll also knacker the batteries.The blade is wonderfully thin and will readily bend if you bully it. It is well balanced and pretty robust but is definitely more of a DIY that Trade tool.