Corded vs cordless circular saw
Updated: 21 October 2026
You are looking at an £89 corded DeWalt and a £95 cordless DeWalt and treating them as the same saw with the lead removed. They are not. A corded vs cordless circular saw choice is whether the socket is in the room, whether the stated depth clears the timber, and whether a battery is already on the shelf. On 20 October 2026, corded prices run from £36.99 to £116.00. The three 18 V saws are bare, at £76.95, £95.00 and £211.99. The [circular saw comparison](/hub/power-saws/circular-saw) holds the rows. Products Compared may earn a commission if you buy through an amazon.co.uk link, at no extra cost to you.
You are looking at an £89 corded DeWalt and a £95 cordless DeWalt and treating them as the same saw with the lead removed. They are not.
You are looking at an £89 corded DeWalt and a £95 cordless DeWalt and treating them as the same saw with the lead removed. They are not. A corded vs cordless circular saw choice is whether the socket is in the room, whether the stated depth clears the timber, and whether a battery is already on the shelf. On 20 October 2026, corded prices run from £36.99 to £116.00. The three 18 V saws are bare, at £76.95, £95.00 and £211.99. The circular saw comparison holds the rows. Products Compared may earn a commission if you buy through an amazon.co.uk link, at no extra cost to you.
Our top picks
| Badge | Product | Supply | Depth at 90° | Weight | Note | Price | Offer |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Best overall |  DEWALT DeWalt DCS391 165 mm | 18 V bare | 55 mm | 2.9 kg | 8.6 | about £95.00 | View offer |
 Evolution Power Tools Evolution R185CCSX with track | 1,600 W corded | 64 mm | 5.1 kg | 8.8 | about £116.00 | View offer | |
| Best value |  GALAX PRO GALAX PRO 1,400 W 185 mm | 1,400 W corded | 62 mm | 4.06 kg | 7.0 | about £38.99 | View offer |
On this page
The prices are not the same kind of price
A corded saw in this capture cuts when you plug it in, if the plug is a UK 13 A plug. The DWE5615-GB is £89.00 for a 1,500 W body that states 68 mm at 90°. The Evolution is £116.00 with a 1,020 mm track. The GALAX PRO at £38.99 and the BLACK+DECKER at £43.00 need no second box. The Ryobi at £76.95, the DCS391 at £95.00 and the DCS572N at £211.99 are bodies, with no battery and no charger. Other UK pages put roughly £80 to £150 of packs on a bare body. That is their range, not a quote here. A £76.95 Ryobi is not cheaper than a £43 corded saw until you own ONE+ or you have priced the pack. Diameter and plug sit on the circular saw buying guide.
Depth and sustained cut
Cordless in this set is not one depth. The Ryobi states 45 mm at 90° and 32 mm at 45°. The DCS391 states 55 mm. The corded DWE5615 states 68 mm, and the Evolution states 64 mm, or 59 mm on its track. The DCS572N’s Amazon row states no depth. DeWalt’s UK page states 58 mm at 90° and 54 mm on their rail. A 47 mm stud clears the DCS391 and does not clear the Ryobi. A line that cordless matches 1,200–1,400 W is someone else’s judgement, not a measurement on these ASINs. A UK buyer of the DWE5615 describes thick oak on the mains after a cordless saw had drained two batteries. No listing here prints minutes. DeWalt claims up to 20 linear metres of 50 mm softwood on one 5.0 Ah pack for the DCS572 kit. That is their claim for that kit, not a runtime for a 2 Ah pack, the Ryobi, or the DCS391.
When the battery platform decides it
If the packs are already Ryobi ONE+, the R18CSP-0 fits them, at 3.13 kg, with a 10 mm bore and a 45 mm limit. If the packs are DeWalt XR and the cut is within 55 mm, the DCS391 is the light bare saw at 2.9 kg. A UK review says that body is not track compatible. If you also own a DeWalt rail, the DCS572N is the brushless body reviewers put on that rail, at £211.99. A Festool or Makita rail is not the rail DeWalt describes. Electrical Safety First wants the lead out of the blade path. A lead in front of a 1,200 W to 1,600 W shoe is not a tape repair mid-rip. Cordless removes that loop and adds a pack that can die halfway along a sheet. Starting a new battery system to avoid a lead, when every cut is beside a socket, is the expensive way to buy a saw that still needs charging. Who each saw is for is on best circular saw UK.
Which to buy in this set
Buy corded when the socket is there and the cut is long or deep. That is the DWE5615 when you need the stated 68 mm and you accept 23 reviews and 5.66 kg, or the Evolution when a 1,020 mm three-piece rail is enough. The GALAX PRO at £38.99 is the best value corded saw on this scoring, for timber the wood blade may cut. Buy the DCS391 when XR packs exist, 55 mm is enough, and you do not need a rail. Buy the Ryobi when ONE+ exists and 45 mm is enough. Buy the DCS572N when XR packs and a DeWalt rail are already there. Do not buy a £77 bare saw as if it were cheaper than a £43 corded saw, and do not apply the 20 metre claim to every battery. On the DCS572N the listing prints both 3.6 kg and 5.15 kg. Do not average them. The sheet still has to be guided, which is the circular saw for plywood page.
Common questions
Is cordless as strong as a mains circular saw?
Not as a blanket rule, and not on these listings. A UK review of the corded DWE5615 describes thick oak after two cordless batteries had already failed to finish the cut. A DCS572N review says the mains sibling still cuts with less effort. Cordless is enough when the depth is stated, the pack is a large one, and the piece is within that depth. It is the weaker plan for a long rip in thick hardwood beside a socket.
What does “bare” add to the price?
A battery and a charger, which are not in the £76.95, £95.00 or £211.99. If you already own the matching ONE+ or XR packs, the add is zero on the day and you still replace packs later. If you own none, budget a pack before you call the bare tool cheaper than a corded saw in the £40 to £90 band.
Will a 150 mm cordless saw cut what a 190 mm corded saw cuts?
No. The Ryobi states 45 mm. The DWE5615 states 68 mm. A 47 mm stud face is inside the corded figure and outside the Ryobi figure. Sheet of 18 mm is inside both, and the limit on the sheet is the guide, not the watts. Bevel cuts shrink both numbers. The Ryobi states 32 mm at 45°.
How long does a battery last?
These amazon.co.uk listings do not print minutes. DeWalt claims up to 20 linear metres of 50 mm softwood on one 5.0 Ah pack for the DCS572 kit, on their own kit page. That is a manufacturer claim for that pack size, not a result for a 2 Ah pack and not a figure for the Ryobi or the DCS391. Reviewers of the DCS572N describe 2 Ah packs running out and suggest 5 Ah or PowerStack packs.
I already own Ryobi or DeWalt packs. Does that change the answer?
Yes. ONE+ points you at the R18CSP-0 if 45 mm is enough. XR packs point you at the DCS391 if 55 mm is enough and you do not need a rail, or at the DCS572N if you also have a DeWalt rail and the budget. Owning the packs does not change the depth, and it does not make a Festool rail fit the DeWalt shoe.
Is the cable a safety problem as well as a nuisance?
Yes. The lead has to stay behind the cut and out of the blade path. A corded saw from 1,200 W to 1,600 W is a poor candidate for a taped flex. Cordless removes that hazard and replaces it with a pack that can die mid-cut. Manage the one that matches where you work.
Should I buy the £212 brushless saw instead of the £89 corded saw?
Only if you already have XR packs and a DeWalt rail, and you want that body. The £89 DWE5615 states 68 mm and needs a socket. The £211.99 DCS572N states no depth on Amazon. DeWalt states 58 mm, and one review still prefers the mains saw for effort. Without the packs, the brushless price is not a replacement for the corded saw.
Related pages
Sources
Public UK sources and the amazon.co.uk listings compared on this page. Listings captured 20 October 2026.
- HSE: Wood dust (retrieved 20 October 2026)
- HSE WIS23: Wood dust, controlling the risks (retrieved 20 October 2026)
- Control of Noise at Work Regulations 2005, regulation 4 (retrieved 20 October 2026)
- GOV.UK: Product marking, UKCA and CE (retrieved 20 October 2026)
- BSI: BS EN 62841-2-5:2014 hand-held circular saws (retrieved 20 October 2026)
- Evolution UK: R185CCSX circular saw with track (retrieved 20 October 2026)
- Which?: Dangerous items on online marketplaces (retrieved 20 October 2026)