Metabo corded vs cordless circular saw
Updated: 21 October 2026
You are stood between a Metabo KS 55 FS at £147.99 and a KS 18 LTX 57 BL at £159.95 that looks like the same saw without the lead. The cordless sticker is only cheaper to live with if a CAS 18 V pack is already on the shelf. This is the corded FS saws against the cordless CAS bodies in our amazon.co.uk set, captured on 20 October 2026. The [Metabo circular saw comparison](/hub/power-saws/metabo-circular-saw) lists every retained ASIN. Peter F. did not run a runtime trial. A qualifying purchase can earn a commission at no extra cost to you.
You are stood between a Metabo KS 55 FS at £147.99 and a KS 18 LTX 57 BL at £159.95 that looks like the same saw without the lead.
You are stood between a Metabo KS 55 FS at £147.99 and a KS 18 LTX 57 BL at £159.95 that looks like the same saw without the lead. The cordless sticker is only cheaper to live with if a CAS 18 V pack is already on the shelf. This is the corded FS saws against the cordless CAS bodies in our amazon.co.uk set, captured on 20 October 2026. The Metabo circular saw comparison lists every retained ASIN. Peter F. did not run a runtime trial. A qualifying purchase can earn a commission at no extra cost to you.
Our top picks
| Badge | Product | Supply | Depth at 90° | Reviews | Note | Price | Offer |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Best overall |  Metabo KS 18 LTX 57 BL bare | 18 V CAS, body only | 57 mm, 52 mm on rail | 5.0 from 4 | 7.2 | about £159.95 | View offer |
 Metabo KS 55 FS corded | Mains, 1,200 W | 55 mm, 50 mm on rail | 4.7 from 227 | 8.6 | about £147.99 | View offer | |
| Best value |  Metabo KS 55 FS + FS 160 | Mains, rail in the title | 55 mm class | 4.6 from 158 | 8.4 | about £274.69 | View offer |
On this page
Shelf price against the price that cuts
The bare KS 55 FS, ASIN B00B0W6POM, is £147.99: 1,200 W, about 4 kg, and our top pick when a socket is there and you will sort the rail yourself. The £274.69 set is the best value when an FS 160 and a case are in the same carton. The £613.79 KS 85 set is 2,000 W and 8.4 kg, with a KFS 44 and no star line. All three expect a BS 1363 plug. A Spanish title does not make them cordless. The KS 18, ASIN B0CW188HLM, is £159.95 body-only. The KT 18 is £359.00 body-only. A rule of thumb, not a priced basket: add two packs and a charger before you compare those stickers with £147.99. The buying guide keeps the wider trade-offs. The guide rail page splits FS 160 from KFS 44.
Depth: 55 mm corded against 57 mm cordless
Metabo states 55 mm at 90° and 50 mm on a rail for the KS 55, and 57 mm and 52 mm for the KS 18. The gap on a rail is about 2 mm. An 18 mm carcass does not notice it. Choose the KS 18 for the missing lead and a pack you own, not for section size. Metabo quotes about 2.7 kg without a pack; amazon lists 3.7 kg, against about 4 kg for the KS 55. A 5.5 Ah pack removes the weight advantage. The KS 85 has no depth in the capture, so it stays out of this comparison. Review files are 4.7 from 227, 4.6 from 158, and 5.0 from four.
Packs, the plunge saw, and minutes nobody printed
No listing states runtime in minutes. KT reviews call a 5.5 Ah pack workable and a 2 Ah pack too weak. The KT is £359.00 before that pack and a rail, at 3.9 from 33, with warped-base reports and a bullet of up to 66 mm. It is the cordless tool for the middle of a panel, and a bad swap for a KS if every cut starts at an edge. Plunge does not transfer to the KS 18. With no packs, the corded KS 55 at £147.99 or the FS 160 set at £274.69 finishes on one mains lead. The best-of page assigns each ASIN a job.
Noise, dust and when the mains saw is the clearer choice
Both are hand-held saws under BS EN 62841-2-5:2014. The KS 18 sheet is about 94 dB(A). The KS 55 has a vacuum connector and the KT a dust bag. HSE limits of 3 mg/m³ hardwood and 5 mg/m³ softwood bind employers; MDF at home still wants a vacuum. Mains is the clearer choice with a socket, no CAS packs, and an edge start within 50 mm on a rail: the bare KS 55, or the FS 160 set if the rail is in today’s order. Nothing cordless here is a 2,000 W saw with a KFS 44 in the box. Cordless fits when the packs are already paid for and you accept four reviews on the KS 18 or the warp risk on the KT. Confirm the UK plug. Faulty goods sit under the Consumer Rights Act 2015.
Common questions
Is it cheaper to stay corded?
Yes, if you do not already own CAS 18 V packs. The bare KS 55 FS is £147.99 with a plug and no battery line. The KS 18 is £159.95 before at least one pack and a charger, and a second pack is the realistic way to keep working. The FS 160 set at £274.69 can still be the better corded spend if you would otherwise buy a rail separately. Cordless wins on money only when the packs are sunk cost.
What if I own no Metabo or CAS batteries?
Budget them before you buy the KS 18 or the KT, or buy a corded KS instead. CAS packs are shared across partner brands, which helps only if those tools are already yours. A drill’s small pack is what KT reviewers called too weak at 2 Ah, against comments that a 5.5 Ah pack worked. We do not have a minute rating. The corded KS 55 does not ask this question.
KS 18 or KT 18 if I want cordless?
The KS 18 LTX 57 BL at £159.95 is the hand saw: 57 mm at 90° on Metabo’s UK sheet, edge starts, four reviews, body-only. The KT 18 LTX 66 BL at £359.00 is the plunge saw: up to 66 mm in the bullets, 3.9 from 33, warp reports, also body-only. Pick the KT only for plunge and undercut. Pick the KS 18 if you want a cordless version of the KS job. Neither includes a rail.
Can the corded KS 55 match the KS 18’s 57 mm?
Not on Metabo’s published figures. The KS 55 FS is 55 mm at 90° and 50 mm on a rail. The KS 18 is 57 mm and 52 mm. The gap is about 2 mm. For sheet and carcass work it will not decide the purchase. The KS 85 depth is not in our amazon capture.
When is mains the safer practical choice?
When a sound BS 1363 supply is there, you have no pack to go flat mid-cut, and you are not ready to inspect a KT shoe or fund batteries. A cordless saw is not unsafe because it is cordless, and a mains saw is not safe because it has a lead: guards, support and depth still decide the cut. Mains removes the empty-pack failure, which is the failure these listings leave unquantified.
Related pages
Sources
Public sources from the research digest, then the amazon.co.uk listings compared on this page. Listings captured 20 October 2026.
- Metabo UK: KS 18 LTX 57 BL (retrieved 20 October 2026)
- Metabo: KS 55 FS (600955000) (retrieved 20 October 2026)
- Metabo UK cordless range catalogue 2025 (retrieved 20 October 2026)
- Metabo: KFS 44 guide rail (retrieved 20 October 2026)
- HSE: Wood dust (retrieved 20 October 2026)
- GOV.UK: Product marking, UKCA and CE (retrieved 20 October 2026)
- BSI: BS EN 62841-2-5:2014 (retrieved 20 October 2026)
- amazon.co.uk listings for the five retained Metabo ASINs (retrieved 20 October 2026)