If you feel you need extra help with keeping your cuts precise, circular saw guides are extremely useful. This type of product is crucial to every handyperson’s toolbox. Whether you are a DIY enthusiast, woodworker, or hobbyist, you will need a circular saw guide that does what it claims to and lasts for long too. Our reviews will help you find out the best one available for the best price!
At a Glance: Our Top Picks for Circular Saw Guides
- OUR TOP PICK: Kreg Rip-Cut Circular Saw Guide
- RUNNER-UP: E. Emerson Tool Co. C50
- BEST BUDGET OPTION: Milescraft 14000713
Comparison of the Best Circular Saw Guides
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What is a Circular Saw Rip Guide?
A circular saw guide is a handy tool for making straight, curvilinear, accurate, and repeatable cuts. If you are using a circular saw rip guide for the first time, it won’t be an easy task. You will need to have the technical knowledge and will have to practice a lot to handle it accurately. Usually, circular saws guides have a short lifespan, but a good branded circular saw rip guide will last longer.
On the other hand, they are a useful tool for cutting. Moreover, they can cut large fragments of lumber, plastic, metals, concrete, or other materials like tiles. They are compact and easy to move from one task to the next.
What is a Circular Saw Guide Used For?
If you are working on an expensive woodwork project, the last thing you would want is missing accurate, straight, and precise cuts. This can lead to embarrassment and waste a lot of your money! A circular saw guide is every professional craftsmen’s possession. It is helpful for the following reasons:
Precise Cuts
A guide is not a mandatory tool, but if you don’t want to take the risk of messing up with a project, this is for you. It makes the cleanest cuts and helps save time and energy when you need extra help to make perfect cuts from different angles. It ensures sawing is more safe, precise, and efficient.
Milescraft 14000713
Prevent Damage to the Workpiece
With a circular guide, you can prevent damage to your workpiece from scratches. Its anti-splinter features help prevent splinter while you are working on a project. Moreover, the adhesion strip feature provides a tight grip to your workpiece.
How Do I Choose a Cw Guide?
A circular saw rip guide is a helpful tool for a circular saw user when there is no way to monitor if the cuts are precise or not. It helps in reducing the accuracy of mistakes. Here are some essential features to consider before choosing the right option.
Compatibility
It is important to note that some circular saw guides are not universally compatible with circular saws. Some are only compatible with specific models. So buy a guide that is either universally compatible or one that supports the circular saw you have. They are inexpensive, so buy the one that goes along with the saw that you have. If you are considering buying a universally compatible guide, the best is a rip cut circular guide as it works with most circular saws.
Stability
You expect the guide rail to stay at its place when you want to make your cuts accurate. The design of the guide should help decide which circular saw provides great stability. Some guides come with foam rubber on the bottom, so the rail won’t move. The best one comes with stability and easy design to follow, making the experience of sawing enjoyable.
Length
The choice of the guide is dependent on the type of task you want to do. The length specifies how many cuts the saw will be able to apply in an adjustment. One that is at least 50 inches or above in length is the best for the right purchase.
Review of the Best Circular Saw Guides
If you are seeking the best circular saw guides, you have come to the right place. Our review will help you make you decide which one would work best for your circular saw.
Best Overall:
Kreg Rip-Cut Circular Saw Guide
PROS
CONS
What Recent Buyers Report
Recent buyers describe the circular guide as well-designed, fast, and easy to use. Every cut is perfectly straight and on target, and it is adjustable too. It works like a charm for repeated cuts. It easily fits on any circular saw, and the instructions are good and easy to follow. It is smaller and lightweight to carry around easily.
Why it Stands Out to Us
This unit has the sled that is universally compatible with various circular saws. It turns the circular saw into a precision edge tool so you can cut with accuracy. It comes with a printed scale, so there is no need for marking or measuring each cut. It is the best at this price range and can make rip and crosscuts. The reversible guide arm feature makes it suitable for right as well as for left-hand use, providing ease and comfort to the user.
Who Will Use This Most
For us, this is an essential tool for carpenters, woodworking, or DIY enthusiasts the most for small tasks. Both right-handed and left-handed users can use it as it comes with a reversible guide arm. Beginners can also use it as it has easy to follow instructions.
Bottom Line
Overall, this cuts the wider sheets up to 24” precisely and quickly. It is super lightweight, which makes it easy to use without the need to attach more tools. It connects well with most circular saws. Its reversible guide arm features are helpful to both right-handed and left-handed individuals.
Runner-up:
E. Emerson Tool Co. C50
PROS
CONS
What Recent Buyers Report
This tool is highly recommended by many recent buyers. It accurately measures, proving the perfect straight edge. It is easy to figure out how to use, and it clamps securely and quickly to give a precise cut. It does require patience to set it up straight. It holds tight, providing perfect cuts and squares.
Why it Stands Out to Us
We like that it is universally compatible because of its extra low profile and a flat top. The product is built with aluminum and nylon jaws for more stability and performance. It is for heavy-duty tasks. To enjoy obstruction-free cuts, this product comes with a self-clamping straight edge. The self-clamping mechanism is easy to use. It is super firm and easy to handle as the integral tubes run through the length of the wide body of the product.
Who Will Use This Most
We think that this is a great tool for many DIY projects on mechanical things like appliances or electrical work. It is for use by DIY enthusiasts who love to experiment and make new projects. Since it is a contractor-grade tool, it is the best tool for professionals who are into carpentry, metalworking, or woodworking.
Bottom Line
It is made extra wide to provide extra features to the user. You can use it for different lengths of cutting and clamping as its adjustment is simple. It has a tight grip. It comes with three contractor grades and is best for heavy-duty tasks.
Best for the Money:
Milescraft 14000713
PROS
CONS
What Recent Buyers Report
Many recent buyers describe this to be the best guide for the price. It attaches fine with a jigsaw and circular saw. There is no need to loosen the thumbscrews to adjust a couple of inches in 1/16th increments. It helps in keeping the cuts straight and perfect. Overall, it works well and is easy to use.
Why it Stands Out to Us
We love that it works well with most circular and jigsaws. It lengthens the blade up to 6” from the edge of the workpiece for circular saws. It lengthens the blade up to 9.5 inches from the edge of the workpiece for jigsaws. Extending of the blade helps in providing controlled cutting. The trim feature adjusts a couple of inches in 1/16th increments. It is useful in providing straight angles and bevel cuts. Moreover, it cuts circles from 4” to 19” diameter.
Who Will Use This Most
If you lack basic skills of woodworking but need to do a basic wood project which involves a semi-circle, this works well for this purpose. It is a perfect fit for hobbyist woodworkers or homeowners as it is an awesome tool for small tasks, and its instructions are easy to follow.
Bottom Line
In all, this is the best for the price. It is compatible with most circular and jigsaws. Its extending blade provides controlled cutting. This guide is a great tool for straight angles, bevel, and semi-circle cuts. It is perfect for small tasks. Plus, the instructions are easy to follow.
Best Dewalt Circular Saw Guide:
DEWALT DWS5100 12-Inch Dual-Port Folding Rip Guide
PROS
CONS
What Recent Buyers Report
The recent customers love this guide as it is accurate, easy to set up, and adjustable. It cuts almost as straight as a table saw. It mounts easily and remains firm. Buyers love that it folds too, making it easy for storage. All in all, it does exactly what it claims to.
Why it Stands Out to Us
You can easily set up this model, as there are no complicated steps. The guide is built with high-quality aluminum material, which means it will last longer, and it makes it lightweight. Since the marking on the guide is laser-etched, this is helpful for accurate and fast settings. It is easily foldable, making it fit for storage. If you are unhappy with this product, the good news is that it offers a 90-days money-back guarantee. It comes along with a 3-year warranty too.
Who Will Use This Most
It is perfect for anyone who desires to achieve straight, true cuts on plywood or any sheet materials. It is a great tool for DIY enthusiasts or professionals who want to work on a small woodworking project. Individuals who own DEWALT’s saw models are most likely to use this guide.
Bottom Line
To sum up, this guide is lightweight for easy portability and is built with aluminum for durability. It includes permanent laser-etched markings to ensure accurate and quick settings. The best part is that it offers a 90-days money-back guarantee, making it worth considering!
Best Ryobi Circular Saw Guide:
Ryobi CSB141LZK Circular Saw Rip Guide
PROS
CONS
What Recent Buyers Report
Recent buyers like this model as it serves as a great tool. Customers report that they were able to fit this circular guide into their circular saw by bending it. It works pretty well, and it is much smaller than expected.
Why it Stands Out to Us
What we like about this model is that it comes with a laser that beams along the cutting surface to make cutting more accurate and precise. It is the most inexpensive circular guide on our list. It works great for making quick square cuts. It is only compatible with the Ryobi Double Insulated Laser Circular Saw. It is also easy to use as it is super lightweight at only 4 pounds.
Who Will Use This Most
We think that this is a small yet powerful tool for DIY followers who love creating woodworking projects. This portable guide can be used by professional craftsmen for tasks. Since it can’t fit all circular saws, it is more likely used by individuals that own a Ryobi Double Insulated Laser Circular Saw.
Bottom Line
In all, this is a small and compact circular saw guide. The laser feature stands out as it helps in making cutting more accurate. It is the most inexpensive circular guide yet very effective! It is super lightweight, making it a user-friendly piece.
Benefits of Investing in a Quality Circular Saw Guide
There are a lot of options for circular saw guides in the marketplace. We selected the listed products based on the following reasons:
High-Quality Features
A good quality circular saw guide would come with features that will ensure you get precise, accurate, and straight cuts. Features like adhesion strip keep the workpiece in position while cutting. Bad quality options come along with poor quality grips that result in uneven cuts, giving an awful look.
E. Emerson Tool Co. C50
Built-in With High-Quality Material
Most of the good quality options are made of aluminum, which is why it is lightweight. It makes it easy to carry around. Moreover, the material ensures it will last for longer. A bad quality circular saw guide made of plastic would not be long-lasting.
Easy to Read Instructions
A good quality product comes along with readable instructions. The instruction is easy to follow to help save a user’s time and energy. A bad quality circular guide has confusing and difficult to follow instructions.
Warranty to Assure Customers
A good quality circular saw guide comes with a warranty guarantee. It helps build trust with customers. It gives assurance to buyers against the defective parts that fail to perform throughout the warranty. This will help save your wallet. A bad quality circular guide will lack warranty, and will simply end up being just a waste!
DEWALT DWS5100 12-Inch Dual-Port Folding Rip Guide
How to Use a Circular Saw Guide
Using circular saw guides can be challenging if the instructions are not clear. The great news is there are videos available to help you guide through setting up the guide you would want for your workpiece. Here is an example of how they work:
To set up a circular saw guide, you will have the sled, the guide, and the rail in the package.
1. Remove the plastics and self-tapping screws that are in the guide piece. Determine if you want to use your guide left-handed or right-handed.
2. Attach an edge guide to the rail using the screws provided
3. To attach the saw to the sled, remove the stop and loosen the set screws
4. Insert the saw into the sled, making sure it is positioned well. You need to tighten the screws
5. Position the cursor where the opening of the blade saw is
6. Reinstall indexing stop; this allows you to remove your saw on and off and keeps the saw attached all the time.
7. Slide the sled onto the rail and position the saw to the guide
8. Lock the sled in the position and align the cursor with the blade
Conclusion
If you don’t have a good circular saw guide, you could end up ruining the most expensive project. Finding a good quality circular saw can be troublesome, especially when you do not know the technical terms. Remember, compatibility, design, length, and stability are a few essential features to consider before you purchase the circular guide.