The plastic cut guide at the front of the saw is easy to read and has an accurate feel. You simply line up the straight edge of the little notch, and that’s your cut line. It’s much more intuitive compared with some of the competition. It takes out the guesswork of where the blade will precisely hit the timber. The DHS680 is Makita's first brushless circular saw, which becomes one of the latest member of Makita's impressive line up of 18v Lithium-ion cordless tools. Boasting a brand new brushless motor and some new in-built features, the DHS680 looks set to become one of the most popular cordless circular saws on the market MAKITA DHS680Z FEATURES

One more impressive new feature is the ' Automatic Speed Control' found on this saw. This feature allows the computer chip built into the saw to determine the most efficient cutting speed for the job that you're doing! It speeds up or reduces the speed of the saw making sure that it only uses the right amount of energy when required - making sure you get the most out of your saw, blade and battery The other handy little feature that this saw has is a dust blower. Essentially, it’s a small open port on the front of the blade cover that makes sure dust doesn’t stay on your cut line. I’m always a fan of these little elements that make the job just that little bit more convenient. The CLS timber at 0° was cut incredibly clean, but what really wowed me was how it performed in the English oak. I expected good things, but this cordless saw left a finish to rival the corded Makita saw. It was superbly tidy with fine edges that you could slap some wax on, and call finished! Then it was on to something that not all the saw blades I have are designed for. Rip cuts along the grain of the wood are much harder, so I made use of the saw guide to see if it kept things straight. The Makita DHS660Z is a 165mm / 6-1/2 Inch Cordless Circular Saw powered by 18V Li-Ion batteries. It has a brushless motor with soft start delivering up to 5000 rpm. Equipped with an Electric Brake for safety and a LED Joblight to illuminate the cutting area in poor lighting conditions. Comes with a B-62979 25 Tooth 165mm TCT Saw Blade. The machine is sold as a Body Only without battery or charger in a cardboard box. Features:

Parts diagram

The Makita DHS660 Brushless Circular Saw has a indication lamp for Automatic Torque Drive Technology (ADT). If high torque a green is light on, high speed the lights out and overload alert the light blinks green. Featuring a new compact and lightweight design with a side mounted battery means the DHS660 has a lower centre of gravity giving you more control.The ergonomic design also gives the user more comfort for longer time of use. There are a few more plastic elements on this saw than you might expect from a Makita tool. It’s not heavy duty compared with the Makita HS7061J, but Makita have compromised on rugged durability to keep the weight right down. It’s metal where it counts though- the blade cover is aluminium, a much more durable choice than the plastic chosen by Ryobi. One of my favourite safety features of this circular saw is also one of the simplest. It solves the age old problem: what to do with your saw when you’re up a ladder and need both hands. It’s basically a bit of bent metal called a rafter hook. All you do is fold out the rafter hook when you need somewhere to hang your saw, and you’re free to concentrate on the task at hand.

The handles are as comfortable as to be expected from Makita. I’ve always liked that they print the material type on the parts. I know for a fact that the lovely grip shape and feel comes from thermoplastic elastomer, a mixture of plastic and rubber that is ideal for these sorts of parts.You can also get hold of a guide rail adapter, meaning you can upgrade this to a rail saw quite easily. If you’re planning on making lots of straight cuts, a rail is an incredibly useful tool. It will transform this handheld saw into a precision cutting instrument that’s especially good at cutting big sheet materials. Indication lamp for ADT: High torque = green light on, High speed = lights out, Overload alert = blinks green. The compact and ergonomic design adds maneuverability and control whilst reducing fatigue to the operator.

Automatic Torque Drive Technology: Automatically changes the cutting speed according to load condition for optimum operation

Find your dust extractor

The brushless motor delivers an impressive runtime compared to other cordless saws. The Automatic torque drive technology (ADT) within the machine automatically gives optimal rpm to torque ratio to produce the fastest cut in light or hard applications, meaning you are working as efficiently as possible. The combination of the blower function and twin LED job light means you always have the best possible visibility of the cut line even in low light environments. A brushless electronic motor runs more efficiently than brushed types. This can help reduce the tool's energy consumption.