Hitachi C7BD2 15-Amp 7-1/4-Inch Circular Saw with Brake

by Hitachi

Product Description

Amazon.com Review

This new circular saw combines Hitachi's rock-solid construction with a lightweight and ergonomic design. The saw has a powerful and smooth-running 15 amp motor with an electric brake. The motor uses a replaceable carbon brush for long life and easy maintenance. The saw's aluminum-alloy base bevels from 0 to 55 degrees, with positive stops at 0 and 45 degrees. Depth of cut and bevel adjustments are both tool-free operations. The handle has a comfortable nonslip grip,and at only 10.1 pounds, it's hard to find a lighter-weight saw with this much power. Professionals and serious woodworkers who prefer sidewinder-style saws will find this to be among the best of the bunch. --Brian Trinen

From the Manufacturer

Hitachi's new generation circular saw has everything the professional contractor needs. This 15-amp saw comes standard with a 24-tooth carbide blade and carrying case. Special features include a 55 degree bevel capacity and a cast base. Includes a soft rubber grip handle and positive switch. Maximum rpm is 5800. Also includes electric brake.

Product Details

Product Manual [1.36mb PDF]

• Product Dimensions: 10 x 10 x 16 inches
• Shipping Weight: 17 pounds
• Shipping: This item is also available for shipping to select countries outside the U.S.
• Shipping Advisory: This item must be shipped separately from other items in your order. Additional shipping charges will not apply.
• ASIN: B000090PLL
• California residents: Click here for Proposition 65 warning.
• Item model number: C7BD2
• Average Customer Review: 4.3 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (21 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #187,467 in Home Improvement (See Top 100 in Home Improvement)
• Discontinued by manufacturer: Yes

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

26 of 26 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Two Steps Forward, One Step Back, April 9, 2004

By 

R. Penney "car nut" (TRAVERSE CITY, MI USA) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

Amazon Verified Purchase

This review is from: Hitachi C7BD2 15-Amp 7-1/4-Inch Circular Saw with Brake (Tools & Home Improvement)

This is an incredible saw for the money - more power, a brake, and cheaper than the old model. It is true that the brake is not as quick as a typical miter saw's. But it does stop in 2 seconds as advertised (manual says < 3 sec. ). That's about 3 times faster than my old Hitachi without a brake. Other brands of circular saws with brakes advertise 2 seconds as well. Another thing I like about the Hitachi is the table is perfectly parallel to the blade. Many other brands I've used are way off. That makes it impossible to make precision cuts using a straight edge for a guide.

The bare aluminum base is a step backward. The old model had a nickel plated base (discontinued in 7 1/4" but still available in 8 1/4"). This was a fantastic feature that set Hitachi apart from the crowd. Bare aluminum makes marks and drags on wood making straight cuts much more difficult. Steel glides better but its rarely used except on Skill worm drives and cheap saws. I really didn't need to buy another saw, but the brake is an important safety improvement and now I can save the old nickel plated saw for mark-free cutting of finished goods. I can't understand why Hitachi cut this corner when the saw is priced so far under the competition. I gave it 5 stars anyway because of the price. But I'd rather pay $20 more and get the better base.

25 of 27 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Great Sidewinder!, October 10, 2003

By 

Sumerduckman (Virginia) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Hitachi C7BD2 15-Amp 7-1/4-Inch Circular Saw with Brake (Tools & Home Improvement)

I bought this to have a right handed sidewinder saw to compliment my Skill 77 wormdrive and the mini PC 6" Sawboss. In over 30 years of professional woodworking, a lot of it using a circular saw of some sort, this one is right up there with the best. It's powerful and has a great line of sight. The controls are in the right places ( tilts to 55 degrees, yea) and it's well balanced with just the right amount of heft. All this and an electric brake, a fitted plastic case and carbide blade for around $100! What's not to like? Plastic handles, ( just about all saws have them now) and made in China. Note to Hitachi CEO. I would have easily paid another $30-40 for a saw of this quality to see 'made in USA' on it! We need jobs too. I tried out the PC saw ( lousy line of sight), Milwaukee tilt-loc ( way under powered) and Dewalt ( flimsy build quality, nice power though, it was the second choice)before getting the Hitachi. It has just had the 'trial by fire' in building a large hip roof using 2 by 10 rafters, 4 by 12 double backed hips, 14" microlam beams and 5/8 ply. Never broke a sweat.

19 of 20 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Outstanding quality and performance at a great price., April 10, 2006

By 

jebobak (Michigan, USA) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Hitachi C7BD2 15-Amp 7-1/4-Inch Circular Saw with Brake (Tools & Home Improvement)

I am obsessive about researching my purchases, especially with tools. Not wanting (or needing) a heavy worm-drive saw, I narrowed my search to the Hitachi (well-rated), Milwaukee 6391 (top-rated by many magazines), Bosch CS20 (also top-rated), and Porter-Cable MAG (again, top-rated). However, I also take most magazine reviews with a grain of salt - always get actual consumer reviews and get your hands on the item.

While the Milwaukee is a great saw with a great reputation, the Tilt-lok seems like a nice "bonus" feature but I usually believe "The simpler the better" principle (less stuff to break down or cause issues) and wanted something a bit lighter. I didn't like the "composite plastic" Bosch plate and have seen other durability issues (see reviews on Amazon). The Porter-Cable was a front-runner (I love PC tools), but again there seemed to be some durability issues in some reviews, wondered about the fancy plastic dust port clogging, and the price was $50 more (is it worth 50% more money??). So, after handling all of these saws at the store, I really liked the Hitachi best - plus a perfect 5 star rating here at Amazon (until the guy who posted incorrectly about the warranty). I couln't find any faults - it is very light, powerful and accurate (dead-on 90 degrees and 45 degrees out of the box). The blade brake isn't as fast as I hoped, but still several seconds faster than without (and those several seconds could make the difference between "Ouch!" and "Take me to the emergency room!"). The stock blade is better-than-average, the plate is rock-solid and nicely designed, nice dust control and it has great visibility. Some people might not like that the plate tilt does not have any markings to tell what depth it is set at - however, I usually "eye-ball" the blade depth for a cut anyway, and if I really needed to be accurate I would actually measure the depth instead of relying on the rough measures on the tool (plus, the bar used to raise/lower the plate is enclosed - so it won't collect sawdust and dirt). To top it off, it does carry a 5-year warranty (unlike a previous poster stated), plus the brushes are replaceable for extended life.
I'm sure all the saws I mentioned would be a great choice, but for the money I betting on the Hitachi!