So... I test tools. After testing, I donate tools to non-profit organizations (any tool tested that I love and can use in my collection, I then buy my own). Recently, your crazy neighborhood archaeologist received a mini-circular saw from the Hychika Tool Company (on Twitter: @HychikaTools). I tested the saw and will leave a review below (definitely gave it 5 out of 5 Trowels). But first, a circular saw history.
Believe it or not, the circular saw has been around for a long time. No, not 100 years. We're talking thousands of years. Now, if someone does a quick check of Wikipedia (as I know many people do), you will quickly see mention of circular saws being found at Bronze Age sites in the Indus Valley (the site of Lothal being named). The approximate date of the Lothal discovery is 4300 years ago. Me, I like to use scientific journals for research (Jstor is my favorite search engine for journal articles - you can likely access it through a public library). Anyhoo... I was not finding much published research from Lothal excavations, but I did encounter a report by a team of archaeologists who worked at a mid-late Bronze Age site in Britain. Their report mentioned evidence of a small circular saw being used to cut bone (Bruck and Booth 1988:198). Suffice to say, the idea and use of circular saws is not new. Now, let's jump ahead in time to the last few centuries. (It's a blog post not a dissertation).
Things get complicated in the late 1700s as multiple inventors are promoted at this point as 'THE' inventor (Yorksaw.com). For me, I remember seeing a big saw in the TV series 'Little House on the Prairie', which was used at the mill in town. From that perspective, Shaker Tabitha Babbitt (1810) invented a circular saw that moved in concert with a spinning wheel to help with mill work (she did not seek a patent per her religious beliefs tied to sharing ideas freely). Before Babbitt, in 1777, Samuel Miller received a patent for a circular saw, but it appears others were using circular blades already, his invention/patent tied more to his specific machine assembly.
Edmond Michel created the first 'portable' circular saw (early 1920s). He ultimately partnered up with Joseph Sullivan in creating a tool manufacturing company that would become SKILSAW. From there, Art Emmons creates a "helical drive" circular saw (early 20th century) that truly brought portability and reasonable safety after which the industry expands to include the multiple brands and power sources we see today.
I bought my first mini circular saw (corded electric) around 2014. I don't remember the brand. I picked it up at a local hardware store. I used it a few times, but not on a regular basis. One day the engine started smoking and I needed a small circular saw quick. So, I picked up a Genesis compact circular saw that has worked well. A corded electric device, the Genesis saw works decently and is lighter/easier to carry. Yet, there was a noticeable power loss given the size of the saw. Enter a cracked deck board just when the Hychika Company sent me a mini-circular saw to test out. The Hychika is a larger tool but still small in size making it easy to lift and maneuver. For those who worked in construction, deck building, and home renovations, I am sure you appreciate a circular saw you can safely use in tight spaces. The Hychika didn't disappoint in this regard. As for power, it is quite noticeable how much more power the Hychika has compared to the Genesis model I had. The amp jump was from 4 (Genesis) to 6 (Hychika). The extra power made it easy to cut through pressure treated deck boarding compared to the Genesis and the first brand I'd purchased years before.
Now, I used the Hychika for a project and then donated it to the Buffalo Tool Library. As such, I can't speak to longevity of the tool. It certainly had more power and seemed a more sturdy tool then the previous mini circular saws I've owned. It's easy to use and has ample power behind it. It also has all the bells and whistles including 3 blades (for wood and plastic cutting jobs), a guide to ensure straight/accurate cuts, and an adapter to connect the saw with a shopvac so you can keep sawdust from blowing all over the place.
This saw has a 4.4/5 rating on Amazon with over 80% of reviewers rating it at or above 4 out of 5 stars. For my test, I give 5/5 Trowels (stars). Next time I am in the market for a mini circular saw, I would buy the Hychika saw!
*** I have joined Hychika's affiliate program. In turn, the company provided me with a coupon code (Neil10) for my readers for a great discount should you purchase their tools from their website (they ship all over the world).
AFFILIATE NOTICE: For those of us who are 'affiliates' for companies, we receive small compensation for sales when customers use links and codes posted on our blogs and other websites. I recommend ALL readers check reviews beyond mine to see the range of feedback customers have provided. Be a smart shopper and do your research.
REFERENCES
Bruck, Joanna and Thomas J. Booth
1988 The Ambivalent Dead: Curation, Excarnation and Complex Post-mortem Trajectories in Middle and Late Bronze Age Britain. In Proceedings of the Prehistoric Society, 2022-12, Vol.88, p.193-220
https://www.yorksaw.com/history-circular-saw/
https://craftlikeapro.com/who-invented-the-circular-saw/
