Pro Tool Reviews timed 12 cordless circular saws ripping through stacked OSB, and the results just broke the easiest rule in the tool aisle. Highest RPM rating did not win. Most torque did. Milwaukee’s 2834 turned in the fastest cut at 9.76 seconds, and it did it while holding blade speed under load better than anything else in the test.
Every saw rode the same sled, pulled through a 7-foot rip cut in two stacked sheets of 3/4-inch OSB by a 10-pound weight, timed by laser triggers. No hands on the saw, no stopwatch guessing. Twelve pro and prosumer models went head to head, from the 2834 down to the Bosch GKS18V-25N, which needed nearly twice as long to finish the same cut.
The full rip-cut results
| Circular saw | Rip time | No-load RPM |
|---|---|---|
| Milwaukee 2834 | 9.76 s | 6,000 |
| Metabo HPT C3607DB | 10.10 s | 6,000 |
| FLEX FX2141 | 13.35 s | 5,800 |
| Makita GSH01 | 13.53 s | 6,000 |
| Hilti SC 30WR-22 | 13.75 s | 4,700 |
| Ryobi PBLCS302 | 14.10 s | 5,000 |
| Kobalt KXCS 124B-03 | 14.87 s | 5,500 |
| DeWalt DCS578 | 15.53 s | 5,800 |
| Skil CR5440B-00 | 16.70 s | 5,300 |
| Craftsman CMCS551 | 17.67 s | 5,000 |
| Ridgid R8657 | 18.72 s | 5,400 |
| Bosch GKS18V-25N | 19.64 s | 5,000 |
Two results stand out. Hilti rated the slowest no-load speed of the bunch at 4,700 RPM and still finished fifth. DeWalt and Kobalt both carry strong RPM ratings and landed mid-pack. Peak speed alone is clearly not deciding these cuts. Torque is.
RPM is what the blade does in the air. Torque is what keeps the blade from slowing down when the teeth bite. In thin material, any saw can hold its rated speed. Bury the blade in a double-layer OSB rip and the motor loads up, the RPM sags, and the saw with more torque keeps pulling where the others stall. This data shows that pattern clearly. Kobalt and DeWalt lost time they should have won on paper, and the 2834 won because its blade speed barely dropped.
The spec sheet problem
Here is the frustrating part. Unlike drills and impact drivers, circular saw makers do not publish torque figures. No industry-standard way to measure it exists, and the tester notes even a reliable repeatable method may not. DeWalt publishes power in watts, which helps, but nobody else follows the practice, so it cannot be used to compare brands. On the spec sheet, no-load RPM is the one number every maker lists, and it turns out to matter least once the cut gets heavy.
Worth remembering the next time a listing shouts about 6,000 RPM: spec-sheet speed is a marketing number. Real cutting speed is a system of motor torque, blade geometry, and how well the saw’s electronics hold speed under load.
What this means for buyers
- Buy the platform, not the RPM. Pick the battery system that covers all your tools first.
- Buy the flagship of your brand. Every pro brand’s top cordless circular saw beat the best 15-amp corded models in this test, including the ones that finished mid-pack.
- Ignore the RPM arms race. A 5,800 RPM rating that sags under load loses to a 4,700 RPM saw with a stronger motor.
- If you want the fastest rip-cut saw measured here, the Milwaukee 2834 lists for $279 bare or $449 as a kit at Home Depot.
Metabo HPT’s C3607DB deserves a mention at second place, 10.10 seconds and about $10 cheaper bare than the winner. We covered its Torque Boost mode when it launched, and this data explains why that feature works: it trades headline RPM for holding speed under load.
Where to dig deeper
Sources: Pro Tool Reviews rip-cut testing and its 12-saw head-to-head review, both published September 2026.
If you are shopping right now, our own cordless circular saw picks break down the models in this test with current prices. And if the RPM-versus-torque distinction is new to you, our guide to power tool specs explains what each rating actually measures. For a saw that leans on torque by design, read our Metabo HPT C3607DB coverage.
Bottom line for shoppers: stop comparing RPM ratings across brands. There is no published torque number to compare instead, which is why independent testing like this matters more for circular saws than for any other tool category.