REASONS TO BUY
Inexpensive
Light-weight
Clear sightlines
REASONS TO AVOID
Paltry battery life
Below-average cutting power
Ryobi P507 Review
An affordable 6 1/2" saw that will satisfy most DIYers with light saw work in mind
Credit: amazon.com
RELATED: Best Cordless Circular Saw
Our Verdict
The Ryobi P507 won't satisfy most pro carpenters except as a little mop-up saw. However, it's perfect for those new to power saws. The Ryobi is affordable, capable, and has quality sightlines that will help novices with their cuts. The blade replacement system has a good design as well. Several features are lacking though. Most notable are those relating to fixing blade depth and angle. At the same time, the saw's relatively moderate battery life and cutting scores are quite impressive in light of it's far below average cost.
Compare to Similar Products
 This Product
Ryobi P507 | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Awards |  | ||||
| Price | $79 List | $80 List $74.79 at Amazon | $79 List $69.96 at Amazon | $80 List | $55 List $43.93 at Amazon |
Overall Score  |
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| Star Rating | |||||
| Bottom Line | This saw will appeal to the novice DIY crowd due to its modest price tag and ease of use features | A competent, affordable saw that is a great choice for non-professional users | This model gave a lackluster performance and was particularly shabby in battery longevity department | This moderately priced saw is best suited to low-demand tasks | This economy saw has notable benefits to users with appropriately low expectations |
| Rating Categories | Ryobi P507 | SKIL CR540601 | Craftsman CMCS500B | Porter-Cable PCC660 | Black+Decker BDCCS20B |
| Cutting (50%) | |||||
| Ease of Use (30%) | |||||
| Battery (20%) | |||||
| Specs | Ryobi P507 | SKIL CR540601 | Craftsman CMCS500B | Porter-Cable PCC660 | Black+Decker BDCCS20B |
| Blade Side | Left | Left | Left | Left | Left |
| Blade Size | 6-1/2" | 6-1/2" | 6-1/2" | 6-1/2" | 5-1/2" |
| Brushless Motor? | No | No | No | No | No |
| Blade Brake? | No | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Bevel Positive Stops? | No | No | No | No | No |
| Estimated Linear Feet of 3/4" Plywood Cut per Charge | 202 ft | 324 ft | 184 ft | 157 ft | 52 ft |
| Measured Weight w/o Battery | 5.0 lb | 5.8 lb | 5.9 lb | 5.9 lb | 4.6 lb |
| Measured Max Depth of Cut w/ Framing Blade | 1-7/8" | 1-15/16" | 2-1/8" | 1-29/32" | 1-1/2" |
| Average 6x12" Cross Cutting Time | 7.6 sec | 6.6 sec | 5.8 sec | 6.9 sec | 11.1 sec |
| Rafter Hook? | No | No | No | No | No |
| Battery Used in Testing | 4 Ah | 5 Ah | 4 Ah | 4 Ah | 1.5 Ah |
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Our Analysis and Test Results
The Ryobi P507 was a contender for our Best Buy Award. This saw brings entry into circular the saw market down to a level that will accommodate most budgets. Better still, it performs at a reasonable level. This saw will execute the most common tasks and some tougher ones, too. Our cutting tests revealed a saw that can handle full depth crosscuts of hardwood if you take it slow. However, the lower price comes with some reductions in ease of use features as well as battery life.
Performance Comparison
Credit: Austin Palmer
Likes
We like that this saw is both inexpensive, and decent quality. This means that people can step-up their tool kit for around the house tasks without breaking the bank. The Ryobi is way better than a hand saw — like night and day better — and yet it's not that much more expensive.
The saw offers users several ease of use features. Specifically, the Ryobi has accurate and clearly visible sightlines, an easy to change blade and, weighing just 5 pounds, it's relatively light. Additionally, the blade depth and angle adjustments are simple and easy to set.
Dislikes
At 1 7/8", the Ryobi has one of the shallower max cutting depths that we have seen in our saw evaluations. The Ryobi also lacks many of the higher-end ease of use features such as positive bevel stops, a cutting light, and levers for the shoe adjustments. It also has a below-average battery, even when compared to the other saws with 4 amp-hour battery cells.
Value
We find the Ryobi P507 to be one of the better values that we've seen on the cordless circular saw market. While the saw isn't a leader in any of our metrics, it is effective. Add to this a very competitive price, and you can see why the model raised some eyebrows around our lab. That said, if you're planning on really putting this machine to work, its value will necessarily decrease as this saw was not designed for heavy workloads.
Conclusion
The Ryobi P507 is a moderately priced saw with a level of performance that will appeal to greenhorns or those needing a light-weight saw for odds and ends tasks. The saw has ample power to handle modest cutting work. It's also reasonably easy to operate and will render positive results. That said, this is not a high-end saw and should not be purchased if you plan to use it on a regular or otherwise heavy-duty basis.
—
Nick Miley and Austin Palmer
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