Genesis Mini Circular Saw 4.0 Amp 4-1/2" with 24T Carbide-Tipped Blade, Rip Guide, Vacuum Adapter, and Blade Wrench (GCS445SE)

I got this saw to use for my small woodworking projects (building chicken coops). I have never used a circular saw previously, so when I tired using my hubby’s full size saw, it was way too heavy for me and my hands were too small to activate the switch properly. So, I purchased this saw and have been very pleased. As a first time user here is what I like: Lightweight Fits my hands Safe Not complicated And it still was able to cut 2x4s without any problems. Perfect “girl” saw, even tho hubby will also use it often instead of getting the bigger heavy saw out.

It works for smaller crafts. I am an older woman and use this for small crafts that I like to make.

Great little saw, cuts cleanly, lightweight and easy to use BUT beware of the safety switch/trigger. It is hard to release the switch and hold onto the saw at the same time because of the power switch length. See the product photos to see what I mean. I will keep it but it concerned me when i used it for the first time. Still a nice little saw for the price.

This is the 2nd Genesis product I've purchased and I love it. I own the Genesis oscillating saw and it's as good, if not better, than the "big name" brands. Anyway, what surprised me about this mini circular saw is that on start-up, it doesn't jolt in your hand; it's just a smooth transition from stop to full speed. It's lightweight - something that we girls can appreciate, yet powerful enough to easily cut through 3/4" MDF board. I lent it to my brother to use to cut 2x4's and he really liked it, too - said he was going to buy one for himself. It's an all-around good saw for projects around the house, especially for folks who are nervous about using power saws. Highly recommend!

The saw is fine, everything was in the box except the saw blade that was suppose to be with it.

You can't control the front and so I guess if you're just going straight up or straight down it would be okay, but when you go inside ways, it's uncontrollable. It's heavier than you would think so if you're using it on a ladder to cut the bottom edge sideways on a fascia, I can't see it being very controllable and therefore dangerous. I returned it. PS. When I was trying to put it together, I didn't realize there was a blade with a tiny hole in The box. And it also when you're trying to install the blade, the screw is reverse thread. I must have spent a half an hour trying to figure out what was going on until I had to call support. That was the first thing he said and so that worked out except for some reason my blade wasn't working. I was using your usual four and a half inch grinder blade with the wider opening. When I finally got it all together and realized there was no front control point, I knew this was not the tool for me. I was going to be up on a ladder trimming fascia horizontally without any ability to control the front edge. I returned it. Just add some controlling FrontPoint and this would probably be a great product. Bad engineering.

This is so much easier for me to use rather than my large skill saw. It may not be large enough for some people but sure works for me. I had already used it and it works great. Someone warned me that some of these have the safety button in a bad place and hard to get to. Not this one!! I the safety is right on top of the power button. I am a small female and I have no problem hitting the safety and the power button pretty much about the same time. Great purchase!!!

* Update Genesis finally replied, late but during the COVID pandemic I guess everyone is on a skeleton crew nationwide. But they told me to return it and they would repair it or replace it. I sent it back on July 28 and emailed them with the tracking number. I got a brand new one back in the mail on August 3! Just 4 business days later! They literally shipped a new one to me the minute they got the old one back. So I have to give credit where it's due, I thought that was pretty impressive. Because of that, I bumped them up from 2 stars to 3 stars. * Original review I purchased this in November 2019, and I used it to cut about 20 1x2 furring strips and 1x6 non-treated lumber. It would cut the furring strips fine, but when cutting the longer wood it would sometimes just stop cutting! I would have to back up, start it up again, and then cut a little further. I pulled it out again June 2020, and found that the trigger would no longer compress! If I turn it over and move the trigger back and forth then the blade will come on in short 1-2 second bursts, but when I go back to normal and try to cut the blade won't stay on. You can feel that the trigger compresses about 1/16th of an inch instead of all the way. It's supposed to be under warranty so I emailed Genesis several days ago, but no reply yet. I wish I'd just gotten a better brand, but I was trying to save money :-(