Milwaukee 6390-20 Tilt-Lok 15 Amp 7-1/4-Inch Circular Saw Review

A triple threat of power, stability and comfort.  The Milwaukee 6390-20 Tilt-Lok 15 Amp 7 And A Quarter Inch circular saw has the power to use on nearly any stock you need to cut, and the adjustable handle makes it easy to wield.  A really huge bonus is that the handle is attached to the base and pivots around the motor, so that the handle can sit a little behind the blade like a worm-drive saw or you move the handle right over the blade like a sidewinder. This flexibility opens up your sight lines, making it easy even for right handers to see the cut line, even though the blade is on the right side of the motor.  This saw cuts smoothly, so you don’t feel like you have to muscle it around to keep it cutting on a straight line.  Read on for our Milwaukee 6390-20 Tilt-Lok 15 Amp 7-1/4-Inch circular saw review.

Table of Contents
1. Motor Power
2. Blade and Bevel Capacity
3. Base Plate and Guard
4. Adjusters
5. Cut Line
6. Handle
7. Shortcomings
8. What Others Are Saying
9. Bottom Line
10. Price

Motor Power

The Milwaukee 6390-20 Tilt-Lok has a 15 Amp , 3.25 horsepower motor.  You know that sound a circular saw makes when you’re trying to cut through too heavy of a material and are putting it under too much of a load?  We haven’t run into that problem with this saw, cutting through dimensional lumber, plywood and MDF with ease. With a metal cutting blade we sliced through aluminum. Granted, we haven’t tried to cut anything really silly with it.  Suffice it to say, this saw has enough power for nearly any homeowner, DIY-er or professional.  The helical gears will turn the blade at up to 5,800 RPM .

Blade and Bevel Capacity

This saw has a 7 1/4″ blade diameter.  The included blade is fine and usable, but if you have a high quality blade available use that.  If you need a specific type of blade for what you’re cutting you will of course need to change the blade, but for basic ripping and cutting you can use the included blade.  While it’s any easy process to change the blade, we don’t like the included allen wrench that you have to use to change the blade.  We prefer hex nut wrenches that slide into the back of the shoe.  On this saw, we feel the included allen wrench doesn’t give as much leverage as a hex nut wrench.  Also, it’s difficult to know if you’ve placed the allen wrench all the way back into the holder, which is a plastic hole on the side of the motor.  Unless you’re doing frequent blade changing, the allen wrench isn’t enough of a hassle to discount this saw from your consideration.  The saw has a shaft lock for easier blade changing.

The saw bevels to 50°, and cuts to a depth of 2 7/16″ at 90° and 1 13/16″ at 45°. Pretty typical for a saw of this quality. Beveling past 45° is a nice feature to have.

Base Plate and Guard

The base plate/shoe is solid.  There’s little risk of damaging it through normal operation.  We bet you’d have to drop it on the concrete to damage it.  The blade guard works smoothly.  One minor complaint we have is that we expect a heavier duty feeling blade guard, but functionally we have no problems with it.

Adjusters

The depth control and bevel control are levers and are smooth to operate and lock down easily.  This saw has one of the best bevel control adjusters we’ve used.  It feels especially solid and is easy to operate. Numeric indicators are stamped into the saw, so there’s no worry about them rubbing or falling off.

Cut Line Visibility

This saw has great sight lines.  Even right-handers like us can easily see the cut line standing on the left. The cut line does tend to get obscured a bit by sawdust but that’s a minor issue.

Handle

This saw has an adjustable ‘Tilt-Lok’ handle, so you can set it back to operate more like a worm-drive saw, move it forward to get on top of what you’re cutting, or place it anywhere in between.  In practice, you’ll probably decide on an angle that’s the most comfortable for you and stick with that, but you do have the option to change the handle angle to make it easier to cut.

The handle is also slightly cushioned.  It’s not ’70s toilet seat cushioned, but it makes it more comfortable to hold without becoming slippery when your hand is sweaty.

Shortcomings

This model of the Milwaukee circular saw lacks electric brakes and two-button motor operation. A better/longer allen wrench could be included for easier blade changes.

What Others Are Saying

A reviewer at homedepot.com says he’s dropped this saw off a roof on three different occasions, and it still works.

Bottom Line

The Milwaukee 6390-20 Tilt-Lok 15 Amp 7 And A Quarter Inch circular saw is a great circular saw.  It’s powerful, easy to handle and comfortable to use. Its great for do-it-yourselfers working on a weekend project or professionals on a job site. You shouldn’t be disappointed with it. 4 1/2 out of 5.

Price

Amazon puts a lot of effort into keeping their pricing competitive. As of the date of this review, the price was very attractive and they offered free or discounted shipping. Click to check today’s price and see if that’s still the case: