REASONS TO BUY
Powerful motor
Long-lasting battery
Good shoe design
REASONS TO AVOID
Heavy
Expensive
So-so bevel design
Milwaukee M18 2631-20 Review
This 7 1/4" saw delivers professional quality cuts without a cord tying you down
Credit: Ian Pearman
By Nick Miley ⋅ Senior Review Editor ⋅ December 20, 2019
Contributions From: Austin Palmer
RELATED: Best Cordless Circular Saws of 2025
Our Verdict
The 7 1/4" Milwaukee M18 is a professional quality saw that removes any doubt whether a cordless circular saw can do the work of its corded counterparts. This machine can make full-depth crosscuts with ease and rip hundreds of feet of plywood on a single charge of its 5 amp-hour battery. Additionally, the accurate and easy-to-adjust shoe means that the cuts this model makes will be precise. While the saw is among the heaviest in the class, it comes equipped with a rafter hook so that you can keep it close at hand without bearing the weight.
Our Analysis and Test Results
In many ways, the 7 1/4" Milwaukee M18 is in a league of its own in the cordless circular saw world. Its adjustments and controls are accurate and easy to access. Its cutting power is top-notch, and it has one of the better battery lives that we have seen in the circular saw market. This hearty machine will satisfy both the active DIYer and the professional who is used to the performance of a plug-in circular saw.
Credit: Ian Pearman
Ease of Use
If there is any place to be critical of the Milwaukee M18, it is in the ease of use analysis. Before laying into this saw for its design shortcomings, it should first be said that this model is rated well above average for the class, we just feel that all the saws that we reviewed could improve in this area. With that in mind, let's get into the details.
While the Milwaukee M18 has a sturdy shoe with clearly marked, accurate settings, we've seen better setups. The M18 lacks positive stops at common cut angles and the 22.5˚ marker that is needed for more technical work. Finally, we found the blade swapping process more difficult than it needs to be, and the saw was a little on the heavy side. On the bright side, the M18's design allows for quick and easy access to the shoe's adjustment knobs. The sightlines are easy to see, and they promote accurate cuts. Additionally, the M18 has one of the deepest cutting depths.
A sturdy shoe with clearly marked measurements greatly effects cut outcomes These features contribute to the saw's ease of use rating.
Credit: Ian Pearman
Cutting
The M18 sets the bar in the cutting evaluation as our testers all agreed that it felt consistent and powerful when sawing through demanding lumber. In a more objective observation, the speed at which the Milwaukee made cuts is at the top of the class. This machine brings high torque and high RPMs to bear when turning its 7 1/4" blade through lumber.
The M18's motor is a beast, making 10' long rips in our cutting tests in 34 seconds, and making full-depth crosscuts of a 6x12" softwood header in just over 4 seconds. In other words, this saw cranks it out in much the same fashion as a plug-in worm drive machine.
The Milwaukee M18 is all business, cutting through 2x12" lumber like a warm knife through butter.
Credit: Ian Pearman
Battery
The M18 has a robust 5 amp-hour battery that will keep making cuts one right after the other. It cut 298 linear feet of plywood before running out of juice.
The Milwaukee M18 doesn't rest on its laurels. It will make cut upon cut of 3/4" for 298 linear feet on a single battery charge.
Credit: austin palmer
As an additional bonus, the battery discharge didn't taper at all — one second the saw was running at full speed and the next it wasn't.
Value
While the Milwaukee M18 is certainly not an inexpensive tool, it is a quality one. We find the value of this saw to be relative to one's need for the pro-level performance it delivers. If you plan to use the saw frequently for demanding tasks, its value increases because it won't let you down. However, if the saw will be used infrequently on DIY projects around the house, you likely can get away with a less powerful saw. That said, this tool is a great investment if you plan on doing more and larger projects in your free time, as it will stand up to whatever you throw at it over the years.
Conclusion
The Milwaukee M18 is a professional-caliber 7 1/2" model and one of our favorite circular saws from testing. This machine has a powerful motor and many of the ease of use features that promote high-quality cuts. This saw also has a long-lasting 5 amp-hour battery that can rip hundreds of feet of plywood. Our only critiques are that this performance comes at a premium and that the shoe design lacked some features that make technical cuts easier to achieve. That said, this machine is as close to an ideal saw as we could find.
Side-by-Side Comparison
Compare Milwaukee M18 2631-20 versus top competing products:
—Nick Miley and Austin Palmer
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