How long does a Makita battery last on circular saw?

[Crakin]

Hi

i bought an 18v Makita LXT circular saw (not the brushless one) (DSS611Z)

i have a new 5a battery I got with a driver ki and it’s seemed to work well so far.

i bought a new blade specifically for cutting composite boards - I’m using ekodeck boards that are 23mm thick - building a 9m long deck.

i am finding that when I’m doing a long cut trimming the edges down one length of the deck, I can probably get about 9m of cutting before the battery runs out and the saw stops. This is from an overnight charge!

this seems a ridiculously small amount of time. The saw is struggling to cut these boards and it’s hard going and I’m pushing hard to get it to cut, I’ve gotten a lot longer out of it cutting the frame timber.

should I be running smaller passes over and over, Is the battery faulty, should I have bought a more powerful saw to cut these boards in the first place?

i have a corded ryobi that has more power but it can’t keep as nice and straight a line as the makita.

Any thoughts?

[Noyade]

Morning 😁 @Crakin

"In retrospect I overestimated the power of the makita and probably should have invested in a decent blade for the ryobi specifically for composite boards."

I find this subject and threads like this very interesting, especially since the world is turning to batteries - how battery tools wattage/power-wise compare to corded tools. Many years ago I was talking to the owner of an electric motor repair/rewind shop and he believed from 'experience' it took 1 HP (735 watts) to cut continuously 25mm thick wood and another 735 watts for every 25mm thereafter. Of course this doesn't take into account the type of wood, blade type and size. I'm guessing this is why the average corded hand held circular saw is usually around the 1500 watt (2 HP) mark. So I'm amazed you were able to do what what you did with your Makita, if I understand (I failed Electrical Engineering at Sydney TAFE - true story) it to be rated at 200 watts?

I've always tried to get the biggest "oomph per buck" when it comes to circular saws. The last one was an Ox, heavily discounted (thankfully) due to the influx of battery tools I guess. Magnesium was a commercial ploy for GMC back in the late 90's - dunno if it's actually beneficial, but lasers in my opinion are a dead loss. 1,800 watts with a 184mm blade - 1 watt per 2.8 grams. 😁

Your deck looks fantastic by the way, despite your cutting difficulties. 😁

I would be very interested to know if you do get your saw assessed by Makita - and the outcome.

Cheers.

Graeme.