Circular saws having a blade that moves relative to a stationary base structure during operative use of the circular saws to cut a workpiece and methods of detecting a kickback condition of such circular saws. The circular saws include a base structure, a user-actuated assembly, an attachment structure, and a controller. The attachment structure is configured to permit constrained relative motion between the base structure and the user-actuated assembly in a motion direction and during operative use of the circular saw to cut the workpiece. A motion sensor is configured to generate a motion signal indicative of motion of the user-actuated assembly along the motion direction. The controller is programmed to initiate a kickback response of the circular saw responsive to the motion signal being indicative of a kickback condition of the circular saw.

A saw including a lockout mechanism having a lever and a plunge stop. The lever has a trigger abutment surface and is movable between a safety position in which the trigger abutment surface inhibits actuation of a trigger and a use position in which the trigger abutment surface permits actuation of the trigger. The plunge stop is coupled to the lever and is movable with the lever between a first position and a second position. The first position corresponds with the safety position of the lever. In the first position, the plunge stop inhibits a motor housing of the saw from being moved from a raised position toward a plunged position. The second position corresponds with the use position of the lever. In the second position, the plunge stop permits the motor housing to be moved from the raised position toward the plunged position.

A circular saw includes a shoe, a shoe plate, a saw unit, and a trim angle adjustment mechanism. The saw unit includes a circular saw blade defining a blade plane, and the saw unit is coupled to the shoe by a shoe plate. The trim angle adjustment mechanism is operable to adjust a trim angle between a trim axis formed at an intersection of the blade plane and the shoe plane and a reference trim axis, the reference trim axis being parallel to a groove in a track along which the circular saw is slidable. The trim angle is adjustable to align the trim axis with the reference trim axis in response to sliding movement of the shoe plate relative to the shoe, the sliding movement caused by adjustment of the trim angle adjustment mechanism.

A perpendicular axis saw blade includes a blade body with an outer blade body edge to which a plurality of primary saw teeth are affixed at spaced intervals to form a primary teeth per inch (TPI). The blade also includes a plurality of primary gullets. Each primary gullet is located between two of the plurality of primary teeth and has a primary gullet depth and primary gullet capacity. Each of the plurality of the primary teeth includes a primary tooth tip, a primary tooth leading edge, a primary tooth trailing edge. Secondary saw teeth affixed at spaced intervals to the primary tooth trailing edge or at least one primary gullet form a secondary TPI. The primary teeth cut a workpiece during a machining operation. A user or system can use the secondary teeth to cut through a foreign object detected in the workpiece without damaging any primary teeth.