Model	M14-DUO5-65
Motor	4-Amp copper motor
Weight	4.8 lbs.
Speed	4500RPM
Cutting Depth	Adjustable, up to 25mm
Blade	3 Blades included: 36T blade 30T blade Diamond saw blade

 

The Hychika Mini Circular Saw stood out from the other two for a few different reasons, besides the size of the blade. First and foremost, the blade guard and show are considerably different, in that the saw plunge cuts into the wood, rather than operating like a typical circular saw, where the blade guard swings out of the way of the blade as the cut is started. 

This requires a twin trigger system, making the saw safer to operate. Unfortunately, it also eliminates the ability of the saw to tilt, making beveled cuts. The other two saws can make bevel cuts up to 45 degrees.

Because the Hychika is smaller than the other two saws, it’s depth of cut is smaller as well, topping out at one inch. This means it can cut ¾” thick plywood; but it can’t cut through 2’x 4”s, unless the cut were made part way through from one side and then finished from the other.

However, it does come with three blades, allowing it to cut though light metal (aluminum or brass) and ceramic tile. It is surprising how well it cuts through the tile.

#2 WORX Mini Circular Saw: An Overview

 

The WORX mini circular saw takes a step up in size from the Hychika. It’s corded, just like the Hychika, but it runs a 4-1/2 inch blade — big enough to cut clean through a 2x4 in one pass.

The depth adjustment is on the back of the saw, topping out at about 1-3/4 inches, which gives you the extra quarter-inch of blade you want when cutting thicker boards.

Design-wise, instead of a pistol-grip handle like a full-size circular saw, the WORX has an extended body where the motor sits right behind the blade. It’s a little different feel but very easy to manage.

The shoe bevels up to 45 degrees, just like a regular saw — though, as always, cutting at an angle does cut down your max depth.

Overall, it’s a basic, no-frills tool, but I was excited to see how well it could really handle full 2x4 cuts. For something this compact, that’s pretty impressive on paper.

#3 WEN Cordless Mini Circular Saw: An Overview

Of the three saws we looked at, the Wen was unique in that it was the only cordless saw. Cordless power tools have been taking over the market from corded ones, and so it is not surprising to find a cordless mini circular saw. It is not the only one out there, but there aren’t a lot of cordless saws to choose from. 

One thing that was unique about this saw was that it included a laser cutting guide. This option has been installed on a variety of different circular saws and jigsaws by a variety of manufacturers. 

It is a bit surprising to find it on a cordless saw, but not too surprising. What is more surprising is finding it on a saw that is manufactured by what most people would consider a low-cost brand.

The big question for me was whether this cordless WEN could keep up with the corded models in terms of power and cutting speed. I was curious to see how much difference that battery made.

Testing the Mini Circular Saws

Looking at the saws and comparing their features isn’t enough. There are many who do that, basing their “reviews” on how the products are listed on Amazon or other websites. Our purpose was to test the saws and see how they stacked up in actual use.

RPM Test: Are They as Fast as They Claim?

First up, I checked the no-load RPM (revolutions per minute) with a digital tachometer to see if these saws lived up to their ratings. Both the Hychika and WEN were rated for 4500 RPM, while the WORX was rated slightly lower at 4100 RPM.

Here’s how they did:

• Hychika:
  • Test 1: 4625 RPM
  • Test 2: 5310 RPM (outlier — possible misread)
  • Test 3: 4625 RPM

➔ Consistent around 4625 RPM, beating the spec slightly.

• WEN Cordless:
  • Test 1: 4345 RPM
  • Test 2: 4292 RPM
  • Test 3: 4550 RPM

 ➔ Averaged about 4450 RPM — just a hair below spec, which is understandable for a cordless tool even with a fully charged battery.

• WORX:
  • Test 1: 4707 RPM
  • Test 2: 3371 RPM
  • Test 3: 3420 RPM

➔ Readings were all over the place. I suspect it’s because the blade was so highly polished that the tachometer had trouble picking it up. Hard to draw firm conclusions here.

Noise Test: Which Saw Is Easiest on the Ears?

Next, I pulled out a sound pressure meter to measure how noisy each saw was while running. The background noise in my workshop was 28 dB, which is pretty quiet. I took all measurements from 24 inches away—about the same distance your ear would be when actually using the saw.

Here’s what I got:

• Hychika: 95.4 dB
  
• WEN Cordless: 96.1 dB
• WORX: 90.7 dB
  

So the WORX is noticeably quieter than the other two — about 5 dB lower, which is significant if you’re planning to use it for long sessions. The Hychika and WEN were almost identical in noise output.

Weight Test: Which One Is Easiest to Handle?

Weight makes a big difference, especially if you’re going to be using a saw for a long time or making a lot of cuts.

Here’s how the three saws measured out on my scale:

• Hychika: 4 lb 8.8 oz
• WEN Cordless: 5 lb 8.4 oz (heavier because of the battery)
• WORX: 4 lb 1.6 oz
  
  

The WORX is the lightest by a decent margin — and you definitely feel that when you're picking it up and moving it around. The WEN, being cordless, is naturally heavier, but it’s still pretty manageable.

Vibration Test: Surprisingly Smooth

One test that I also did on these saws was to test them for vibration. Vibration is a major factor in user fatigue, so I wanted to measure how bad the vibration was in these saws. 

To test this, I ordered a vibration meter, such as is used in industrial applications. There was just one problem; the amount of vibration that the saws produced was so slight, that the meter couldn’t measure it. That was a good sign, but not something I expected.

Since the vibration meter was unable to provide me with a reading, I chose to go with a less conventional means of trying to measure the vibration from the tools. This was to take a tail feather from a pheasant, which is about 16” long and attach it to the handle.

My thinking was that the length and fragility of the feather would cause it to magnify any vibration. But even this test showed almost no vibration.

Cutting Test 1: 2x4 Lumber

The proof of any saw is its ability to cut; so, the previously mentioned tests were mere preludes to the main event. I wanted to see just how well the saws would cut, in a variety of different circumstances, including cutting beyond the various saws’ capacity.

For the first round, I used a standard 2x4, setting up a fence about 5 cm away to help guide the saws and ensure clean, straight cuts. A crooked cut could cause kickback or bogging down, and I wanted a fair test.

Here’s how each saw performed:

• WORX:
  Went through the 2x4 without any problem at all. Clean and smooth cut.
  
  
• WEN Cordless:
  Also sliced through easily, despite being a cordless model.
  
  
• HYCHIKA:
  Even though the Hychika didn’t cut all the way through — no surprise since it has a smaller blade — it still didn’t bog down or struggle. Pretty impressive for a saw its size.

Results: Overall, all three saws handled the 2x4 test better than expected. Even the smaller Hychika proved it could hold its own if you stay within its depth limits.

Cutting Test 2: 4x4 Lumber

Next, I wanted to push the saws a little further.

They're really designed for cutting up to 2x4s, but what happens if we tackle something even thicker — like a 4x4?

I ran each saw through a 4x4 to see if any of them would bog down:

Results: All three saws made it through the 4x4 without any real struggle. Even though they aren’t technically built for material this thick, none of them bogged down. That's a big confidence booster if you ever find yourself needing to push these tools a little outside their intended comfort zone.

Cutting Test 3: Hard Red Oak

Okay, so cutting thicker pine wasn't much of a challenge. But what about a harder wood?

For this test, I used a piece of red oak — leftover from a chair project. It’s about 1-1/4 inches thick and 3 inches wide. Definitely a tougher material compared to softwood 2x4s.

I ran each saw through the oak:

 

• WORX:
  Cut through, but I could hear it bog down just slightly — the motor slowed for a moment.
  
  
• WEN Cordless:
  Powered right through without any noticeable slowdown. Very impressive for a cordless saw.
  
  
• HYCHIKA:
  The first attempt, the Hychika stopped mid-cut. But I wasn't sure if it was the saw or if my finger slipped off the trigger. So I gave it another try…

On the second cut, it went through fine. It may have slowed down just a touch, but honestly, not enough to matter.

Results: All three saws were able to handle hardwood like red oak — with only minor slowdowns. The cordless WEN was especially surprising here. It kept full power all the way through.

Cutting Test 4: Aluminum Tube

Now for something a little different: metal.

I had already tried cutting through a 2-inch aluminum tube with the Hychika earlier, since it came with a blade specifically rated for metal.

The Worx and WEN don’t advertise that capability — but since both came with carbide-tipped blades, I figured why not give it a shot?

Here’s how they did:

• WORX
  Sliced right through. I had a little trouble keeping my line straight, but that was user error—not the saw's fault.
  
  
• WEN
  No issues at all. Smooth and clean cut through the aluminum.

Results: Even though the WEN and WORX weren't specifically marketed for metal cutting, they handled the aluminum tube without any complaints. So between wood and light metals, these little saws are more capable than they first look.

Speed Test

So far, all three saws have handled every material I’ve thrown at them — but I still wasn’t convinced we were really pushing them to their limits.

One of the factors that I wanted to test was how quickly the saws would cut, when pushed beyond normal cutting operations. 

My DIY Sled Test Setup

To test this, I decided that I would use ¾” thick plywood, as that is actually harder to cut through than 2”x 4”s, due to the adhesive used to bond the veneers together. 

In order to run the test, I devised a sled which would allow the sections of plywood to be pulled past the saws, while the saws were held in place. To ensure that the speed of the sample was consistent, it was pulled past the saws by a five-pound weight, hanging off the end of my workbench. 

One result of this testing method was that the initial contact between the saw blade and the wood to be cut was much faster than it would be in normal use.

What we’re looking for:

• How fast can each saw cut through?
• Does it bog down halfway through the cut?

Hychika Speed Test

 

• First Cut: 13.23 seconds
  It powered through, although it struggled a little bit toward the end.
• Second Cut: 15.17 seconds
  Got hung up slightly again right at the end, but still made it through without totally stalling.

The Hychika is definitely able to cut through—but it’s working pretty hard at it.

 

WORX Speed Test

Next up, I tested the WORX saw using the same setup—same pull weight, same type of wood.

• First Cut: 1 minute 19.13 seconds
  It was noticeably slower than the Hychika, but the cut was a lot smoother.
  That said, the edges of the wood came out a little chewed up.

It’sworth mentioning: part of what we’re seeing here isn’t just the motor performance — it’s also about the quality of the blade.

I’m using the blades that shipped with the saws, and it seemed like the WORX blade was smoother cutting, but less aggressive.

• Second Cut Attempt:
  The blade got stuck about an inch into the wood. Had to back it out and restart.
  
  
• Third Cut: 1 minute 5.03 seconds
  It made it through the board, but after struggling in that first inch.

The WORX definitely cuts, but it’s slower and seems to bog down a bit more under pressure compared to the Hychika.

WEN Speed Test

Finally, I tested the WEN cordless mini circular saw using the same sled and weight setup.

• First Cut Attempt:
  It jammed about a third of the way through. Same problem we saw with the WORX — the sled is feeding the material faster than the blade can clear it.
  
  
• Second Cut Attempt:
   Another jam. The WEN just couldn’t make it through the board. For fairness, I had already given the WORX another try earlier, and I did the same here.
  

 But even with the retry, the WEN struggled and stalled out before finishing the cut.

This result wasn’t totally shocking. Cordless tools, especially smaller ones like this, usually have a little less torque compared to their corded counterparts — and that showed up clearly in this stress test.

Final Thoughts

Overall, I was pleased with the performance of all three saws. As I mentioned, they struggled with the final test; but that test was designed to push them to their limit. I obviously succeeded in that. But at the same time, the saws were able to take pretty much all I threw at them.

While there will always be things that a “full sized” circular saw will be capable of doing, which these saws can’t, the list of them has grown considerably shorter. Unless there is a need to cut something heavier than ¾” plywood or 2”x 4”s, then these saws could do most of the tasks which we normally use larger circular saws to do. Not only that, but they will cause less operator fatigue, due to their lighter weight.