What is Reddit's opinion of Makita 5402NA 16-5/16" Circular Saw?

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They come a lot bigger than 7&1/4 too.

Makita 5402NA 16-5/16-Inch Circular Saw https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0000614UR/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_api_i_xmfhFbEZB399B

7&1/4 is a good size for a first saw. Perfectly sized for most framing tasks. Smaller saws weigh less and are less powerful. Bigger saws are heavier and more powerful.

Worm drive or not: worm drive means one thing mechanically, and another thing in common parlance. The only saw that actually uses a worm gear (I believe) is the skilsaw (both corded and cordless). Worm drive also can be used interchangeably with “rear handle”, Makita uses a hypoid gear in its corded rear handle, its cordless rear handle is direct drive.

Rear handle saws are a little less nimble, a little bigger/heavier than a sidewinder (traditional direct drive) circ saw. For me personally, I like the additional heft. I find that it’s easier to cut a straight line with a heavier saw, either using gravity when cutting downwards, or by pushing the saw through a cut (why a lot of people like rear-handles... the handle placement).

Sidewinders for me take a little more active management to keep straight, but they’re absolutely the best for using above your head, or on a wall.

You def should try both before you decide.

Ha ha, I like the option 1, as in, the original circular Starlink being a widely distributed advertisement for it's baby sister Rectangular Dishy... ;)

For me, the first thing to spring in my mind when I hear "circular" is something like this:

https://www.amazon.com/Makita-5402NA-16-5-16-Inch-Circular/dp/B0000614UR

I dunno, doubt it's 5100$ better than the makita

https://www.amazon.com/Makita-5402NA-16-5-16-Inch-Circular/dp/B0000614UR

I just still would use my circular saw and sawhorses in that situation- cut, flip the board and cut. Transferring the marks can be tedious but it just winds up being the best option from a cost-benefit analysis. Other choices are:

• A miter saw like you mentioned might do it (Listed capacity is 3 1/2" x 13 1/2" at 90, so that leads me to believe that at some narrower width (8"?), it would cut through 16/4.
• A beam saw: https://www.amazon.com/Makita-5402NA-16-5-16-Inch-Circular/dp/B0000614UR - pricey enough relative to its one trick pony status in my workflow that I'm motivated to keep transferring lines. (Though this would be fun to have someday lol, if I make it to "money-is-no-object" status).
• Table saw would be really unwieldy for crosscutting long boards unless you get a really big one with a slider, and you'd probably need a 12" one instead of a 10" one, again getting up to way too expensive pretty quickly
• If you have the space and 220, a truck or trailer, and about five strong friends to help you move it, the least expensive option would be keeping an eye out for a used big industrial radial arm saw. (E.g. 2-3hp minimum & 14" blade minimum). RASs have fallen out of favor as being unsafe (so they are often dirt cheap) but if you have the space and power for one and all you're doing with it is crosscutting, this would be the way I'd go.
• Chainsaw and sawzall would work too as u/Sol_Invictus pointed out.

https://www.amazon.com/Makita-5402NA-16-5-16-Inch-Circular/dp/B0000614UR

~16", ~30 lbs

 

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We use a 10 1/4" saw for cedar beams and the like, but I just looked up the 16" Makita saw and the picture of the guy holding it is hilarious. I'm dying laughing over here.

https://www.amazon.com/Makita-5402NA-16-5-16-Inch-Circular/dp/B0000614UR

You can make a tracksaw out of a regular circular saw and some plywood.

If you want to avoid the "cut from both sides" problem, you can rent a beam saw which should do 6"+ of depth and use that with your plywood track.