This review is for Rockwell RK3441K Compact Circular Saw Kit .
I really like this saw. Because of the smaller blade and light weight It’s much easier to handle than a traditional circular saw. It seems to be well made and there is plenty of power. A three year warranty seems quite bold for a ten year old company making tools in China selling at low prices, this tells me that they are serious about making high quality tools. (To get a three year warranty you must register your saw, otherwise, it’s a two year warranty.)

Yes, this is a ten year old company. It’s not the same legendary Rockwell from Jackson, Tennessee which produced fine professional tools in the 60s and 70s. This new company purchased the Rockwell name and is manufacturing a new line of tools in China. I own several of the original, older Rockwells (or Porter Cable) and, to me, it looks like the new Rockwell has done a good job capturing the style and quality of their progenitor. But it is hard to evaluate things like brushes and bearings and switches in a new product. I wonder if I’ll still be using this saw in thirty years along side the older tools which last a lifetime.

I had good results cutting 1/2 inch and 1 inch plywood, and 1-1/2 inch oak (two pieces of 3/4 oak flooring cut together) was no problem. The dust collection port works well but the supplied adapter didn’t really fit any of the various hoses and adapters I have around. I ended up using duct tape. One thing I noticed when using a long, straight-edge cutting guide on plywood, the cuts weren’t quite as true as they are when I cut with my 7-1/2 inch circular saw. The long cuts with the small saw were acceptable but not excellent. I find this a fair tradeoff for the ease of handling and versatility the little saw provides. I expect the small, thin carbide tipped blade will wear out much sooner than we are used to with the large saws. But this, too, is a fair tradeoff and the blades are easy to find for ten dollars. It’s amusing Rockwell calls this a “kit” when all that’s included is a small edge guide and vacuum attachment. Thankfully, they didn’t throw in one of those cheesy, useless bags that get instantly tossed. Instead, they include a Velcro cord wrap that is actually useful.

I’ve read several negative reviews about the saw on various websites mainly complaining about the wobbly shoe assembly (more on this later). Yes, this is definitely a flaw in this model. I guess it’s understandable. Because of the immense pressure to produce high quality at low prices, something has to give way and designers shave assembly costs wherever they can. Where else have they cut that I can’t see? It is sad though because I would have paid thirty dollars more for a bit more quality, but perhaps most people don’t think like that.

I was originally going to rate it 4 stars because of the shoe assembly looseness but I decided on 5 stars for the following reasons.
1. The three year warranty is quite good. Plus, Rockwell has a 30 day Satisfaction Guarantee.
2. There is nothing like it on the market except for battery models (the older Porter Cable trim saw is no longer being produced, and the Makita 5-1/2 inch saw costs over twice as much).
3. The power and quality are very good for a saw at this price.
4. I was able to modify the shoe assembly so the saw works now like a 5 star model.

The flaw in the shoe assembly is in the loose fitting attachment points. There is a pin at the front and a rivet at the back. Both are quite sloppy so the shoe wiggles a little when cutting. I replaced both attachments with screws and the shoe is now very solid so cutting has become a pleasure. I have details about this modification on my blog, if you would like to read more, search for “DIY: Shoe Modification for Rockwell Compact Circular Saw”.

I’ve used a larger 7 1/2 inch Dewalt circular saw for years. But now it’s getting cobwebs because of this Rockwell RK3441K compact saw. This compacts saw is so darn handy, lays easily in my tool bag, is more convenient than my larger traditional circular saw to tot around that it’s becoming my go-to saw for small to intermediate cuts in wood and metal.

It has a nice /precise /quality rip fence and angle cut feature and the knobs are quick and secure to set any angle cut. I particularly love the blade being on the left side of the drive. This dramatically increased my vision over the cut so it’s safer, more accurate, user friendly and better results.

My hands are average size (size 8-9 glove size Large) and I find the grip size /surface & design easy to hold on to and user friendly. For small hands this might be a challenge. The trigger pull is less complicated that other saws this size with makes this model Rockwell easier to operate and control while cutting than all other saws this size…in my opinion.

The blade turns as a slower RPM than my full size Dewalt, but if you slow down your feed this saw handles anything I throw it’s way giving a clean crisp cut and does not bog down. For big tough jobs simply use a bigger saw. The blade I found Best for all around cuts in wood /metal /longevity was a Freud D0436X Diablo 4-3/8-Inch 36 Tooth ATB Cordless Trim Saw Blade that I’ve used with no issues at all.

I am not easy to impress, but this compact medium duty Rockwell has earned its way into my inner circle of tools. I am Very pleased with the quality features, portability and durability of this handy saw. Recommend this without reservations and consider the hundred dollar cost a fair value.

—-UPDATE—-
Have used this Rockwell saw for several months now and and it’s still rock solid. No issues at all. The adjustable guide fence is real handy,…quick and secure adjustment lever,…easy to make quick /secure fence adjustments.

I’ve also used this saw in unconventional situations where I had to remove material from wood in such a way I was able to turn the saw over, expose the blade and carefully angle the wood into the blade to free-hand & create a router type effect. It was the only way to finish a particular cut and this saw has the flexibility to help. Never know what you’ll run into during a project and glad this saw has extra flexibility to adapt. Continues to earn my unqualified recommendation!

I don’t just love it, I LOVE IT! Anytime I get my own power tools at home, they disappear to my husband’s shop. That wasn’t a problem when we lived next door to his shop, but we moved to live next door to my parents and now when things disappear, I’d have to drive 14 miles to reclaim them. Then there’s also the rigamarole of “that’s not yours, that’s mine” because everything is the same brand… which is any brand carried at big box hardware stores. Enter Rockwell. Well made, affordable, and a brand to which my husband doesn’t have access at the local big box. I particularly like the size of this saw as my main cutting is 2″ depth or less (I don’t need the big bladed saws). This Rockwell suited me over the other Rockwell that Amazon offers, not just because this one is cheaper but because the other one (I forget the model, but the fancier infomercial one with the laser) doesn’t cut as deep of wood as this one. This saw is a bit heavy for a girl with normal sized girl hands, but I got used to it quickly enough. It is a bit of a stretch (pain in the tookus) to reach with my right thumb to push the safety whilst also pulling the power trigger with my right pointy finger (forefinger?), but it’s not impossible and not worth deducting a star.

I was looking for a circular saw that was considerably smaller than my full-sized saw, to get into spots the big saw couldn’t. This saw fits the bill perfectly. It is incredibly easy to adjust and easy to operate one-handed. But I’m not a big fan of the lock location. It’s difficult for me to reach when using my left hand on the saw.

I bought this saw instead of the the 3440 model because of the larger blade. Now I’m wishing I had bought the 3440. Although it cuts well enough I find the grip to be awkward and not comfortable at all. For a right handed person with average size hands the trigger lock release – mounted very low on the left side – is nearly impossible to reach with the thumb while pulling the trigger and still maintaining a tight grip on the saw. More often than not I find myself having to use my other hand to release the trigger lock so I can keep a firm grip on the saw. That means I have start the saw holding it off of the material I’m cutting. For that reason, I would not call this a “one-handed saw.” I believe left handed people will find the trigger lock release in an awkward position as well. For many people, trying to use the saw one-handed will create an unsafe condition. Unless I can find a way to modify this trigger lock release I intend to get rid of the saw. On another note, I am disappointed in Amazon for listing this as a “kit.” I’ll accept responsibility for not checking first, but with every other seller who markets these saws as “kits” the deal includes three saw blades and a tote bag. A minor complaint maybe, but I think the description in the header is misleading and Amazon could do better toward it’s customers.

The on/off button is hard to press as indicated on other reviews and the shoe needs to be better quality controlled. Hole for mounting the shoe to body was oversized and retained by a split pin. Not the most accurate way to design and produce a quality product. It does have plenty of power. If you make a special washer, you can attach a 4.5 inch tile/concrete diamond blade. I used it to cut quartz countertops and it had plenty of power. With the carbide blade, it can cut 2x4s and other materials.

If it came with the washers to adapt other blades, or had a standard arbor size so I didnt have to adapt it, I would have given it an additional star. If the shoe quality/design was better so as to lessen the slop, I would also give it another star. Lastly, if the on/off button was easier to grasp, this would be the perfect portable saw….Hope Rockwell will take into consideration these comments. I’m giving it only 3 stars of 5 because I really don’t think it is a 2 star product, but those are 3 items to improve.

I use to travel to china and test power tools for Portacable, Sears, Makita, etc. I just notice they came out with a concrete tile blade, so I will up my rating, but wish they kept to a standard arbor hole size.

Test Engineer

I previously used a regular 7 1/4″ circular saw for remodeling or new projects. Now I use this saw most of the time. It cuts easily and is lighter. The only dislike I have about the saw is the location of the safety button you have to press to pull the trigger. Took some time getting it to work. Otherwise, it is a great little saw that I wish I had available sooner.

after using this saw for a few months, I find it to be totally inadequate for any sawing task… I bought this to cut 3/4 plywood, to date it can’t follow a straight-edge, there is way too much flex in the shoe and its connecting brackets/hardware…. Wandering to and fro, even loses the 90 degree setting as it flexes…. the blade is too thin and wants to follow the grain of regular lumber… as you can see, I’m disgusted with this product, I have spent more time correcting faults than actually cutting plywood…. this is money poorly spent on a tool that can be engineered and built better, the idea is sound, but the execution is woefully lacking… I could never recommend this tool to anyone…

This 4.5 inch circular saw is quick and effortless to use compared to a reciprocating saw and leaves a cleaner cut.
Quieter and lighter than a 7.5 circular saw and easy to handle with one hand.
For renovating and detail work it’s the cat’s meow.
I disabled the aggravating trigger lock since I’m capable of handling the tool safely without it. Still, I may fashion some sort of trigger guard which is what it should have been equipped with in the first place.

I purchased this along with a number of other tools to lay in a floor in my attic. I found myself using this tool before anything else if I need to cut anything and the job is almost completed. I could have made do with other tools but having this one made my life a lot easier. It did everything as advertised.