The answer — one pick, priced
Get the
SKIL 5280‑01
$21 under your budget
The only saw in this comparison genuinely under $100 — 15 amps, 5,300 RPM and a laser guide, ranked top budget pick by 3 of 12 sources.
Fit ledger — need → measured evidence
■ The catch — co-equal billing, always
The cord is the whole trade-off. Every cut has to happen within reach of an outlet or an extension lead, and there is no jobsite mobility at all. Under $100 there is no cordless alternative — the cheapest brushless cordless saw here is $118 before you add a battery.
Dealbreaker? Runner-up №1 is the cheapest cordless at $118 bare ↓
■ Every product has a catch. Verdicts that hide it are how bad buys happen.
Don't buy this if…
- you need a track saw for precision sheet goods or cabinetry
- you need a miter saw for angled crosscuts and trim work
- you need a table saw for ripping lumbertable saws under 500 dossier →
Wrong product for you is still a bad buy. These are the cases where we'd send you somewhere else.
Runners-up — if your needs differ
Adjacent verdicts — other needs, same method
Different budget, different household, different job — each of these is already researched, priced and verified. Take the one that matches your need.
Traps — this verdict avoids
Why the SKIL 5280-01 is right for you
It avoids every trap below — and for anyone, under $80, it is the pick because it delivers:
Bare tool vs kit
Most prices in this category are bare tools — no battery, no charger. Adding them costs $100-$200, so a $118 bare tool is not cheaper than a $168 kit. Every price here states its configuration.
The blade in the box
The stock blade is the weakest component on nearly every saw sold. Budget ~$25 for a 24T thin-kerf framing blade — it improves cut quality more than moving up a whole price tier.
Stale review pricing
This category swings hard on promotions and bare-tool inflation. The Milwaukee 2732-20 moved between ~$199 and ~$339 bare inside a single year, so a review's value ranking can be a year out of date.
Provenance — 12 sources, dated
Winners are picked from the full research dossier at knowledgelib.io. Prices, stock and listings are re-verified monthly.