Yes their are circular saws with brakes such as the Dewalt model DW369CSK
shown in he link below that Home Depot lists on their website also. However
a blade brake does not work instantaneously and accidents can happen so fast
that the user may not take their finger off the switch right away when a
dangerous event occurs. Personally I like the fact that my Bosch circular
saw has a mechanism to minimize kickbacks and do not worry about not having
a blade break. While at Home Depot take a look at the Rigid jigsaw which
should be $99 and comes with a lifetime warranty if you register for it and
keep your documentation such as receipt and possibly UPC code from the box.
It is a powerful quality jigsaw that could probably do most everything you
want if you use quality blades such as the ones from Bosch for the job you
need to do. Using a guide with a jigsaw [or any saw] can greatly improve the
quality of your cut. I use an angle square [Home Depot has lots of them] and
guide the saws foot against it to make a great cut. For sheet goods clamp a
straight price of wood onto the work as a guide. Of course you will need to
position the guide so that the blade is centered on the cut mark.

http://www.toolbarn.com/product/dewalt/DW369CSK/ --- DW369CSK
http://www.ridgid.com/Tools/R3120-Jigsaw/ --- Rigid jigsaw

http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00...lance&n=228013
--- angle square


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Steven L Umbach wrote:
You could with the right jigsaw such as the Bosch 1590 but that is around
$160. Sears is clearing out the Bosch clone [ model 27719] of their old
jigsaw which still is an excellent jigsaw and many Sears have them for
$39
in their clearance center down from $149. Having said that a circular saw
is
a great tool and user's need to understand how to use them safely
including
using a good sharp blade, only using as much blade as needed for the
depth
of cut, respecting the tool until the blade is stationary, clamping your
work, using a stance that has a good balance and firm support, supporting
the work properly, and working in a clear work area, etc. As others have
mentioned a miter saw is another great tool to have for crosscutting. You
can get a decent miter saw for under $150 such as the Hitachi models sold
at
Lowes. Bosch has a circular saw [CS20/CS10] that will stop spinning the
blade if the blade pinches instead of causing kickback. The CS10 goes for
around $119 regular price. --- Steve

Thanks for the recommendations. I wouldn't mind paying for a reliable
brand. I like my DeWalt drill and my Milwaukee Super Sawzall, and I've
built a privacy fence and gates and trimmed trees with the Sawzall. I'm
willing to try a good circular saw, but I'm not willing to end up in
the hospital or worse out of ignorance (I'm a widow and I live by
myself). Does Makita have a saw with electric brake - Home Depot guy
said there is no such thing??