GMC LS236LS Circular Saw: Discontinued — What to Buy Instead
A corded circular saw from GMC. The brand went into receivership in 2008 and support went with it.
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The LS236LS was one of GMC’s corded circular saws, sold through Australian hardware retailers before the company was placed in receivership in 2008. The brand has had no support since.
Is it worth keeping?
If it runs and the base is flat and square, yes — a circular saw is a motor, an arbor and a base plate, and none of those wear out quickly.
The consumables are carbon brushes, which are generic and cheap once you measure the old ones, and the cord.
The thing that ends a budget saw’s life is the base plate. Stamped steel that has been dropped will have a twist in it, and a twisted base means the blade is no longer perpendicular to the work. Lay a straight edge across it, and check the blade against an engineer’s square with the bevel at zero.
If it is out and not adjustable, the saw will never cut square and there is nothing to be done.
The blade matters more than the saw
This is the cheapest possible upgrade. Budget saws ship with budget blades, and a tired 16-tooth blade makes any saw feel underpowered and leave a torn edge.
A current thin-kerf 24-tooth blade for ripping, or a 40-tooth for sheet goods, costs a fraction of a new saw and changes how the old one behaves.
What to buy
The Makita XSS02Z, linked below, is the cordless standard in this size: 18V LXT, 6-1/2 in, bare tool pricing, on a platform whose batteries have been compatible since 2005.
For corded, look for a cast base plate and an electric brake. Both are common now and both were rare on budget saws of this generation.