Rear-Handle Cordless Saws and Metal Panel Cutters Roofing Crews Are Actually Buying

Roofing crews cut more than shingles. They rip sheathing, trim ridge, open metal panels, and demo standing-seam locks. Two recent launches — one cordless circular saw aimed at framers and remodelers, one metal-specific shear from Malco — show where manufacturers are pushing cutting tools that end up on roof decks.

Milwaukee M18 FUEL 7-1/4" rear-handle circular saw

Milwaukee’s U.S. press materials for the M18 FUEL 7-1/4-inch rear-handle circular saw (kit 2930-21HD) position it as the company’s most powerful and fastest saw in its class. Specs Milwaukee published with the launch:

• 6,000 RPM (no-load)
• 2-5/8" depth of cut at 90°, 2" at 45°
• Bare tool weight 8.3 lb; 11.6 lb with an M18 REDLITHIUM FORGE HD12.0 pack
• Up to 700 cuts per charge on that FORGE HD12.0 battery (vendor claim)
• 1.5 lb lighter than the previous generation
• Kit MSRP $449; bare tool (2930-20) $279
• 5-year tool / 3-year battery warranty

Trade coverage and retailer listings put U.S. availability in May–June 2025 (see Tool Craze and Deck Specialist write-ups timed to that window). Features called out in Milwaukee’s release include bevel and depth detents, a rotating dust port, electric blade brake, LED work light, and magnesium guards and shoe.

For roofing shops already on M18, the practical pitch is one less cord or gas saw on tear-off and decking days — especially when you are cutting OSB, ridge beam, or blocking on a steep slope where dragging a worm-drive cord is a trip hazard. It is still a framing-style rear-handle saw, not a metal-cutting shear; blade choice and PPE rules do not change.

Malco TurboShear Rotary Panel Cutter at METALCON 2025

On Oct. 14, 2025, Malco Tools debuted several products at METALCON 2025, including the TurboShear Rotary Panel Cutter (TSPC1). Malco says the TSPC1 uses dual opposing cutting wheels that self-advance through metal and vinyl, leaving a clean cut and reducing the hand fatigue of forcing blades through panel stock.

That same announcement also added Drip Edge Folding Tools (DEFT) in 16", 18", and 24" lengths for 1" and 1-1/2" bends in up to 22-gauge steel, plus expanded hex sizes on the 7-in-1 C-RHEX Flip Bit — useful on metal roof fastener packages even if they are not saws.

Malco did not publish an MSRP for the TSPC1 in the METALCON release. Price it through a metal-roofing distributor before you write it into a bid template.

What it means on the roof

• Asphalt / steep-slope crews: A lighter rear-handle cordless saw cuts decking and framing lumber without staging a compressor or generator solely for the saw. Battery logistics matter — one FORGE pack per saw is not a crew kit.
• Metal crews: Rotary panel cutters and purpose-built shears protect finish and reduce distortion versus abrasive blades. They also keep sparks down around underlayment and jobsite debris.
• Insurance and safety: Cordless cutting reduces cord trip hazards on wet decks. It does not change fall-protection requirements while you cut near an edge.

Caveats

Milwaukee’s “most powerful / fastest in class” language is marketing; run your own cut tests on the sheathing and rafter stock you actually buy. Rear-handle geometry helps rip accuracy for some operators and feels wrong for others who grew up on sidewinders. On metal, confirm the TSPC1’s gauge and profile limits with Malco before you put it on a 24-gauge structural panel tear-off. And none of these tools replace a listed metal-cutting procedure in a manufacturer’s install guide when warranty is on the line.

If you are refreshing the truck this year, treat the saw and the metal cutter as separate decisions: one is about M18 ecosystem and decking speed, the other is about panel quality on metal reroofs.

Related: Cordless roofing nailers · Metal eating steep-slope share.