I've owned this circular saw for over a year now.  It is heavy.  I think most of the people who complained about the saw kicking tried to hold it with one hand.  It has not kicked on me once when held correctly.  Unless you bench 250, you want to use both handles all the time.  Did I mention that the saw is heavy?  Also, it is unlikely that the blade is bent.  The blade never touches the ground because of the blade guard.  When you are sawing, you can look down and see if the blade wobbles.  The electric brake is not a safety feature.  When you release the trigger, the blade still spins for 2-3 seconds.  According to the instructions, the electronic brake is meant for certain precise cuts where you want to stop the blade from spinning without removing the saw from the cut.  In retrospect, I think maybe a lighter circular saw without the electronic brake feature would have been a better buy.