A portable electric cutter includes a housing 2 in which a motor 1 is accommodated, a saw blade driven to rotate by the motor, a base 6 coupled to the housing 2 and having a bottom surface slidable on a surface of a material to be cut, a fan 7 driven to rotate by the motor, a driving circuit for switching power supplied to the motor, and a control circuit for controlling the driving circuit. A circuit board 60 on which the driving circuit, the control circuit and others are mounted is provided, motor cooling air vents are provided in the housing 2 on a side opposite to the saw blade, and circuit board cooling air vents are provided in the housing 2 on the side opposite to the saw blade.