Best circular saw?

[louis mason]

hi

I've been fighting with a $25.00 Skil saw for enough years now and I'm looking to upgrade my circular saw.

What do people think is the quietist, lightest, smoothest cutting saw that is less expensive than a Festool?

Are saws with the blade on the left better for right-handed people to see the cut progress?

In what situations are 7 1/2-in. saws better for than 6 1/2 saws? Will both cut thru 2x4's?

What other things are considerations when buying a circular saw?

louis

[onedash]

I never used it but plan on getting the PC left blade so I can watch the cut. My Craftsman is very awkward to hit the saftey on top and pull the trigger. Worm drives look like they would be easier to handle but they are heavier and louder. Never used one of those either.

[eddy merckx]

Hi Louis

I recently replaced my old Skil with a Porter Cable 7 1/4" left blade. It is a big improvement in balance and noise. I'm not sure why, but it tends to drift off the line much less. It also has dust collection capability. I like the left blade for the exact reason that you can see where you're cutting better, like when using a worm drive saw. I use mine mainly for cutting sheet goods down to manageable size, using a straight edge. The only disadvantage I can see with left blade is that it doesn't seem to be compatible with some of the fancy straight edge systems, like the EZ guide.

Can't address whether a 6 1/2" blade will cut a 2 x 4. Certainly the 7 1/4" will.
Eddy

[SARGE..g-47]

I use the PC mag with right blade. I thought I would be better off with the left as I am right handed, but got it home from Lowe's and put it on a sheet. Before I even turned it on, I re-boxed it and took it back to exchange for the right blade. Something just didn't feel right after having used rights for all the years.

Right or left is perhaps a better decision of the individual who will use it. In my case.. "if it don't feel good, don't do it". The good news is I don't have any problems with accuracy using the right, nor did I on the old 50's Shopmate it replaced (well the shopmate is still cranking for outside construction as it has the best and straightest steel base I have ever seen on any circular.

Good luck and hold them in your hand.. I like the Milwaukee and the Hitachi isn't bad if you are on a tight budget>

Regards...

[LarryG]

I agree with Sarge ... right vs left has to be decided by each person, and may or may not be a reflection of your dominant hand. I'm a lefty, and don't like the blade being on the left of my Skil 77. Which is a little irrational because you're not supposed to watch the blade anyway, but rather the interface to the guide. Still, when/if I buy another CS, mainly because the 77 is so blasted heavy, I'm going to get a right-blade (probably the Milwaukee, possibly the P-C).

[LinuxRandal]

I like the left blade for the exact reason that you can see where you're cutting better, like when using a worm drive saw. I use mine mainly for cutting sheet goods down to manageable size, using a straight edge. The only disadvantage I can see with left blade is that it doesn't seem to be compatible with some of the fancy straight edge systems, like the EZ guide.

Can't address whether a 6 1/2" blade will cut a 2 x 4. Certainly the 7 1/4" will.
Eddy

You CAN use the left blade sidewinder with the EZ guide, but you must contact Dino about it, and be LEFT HANDED. Canada's version of OSHA requires that sidewinders be left bladed for lefties and right bladed for righties (the hand that is on the trigger). I originally bought a Bosch CS20 (great dust collection) but as I am a lefty, that thing was awkward. I ended up with PC 424 mag as a replacement. (brake, dust collection).
The Makita, however, is generally considered the quietist, by the bunch over there.
I still use my Mag77 for rough work.

[Tom Slick]

I really like my Milwaukee sidewinder. it's a left blade and I'm right handed, it works well for me.
for wormdrive it's hard to beat the skil 77 but the bosch worm drive is essentially the same but with a better blade guard.

[wardprobst]

I have a DeWalt 384 circular takes 8 1/4 blades and I really like it. I do sheet goods, framing, and have even rough ripped with a saw guide. It brakes well after releasing the trigger and hasn't bogged down. It's the first really decent circle saw I've used and it's not too heavy to use with one hand. The extra blade length allows you to buy a variety of blades and it will cut a bit thicker material.
As the other's say, find one that fits your hand. I'd only add, look long at the table and try to tune it up in the store to make sure the plates flat and everything will adjust out.
HTH,
DP

[eezlock]

circular saws...?

Louis, not trying to mislead you or influence you decision here...but I think
that the best saw for you is the one that feels right to you. If I were going to
buy a new circular saw. I would check out everything in the local stores
to see what they have available. Take them down from the shelves, swing them back and forth a few times, this will tell you how hard and tiring they will become on your arm after a lot of sheet cutting,see how the easily blade guard retracts,the feel of the handle in relation to the trigger,and safety lockout switch.try it for balance, does it feel comfortable in your hand? does something feel out of comfortable user control? check out the bevel,tilt adjustments,depth setting adjustment,are they easy to set and release? check the sole plate of the saw, is it well made? is it cheaply thrown on the saw,kind of like an after thought and added on at the end of production? check the guiding edge at the front, is it easy to see and follow/ remember it is plowing thru cut sawdust all the time. certainly not last or least important, the motor how powerful is it, (amperage wise), and certainly, definately a blade lock,spinde/ arbor lock when it is time to change blades, cheap P.O.S. machines especially older models had to use two wrenches to change the blades,newer models for the most part use one wrench to do the work,
How about dust extraction? will this thing cover me up with dust everytime
I plug in? Better saws try and blow dust staright down or out side at an angle
instead of blowing it back in your face evertime.

Start out at local pawn shops, sometimes you can get a good deal on a used
high quality saw at about 1/2 price of a new one. Tell them to plug it in
and see how it runs before buying. Hey, I have even seen good Milwaukee,
and Dewalt saws there at 1/2 price of the local HD or Lowes of course
no warranty on used, but a quality made saw will last virtually forever
with little or no real problems. I have bought Dewalt, and other good name tools from pawnshops and never had any problems with any of them.
Hope this hasn't been too long of a post or confusing to you....but is my opinion and that is generally speaking what I start out doing, ex: I bought
an excellant dewalt plate/biscuit jointer at a pawnshop, had not been used
very much for $96.00 and change a couple of weeks ago, it normally sell
for about twice that amount new. eezlock

[drumpriest]

A 6 1/2" blade will cut a 2x4, but the 7 1/4" blades are far more plentiful.

[steve-u]

I have both the Milwaukee Tilt Lok and the Bosch CS10 [CS20 with fixed cord] circular saw. I don't use them much but they both are great. The Bosch however has about the best line of site to the cut line I have ever seen on a right side blade circular saw. The Milwaukee has a five year warranty and Bosch has a three year. I see Rigid has a new 6.5 inch corded circular saw. It looks neat but I don't understand how they can claim it can cut lumber 43 percent faster than a worm drive or standard size sidewinder.

Steve

[Timmah80]

I've been rough framing in Minnesota for 8+ years and used quite a few saws. I agree that you need to find one that is comfortable to you. One thing I look for is a clear line of sight to the blade. Left hand blades are nice for righties, but tend to tip off the work piece when the cutoff drops if you aren't ready for it. Worm drives are heavy saws, But they are great for cutting sheet goods, the control seems better than a sidewinder when you are stretched out. Saw brakes are a nice feature if you can't reach all the way across a sheet to cut, you don't have to wait for the blade to wind down. We bought some of the Rigid 7 1/4 inch saws about a year ago. They are the most rugged saw I've used. The bed doesn't stay square, and there isn't an adjustable stop so you have to square it by hand if you bevel anything. I also like the dewalt 7 1/4 inch saws. I own the DW362, it has a brake and the square stop and bevel indicator are all adjustable so you can tune it as needed. Hope this helps.

[Freebird]

I know the original post is quite dated now but just for those like myself that may read this later here is some info that may be found this useful.
LinuxRandal posted "Canada's version of OSHA requires that sidewinders be left bladed for lefties and right bladed for righties (the hand that is on the trigger)."
I believe there is an important reason for this requirement. Being right-handed, I often through the years have wanted to try a left bladed saw for sight reasons as well, but not anymore.
I'm in the ready-mix concrete field and we have "forming crews" that use these saws all the time. Recently one of the crew members inadvertantly purchased a left bladed saw to replace a right bladed one that went out of service. It took very little time before an experienced worker sawed his leg wide open. They all agreed,"NO more lefty saws"! It was a really nasty site and left a serious scar.
I studied how this could have happened and the worker was oblivious to the cause. He said it "just happened so fast" that he wasn't sure.
My conclusion; hold a left bladed saw in your right hand as you would if cutting. Hold it out in the air (which it is at the end of a cut). Now relax your arm completely. Yep! Where did it fall? That's right. The blade fell right against your leg! Do the same with a right bladed saw and the blade is away from your leg. I know there is a blade guard and all of that but who has not ever held the guard with another finger? Anyway, not sure exactly what happened but I think you can see the increased chance for dangerous events to occur.
As much as I would like to try one out, I think I'll continue to pass. The workers unanimously agreed to remove this saw from the crew and would heartily endorse the OSHA regs on this one.
Hope this is helpful information to someone.

[BigguyZ]

Well, I can definitely see this happening. But, why would you use your leg as a tool rest??

[Andrew Benedetto]

I am sorry but that is not a good reason and another stupid government involvement, I am glad I do not live under OSHA Canada. The workers should all agree to follow basic common sense and not blame the saw! That is really illogical reasoning, but then again that does require one to actually THINK. I am right handed and use both rype of saws, both have advantages and negatives. I do not want OSHA to tell me what kind of saw to use and the user is totally to blame for a misuse of the tool reguardless. Bottom line ANY power tool can be dangerous.
One of the worst injuries I have had is a screwdriver slip, in the hand ,working on a car. Maybe it was a left handed one and that is why I got hurt.
OSHA should blame the user . No matter what saw you use it is pure stupitity to use any part of your body as a saw horse. I see construction crews doing that saw on the leg thing often and just shake my head in amazement. A neighbor had a "daylaborer" cut his hand nearly off, doing that very thing, from the contractors deck crew, medivac to UCLA ctr., all paid by the LA county tax payers b/c he was an illegal. Track home building at its best.
No matter what side of the saw the blade is or what hand you use, has anything to do with these accidents.