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Circular saws, blade left or right


KnarlyCarl

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So someone started crying that we were too off topic elsewhere (kidding midogrumpy!) and I gathered up the pertinent comments and dumped them here:

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They keep showing their circular saw. Better be something really noce about it if they plan on toting a sidewinder cordless saw as a worlds first.

OMG WHYYYYYYYYYYY would they put the blade on the right with a cordless saw? The one thing they could do to be a deal breaker for me, and that's it. 

 

Hopefully their other offerings are good. 

Agreed, I've grown to hate my blade right saws after getting my 6 1/2" fuel saw

Jimbo

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All grown-up 7 1/4" circ saws I've used have had blade on the right, including the new Fuel.???

 

I'm sure hoping for brushless circ saw, as well as brushless recip. Hell, might as well throw in a jigsaw while you're at it!

 

#SwitchingToTeamYellow

 

Yea...and why is that? Logically a blade to the left is for a right handed person, and blade to the right for a left handed person for visibility and balance to maintain a straight cut in line with one's body. Literally the most uncomfortable saws I've ever used are ass backwards that way, doesn't make any sense to me. Even watching other people use them makes me cringe at the contortion of the operator. 

 

I'd rather cut lumber with a coping saw by hand. 

My observation on the left versus right discussion is most that most corded sidewinders have the blade on the right (with some mirror versions available by special order) and most of the hypoid/ worm drives and cordless have left sided blades. I find it convenient that I have a saw available that has a blade on either side. I am no roofer or deck builder by trade, but sure feels safer to be able to cut going uphill with most of the base on the roof or cut going toward the house or on a deck instead of trying to wedge myself next to the saw to start the cut heading away from the house on one side. But that is probably just me.

 

As far as left versus right logic goes, left handed people have been adapting to use right handed stuff for so long, it is just normal for them. If you want to have fun, just hand a pair of left handed scissor to a right handed person and watch them struggle and can't figure out what is wrong. If you want to see ugly watch two left handed people fight, they are both so used to fighting right handed people, they are just as confused as a right hand person fighting a lefty.  

All of my side winder saws are blade right and I'm right handed. The theory is you get less bevel in your cut. When a right handed person makes a cut he's holding the material down with his left hand and saw in his right obviously, so the bulk weight of the saw is supported by the material that is supported by the user. Thus the saw is less likely to tip. If I cut with a blade left there will only be an inch or so supported. Which allows the saw to tip easier. Yes you can fight it straight with the wrist but I say why fight your tools. And as far as visibility goes there's almost always a good line of sight through the front of the saw. I've been a contractor for long time and don't have a issue with the way I cut. So I guess it's all personal preference, wouldn't be too quick to write off one method or the other because they both have pros and cons.

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I'm with HughJass on this one. Growing up running a skilsaws day in and day out has made me refuse to use blades on the wrong side. You can't watch the blade going unless you use your offhand. 

This. Sorry Hugh and sterco, I definitely see this as the better way, saw is supported better and I've always been able to see my cut in front of the blade without a problem.

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In the rare instance the support is a must for me, I just cut from the other direction, cordless saws are so light that I have no issue with bad cuts or control either way. Clearly there's advantages to both ways (cutting roofing as mentioned before going uphill isn't ideal) but I want to have the length of the blade visible at all times. I can make a cut much more accurately with this length in sight rather than relying on a completely vertical projection of a mark on the shoe where the blade will be, or peeking between components at just the right angle for a window to the blade. It's a bit like jerking off with your own feet IMO, nothing about it is natural.  

 

I'd note that I'm not the kind of person to use two hands to run a saw, as this is some people's argument on the topic, blocking visibility with the extra hand. Even my old Skil Worm I use with my right arm only and I am not exactly Dwayne Johnson. 

Yeah never hand much of an issue with support on any of the many mag saws I've used. I go one handed with my right hand for a good eight hours of cutting studs with no problem. Don't notice any sort of support issue either, especially if you angle your wood so you cut slightly down. The sleds on those mag saws are plenty big on both sides. Overhead and such can be a pain but no biggie. I Always have the guard pinned back and so if I'm lookin in front it flicks more sawdust in me eyes and it puts me in a position where  I am more focused on trying to get a visual than on where my blade is and where my hands are and where that blade will go if it kicks back or anything else goes wrong. Just habit. Never needed +/- 2 degree tolerances when framing anyways. I think it makes a bigger difference on sidewinders.

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Growing up and beyond, I ALWAYS used blade right (I'm right handed) and didn't think a thing of it. The body of the saw was supported on the remaining piece of wood, the blade wasn't exposed to me to throw more chips my way when cutting osb especially, and I could see the blades cut of path just fine.

Then I got a m12 Fuel circular saw with blade left. :

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I can see both sides of the story, but I don't see an advantage (yet) and I'm not set in my ways like some people ?

I just happened across this video and they are using the same blade left m12 saw but note that most of the guys are left handed

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This isn't a debate, but I ran across this video and thought it interesting them showing left handed guys using a blade left saw in it

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I'm left handed sooo ha. Actually I can and do use both hands it just depends on what I doin and have never had any issue with the blade on the right. But I'm not real picky on alot of stuff people find wrong with products. If it works good enough.

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20 hours ago, Stercorarius said:

Worm drive mag Skilsaws are the one and only true saw. All other saws should be attempting to emulate it's glory. Yes I am set in this way. If the blade is on the left of the skilsaws then you best be making you saws this way too.:P

 

Nailed it. Guess we both have two left hands. ;)

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  • 3 weeks later...

It's scary at first, but if you look at the guide notch instead of the blade your cut will not only be more accurate but much cleaner regardless of which side the blade is on.

 

Dust isn't that much worse with the blade on your side (nothing compared to cheap OSB in a table saw) and it's miserable holding the full weight of the saw steady as you walk along 8 ft rips.

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Yeah my fuel 7-1/4" and little beater Ryobi 5-3/8 have blades on opposite sides and I never really think twice about which side. I just either setup the cut so I can use my right hand or use my left hand if it just works out better that way. I don't really care much either way...

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Which side the blade is on probably wouldn't keep me from buying a particular saw. I'm curious Jerry, do you have problems sometime with your Ryobi being able to cleanly saw all the way through 2x material?

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The little old Ryobi most of the time gets through a 2x4 but oddly does occasionally just miss and leave a tiny bit uncut. I wonder if it's warped wood or swelled or something making it slightly thicker. I noticed it did do this more with wet pressure treated wood. I don't really use it for anything important and usually for quick cuts on non critical things though. I use the fuel for heavier stuff or when I need accuracy etc.

 

The Ryobi basically sits in the garage near my barrel of scrap wood with a battery on it that now gets swapped with the one in my Ryobi garage door opener keeping it topped off so it's always good to go...

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The little old Ryobi most of the time gets through a 2x4 but oddly does occasionally just miss and leave a tiny bit uncut. I wonder if it's warped wood or swelled or something making it slightly thicker. I noticed it did do this more with wet pressure treated wood. I don't really use it for anything important and usually for quick cuts on non critical things though. I use the fuel for heavier stuff or when I need accuracy etc.

 

The Ryobi basically sits in the garage near my barrel of scrap wood with a battery on it that now gets swapped with the one in my Ryobi garage door opener keeping it topped off so it's always good to go...

I was thinking the same thing, maybe the boards were slightly cupped or warped because it didn't do it with every board. It came with a drill kit is the only reason I have one. Now it sits in my office and is more of a joke than anything seeing as I have no need for a saw at work.

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I guess you could put a 5-1/2" blade on and it would take care of that. The Diablo blade I have on it is 5-3/8 but they so make a 5-1/2" which would prob give the fraction of an inch more depth needed to avoid this problem. Like I said it's just a a scrap cutter for me. I wouldn't call it a joke. I certainly got my money's worth out of the kit it came from like a decade and a half ago. All the tools except the drill still work fine the batteries sucked but all nicads kinda sucked from that era...

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I guess you could put a 5-1/2" blade on and it would take care of that. The Diablo blade I have on it is 5-3/8 but they so make a 5-1/2" which would prob give the fraction of an inch more depth needed to avoid this problem. Like I said it's just a a scrap cutter for me. I wouldn't call it a joke. I certainly got my money's worth out of the kit it came from like a decade and a half ago. All the tools except the drill still work fine the batteries sucked but all nicads kinda sucked from that era...

I didn't mean the saw was a joke I actually like my Ryobi tools. The joke is just the fact that there is absolutely no reason to have a circular saw at my office.

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8 minutes ago, kruton said:

I didn't mean the saw was a joke I actually like my Ryobi tools. The joke is just the fact that there is absolutely no reason to have a circular saw at my office.

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There's ALWAYS a reason to have a circular saw in the office. If you take the blade guard off it makes an excellent letter and package opener not to mention digit remover?

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There's ALWAYS a reason to have a circular saw in the office. If you take the blade guard off it makes an excellent letter and package opener not to mention digit remover?

I like to have it sitting on my desk when I have to fire someone!

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