Circular saw recommendations?

[Doug Miller]

My old faithful corded circular saw finally bit the dust yesterday. Something went Pop! and it stopped running. Disassembly today shows half a dozen segments missing from the commutator; the critical parts are no longer available (after 15+ years, that's no surprise), so it's time to buy a new one.

My uses are, I think, pretty typical: framing, building decks, cutting sheet goods to manageable size.

I'm looking for something that will last a good long time. The one that died is only the second one I've ever owned; the first one lasted nearly 20 years, and I'm hoping for similar durability. The budget is large enough to include Bosch, Makita, or Milwaukee, but not Festool.

I'm looking for general recommendations in two areas: a) corded vs. cordless -- my experiences with cordless circular saws have not been positive, but they've been cheap saws, and I'm willing to be persuaded that cordless circular saws that won't drain a battery in five seconds do actually exist; and b) left blade vs. right blade. Every circular saw that I've ever used has had the blade on the right. Advertising for left-blade saws includes phrases like "gives users the clearest line of sight for easy, accurate cutting" but I just don't see how it's really any different. I'm inclined to get a right-blade saw simply because that's what I'm used to, but if there truly are advantages to having the blade on the left, I'd be much obliged if someone would explain them to me. In case it makes a difference to the recommendation, I'm right-handed.

I'm also looking for recommendations of specific brands and/or models both to seek out, and to avoid. I intend to avoid tools made in China if at all possible.

TIA... Thanks may also be expressed tangibly, in the form of a cold homebrew or three, next time you pass through Indianapolis.

[Dave Balderstone]

I have a Milwaukee, corded, about 7 years old. It's a great saw. Never had a problem with it bogging or wandering and I am not a gentle man with my power tools.

For any serious use, I don't see how a cordless can compete. You'd need at least three, maybe four batteries in constant rotation. Much easier, and cheaper, to run an extension cord.

[Swingman]

I own four.

~ A cordless DeWalt, which has it narrow uses, but narrow is the operative word and not a "go to" tool.

~ A Makita 5007NB which is one of the best circular saws I've ever owned, and the one I'd carry with me to most jobs if I could only take one, and for your above purposes. Light, easy to wield, and has enough power for all the above.

~ An older Skil77 worm drive, which, although I love it, is just too much saw too be carrying around unless you're a framer on the joist crew. :)

~ and of course, the Festool TS75, which is a damn fine cabinet circular saw, but not practical in price or function for most of your needs above.

FWIW, I'd still buy the Makita again if I lost it.

You're sure to get lots of advice on this one ...

[Max]

"Doug Miller" wrote

Since you ruled out Festool: Milwaukee fan here. I also prefer the left blade but for no special reason other than a better view of the cut.

Max

[Doug Miller]

Pretty much what I'd figured to be the case with most cordless circ saws.

Would you happen to know the differences between the 5007NB and the 5007NK?

[Artemus]

I have the PC743 (blade left) which I've used the hell out of and it just keeps on ticking. I think it's been discontinued though. Seeing the blade and the cut line is nice but the sawdust that gets thrown in my face will make me opt for a blade right next time. Art

[krw]

Agreed. I have the DeWalt, which is a useful tool but it's not an only circular saw by any means. I also have an older Makita cordless that's good for cedar clapboards, but that's about it.

I like my Bosch CS10, too. Nice saw.

I'd rather carry a SCMS around. ;-)

I have a TS55. While I like it for paneling and plywood, it certainly doesn't have much power. It'll bog down on 3/4" hardwood ply, even. I tried to cut a

2x with it (it was out and my other saws weren't). One cut was fine but I wouldn't want to have to do too many. Is it normal for a Festool to be so under-powered?

Same with my Bosch.

One thing I made sure of is the cast shoe. I had a stamped one on my previous saw. Any little bump would whack it out of alignment.

[Lew Hodgett]

----------------------------------- Got an 18VDC circular saw as part of a kit.

15 years and a couple of batteries later, that saw doesn't owe me anything.

Primary use was to break down sheet goods and trim 2x4s.

Built a boat with it.

I'll never have another corded saw.

Lew

[Swingman]

Looks like the NK has a 15A motor versus a 13A for the NB. The NB was much more expensive when I bought it ten or twelve years ago then the NK is today but I don't know how that speaks to quality. Sorry, just not that familiar with the NK.

[Dave]

On Thu, 04 Aug 2011 23:09:19 -0500, " [e-mail]"

No, it's not right to be underpowered. I've got a friend with a TS55 and he cuts veneered hardwood ply all the time and I've never seen it bog down. Agreed, it's not near as powerful as the TS75, but you shouldn't be having power problems cutting. Perhaps you should post your problem in the Festool Owner's Group.

[Doug Miller]

Thanks, Karl.

[Leon]

At one time PC had my eye but today If I were to buy another it would be the Makita. I own a few Bosch tools but have never been impressed enough to say I would buy them again, 2 routers and an impact driver. Milwaukee also had my attention long before complaints about a drop in quality. FWIW I am around construction sites on a pretty regular basis and the Makita seems to be the favorite.

IMHO cordless is going to be good if you have no plan to ever use the saw but it would be handy to have if that was all you had to make a cut. Not saying that it cannot perform a task but it is never ever going to be able to keep up with the cheapest of corded saws. I would never buy one unless I had a specific need that required a cordless saw.

It seems to be a forgotten thing but most saws have the blade on the right side and were intended to be held with a right handers right hand. Left sides saws were made available for the south paws. This all evolved around safety and where you should be standing when operating the saw. Typically the intent was that the saw body was between you and the blade. This position also helps to keep a large amount of saw dust from being thrown back at you. Safety aside the left sided models have become more popular with right handers because they can see the blade and the line they want to follow. That does not mean they are using the correct saw, just that they want to see the spinning blade while it is cutting. Every saw I have seen and or used has a cut line indicator on the front of the shoe to give you that information. Once you have used the saw enough and correctly and as you have indicated for you personally you become comfortable and proficient with using the indicator rather than watching the blade. I will never buy a left sides saw, I am right handed. There are exception's some saws only come with the left side blade, take the Skil 77 as an example.

Well look closely at your choices as many top brand tools are being manufactured in China these days.

[Leon]

Welllll there is the larger and more powerful TS75 and I have that one. The TS 55 is a smaller saw for smaller demands. IIRC Swingman and I were using either his or my TS75 for cutting 2 stacked 3/4" thick sheets of plywood at the same time with no indication that the saw was being stressed or bogged down. Is your saw actually working correctly? IIRC both saws have the electronic VS that is suppose to give it more juice when necessary. AND are you using it with an extension cord that is not up to the task?

You mention hard wood plywood, are you talking about something like 3/4" thick Baltic birch? I would think that a common 3/4" plywood should not be problem with the TS 55. Give the Festool guys a call and tell them what you are experiencing.

Concerning 2x material I am not even comfortable with cutting with my TS75 with out using the track. Something about the plunge mechanism with the saw sitting on a 2x4 does not seem natural to me yet. ;~)

[Leon]

So you are right handed. ;~) Your left blade saw was originally intended for lefty's that did not want to have saw dust thrown in their face all the time.

[Leon]

How long did it take to build that boat Lew?

[willshak]

Doug Miller wrote the following:

I have never had a left hand bladed C saw. First, I didn't know they existed before some comments made in this, or some other home or construction group. I do have a very old Skilsaw wormdrive saw that belonged to my FiL, now deceased. The saw has been languishing in a dark corner of my garage for a decade. It has some missing parts related to safety and I never used it or even turned it on, besides, it is a monster and heavy. Looking at it just now, I see it is left bladed. I too am right handed, and I can see some benefit to having a saw with a left handed blade, especially the "gives users the clearest line of sight for easy, accurate cutting" part. Another I would think would be a safety issue. Holding a piece of wood steady, whether fenced or unfenced with the left hand, then cutting on the other side of the right hand bladed saw requires that your head is also on the right side of the saw to aim the cut leaving the left hand in your peripheral vision and could be in the way of the motor side as it saws. I like the idea that the holding, aiming, and cutting, is on the same side of the saw. I guess left handed people already are doing this with the right handed blade saws. Why are most, if not all, radial arm saws left bladed? Just my opinion, YMMV.

.

[Lew Hodgett]

-------------------------

18+ years to get the hull, deck, bulkheads and floors.

Still had another 5 years to trim out when I walked away.

Lew

[Leon]

It "sounds" logical and like a good idea, it is not. Most all power tools come with some kind of warning to not bend over or align you eyes directly with the cutting edge of the blade. bit, what ever. The "common" circular saw is not a precision tool. Although skilled and long time users can do wonders with circular saw it is a developed skill. The intent by the manufacturer is for you use the alignment mark at the front of the shoe to line up your saw and then start the saw and make the cut with your head and eyes on the opposite side of the blade. Yes your cut is probably not going to be square or a straight line. This is a free hand tool and practice makes perfect.

The RAS is a different set up altogether. While a circular saw's blade rotation directs the debris back behind the saw, in your direction, the RAS directs the debris away from the operator. Same with miter saws. That said when ripping with a RAS the debris comes back at the operator however the guard should be rotated down on the back side of the blade to divert the debris, and prevent kickback providing you are using the splitter and anti kick back pawls.

[Leon]

[Artemus]

Yes, I'm a righty. At the time of purchase the "seeing the cut line" argument seemed rational. Now a track saw with a fully enclosed blade seems to be the rational choice for sheet goods. Art