The circular saw that I have had for years has the blade on the right side. Tom Silva uses one with the blade on the left. Is there a difference between the saws other than left blade/right blade? The few times that I have used a circular saw, I could not see where the blade was going. Having the blade on the left side makes a lot of sense, since I'm right-handed.
The right bladed saw was/is intended for use by a right handed person with his right hand. Left blade for lefties with their left hand. It is a safety issue to prevent debris from being thrown back in your face from the open side of the blade.
With an exception of the PC trim circular saw most all worm drive saws are left bladed. From most illustrations for these left blade worm drive saws the rear handle/switch is controlled with the right hand and the front/over the motor handle is held by the left hand.
Ooops The saw rear handle/switch is held by the "left" hand and the right hand controls the forward handle.
Yep, I'm a southpaw and have been using a circular saws with blades on the right for years. It very easy to follow a line. The only caveat is that unless you like the taste of sawdust, you might want to use a face shield. Some saws are worse than others for throwing sawdust.
Bill
I have used the Porter Cable "left blade" for several years and recently bought a "left blade" Milwaukee. I use it exclusively for cutting panel goods (plywood, MDF, etc) down to manageable size. I have 3', 6' and 9' guides to run the saw against for straight cuts. I prefer the left blade saw for that use.
Max
The better saws will allow you to see where it is cutting and should feel comfortable in your hand. I guess this is similar to comparing a left or right tilt table saw.
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