# Left blade circular saws



## builttolast (Feb 9, 2012)

Because most people who want a Left blade style go with a Wormdrive i would think. Milwaukee makes a great one (left blade circular) in my opinion. As for worm drives, I like the one bosch has to be honest.


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## PaliBob (Jun 11, 2008)

Total Tool said:


> Why dont more companies offer left blades?


All blades are unisex. They can be used on RH or LH circular saws.
.


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## toolaholic (Jul 31, 2011)

PaliBob said:


> All blades are unisex. They can be used on RH or LH circular saws.
> .


But the ones that are marketed for LH saws have blade direction, manufacturer name etc showing while on saw! Blades marketed for RH saws will have info on blade not visible ie facing in when put on saw! For example a Freud 6 -1/2 inch blade bought for my Milwaukee LH 6310 18 volt saw has info showing but the CMT blade bought for the same saw has info facing in! So Freud had cordless LH saws in mind designing blade. It's just a pain to check that blade direction arrows match when info is on inside!


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## PaliBob (Jun 11, 2008)

toolaholic said:


> It's just a pain to check that blade direction arrows match !


 After you've changed a few, it's easier to remember.


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## joecaption (Nov 30, 2011)

Since about 99% of ciruler saws are right hand why would any company invest the money to do that?
Not only would they have to lable everyone of the differant blades they make but then who's going to buy them? No distributor or sales outlet is going to give them the shelve space for an item with that low a turn over rate.


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## Total Tool (Dec 4, 2011)

I'm not sure how anyone would think I was talking about just the blades...:huh:

The title of the thread is left blade circular saw. Anyone have input on those? Or know of any besides the Milwaukee or bosch?


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## toolaholic (Jul 31, 2011)

joecaption said:


> Since about 99% of ciruler saws are right hand why would any company invest the money to do that?
> Not only would they have to lable everyone of the differant blades they make but then who's going to buy them? No distributor or sales outlet is going to give them the shelve space for an item with that low a turn over rate.


Guess it's not that expensive to stamp, print etc info on the other side! FWIW I use my Bosch 1578 LH blade top handle the most! My old Dewalt 357 Right hand blade sidewinder doesn't come out to play much!


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## toolaholic (Jul 31, 2011)

Total Tool said:


> I'm not sure how anyone would think I was talking about just the blades...:huh:
> 
> The title of the thread is left blade circular saw. Anyone have input on those? Or know of any besides the Milwaukee or bosch?


I like the blade on the left! Cause as right handed person I can watch the blade cut through the line w/o looking over the saw! Plus I like the extra torque of a worm drive which are left hand blades!


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## joecaption (Nov 30, 2011)

Your right, my mistake. I think it's the last line in your post that started that line of thought. Once you go back and read your post agin it makes more since.


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## toolaholic (Jul 31, 2011)

Total Tool said:


> Who makes a quality left blade circular saw? I know Bosch and Milwaukee each make one. I think porter cable does too. Other than that, I dont really know of anything.
> 
> Anyone have any recommendations? Why dont more companies offer left blades?


I like my bosch 1578! Not made anymore but can still be found! I like the top handle. 
Most workers are rear handle!


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## toolaholic (Jul 31, 2011)

toolaholic said:


> I like my bosch 1578! Not made anymore but can still be found! I like the top handle.
> Most workers are rear handle!


Sorry it's the 1678!


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## raylo32 (Nov 25, 2006)

Makita makes an 18V cordless left blader, the BSS610Z.


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## framer52 (Jul 17, 2009)

all of the cordless saws are left handed.

I have the PC lefty


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## Red Squirrel (Jun 29, 2009)

I also find it odd that most saws have the blade on the right. If you are right handed, it would make more sense if the blade was on the left where you can see it better while cutting. When I was in the market for one I could not find any so I settled for one with the blade on the right. You can still kinda peak at it, but it requires getting your face a little closer. Wear those safety goggles. It also depends if you are cutting away from yourself, or sideways. If you are cutting sideways then it's not so much an issue. Depends what you are cutting and how you're placed. 

Oddly,. the cordless ones seem to have the blade to the left, not sure why only the cordless ones though. My guess is the AC motors probably all come from the same manufacturer and they are designed to spin a certain way.


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## Total Tool (Dec 4, 2011)

framer52 said:


> all of the cordless saws are left handed.
> 
> I have the PC lefty


I have a 18v cordless black and decker that has the blade on the right. 

Is your PC corded? 


Here's the 2 I've been looking at...

Bosch- http://www.amazon.com/Bosch-CS5-120-Volt-4-Inch-Circular/dp/B000WMDBIE

Milwaukee- http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B0..._m=ATVPDKIKX0DER&pf_rd_r=0V21N04V42JG2W78RGDR


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## woodworkbykirk (Sep 25, 2011)

it doesnt matter which way the design on the blade is facing... the only thing you need to pay attention to is the direction of the teeth.. they cut on the up through the bottom of the material...


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## jlmran (Feb 8, 2010)

woodworkbykirk said:


> they cut on the up through the bottom of the material...


Actually, the leading edge of the cut travels downward through the material (from top to bottom). This is a result of a round blade moving forward, and also because the foot can never be higher than the CL of the blade. This is evidenced by the bottom of the material being the 'last' area to be cut. The teeth are moving up, but the cut is moving from top to bottom.


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## Total Tool (Dec 4, 2011)

This thread seems to be fatally derailed.

It's just about saws with the blades on the left. Not about blades or which side the blades labels are on.


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## jlmran (Feb 8, 2010)

Total Tool said:


> This thread seems to be fatally derailed.
> 
> It's just about saws with the blades on the left. Not about blades or which side the blades labels are on.


OK...to answer your original question: The Skilsaw wormdrive Made in USA. To get one will require shopping the "used" market, I believe.


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## DangerMouse (Jul 17, 2008)

My DeWalt DC390 cordless has served me very well for years.

DM


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## woodworkbykirk (Sep 25, 2011)

jlmran said:


> Actually, the leading edge of the cut travels downward through the material (from top to bottom). This is a result of a round blade moving forward, and also because the foot can never be higher than the CL of the blade. This is evidenced by the bottom of the material being the 'last' area to be cut. The teeth are moving up, but the cut is moving from top to bottom.


??????
the only way for a circ saw to cut on the downstroke is if you are going backwards..... as the blade cuts up from below at the front of the saw.. believe it or not this is a question that is asked on the national exam for a carpenters red seal


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## jlmran (Feb 8, 2010)

woodworkbykirk said:


> ??????
> the only way for a circ saw to cut on the downstroke is if you are going backwards..... as the blade cuts up from below at the front of the saw.. believe it or not this is a question that is asked on the national exam for a carpenters red seal


I didn't say "on the downstroke". I said the cut moves downward. 

True or false: at any given point along the cut line, the bottom of the material is the last portion to be cut?

True. The stock is being cut from top to bottom. 

I would be inclined to challenge the authors of the national carpenters red seal exam.


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## 95025 (Nov 14, 2010)

DangerMouse said:


> My DeWalt DC390 cordless has served me very well for years.
> 
> DM


That's the exact same saw I've got. I absolutely love the thing.


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## woodworkbykirk (Sep 25, 2011)

then why is it that when your making finish grade cut on a peice of wood you put the good side down when using a circular saw.


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## loneframer (Mar 27, 2009)

jlmran said:


> I didn't say "on the downstroke". I said the cut moves downward.
> 
> True or false: at any given point along the cut line, the bottom of the material is the last portion to be cut?


The blades tooth still makes the cut from the bottom of the material upwards.

The fact that the blade is circular has no bearing upon whether it cuts on the upstroke or not. The fact that it rotates from bottom to top does.

If you want to get technical, the cut does not move from top to bottom or vice-versa, it moves forward from the beginning of the cut to the end.


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## jlmran (Feb 8, 2010)

woodworkbykirk said:


> then why is it that when your making finish grade cut on a peice of wood you put the good side down when using a circular saw.


Because the teeth are moving upward...as you and I both originally stated. This moves the splinters into the stock, if you will. It's just that the top surface of the stock gets cut before the bottom surface, so the entire cut along the stock moves from top to bottom.


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## jlmran (Feb 8, 2010)

loneframer said:


> The blades tooth still makes the cut from the bottom of the material upwards.
> 
> The fact that the blade is circular has no bearing upon whether it cuts on the upstroke or not. The fact that it rotates from bottom to top does.
> 
> If you want to get technical, the cut does not move from top to bottom or vice-versa, it moves forward from the beginning of the cut to the end.


Ehhh, not really.

1. Any given tooth will contact the highest level of available stock in its path.

2. The circular shape has EVERYTHING to do with this phenomenon. Remember, the foot on a normal saw can't be higher than the center of the blade.

3. The cut only moves forward if you push the saw forward. I'm discussing the vertical components...which in fact are derived when one pushes (or pulls) the saw.


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## jlmran (Feb 8, 2010)

Draw a vertical line on the end of a board. Then look at it and imagine a circular saw cutting through the board.

How does the line get cut? Top down or bottom up?


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## PaliBob (Jun 11, 2008)

I'm with jimran on this. If you take away the saw in the middle of a cut it is clear that the bottom side of the material is the *last* to be cut.


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## loneframer (Mar 27, 2009)

You gentlemen can argue symantics all you want. There is a reason that the top of the workpiece is what splinters while making the cut and that is because all the energy of the spinning blade is coming from bottom toward the top as the teeth rake out material from the kerf.

For the sake of argument, suppose the workpiece has parallel bevels of 45 degrees with the long point of the bevel on the bottom at the point of blade entry. Now the cut starts and finishes from bottom to top.


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## jlmran (Feb 8, 2010)

loneframer said:


> because all the energy of the spinning blade is coming from bottom toward the top as the teeth rake out material from the kerf.


I don't think anybody disagrees with this. Its just that at any given point, the removed material gets raked out from top down.

It's like digging a hole in the ground with a shovel. The dirt is removed from the top, not up through the bottom.


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## woodworkbykirk (Sep 25, 2011)

thank you riz.. finally another chippy getting in on this. next thing you know their gonna tell us how to buy nail guns riz

as for the actual topic,, porter cable used to but i dont know if they still are since black and decker has downgraded pc to home owner grade tools, milwaukee does, makita used to not sure if they still do, the bosch is the weakest model they make

and of course wormdrive/hypoids... i personally have the milwaukee right hand and a makita hypoid


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## jlmran (Feb 8, 2010)

woodworkbykirk said:


> thank you riz.. finally another chippy getting in on this. next thing you know their gonna tell us how to buy nail guns riz


Don't get offended woodworkbykirk. I'm not telling you how to do anything. I'm simply describing the cutting action of a circular saw.


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## loneframer (Mar 27, 2009)

jlmran said:


> I don't think anybody disagrees with this. Its just that at any given point, the removed material gets raked out from top down.
> 
> It's like digging a hole in the ground with a shovel. The dirt is removed from the top, not up through the bottom.


Actually, the dirt is removed by getting under the dirt and lifting it up in measured quantities, very similar to how a saw blade works.

You are correct in that the kerf appears at the top of a vertical line first, but the kerf is formed by the upward and forward motion of the blade.

A blade with fewer teeth may only have one tooth in contact with the material at any given point, for example, an 18 tooth framing blade set at full depth, cutting through a piece of 3/4" stock. That tooth begins raking material at the bottom of the kerf, moving it forward and upward.

A blade with more teeth actually has more teeth in contact with the work at any given time, however a tooth that is at the very top of the kerf is of no effect on the kerf. The teeth below the top of the kerf are grabbing the material and moving it upward.


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## jlmran (Feb 8, 2010)

loneframer said:


> Actually, the dirt is removed by getting under the dirt and lifting it up in measured quantities, very similar to how a saw blade works.
> 
> You are correct in that the kerf appears at the top of a vertical line first, but the kerf is formed by the upward and forward motion of the blade.
> 
> ...


Exactly. Each of your points above agree with the points I submitted.

The one possible exception could be the example of an 18-tooth blade at full depth cutting thinner (3/4") material. I stated that any given tooth will contact the highest available material in its path. In this scenario, the bottom of the material IS the highest available material in its path. Anything vertically above the bottom is not immediately available for cutting because of the coarseness (tooth count) of the blade, coupled with the full depth setting of the saw.

I hope woodworkbykirk agrees.


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## PaliBob (Jun 11, 2008)

jlmran said:


> the leading edge of the cut travels downward


 I catch the meaning but I would phrase it to say that the top side of the cut precedes the bottom side anywhere on the cut line.

And yes there is no question that the material is being removed in an upward direction.
.


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## Ed911 (Oct 15, 2011)

Getting way off topic.


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## Total Tool (Dec 4, 2011)

So... anyone have a left blade circ saw? What do you think?


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## Red Squirrel (Jun 29, 2009)

I think this cutting direction thing deserves a mythbusters episode. Anyone want to make a submission?

While we're at it, let's just make up a myth that if you cut C4 with a skill saw, it can explode due to the friction heat of the blade. 

As for the original topic.... I'm sorry I can't help, The only left blade saws I've seen are cordless, so you could go with a cordless one if you want. Though personally I prefer plug in. Gives me that sithlord feeling of unlimited power.


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## toolaholic (Jul 31, 2011)

Red Squirrel said:


> I think this cutting direction thing deserves a mythbusters episode. Anyone want to make a submission?
> 
> While we're at it, let's just make up a myth that if you cut C4 with a skill saw, it can explode due to the friction heat of the blade.
> 
> As for the original topic.... I'm sorry I can't help, The only left blade saws I've seen are cordless, so you could go with a cordless one if you want. Though personally I prefer plug in. Gives me that sithlord feeling of unlimited power.


The worm drive corded saws all mount the blade on the left! Same for Makita's Hypoid saw.


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## toolaholic (Jul 31, 2011)

Total Tool said:


> Who makes a quality left blade circular saw? I know Bosch and Milwaukee each make one. I think porter cable does too. Other than that, I dont really know of anything.
> 
> Anyone have any recommendations? Why dont more companies offer saws with blades on the left side of the motor?


I have a skil hd5510 5 1/2 inch circ w/ blade on left! Nice saw but saw blades hard to come by and you are limited by small blade! Great lightweight saw though!


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## Missouri Bound (Apr 9, 2011)

So...my table saw cuts from the bottom up, top first.:bangin: got it!

...and it's left handed.


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## 1910NE (Sep 5, 2010)

Total Tool said:


> So... anyone have a left blade circ saw? What do you think?


i have three left hand saws (i think they have all been mentioned.)

Makita 7 1/4" worm drive for general construction/rough cuts/framing

Porter cable 6" for fine/finish work

Ryobi 18v cordless 5 1/2" (honestly not sure why i have this one...)

Also, I think the debate over sidewinder vs. worm drive saw would more appropriate here than which direction the saw cuts..:devil2: 

As far as I can tell, it's mostly and East coast/West coast thing...


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## jlmran (Feb 8, 2010)

Missouri Bound said:


> So...my table saw cuts from the bottom up, top first.:bangin: got it!
> 
> ...and it's left handed.


Fail...


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## woodworkbykirk (Sep 25, 2011)

yah, the wormdrive vs sidewinder thing is a east coast vs west coast thing.. 

i know guys that are framers out west and i live on the east coast.. i own a wormdrive and love it. i heard about them from friends that went out west to frame and came back with them.. the local guys i know go cross eyed when they see my hypoid as they have never seen them and dont understand how a saw so much heavier is easier to use.


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