Which Circular Saw - Left or Right Side Blade?

A lot of people don't realise that you can get cordless saws with the blade either on the left or the right side. Both have advantages and disadvantages and in this video I explain what they are.

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[scottvessey]

As a left hander who is about to buy a circular saw, this video was perfect timing - cordless it is, thanks!

[tonyguest]

I got my Skillsaw in 1981 as a 16 year old apprentice. I can still smell it now out of the box, the black and gold colour looked too good to use on a building site. I'm 60 now and still a carpenter and it's always intrigued me why the blade was never on the left and now I know. I would have taken my fingers off on the first go as that "know it all" apprentice. Great video, always appreciate when you post.

[michaelcorcoran]

I think the facts you point out are linked to whether you are left or right handed

[rpredl]

I have an old Skill worm drive with the blade on the left. A beast of a saw.

[whiteboar]

So many things I've never thought before! Thank you for bringing DIY up to another level.

[mr.e]

Back in the day porter cable made a left handed circular saw, which I bought as a righty. One of my favorite tools of all time. It’s got to be 30 years old and I still use it on a regular basis. I went to buy my brother, a circular saw for Christmas a few years ago and could not find a lefty model anywhere. It’s nice to see that they make some lefties now, even if they are battery powered.

[c.a.g.]

Never even realised this, owning both the plunge saw and cordless saw, both makitas... I guess that, when I felt the base was unstable, I just came at it from the opposite side of the board?
The moment I saw the Milwaukee one I thought: that must be Keith's saw 😄

[truth]

Rule one don’t touch or adjust the blade while the battery is fitted

[clutteredchicagogarage]

I have both blade right and left saws. I agree that when you are cutting off the end of a table or saw horses and your offcut is unsupported then blade right is more stable.

For blade left, if you are right handed, you want to support your offcut. You can cut on a bench and place scrap wood blocks underneath your workpiece to support both the work side and the waste side.

You could also put some kind of foam board underneath your entire workpiece.

One issue with my blade right saw is that the motor protrudes on the left. So when i use a speed square as a guide and cut full depth, the speed square edge can interfere with the motor, which is frustrating.

Either right or left work for me as long as i set up my cut appropriately. I just have to set up my cut differently depending on whether i am cutting with blade right or left if i want a fully supported cut and if i want to use a guide.

[faceup]

Thanks for your great video. Tip suggestion. My blase is also on the left side and when I'm in the situation you show at 3:10 minute mark in your video, I just cut it from the opposite side of the board so the wider side of the saw is resting on the board and just line up the cut with the other side of the blade. Hope this helps.

[jcsamitchell]

Another informative video on something that I should have knew, but had never paid that much attention to.

My tip to save fingers on a leftt hand saw and help in other obvious ways, cut all wood / sheets on a insulation sheet.

Fully supports work work, no balancing

Nothing drops on floor.

No damage to end of wood as weight snaps last 10mm or so off. or having to use other hand to try and catch.

Impossible to touch blade with fingers.

[tonysutton]

Now that I've actually thought about it, I've realised that I just switch hands and/or cut from the oppsite direction but I suppose that I'm lucky because I can use either hand.

I agree with the track saw comment about getting neater and more accurate cuts. It's the one thing that I've bought in the last few years that has really lifted the standard of my projects.

[smoggydrones]

When I saw the red tool I knew were you got that from lol. I’m left handed so I do find certain tools harder to use than others. I’m a big fan of the yellow stuff. Main stream tools are very much like cars these days not really a bad one. The basic choice really is what colour you like. Good video but perhaps overthinking things a little

[lyndonwhitson]

As a left handed person in a right hand world and retired carpenter I have used right handed saws and power tools either handed. I do have one left hand skill saw and it was for cutting stair stringers where I needed a 45* cut for the riser. It is a 6 1/2 skill brand cord saw. Didn’t know they quit making them left handed.

[richjones]

This is something I had never considered. My first circular saw was a B&D drill attachment. I was just 14 but always into woodwork. I had never until tonight thought about saws being handed. Food for thought & nice work.

[andyc]

Thanks Stuart, I'd never really thought about this before as I haven't seriously looked at buying a new circular saw for a number of years apart from a Tracksaw and as you said they're all RH, however thinking about it, being left handed the LH would feel more natural to me !

Your safety point is an important consideration, I don't use my circular saws that regularly, but when I do I try to focus on the safety first when deciding how to make the cut - again it's not natural to me as I use a handsaw with my Left hand and so clamp the piece with my Right.

[MrJozza]

I've wondered about this for years, and this answered a lot of questions for me. Thanks!

[pault]

Another gem Stuart. I am about to purchase one of these so well timed! At 3:11 into the video you discussed the lack of support on the waste end. Could the saw not be used in left hand format which addresses the issue. This has of course revers implications for those who are naturally left handed too of course. Best regards

[dadsonion]

As a beginner and not knowing saws came in both types, I got a right blade corded saw. But then as a left hander and for all the reasons you mention, notably the safety issues, it didn’t take me long until I bought a left bladed Ryobi cordless saw. My hand holding the work piece was no longer close to the blade, and I no longer got covered in sawdust.

[LindsayAllen-gglb]

I started with the same Skill saw, then got the same cordless and 2 months back got the dewalt 54v plunge saw. Totally agree with all your points.
One thing you missed out … if your cutting and using max saw support to a line sometimes the waste is below the saw and your cutting into the workpiece. So workpiece is smaller due to blade thickness. More of a point to remember