I am planning on purchasing a new 7 ¼â€ circular saw and want to keep the price under $150. I want a 15 amp motor but wish to keep it as light as reasonably possible. I am a southpaw and wish for the blade to be on the right side. I am leaning toward the Porter Cable MAG 324. I would like to hear from anyone who owns one concerning their experience with this saw. Also, any other recommendations for saws that I might wish to consider. Thanks
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I have the PC. Lightest of the bunch. I like the cast base plate and the dust outlet design. Prefer the Left blade myself (423 or 242). Mine is older than this, but the new tooless blade change mechanism is pretty cool.
The latest review proclaimed the new Bosch the winner. I like the cord design and the rafter hook, but not the plastic base plate. Too much flex. Even with plastic base, it still manages to be heavier than the PC. I question their weight numbers that had them very close. Lift each yourself in the store and see what I mean. I suspect they included the weight of the cord, giving the Bosch (no built-in cord) an unfair advantage.
Baseplate flex is what I especially want to avoid. My current saw is an older B&D with a stamped steel base. Flexing makes it difficult to make a precise 90 deg cut with the face of the wood. It is OK for framing and rough work, and I plan to leave the B&D at my Miss. farm when I have a better replacement in my home shop.
Cast plates are the way to go for precision. Some have complained that the cast mag plates are brittle, and easy to damage. Not a big concern for me, but might be a problem for a crew saw.
The Bosch is a darn nice saw but another big contender is the Milwaukee, I think that has a metal plate... the PC mag has been raved about as well for specific features. Both JLC and FHB have reviewed sidewinders in the past month.
I agree with thiggy, I had the Bosch and loved the saw until I used it. The lightweight baseplate flexes and I found it nearly impossible to make a straight cross cut using a speed sqaure as a guide. The base flexes and the cross cut was square but the verticle cut was always out of square. Talked to others on BT and found similar complaints. Took the Bosch back and brought home the PC 324 MAG. A solid saw, great base and lighter than the Bosch (IMO). I think Bosch has some great tools, but this is not their best effort.
I've got both the 324 and the 325... great saws.
Yeah, I bought the PC to replace my old B&D, largely because the PC was light but still had an exceptionally stiff baseplate. With my strength issues I can't easily lift a heavy saw and tend to put too much weight on the saw and flex the baseplate if wants to flex at all.I will put in an odd pitch for plastic baseplates, though. I had a piece of 1/4" plexiglass bolted to the bottom of my B&D for years, to eliminate the flex. It worked real well.
First of all you should re-think one of your wishes. The right blade is not the right choice for a southpaw.
Think about holding a speed square against your saw base. No good.
Think about your right hand holding the wood next to the blade. No good.
And think about how your saw drops with your cut off and the potential of kick back's.
And about the better view of the blade...you can have a full visible cutting line by offseting your line with a simple home made offset square.
And you may want to include an electric brake on your wish list.
Good luck to you and to me ...from the left bladed society of the rightie's
YCF Dino.
Edit: That was my last post about L VS R for this year.
YCF Dino
Edited 12/10/2004 6:56 pm ET by YCFriend
I think you need to man up and buy the bosch. I've had the opportunity to try almost all of the circular saws available, and the bosch wins. It feels right, and slides nicely along whatever you are cutting. Not to mention that it bevels to 56 degrees. I've actually had to use that. The milwaukee is my next favorite, nice and solid.
RA
Could you please explain the simple homemade offset square? Thanks.
What you need is to move the cutting line where you can see it. (offset)
Take the distance from the saw blade to the edge of the saw base. For right bladed saw is on the left. (from the inside of the blade)
And make a simple square (4 sided) with a small lip. ( like the speed square.)
Now, position this offset (home made) square on your cutting line but draw your line on the other side. You're transferring the line to the edge of your saw base. What you have now is a full visible 100% clear line to follow with the edge of your saw base.
You will find out that is much EZier to align your saw before you even start cutting. And is much EZier to follow a clear line with your already aligned saw. The idea here is to START your cut right.
Yes, Some of the pro's don't need to use this jig because they have other ways and the talent to cut good enough and even as good as someone who use the jig. I know, I'm asking for it, Hey...I' still have my Fiat.
YCF
Edit: That was my last post about L VS R for this year.
Could you initial this, I'm going to save it!
Doug
I (the crazy) Dino the carpenter sign this paper promising that I will not Talk or mention anything about L VS R Circular saws until 2005.
Sincerely
DM YCF Dino
Are you happy now Doug?
Are you happy now Doug?
Only if you are!
Is always R VS L but ii will apply my promise here to. After all there is enough info out there for someone to see that ...like blue say's....
RIGHT FOR RIGHTIES AND LEFT FOR LEFTIES.
YCF. Dino
Edited 12/11/2004 10:43 am ET by YCFriend
Even though its right for lefties I appreciate the effort for you to restrain yourself! :)
Doug
left is right--right is wrong.
Cracks me how righties are always tellin' us lefties how to act..LOL...they act like they've got a lot experience doing everything backasswards all their lives...ha,ha,ha. Lefties like right-bladed saws, get over it boys<G>Judging from all the preferences here, the best saw is one with which you're comfortable (not complacent, comfortable)...so give me a makita or a milwaukee tilt-loc, please<G> Don't worry, we can fix that later!
snort
Yea, we been living in their world for a long time!
I used to work with a guy, he always made fun of me for being a lefty, I always challenged him to switch hands for a day, both of us, we'd see who could do the best work.
He wouldn't have any part of that.
His brother was a lefty, played pro basketball for 11 years, no superstar, but held on for 11 years, I told him that if he was a righty that he'd just be another dumb woodworker like his younger brother.
If only they knew! :)
Doug
Right on, be on of the sinister brotherhood<G> Don't worry, we can fix that later!
My son is a southpaw. No end to the stories I could tell about the grief he's caused us.
Kid could really play ball, though. I'll give him that.
Jim
A left handed pitcher in the majors makes twice what a righty does.
Teach him to pitch!
The grief he caused you?<G> You righties are so self-absorbed, ha,ha,ha...My mom was lefted-handed, and my favorite sister, and my oldest son...we all played soccer<G> Don't worry, we can fix that later!
I'm a left hander too.
Now that Dino is not going to come in here(he said he wasnt going to talk about it anymore this year) and try to correct me, go with the blade right.
I have been using one for 30 years and as a lefty there is no better way than the blade right. I use my speed square(probably get some flack from Blue) all the time.
I prefer the Milwaukee saw but you cant buy what I use so get what works for you.
Doug
I have a PC with the cast Magnesium base. Dropped it once. POS since then. Once bent, it can't be straightened back (it will break). The Milwaukee can be straightened easily many times over. Don't think it can't happen to you.
WSJ
just purchased a mag324 myself a month ago
i love it, light weight, nice long cord, great blade change system, adjustments are easy and smooth
caulking is not a piece of trim
Anyone care to hazard a guess as to which saw I prefer???
Mr T
I can't afford to be affordable anymore
I'm guessing Festool, Metabo, or maybe Hitachi.
Gotta be some reason your trying to paint those Milwakees green.
Green paint was on sale when I chose what I would use to mark my tools!
Mr T
I can't afford to be affordable anymore
Yeah, thats a good one, stick with that line you Hitachi wanna be
better green than yeller or orange!!!
Mr T
I can't afford to be affordable anymore
A general statement that applies to both lefties and righties.
Don't plant your hand on the wood next to the saw or hold on to a speed square while cutting the wood. Considering myself a pretty strong guy, I have no problem holding on to a circ saw. Problem is that as soon as the thing decides it wants to bind up or kick back... that's exactly what it's going to do. No matter how strong you are, fighting kick back is a losing battle with a lot of potential for the saw going right towards that hand that's planted on the wood, whether it's the right or left.
There's a reason that most circ saws come with two handles.
PropsCarp
I think that I will get chastized for saying this but I hate the milwakee's the old one i find hard to control because the handle is so high up and the new one with the movable handle just seems like a waist of weight not to mention breakable. Also the table is thin and I've got it cought on things before doing certain types of cuts.
I really love (this is part that i might get into trouble for saying) the skil sidewinder, I know there are lots of them but the one i like is the last one they made before bosch bought them out and they were bosch's sidewinder just before this new one came out.. (sorry, im not sure the model #)
Nothing really special that i can think of, i just like the way it feels alot and find it really easy to see the blade.
measure once
scribble several lines
spend some time figuring out wich scribble
cut the wrong line
get mad
Got the new Milwaukee - love it! Easy to use with gloves too.
Thanks to all for your comments. My wife bought me the PC MAC last night for Christmas.
Bottom line: Bosch is cheap China-made junk! You know the old saying: "You get what you pay for." Well, you pay $40 to $50 bucks for a no-good cheap brand like Bosch, and that's what you get. You won't see many self-respecting carpenters or contractors using cheap Bosch tools of anykind. DeWalt circular saws are now built in China, too. Forget that! I sure don't want that crap either. Porter Cable, now that's a pretty good saw. I'm not sure, however, how that little "tool-less" blade change is gonna work out in the end. On the other hand, if the little spring-loaded clip does fail, I suppose you could always just insert another bolt. Nothing else will ever beat a good-ole Skil 77.
The Bosch CS20 (which I think you may be talking about) is made in the USA. Not sure where you can buy one for $40 - $50 either unless this is not the saw you are talking about. ~chad
Don't ever think a "quick-change"blade will be one of my priorities on a saw purchase[ie Porter Cable]. I change one every house or two...it takes all of 1 minute.
I didn't do it....the buck does NOT stop here.