HA! I got you guys good!
(Please click the video for effect, or pretend it auto-played. Sorry, I didn’t want to go that far.)
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I’m sorry, with a title like that, you were expecting us to talk politics, right?
A couple of people have asked about ToolGuyd’s position on the political stances of different tool brands, retailers, or persons related to them. Yeah… I’m not touching that topic with an 8′ 2×4. There is no shortage of other places for you to read about politics.
For the regulars reading this, I do care about you guys and what you have to say, but I’m not interested in talking politics.
I hope you’re not mad at the trick, but you can’t possibly tell me you were hoping for us to actually talk about politics, right?
Let’s have a heated debate and poll of a different kind.
What type of cordless circular saw do you prefer? Left or right?
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It might not seem like a big deal, but a lot of users have long-established preferences when it comes to circular saw blade sides, and many are frustrated by the lack of cordless circular saws aligned with their wants.
And no, this isn’t any kind of analogy or symbolism. I’ve been wanting to ask about your circular saw blade preferences for a while. Maybe I’m wrong (hopefully not), but I also wanted to make light of politics right now, as it’s hard to escape the topic. I figure there’s a good chance you opened this post, bracing for what I had to say, and hopefully you’re relieved that this isn’t at all about politics.
Personally, I’m still undecided. I suppose I prefer right-facing track saws, and that could carry over to circular saws, but I also find left-cutting saws to be easier for making unguided cuts.
This is Dewalt’s 6-1/2″ saw, with a left-facing bladed. Despite brushless circular saws having been around for a while, 6-1/2″ saws are still very popular and are often included in cordless combo kits and bundles. 6-1/2″ saws are also smaller – a selling point for some – and are more affordably priced.
Shown above is the new Dewalt 20V Max FlexVolt Advantage cordless circular saw.
While brushed motor 6-1/2″ cordless circular saws are often left-hand-facing, 7-1/4″ brushless circular saws are right-hand-facing.
Most full-size corded 7-1/4″ circular saws are also right-facing, and so their designs make sense. But, there must be some user-centered reason why 6-1/2″ saws, introduced much earlier, are (almost?) all engineered with left-facing blades.
Then you have cordless rear-handle worm drive-like cordless circular saws that are left-facing.
Shown here is the Dewalt FlexVolt 60V Max rear-handle circular saw.
For a righty, right-facing circular saws allow you to make a cut with your entire body on the opposite side of the blade (motor-side). In theory, this is safer body positioning. Left-facing circular saws give you much better cut-line visibility, but your body faces the blade or is placed directly behind it and with a hand grip that crosses your arms over the blade line.
For a lefty, things are reversed.
Some brands gave you a choice when it came to corded circular saws (such as Milwaukee), offering both blade-right and blade-left sidewinder-style saw options.
With cordless power tools, you don’t have a choice – if you want a particular model of circular saw, you go blade-left or blade-right based on the brand’s design and engineering decisions.
So, generally these days:
- 6-1/2″ saws have left-facing blades
- 7-1/4″ saws have right-facing blades
- 7-1/4″ rear-handle saws have left-facing blades
Which do you prefer? Blade-left or blade-right cordless circular saws?
I supposed I should encourage you to vote, or remind you to ensure you are registered to vote by your state’s deadlines if you wish to vote. You can find more info at Vote.gov.
Richard
I’m a lefty, but I prefer a left-sided blade.
Jim Gunderson
I’m right handed but found the DEWALT 6-1/2” left blade very easy to use and don’t have a problem with using either I have the corded 7-1/4” dewalt also but bought the cordless and have not had anything it won’t cut yet
paul mitchell
I prefer blade left. The first commercial saw I purchased (one million years ago) was the Skilsaw Model 77 and I liked the clear visual line versus the “safety” of having the body of the saw shield your body. This has been further impacted with the Ryobi One+ 18v 6-1/2″ circular. Give me that clear sightline all the time.
Chris
Blade left for me! Although I have come across times where a blade right would have come in handy. I wish dewalt had a blade left 7-1/4 sidewinder. Especially a brushless model. I love the blade left 6-1/2 saw but sometimes it’s just a bit small.
MFC
Yes, yes, yes!☝️☝️☝️
Sal Colon
Patiently waiting too.
Tim
When you are right-handed using a left blade (or left-handed using a right blade), all the saw dust blows onto you. It’s pretty annoying.
Jared
I think I prefer right for exactly that reason – but to be honest, I usually adjust and don’t think much about it.
Ron
Saw blade needs to be on the left better quality cuts and better control
Randy
Right handed user, have had several blade right saws, prefer my Milwaukee corded blade left! It’s a sidewinder, I went for the lighter, less expensive saw than the rear handle worm drive.
Rob
all my corded circular saws have always been right handed (blade right). this allows me to cut with my dominant (right) hand and hold the piece with my left and keeps the weight of the saw on the supported wood. for Christmas last year my wife got me my first cordless saw and I was dismayed to find that it was a lefty. i didn’t say anything to her and I do use the saw but hate how the weight of the saw affects my cuts now.
Nathan
I’d have to take a strange engineering tactic here.
Ideally I want a blade center positon with the handle centrally loaded with the line of cut action of the blade. Which isn’t impossible but improbable.
You’d get the same offset LH or RH of your shoe edge – which is great for cutting with guides.
and you would get excellent cut line tracking. Like a quality jig saw.
Now that all said I currently use a blade right sidewinder and I would say my biggest requirement is 7 – 1/4 blade diameter.
A W
Interesting idea.
The problem that I see is that you can’t get the circular saw close to the edge when cutting flooring or joints close to a corner. Currently, I can get within about an inch of the corner, but if the blade was centered, I’d have to use a different type of saw.
SteveS
I’m a right hander, but ever since I’ve been using left hand cordless saws I have come to prefer them. So left for me.
Tom
I’m right handed. I use a right-facing saw for cutting sheet goods with my Kreg accessories and prefer a left facing saw for my cordless saws.
Eric H
So are you not touching the topic with a 8′ 2×4 because of the current price of lumber? You could test some of the newer tape measures for standout and create some review content too…
Stuart
Would 8’ of rebar make you happier?
Eric H
I am just kidding. You do a great job keeping the politics off the site. I appreciate the tool news, reviews, and comments and I look forward to adding to the relevant comments in the future as I get more experience with the tools I have.
I should answer the question. I prefer a blade left facing circular saw.
Blythe
Left, I want to see exactly where I’m cutting
Adabhael
As a rightly, I prefer blade right for cutting dimension lumber with a speed square (pushing the saw away from me). I prefer blade left when cutting sheet goods (moving the saw right to left in front of my body) because it keeps the weight of the saw on the un-cut portion. The advent of battery miter saws is taking over a lot of my lumber cuts, so my circular saw is more frequently (though not exclusively) for sheet goods now.
I am intrigued by @Nathan’s proposal. I am in the Ridgid 18V system, and would like the sidewinder, but I keep not buying it because I find the balance weird. IMHO the left hand grip is annoyingly far from the blade, and the handle is nearly on top (to allow big batteries.
MFC
Wow, I was just thinking this morning about how I would kill for the new flexvolt compatible 20v tools to have a brushless 6.5″ BLADE LEFT circular saw. What I could do with a compact lefty monster saw… Or heck, better yet, do a flexvolt 7.25″ Blade left. I Just want a more powerful blade left that’s a one handler. I’ve got the worm drive monster and it’s great when I’m cutting stringers or big pressure treated stuff, but I still prefer my 6.5″ old brushed piece of garbage for everyday cuts.
Sal Colon
I’ve been waiting for that tool for quite some time. The 7.25″ size with blade left.
Jim Felt
I’m right handed but always prefer the classic Skilsaw sidewinder left sided sight line. Even with the Milwaukee M18 version.
JoeM
…I came into this expecting there to be some crisis over the actual TOOL COMPANIES not knowing whether to make their entire tool lines Right-or-Left side oriented… Like… Angle Grinders without the ability to be simply switched Right-or-Left for the orientation of the user… or, yeah, Saws that weren’t selling because they were Left Facing, so they were all facing the worry of making everything Right Facing for the sake of Sales… I was also kinda vague about how a Drill or Impact Driver could be Right-or-Left Oriented… but I’m glad to know you were just having some fun with us!
Honestly… I own DeWALT… I’m Happy with DeWALT… and as far as Saws go, I’m an Ambidextrous user… Since the handle and trigger are always so simple… Right or Left… as long as it’s on the line, I don’t need to hover over it so much… it kinda does the work on its own. If I gotta go flip handed due to avoiding flying debris, then I’m okay with that… because I can just switch hands, or just use one hand…
I DO have one of the first gen DCS 391 BRUSHED 6.5″ Saws… When I’ve had a chance to use it… If anything… it has spent more time leading ahead of me, than me hovering over top, or to one side or the other, so I really don’t have a need to choose Left or Right. Maybe I will, some day? But, I seem to be fine coping with whatever side the blade is on, and whatever direction the blade says to put into the saw.
Above this post there’s some talk of engineering a Center-Bladed saw… and I think that might well be a great answer. With a lockable center arbour, you can pull out from either side, drop the blade in, and let the arbour slide back in through the Blade to center it… Easy-Peasy… This would also open up the possibility of dual-drive belt or worm drives on either side of the arbour, distributing the power of the motor evenly, reducing any kind of vibration or tendency to kick to either side. Plus, it would allow for a rear-facing dust/particle exhaust, which your dust collector could catch easily, AND a vertical adjustment shoe, rather than a pivoting shoe, for cut depth. Leaving only the question of Miter cutting to, perhaps, an angle adjustment on either side of the arbour, literally angling the blade on the horizontal plane, but leaving the stability of the motors in place.
I’m rambling. I love engineering, I’m just surprised this required a Rick-Roll to get us to talk about it. Stuart, you are a funny one!
Stuart
Original title was more vague and trolling, but I thought some might be too upset over it.
JoeM
Your sense of humour is a bit twisted, but I still like it. Just… I genuinely thought there was a crisis in the Tool industry over Right versus Left orientation.
Maybe my slight ambidextrous nature makes me a horrible example for this topic, I don’t know. I drool over a lot of these saws mentioned, but I’ve never given any of it a moment’s thought about left or right… I’ve given some thought about how to ADD Dust Extraction to a saw like these… but that’s a sick, twisted thought I’ve had since watching Adam Savage on YouTube… The thought of “Hey… I COULD just add a universal vacuum attachment to my tools, couldn’t I?” is fuelled by his channel.
Travis
I am right handed and definitely prefer the left side blade. I have both a Yellow and Red left bladed saw and love them both. Not even sure why but they feel much more natural to me.
Tom D
There’s nothing in the blades themselves that require left or right mounting, is there?
Perhaps there’s a niche for various setups – I can see how the blade side matters MORE on a corded saw as you want the cord away from the line of cut – but cordless it seems shouldn’t matter and shouldn’t be too hard to make both.
Perhaps a saw with a flipping handle so it can be right or left.
Ron Longhi
Left handed all the way
Philip Proctor
I’m right handed and prefer left bladed saws. Occasionally a right bladed saw fits a spcific application better.
Kevin
I prefer blade left, I wish I grabbed a cheap Porter Cable Mag when they were available, I borrowed one from a roofer years ago, it was the perfect sidewinder. I have a wormdrive Skilsaw but it’s a little too much for most of my jobs.
Joe H
I’m right handed and I prefer the blade on the left. I like being able to see where I’m cutting. Saw dust doesn’t bother me unless I’m cutting above my head but I rarely ever have to do that with a circular saw for my uses. I feel safer and more in control when I can better see what I’m doing.
Coach James
I’m right handed and prefer the blade on the left. That makes it a lot easier for me to see the cut line.
Eric McCormick
Left!!!
Gordon
Right handed and prefer blade right. A good blade right saw will have a peephole at the front of the saw where you can still see the line as it approaches the blade.
A W
Interesting idea.
The problem that I see is that you can’t get the circular saw close to the edge when cutting flooring or joints close to a corner. Currently, I can get within about an inch of the corner, but if the blade was centered, I’d have to use a different type of saw.
Rx9
I’m right handed, and although I like the better visibility of blade left, I only have a right blade saw, which I’ve gotten used to.
If I ever get another circular saw, it will probably be a left blade worm drive.
Rman
I’ve been using a 7 1/4 blade Right saw now for 35 years
Starting with heavy 120 volt thick power cords that the plug always snagged on the end of a 4×8 sheet. But the main reason was the weight of the saw was over the board that was being cut and the sawdust was shot to the right onto the cut off not in my face.
Landon
I prefer blade left. I have Hilti’s 6.5” circular saw and their 7.25” rear handle saw and love both. I don’t believe they even offer a blade right cordless saw in the states anymore.
Ed
This mirrors a current dilemma for me in contemplating a cordless purchase. I’m right handed and I like the feel of blade right, but having used a corded left blade worm drive extensively I’m a lot more practiced with left blade cuts. I wanna go right, but the pragmatic voice in my head keeps leaning left. Is there a 3rd party version of a circular saw?
Sal Colon
Well that’s easy. Imagine having a saw for 47 years that hasn’t worked well at all. Ever. And then trying out a new one that cuts like hell. Sure it’s new, but after a few years it has a proven track record. And the company has promised new accessories will make it better. I’ve spoken with the old company, and it’s just more of the same. blah, blah, blah.
I’m going with the new one. Better support, and they really back up their product and thus far have kept their word.
Charles A Andrews
Left handed, right bladed.
Aaron SD
Actually this was what I expected the topic to be… Didn’t think it would be politics since this is a great tool site!
Brian
Blade left and it’s not even close …
6 1/2 ” left facing cordless makita circ saw is prolly the single best power tool investment you could make. Absolute joy to use. Use it once, you’ll be heading to the store to buy your own.
Sal Colon
I’m right handed and prefer blade left.
Ron
Saw blade needs to be on the left better quality cuts and better control
Ron
Saw blade on left I am using a dewalt 7 1\4 at work hate the blade on the right but what is even worse is the trigger safety makes for unsafe hand and finger poisoning unlike the 6/14 left blade
Mopar
Lefty (in hand only), and I generally prefer a left blade saw. However, like most left-handed people, I lean ambidextrous (in hand only!) because I’m forced to live in a right-handed world, so left or right, I deal with it (in hand only!).
Diplomatic Immunity
What’s odd is that there is only one company that makes a tracksaw with a left sided blade…. Kreg. Stuey you should really have put up a multi option poll of what handed people are along with what blade side they prefer. Right handed, left sided blade for me.
mattd
Blade left all day. I was raised with a skil 77 and just cant get used to the right blade cordless that I have. the day ridgid makes a blade left saw I will buy it, but I am too tied into the platform to switch for one tool (lifetime batters YAY) and so I will suffer on with my blade right cordless (I am not a tradesman and use the saw maybe once a month for small projects around the house)
Daniel
I’d complain about the age of this meme, but I’m afraid that you might respond with a goatse.
Please don’t goatse us!!
Travis S.
I really appreciate your decision to remain apolitical on this site…I know for me, the time I spend reading Toolguyd is an escape from the outside world, where I can appreciate and dream about cool tools. Good to have an outlet!
Corey Moore
Undercuts the joke, but really speaks to my faith in you and your content, but I didn’t think for a second that this was anything but a saw article lol Didn’t think it was a gag title, even. Toolguyd, left v right, huh? Here we go with east coast west coast mag 77 or not talk! Good on you, Stu. Keep kicking ass👍
Nate B
Shouldn’t it be possible to make a convertible saw? You might have to disassemble and reassemble a few significant pieces, but I could imagine a saw that ships assembled one way by default, but spend ten minutes with this YouTube video and you can rebuild it the other way if that’s your preference.
This wouldn’t be something to do in the field (unless you’re really stuck in a weird spot), but rather something to do at purchase time to fit the purchaser’s dexterity. So the saw wouldn’t need to occupy two SKUs, but could fill both niches.
Mark M.
Blade left. I started with righty Milwaukee’s, but once I discovered that I could special order the same Tilt-Loc in a lefty I took the plunge and have never gone back. BTW, I, too, very much appreciate the apolitical content! Love this site. Keep up the great work.
Dominic S
The blade should be on whichever side faces toward the center of the user. If you’re a righty, a left blade saw does the trick. Opposite for lefties. Why on earth would you want to have to lean over just to see the blade?
Mike
Blade RIGHT for sidewinders
Blade LEFT for track saws
Blade LEFT for rear handles.
Biggest dislike of the blade LEFT sidewinders is that I get covered in sawdust as a righty. However I do agree that the sightline with a LEFT blade is a lot better for me. Then again I’m not in the trades so I rarely use a circular saw. I have been giving some thought to getting a cordless one to help break down sheet goods and rough cut lumber at the hardwood dealer.
Don Thompson
Decisions, Decisions! No matter my final decision — it’s still a compromise!
Battery? Or corded? Isn’t part of the question.
I’m a “righty”, and as such I love my right bladed plugin model for two pertinent reasons: (1.) When I’m trimming boards or sheets to “fit” dimensions in the shop (sawhorses), or job site (some other temporary support) I can control the heavier material with my left hand — simple. (2.) When I have to cut already–installed material adjacent to a right hand obstacle (a wall, or plumbing) there’s just no way to do it better. But because it’s right bladed, I can’t track the progress of that blade — a compromise….
My Makita 6½”, left blade, battery, on the other hand, becomes my favorite when I’m preparing material for installation on the job site, and I need to make just ONE cut. I can keep my eyes 👀 on that blade all the way. The compromise is that the saw is not well supported by the material I’m cutting from, and, I can’t control the material as well with my left hand — a compromise.
Bryan H.
If you’re cutting lumber and you’re right handed, you need blade right — otherwise the saw falls with the piece you just cut off.
But it’s annoying because it’s harder to see the cut line. Ridgid’s blade-right 18V Octane saw is pretty good because you can see down through the structure to where the line is.
When I need to cut paneling I just cut with my left hand.
Curtis
If the blades not on the left, I’m not interested.
Mick
For a right handed me, any other than left blade is stupid. I want to see where the blade is cutting !
A rotating 90 degrees handle can be made to satisfy both flavors, but noooo, manufacturers want to force you to buy a battery operated to have a left blade and corded forcing you for a right blade. Brain is off.
DeWalt customer service is lost in space.
Gregg
I grew up with a right sided blade and when battery options made lefty blades more prevalent I was annoyed at first. Today I prefer the blade oriented on the right overall. Less garbage kicks back in my face and I prefer the bulk of the plate resting on the keeper material.
I set up my work space so cut offs go to my right and keeper material to my left.
Lefty blades mess with that mojo. And I have more control with the blade to the outside.
Just my experience. I am glad there are options to allow people to do their own thing.