New saw - circular vs hypoid

[Michael Cole]

I am finding that I need/want a smaller portable type saw (corded) for some things. I am looking at 3 saws, 2 left blade circular saws and 1 hypoid. I recently used a friends Dewalt circular saw which was very good quality, but found seeing the blade very difficult for me due to a disorder that severely restricts movement in my neck so I want a left blade saw which restricts the selection a great deal. 2 I have considered are the Milwaukee 6391-21 and the Bosch CS5 (both of these are not available locally and would have to be ordered). The other saw that I am interested in is the Makita 5377MG hypoid saw. It is a little heavier which is a disadvantage, but otherwise gets good reviews. What can you tell me about these saws?

[John C Bush]

I have a Porter Cable Mag saw that is left bladed. It is light, has good power, and blade is easy to see for a rt hander. Don't use it professionally/daily but has held up well. I'd buy it again.

[John McClanahan]

I have an older DeWalt hypoid saw that I seldom use. It is front heavy when lifting one handed. The left side blade is easy to see, but it throws more sawdust in your face while cutting.


John

[Matt Meiser]

I'd say it depends on how you use it. I had a Skil 77 I picked up at a garage sale probably 10 years ago. Just sold it on Craigslist because I never use it. The thing was so heavy I'd rather burn through a couple batteries on the cordless for my limited circular saw use. Now I'm inheriting a decent Makita my dad bought so we'll see if maybe I use that a little more.

[glenn bradley]

IMHO a worm-drive saw is great for framing a house. I have an older 'circular' Porter Cable left blade saw but, it is from before the downward spiral so I don't know that I could recommend them now. As to watching the blade, I hear people say the same thing about their table saw blade. It is unnecessary to see the blade. The blade is where it is; it doesn't wander around. Circular saw blades only cut straight; you don't get to make turns. Minor adjustments, yes. Once you know which notch indicator on the saw's plate to use, you just use that for following your line. Better yet, a clamp-on guide of some sort. This would open up an array of other saws to consider.

[Curt Harms]

I have a now-discontinued Porter Cable left hand sidewinder. The integrated dust collection works quite well when connected to a vac, I wish more saws had that. I'm right handed and don't care for the left handed saw for use on saw horses, the wider part of the shoe is riding on the drop part. It is easy to see the mark without leaning over though. It does work very well when used with a guide which is why I bought it, to trim doors among other tasks. Ridgid also offers a hypoid left blade saw but Home Depot's web site gives the weight as 18 lbs. (!)

[peter gagliardi]

I had the makita hypoid years ago. They thought they could improve upon the oil bath that the Skil and others used , by going with grease in the gear case. That turned out to be false. In short order, the grease got flung off the teeth to the outer walls of the case, leaving metal teeth to smash on metal teeth. Mine lasted about 1 1/2 years before needing gear replacement. Sometime after that I got the DeWalt version of the Skil 77- with oil bath, and later still got the actual Skil version in an 8" size. Oil bath gear case is best! The oil always provides just enough cushion between the meshing teeth.
They do weigh a bit more though.

[Kent A Bathurst]

I am finding that I need/want a smaller portable type saw (corded) for some things.

Dunno what you mean by "smaller"......but - I have a PC314 - 4-1/2" blade, worm drive, metal case. Will cut 1"+ at 90*.

Out of manufacture for some years, but regularly available on the usual sites.

Thing's a horse. I have the typical 7"+ craftsman stuck in a dark corner somewhere, for when I need to cut bigger stuff - which was I-don't-recall-when last time.........last time I cut 3-1/2" x 3-1/2" WRC fence posts, I used the PC314, and finished it with a hand saw - thing is much lighter weight, and much easier to handle, than a full-frame circle saw.

[Joel Goodman]

No sure what you are cutting but I bought the Makita version of the Festool plunge track saw for sheet goods. I don't use it daily but am pretty satisfied. For accurate cutting of sheet goods it performs well. As an all purpose circular saw I prefer a no plunge sidewinder.

[Art Mann]

I bought a Makita track saw and it is much easier to get accurate results than with any circular saw alone. Of course I don't know the nature of your neck problem but my Makita track saw will provide table saw like accuracy without even watching the blade. Track saws are more expensive than circular saws but it might be worth it to you. Just a thought based on what what Joel said.

[Mike Cutler]

Michael

I have a Milwaukee 8 1/2" worm drive saw, with the blade on the left. This is a little beast of a saw, and more than you are looking at, but I wanted to let you know that a "Left blade" circular saw in the hands of right handed person throws a lot of debris at you, instead of away from you as with a "traditional" circular saw. ( I have no idea how left handed people deal with a normal circular saw.)
In theory, all things being equal, a Hypoid saw should be beefier and heavier duty due to the way the transmission and clutch of the saw apply power. Not just worm drive transmission types. If you forsee some heavy duty usage, than the hypoid would be a better choice.
If you have neck problems, I would highly suggest one of the guided circular saw systems. Set the track to the cut line, clamp it in place and just push the saw. Your neck and shoulders will be in the looking forward position, instead of cocked,and bunched up, to follow the line. I have to believe that the reduced stress on your neck would be worth it.
I've had two shoulder surgeries, one on each shoulder, in the last two and half months. My days of "dealing with it" are over.

[Curt Harms]

Dunno what you mean by "smaller"......but - I have a PC314 - 4-1/2" blade, worm drive, metal case. Will cut 1"+ at 90*.

Out of manufacture for some years, but regularly available on the usual sites.

Thing's a horse. I have the typical 7"+ craftsman stuck in a dark corner somewhere, for when I need to cut bigger stuff - which was I-don't-recall-when last time.........last time I cut 3-1/2" x 3-1/2" WRC fence posts, I used the PC314, and finished it with a hand saw - thing is much lighter weight, and much easier to handle, than a full-frame circle saw.

I have one of those as well. It's surprising to me that no manufacturer has introduced one -- things are really handy. If I were going to change something, I'd make the blade turn a little faster.

[Tim Compton]

I have the Milwaukee blade left saw it replaced a Porter Cable Mag saw.Once I got use to it I like it. I dont know if I could go back to right side blade. As for the sole being on the cut off side just cut from the other side or end. You control the saw, don't let the saw control you. Somebody liked my PC more than me.

[Tom M King]

Search ebay for Porter Cable 743 and 347. Out of production, but lightweight magnesium pro saws. Maybe the last great saws that PC made. They're sidewinders, and one is left bladed and the other a mirror image right blade. I've been using them for twenty years. I'm a pro, and have a pair plus one with a brake, and mine still run great. They also come with and without a brake. If you find one with little or no use, which does come up once in a while on ebay, it will last you a lifetime. I wouldn't want only a heavy worm drive saw.

[Michael Cole]

Thanks for the suggestions. I ended up doing a U turn and bought a Dewalt 20v cordless circular saw. It has the left blade and I thought I could use the batteries for other tools including the jigsaw I bought also. We will see how it works out. I decided I didn't need a real heavy duty saw as I would not use it that much.