Which Circular Saw - Left or Right Side Blade? 

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

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

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 😄

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.

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.

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

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

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

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

Your right, I never thought about this issue. Nice video.

Very informative and much food for thought. Thank you for this.

Great video Stuart! I'm in the market for a circular saw, and now I know what to look for. Thanks!

Great video. I've exchanged my Ryobi cordless left hand side using the warranty because of issues on cutting with a corded Makita that is right hand sided, I still have to try it as I've done it a few days ago.

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.

As always...perfect explanation Stuart 👍 Thankyou !

Something I never thought about, so thanks for that

Didnt realise this issue until i saw this video! Good one stu.

Had never thought about it but makes sense, great video as always thanks 👍😃

Thank you for yet another informative video Stuart. Your videos are always great. My wife also enjoys a little boogie to your intro theme every week when I watch your videos 😊 It is all kinds of backwards for us lefties with the blade on the "wrong" side for us. Having a quick Google there are a few left hand side bladed corded circular saws but they're either not as widely available or very expensive.

As usual Stuart, informative & well presented. Top man !

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.

Im about to buy a skil left blade battery powered, i m in the skill 20 v system. Already have a corded skil rightblade for years. The video really helped!

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.

I’m looking for a cordless saw for convenience but From a safety point of view - being familiar with power tools and how they react allows you to develop muscle memory over time - where as swapping and changing on a regular basis something as basic as which side the blade is on might introduce another element of risk.!? Especially with a circular saw.! Also even with eye protection wood chips and loose bits of carbide are a definite hazard when you’re peering directly at a cut line…. Great video and very informative. But I think I ‘ll go for a R/H blade just to keep things simple..👍

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

I don't do as much DIY as I use to, but circular saws are always a priority for me.

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.

Hi Stuart, great review on left/right side circular saws, I have 3 all mains powered a cheap and cheerful Parkside I have had for 5 years still going well and 2 Black and Deckers one of them was made in the 1960's it has a 2000 watt motor and still fitted with a black MK 15 amp plug which I use a 15 amp to 13 amp extension lead it was my Taids ( Welsh for Grandad ) and I didn't want to take the plug off. the other one is about 3 year old and all three are right handed blades, as always a great video

I was intreaged. And now I am informed. Thank you

Good morning, it’s nice to meet a fellow Brit. Such an interesting video; I have the same DeWalt saw, and a track saw for exactly the same reasons. Thank you for inviting me round 🌞

Really interesting and useful video Stuart, thanks. I bought a second hand plunge saw for sawing in my half a garage workshop (to reduce the dust) and use my corded Dewalt (blade on the right) for outside. They both work great but I spend a lot of time on the Screwfix website looking at cordless saws - not least because the panel saw at B&Q is very often out of action and you can save a packet by buying a full sheet. Now I have some idea of the pros and cons of left or right configuration so thank you. I wondered if that was Keith's saw... 🙂

Cheers fella for another great vid . Have owned 2 circ. saws for about 5 yrs. now, and it never even occured to me , just got used to using them and thought that was just how it is ...... luckily they are both right-handers ! ( the second one soon replaced a cheaper one ) Most used power tool in my garage bar none , would recommend buying one to anybody , but don't buy cheap , Makita , De Walt, Bosch kind of price range is best . Thank you 👊

Really interesting!!! So useful!!! Thank you!!

I bought a PC corded left hand saw around 15 years ago after wrist surgery. Pretty slick. 👍🍻

Blade on the right for me every time 👍🏻. Nice vid as always Stuart 🎉🎉

I've been puzzling over the pros and cons of right and left sided saws. I had the same discussions with tradesmen working in my house recently. They had the same dewalt cordless saw. They were so used to it that they didn't realise it was opposite to the norm. I had to show them my ancient corded Bosche saw to convince them. I also have the same cheap track saw you have. However, I might yet buy a left sided cordless for the reasons you mentioned.

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.

Again thanks for the info.

Thanks for this I’ve a corded right hand so decision made I’ll get myself a left cordless for my shed / model Railway room 👌😎☕️

Yes I’ve used a left sided corded saw in Oz about 25yrs ago. Haven’t looked for one recently

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.

I've always wondered and now I know. Thanks! My next door neighbour cut through two fingers while trimming the bottom of a door, he was holding the off cut. Luckily he had the depth on the saw set well or he would have coped them off.

I have one of each…problem solved. Use them both regularly! So helpful.

Interesting video. I have always thought the blade should be on the left (for right handed people) but after watching the video, I realise it's best to have the blade on the right.

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

Thank you , that’s helped me ❤

Good video Stuart. Another compromise instead of 2 saws you can get just a circular saw with a track compatible base or a saw with a guide rail adaptor. Both Makita and Dewalt make track compatible bases but only Makita make the adaptors for both corded and cordless saws.

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

Excellent safety points here. And, a rational justification for my 🟩 track saw!

Hi Stuart, that was a great video, it has now made me think what my two skill saws are, left or right? The firdt skill saw I ever used, was a adapter that B&D had thst you attachdd to the drill, I only usec it twice and tossed the adapter out, I have both a cordec and battery skill saws, bedt regards from a Kiwi living in Australia

Good advice

I have a dewalt with the blade on the right, and it's quite usable right handed (it is designed to be used in the right hand orientation). It actually has a rather large viewing "window" that you can easily see the blade while cutting. The Milwaukee my co-worker has, has a much smaller window, and it's quite hard to use right handed.

I'm left handed so the DeWalt is perfect 😂

My makita 5801B that my granny bought me leaving school 35-36 years ago is a beast & going as good as day 1 ( corded tho ) I went with the dewalt dcs579T2 & dws5022 (1.5m) & dws5023 (2.6m) guide rails & extra flexvolt battery Expensive tho but might suit some of your subscribers Kudos for going right to left & I enjoyed the video

Just bought a Milwaukee rear handle left blade cordless circular saw, best saw i have ever used, only regret is i should have got one years ago, never really liked using circular saws, not very confident with them to be honest , until i got this lefty blade.

I happen to own a porter cable corded circular saw with blade on left side and still use it. Dont know why they stopped making it, also at the time I bought it 30 years ago it was the lightest corded saw at 10 lbs. Great saw.

Great video !!!!!

Thanks for this. I've been considering a cordless circular, but hadn't even realised the blade position was a choice. As a complete numpty when it comes to DIY, having the blade on the 'other side' will probably save my fingers.

As a left handed person with this same dewalt circular. I have no idea what you're complaining about 🤷🏼

My original saw that I used for many years was a circular skill style saw with the blade on the right. When I became a carpenter apprentice, I began to use a heavy duty worm drive. A saw that seems strange because it's blade is on the left. Something that was actually very useful for production cutting and framing of buildings. When the circular skill saw type saw came out with a left hand blade I immediately got one. It's very handy and light weight when you have to make a precarious cut on the left hand side of a deck deck or something like that.

As a right hander I prefer left side blade so you can see the cut! Very glad Bosch new GKS70 saws come in both side options!

Skil makes a 15a corded lefty saw. I use blade left for crosscuts and blade right for long rips

I think I have the same skill saw my father gave me, it’s probably 30 years old too, still works just as good as it used to. Bet the newer ones won’t last as long!

Thanks Stu. Having watched a "few" Tube vids I was starting to think it was a requirement to use the thin side of the shoe... I shudder every time. Take care & stay safe M8.

I just walk around the workpiece so im always supporting the saw on the bulk of the stock🤷‍♂

The left sided saws are predominantly the US versions of the saw that manufacturers just started shipping to the UK also. It always used to be argued that the right sided blade was safer because if the saw kicked back (which isn't really so much of a thing these days) the blade was away from your leg. All worm-drive saws (much more common in the US) always used to be right sided blades & direct drive motor saws that were standard in Europe/UK/Japan always right sided. Also yes you can get corded left blade corded saws, do a search for rear handled circular saws which is basically the style of worm drive saws. I own half a dozen circular saws Carpenter & Joiner for 37yrs & got left & right Milwaukee M18 saws which depending on what I'm doing one is better than the other. But that's my two pence worth anyways 😊

I'm 66 and this is the first time I've seen this discussed. 👍

I'm an old tradesman we had the left hand worm drive and when cutting plan our off cut should be on the left so you can hold it to stop tear out

Wonderfull Sunday morning entertainment. Btw, maybe do some explanation on the type of saw blades, number of teeth etc... and the according materials to cut (wood, hard wood, mdf, aluminium, polycarbonate etc...). I would appreciate it!

I own a Porter Cable model 843 with the blade on the left. Bought it some thirty years ago. Still use it today. Likely unavailable anymore as Porter Cable seems to have quit building quality tools. I agree with you on all the failings of left hand saws...but...I only buy and use left hand saws. Just me, I guess, but I feel uncomfortable using right side saws.

My first one was a corded one like yours, right hand side. Then I got a cordless one, like you, with a left hand side blade. Having both is really nice but for how expensive cordless ones can be I wouldnt be able to justify having one of each type if the corded one wasnt already fairly old and much cheaper. I have to admit I generally like the left hand one more though

I had similar thoughts about my lathe! The power button is on the left. I’m right handed and would prefer quick access to control the power

That is the most beautiful circular saw I ever.. saw..

Worm drive generally have the blade on the left side (in the US) and are preferred by many carpenters. I use a left side blade often for precision cutting breaking down veneer plywood. These are corded tools For most home owners I’d recommend a corded saw.

And vice versa. Good video

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.

My Makita Hypoid electric drill has the blade on the left. I bought it 30 years ago. Cuts like a cadillac!Cadillac!. Very smooth.

Hi Stuart. Having just replaced my aged corded circular saw for a new corded Bosch saw , I’m beginning to realise I still need a track saw . I was hoping the new saw would be more accurate , but it’s proving not to be the case . So at some point I’ll be looking at the track saw solution. I notice the one you are using is a reasonable priced , I’ll be interested to know if it suits your needs . Kind regards as always 👍

Good info, I always wondered about that👍 Bosch corded CS5 is left hand and Bosch corded CS10 is a right hand, North America anyway, don't know if any in UK.

Great, I have never thought of the danger for my fingers when using the same dewalt cordless saw.

I'm a left hander and until recently only had a corded circular saw which was used mainly for breaking down sheet goods (with the same diy track system as you made). I recently bought a cordless one that has the blade on the right but I still use both hands on the saw - it just doesn't feel natural not to.

For my quick stuff, I've got a 3" (I think) Dewalt cordless saw. Easier to handle than even the one you have there.

I've learned from various YT videos never to let any part of my body enter the vertical plane that the blade's in, to avoid any risk of injury if the saw suddenly kicks or jumps. @6:42 looks terrifying... you've got your face and right arm right over the blade ! Obviously there's a guard, but I personally wouldnt take any chances

Great video mate. I feel a bit naive not knowing you can buy saws with blades on different sides. I’ve wanted a track/plunge saw for ages now and I was going to build a DIY track like you have, but it seems I might be better investing in one instead.

You should look at the skillsaw mag 77 its blade left worm drive gearbox, it's a beast of a saw

having your blade and handing on the same side is basically always safer and more accurate. It is slightly slower to line up cuts but that is pretty marginal. The big discrepancy is free handing rips, having opposite handing lets you see the blade and cut sheets quickly and accurately with a bit of practice. Compared to setting up a fence its a big time saver, its really aimed at contractors. From a DIY point of view they seem easier but will probably give you worse results

As per some comments below Stu. I a Lefty. I'm happy with the right had blade.

I use a hand saw in my left hand, find plunge saw feels wrong when I use it. Tracks are for right handed people 😅

As a left hander, ive always preferred a circular saw with the blade on the right side. However, circular saws arent intended to replace table saws. And the straight edge devices are intended for that type of use. Ok for job site use, but shops should be using either a table saw or a good quality rack saw.

I think tooth count and application makes a difference too. I have a fine tooth blade, slow cutting with fine finish and you are more likely to touch near the blade. If rough cut cls with case blade I just horse it through

I’m primarily left handed, but years of having to use ‘the wrong hand’ with lots of tools I’m now able to swap hands with no problem. Except for writing, when I write with my right hand no one, not even me, can read it!

Finally they made a saw for left-handed carpenters and I'm a lefty

Oooooh it gave me 'the Willie's' when your digits got close to the left-hand blade!!! 😱😱😱☺️

For the thin cuts with the left-hand blade, set up and cut from the other side of your bench.

I think people often begin from the position of wanting to see the blade and the cut, but where accuracy matters, most cuts are made against a straight guide so that's what you need to monitor. Also, as you say, the notch indicates the leading edge if you're eyeballing it. I chose a right-hand side blade because I would often be cutting close to an edge, trimming doors for example, and as a righty myself this keeps more of the foot supported. On many occasions I've found it convenient to operate a saw or other power tool left handed though and it's really no problem; what matters most is thinking the action through and arranging as much as possible for stability.

Wow... 30yrs🎉 but l believe it will matter which side of the table you prefer...or if right or left handed user.

Old skill and Craftsman worm drive saws every carpenter used were on left.

welcome to the world of us Left handers!!

Interesting. Both of my DeWalts (240v and 18v) have blades on the right, and both have exhaust ports on the right.

im so glad that i can actually use both my left and right hand when using tools