Pretty much this. I find the top handle ones to be way more maneuverable especially for one-handed use. My residential construction company employs 7 full time carpenters and they all exclusively use the top handle saws. In fact I don't think I've ever even seen one of those rear handle ones on any of our job sites in 15+ years. Yeah the rear handled ones are better at long cuts, but if you clamp a guide to the work piece that benefit kind of becomes irrelevant.
one hand operation of a high speed spinning blade, WUT.
rear and front
If you can't safely and accurately use a circular saw with one hand you need more experience. Only time I really use two hands is when I have to do a very long cut, or when the wood I'm cutting is thick or hard and needs additional force to push the saw through.
A circular saw is not like a chainsaw. It won't bounce back when it gets stuck. Even if it bounces back, the blade guard when prevent you from getting cut. You would have to do something very stupid in order to get hurt from it.
I am a framer, I don't drink and neither do the two other guys on my crew. And in 25 years of framing I've never seen a single circular saw with a disabled gaurd, other than a temp wedge for super-thin cuts that would bind up. Why do all the larpers on here want to label all the trades as alcoholics?
They do have a small top handle on them for when you want to use two hands to cut, or to carry it with. Every other saw I've ever used is actual dogshit junk next to a skil worm drive saw.
Hell I've even bought an old worn out one at an auction for $15, threw a new cord on it, cleaned and lubed it, and threw a diamond masonry blade on it and proceeded to cut expansion joints in concrete slabs with it, and then will swap to a ferrous blade and cut steel with it. It's not happy with me, and does get hot and trip a breaker now and then, but it still hasn't died. Even if it did does kick the bucket it still owes me absolutely nothing.
This. Before I got one, circular saws were my least favorite tool. Hard to control, bind up easily, awkward to see the cut, etc. Picked up a skil 77 and I could immediately use it just like a hand saw. Favorite rough carpentry tool by far.
I never used anything but Skil worm drives, until I moved from production framing to custom stuff out in rich-people cottage country. Now everyone I work with uses those shitty backwards Newfie Makita sidelines that bind up as soon as you look at them funny. So all their cuts are crooked as frick because they can't see what they're doing, but at least their tiny wee arms don't get tired from using it
>Unless you’re the cut man on a framing crew >You have no reason to own a worm drive
I don't know why you wouldn't want a circ saw that is powerful and will last practically forever... They're not even pricey.
Not a fan of rear handle worm drive saws. The small benefit it offers doesn't outweigh the drawbacks. With a standard circular saw I can do everything that I can do with a worm drive without the added weight and length that comes with it.
Besides added weight and length (which don't matter when you're not a manlet) what other drawbacks are there?
The added weight and length are the drawbacks as you noted. Dropping the "you're not a real man unless you use a big saw" fallacy is just your insecure tiny dick energy coming through and not an actual argument against my claim.
The benefits are way more powerful (they have tons of torque to cut through practically anything), longevity (I personally have burned up many shitty top handle circular saws and even a hypoid saw, but I have never yet killed a worm drive saw although I'm giving it my best try), AND if you ever do have any issues there are parts available for them as they have essentially remained unchanged for ages. There's a reason they're regarded as the best circular saws out there for demanding applications.
So what benefits are there of top handle saws? Lighter? Weaker? Less torque? More prone to dying on you? Sounds amazing!
>tons of torque to cut through practically anything
Never really had this problem with my standard saw, if you use good blades you can cut through things just fine. >there are parts available for them
I can get replacements for most parts on my saw that could break. Being able to buy replacement parts is not a feature exclusive to a worm drive saws, it's a feature common to tools made by an actually decent manufacturer. >longevity
Not an issue. I've been using the same saw for probably coming up on 15 years now. If your tool has no longevity it's either because you don't take care of it, or because it's shitty pro-sumer grade junk. Yet another thing that has nothing to do with whether or not it's a worm drive saw.
You're not describing the benefits of a worm drive saw, you're describing the benefits of a well built tool. My standard circular saw has all of the benefits you mentioned, without the drawbacks that I mentioned. So to restate what I already said, I would see no benefit from switching from a standard circular saw to a worm drive saw aside from having a little more precision in long straight cuts, which is something that becomes a non-issue with experience and skill. If I were to switch the only difference it would make is that the saw I'm using would be heavier and less maneuverable, neither of which are traits that I look for in the tools I use.
>So what benefits are there of top handle saws? Lighter? Weaker? Less torque? More prone to dying on you? Sounds amazing!
Don't forget less leverage to prevent binding in the kerf and kickback because your hand is right up practically on top of the arbor/ rotational axis.
Also having the power cord hanging down 4" away from the spinning blade vs. 7"-8" away is a really thoughtful design choice.
>(I personally have burned up many shitty top handle circular saws and even a hypoid saw, but I have never yet killed a worm drive saw although I'm giving it my best try)
I bought an ancient worm drive Skilsaw for steel cutting. It shrugs off abuse and cost a whole 15 dollars at a yard sale.
Not a fan of rear handle worm drive saws. The small benefit it offers doesn't outweigh the drawbacks. With a standard circular saw I can do everything that I can do with a worm drive without the added weight and length that comes with it.
Probably rear because I clamp the front of the base plate and use my finger to help guide the saw perfectly straight if I'm working near a finished edge.
worm drive when being the cutman on a job they handle the stress of constant work better sidewinder for the rest because sometimes you need the clearance that you loose with the long body of a worm
>electricity: cord
High end battery saws these days outperform corded all around. Corded are limited by the power available from standard circuits, and modern batteries can deliver more than that. For field use, there's no contest, and the absence of a cord getting in the way makes them preferable for a lot of shop use too.
Watched this loud mouth on my framing crew cut his thumb off. Worm drive kicked back which they are notorious for. He was walking back and forth trying to unbuckle his tool belt. It was hilarious. He got it sewed back on. He works for the railroad now
Top handle is easier to control out in the field. Rear handle is great for long cuts
Pretty much this. I find the top handle ones to be way more maneuverable especially for one-handed use. My residential construction company employs 7 full time carpenters and they all exclusively use the top handle saws. In fact I don't think I've ever even seen one of those rear handle ones on any of our job sites in 15+ years. Yeah the rear handled ones are better at long cuts, but if you clamp a guide to the work piece that benefit kind of becomes irrelevant.
If you can't safely and accurately use a circular saw with one hand you need more experience. Only time I really use two hands is when I have to do a very long cut, or when the wood I'm cutting is thick or hard and needs additional force to push the saw through.
both for dixferent uses
similarly ... left blade or right blade?
idk, whatever saw is meant for lefties is meant for righties.
Just depends on which hand you use it with. You want the motor on the side facing away from you so it's not blocking your view of the cut.
one hand operation of a high speed spinning blade, WUT.
rear and front
A circular saw is not like a chainsaw. It won't bounce back when it gets stuck. Even if it bounces back, the blade guard when prevent you from getting cut. You would have to do something very stupid in order to get hurt from it.
*bounce back that much
>You would have to do something very stupid in order to get hurt from it.
I've seen someone try to cut a cable bike lock with one. Wood blade.
>It won't bounce back when it gets stuck
You know people have lost hands thinking that?
You don’t know shit about saws bubbles
Most framers are moronic alcoholics and the first thing they do is disable the blade guard
I am a framer, I don't drink and neither do the two other guys on my crew. And in 25 years of framing I've never seen a single circular saw with a disabled gaurd, other than a temp wedge for super-thin cuts that would bind up. Why do all the larpers on here want to label all the trades as alcoholics?
Left blade, rear handle, skil worm drive saw... The only right answer.
Throw a top handle on that just for carry convenience.
They do have a small top handle on them for when you want to use two hands to cut, or to carry it with. Every other saw I've ever used is actual dogshit junk next to a skil worm drive saw.
Hell I've even bought an old worn out one at an auction for $15, threw a new cord on it, cleaned and lubed it, and threw a diamond masonry blade on it and proceeded to cut expansion joints in concrete slabs with it, and then will swap to a ferrous blade and cut steel with it. It's not happy with me, and does get hot and trip a breaker now and then, but it still hasn't died. Even if it did does kick the bucket it still owes me absolutely nothing.
This. Before I got one, circular saws were my least favorite tool. Hard to control, bind up easily, awkward to see the cut, etc. Picked up a skil 77 and I could immediately use it just like a hand saw. Favorite rough carpentry tool by far.
I never used anything but Skil worm drives, until I moved from production framing to custom stuff out in rich-people cottage country. Now everyone I work with uses those shitty backwards Newfie Makita sidelines that bind up as soon as you look at them funny. So all their cuts are crooked as frick because they can't see what they're doing, but at least their tiny wee arms don't get tired from using it
Unless you’re the cut man on a framing crew
You have no reason to own a worm drive
>Unless you’re the cut man on a framing crew
>You have no reason to own a worm drive
I don't know why you wouldn't want a circ saw that is powerful and will last practically forever... They're not even pricey.
Besides added weight and length (which don't matter when you're not a manlet) what other drawbacks are there?
The added weight and length are the drawbacks as you noted. Dropping the "you're not a real man unless you use a big saw" fallacy is just your insecure tiny dick energy coming through and not an actual argument against my claim.
So the only two drawbacks are longer and heavier?
The benefits are way more powerful (they have tons of torque to cut through practically anything), longevity (I personally have burned up many shitty top handle circular saws and even a hypoid saw, but I have never yet killed a worm drive saw although I'm giving it my best try), AND if you ever do have any issues there are parts available for them as they have essentially remained unchanged for ages. There's a reason they're regarded as the best circular saws out there for demanding applications.
So what benefits are there of top handle saws? Lighter? Weaker? Less torque? More prone to dying on you? Sounds amazing!
>tons of torque to cut through practically anything
Never really had this problem with my standard saw, if you use good blades you can cut through things just fine.
>there are parts available for them
I can get replacements for most parts on my saw that could break. Being able to buy replacement parts is not a feature exclusive to a worm drive saws, it's a feature common to tools made by an actually decent manufacturer.
>longevity
Not an issue. I've been using the same saw for probably coming up on 15 years now. If your tool has no longevity it's either because you don't take care of it, or because it's shitty pro-sumer grade junk. Yet another thing that has nothing to do with whether or not it's a worm drive saw.
You're not describing the benefits of a worm drive saw, you're describing the benefits of a well built tool. My standard circular saw has all of the benefits you mentioned, without the drawbacks that I mentioned. So to restate what I already said, I would see no benefit from switching from a standard circular saw to a worm drive saw aside from having a little more precision in long straight cuts, which is something that becomes a non-issue with experience and skill. If I were to switch the only difference it would make is that the saw I'm using would be heavier and less maneuverable, neither of which are traits that I look for in the tools I use.
>So what benefits are there of top handle saws? Lighter? Weaker? Less torque? More prone to dying on you? Sounds amazing!
Don't forget less leverage to prevent binding in the kerf and kickback because your hand is right up practically on top of the arbor/ rotational axis.
Also having the power cord hanging down 4" away from the spinning blade vs. 7"-8" away is a really thoughtful design choice.
>(I personally have burned up many shitty top handle circular saws and even a hypoid saw, but I have never yet killed a worm drive saw although I'm giving it my best try)
I bought an ancient worm drive Skilsaw for steel cutting. It shrugs off abuse and cost a whole 15 dollars at a yard sale.
Not a fan of rear handle worm drive saws. The small benefit it offers doesn't outweigh the drawbacks. With a standard circular saw I can do everything that I can do with a worm drive without the added weight and length that comes with it.
Probably rear because I clamp the front of the base plate and use my finger to help guide the saw perfectly straight if I'm working near a finished edge.
top handle is direct drive, lighter and best for battery saws
rear handle is a worm drive, heavier corded saws, more power
>top handle
pretty ladies like you shouldn't be in construction
worm drive when being the cutman on a job they handle the stress of constant work better sidewinder for the rest because sometimes you need the clearance that you loose with the long body of a worm
handle: top
blade: right
electricity: cord
>handle: top
>blade: right
Situational.
>electricity: cord
High end battery saws these days outperform corded all around. Corded are limited by the power available from standard circuits, and modern batteries can deliver more than that. For field use, there's no contest, and the absence of a cord getting in the way makes them preferable for a lot of shop use too.
plunge saw with track
"Hey terry, can you grab my track while you're down the ladder?"
Quit being a smartass or I'll make you bring up the panel saw
"Hey Jorden, this rafter is sitting a little proud, can you pass the drum sander?"
Here you go
It's "prowed", not "proud".
Frick you, made me look it up. It could be " proud" or "prowd," though the latter is obsolete; but "prowed" only refers to ships.
No it isnt
I use both. Like any other tool each has its intended purpose. Let’s say you’re doing 1x4 outside window trim a work drive for that is just dumb.
Watched this loud mouth on my framing crew cut his thumb off. Worm drive kicked back which they are notorious for. He was walking back and forth trying to unbuckle his tool belt. It was hilarious. He got it sewed back on. He works for the railroad now