– In today's video, we're gonna look at three helpful questions to make buying a circular saw easier, and then we're gonna look at three must-have accessories for that new saw. Question number one, do you need a blade-right, or a blade-left saw? Now, this question doesn't really come up often on YouTube, but it makes a huge difference, or it can make a huge difference for the user. So, let's start off by looking at a blade-right saw like this one here. But before we do that, I do want to mention that I am right-handed so all the information that I'm gonna be presenting today is from a right-handed perspective. However, if you're left-handed, all you have to do is flip what I'm saying to make it right for you. For starters, when it comes to right-handed users with a right-blade saw, it can be kind of hard or awkward to see your cut line because the blade is away from you. So, you either have to look through this small opening here, or you have to look over your right shoulder, which can be awkward. But the nice thing about a right-blade saw with a right-handed user is that the sawdust is actually going away from you. Unlike if you had a left-blade saw, like this one, where the sawdust would be coming right at me. Blade-right saws, like this one here, for the right-handed user are generally more comfortable to use two-handed because your hands are right next to each other. It's also a little bit better when you operate the blade guard as my left hand reaches over to raise the blade guard, it is safely over the motor and not anywhere close to the blade. Unlike, if I was to use a blade-left, once I reach in to start to operate the blade guard, my hand would almost feel like it's going into the blade, which can be quite uncomfortable for some people. Another thing to consider here is, where is the weight of the saw? Is is on the waste-side or is it on the keeper-side? For example, with a blade-right saw, cutting a two by four to length would mean that the saw is now over the keeper piece, or the piece that you're keeping, which makes the cut more stable because the weight of the saw is being supported, even after the cut. However, if you're cutting a small strip off a wide piece of plywood and you can't reach over it, you'll have to change directions which means that the main weight of the saw is now over the waste piece, making for a less stable cut, because you're cutting off the piece that is supporting the saw. So, just know, in general, if you have a hard time holding up the weight of the saw and/or you're just interested in making the most stable cut, always keep the main weight of the saw on the piece you're keeping. Moving on, when it comes to right-handed users with a blade-left saw, your cut line is completely unobstructed, you have no problems seeing your cut line and you don't have to look over your right shoulder. However, when it comes to two-handed operations, it can be somewhat uncomfortable because your left hand is almost crossing over your right. And, of course, the sawdust is gonna be coming right at you. And, like I did mention briefly already, when you go to operate the blade guard, your left hand can be somewhat uncomfortable being that close to the blade. However, if you were cutting that same small strip of plywood, the weight of the saw is now supported better because it's not on the waste-side of the cut. This topic of blade-right versus blade-left is highly debatable, but ultimately, it comes down to what saw you feel most comfortable with, whether you're right-handed or left-handed. Question number two, do you need a battery operated or a corded saw? Well, in order to help you answer that question, you need to first think about how much you're gonna be using the saw and for what purpose. For example, are you more of a DIY hobbyist, who might only be using a saw for the weekends and on small projects? Or, are you someone who is gonna be using the saw on the daily basis? Are you looking for the saw to work really hard for you, like with a lot of demolition and house framing? Or, is the saw gonna be used for lightweight projects mostly and maybe a little bit of heavy use now and again? In general, if you're using the saw on a daily basis and for heavy use, a corded version might be the best option for you. And then, if you're looking for anything less than that, maybe a battery operated one might be best for you. Again, this isn't a hard rule, but as you can see, it helps to think through these to figure out what saw is gonna be best for you. Another thing to think through is a pros and cons list for each saw. The corded saw, for example, is always ready to use. They have lots of constant power, meaning it never slows or gets tired after a long day of use. They are more powerful and can be cheaper to maintain over their lifetime compared to a battery operated version. The cons are, of course, that you need constant power plus the corded saws themselves can be heavier, which can be a deal-breaker for some of you. Battery operated saws, on the other hand, are great because they're not restricted by the cord. It's safer because you don't have to worry about the cord getting caught on something, or accidentally cutting it by mistake. They're great for locations that may not have power, or where getting power to the saw might be just too much work. Cordless saws are generally lighter, which makes them much easier to handle. The biggest con for battery operated saws is the batteries themselves. You have to keep them charged, which means at some point, you'll either have to have multiple batteries to get you through the day or be around a power source. In addition to that, batteries do need to be replaced, which nowadays is expensive. So, the maintenance on these saws is more than their corded versions. As you can see, it's helpful to think through some of these pros and cons before you make a decision, but regardless of what you do, either way you go, I don't think you'll be disappointed. Question number three, what style or size saw do you need? There are two main styles of saws. A worm drive saw and a direct drive, or sometimes called a sidewinder. The worm drive saw hit the market somewhere around the mid 1920s. It was made by SkilSaw. As you can see, the motor and the handle are all central making the saw more balanced from left to right. It's smaller in width, but overall longer, so that you're able to reach out further, making cuts more easily when you're trying to cross cut or rip full sheets of plywood, for example. Worm drive saws have a special spiral gear, or worm gear, that transfers the motor's power 90 degrees making it possible to have the motor shaft pointing in one direction and the blade pointing in another. The other thing the worm gear does is it actually increases the overall torque of the saw, making it feel much more powerful. So, for example, this is a 15 amp motor, and this is a 13 amp motor, but this saw, because of the gearing
