I am looking for a new circular saw, I don't want a worm drive so I thinking about the Porter Cable 423mag or the Milwaukee 6391-21, both with the blade on the left side. Does anyone have either of these? Any suggestions/comments will be appreciated.
Thanks
Dennis
Dennis,
I do not have either of the exact saws you are talking about. However I do have 2 Milwaukee circular saws. One I bought, the other was a free tool when buying a combo pack. I absolutely love the Milwaukee. It would take a lot for me to stray at this point.
I am not 100% on this, but it has been rumored that Porter Cable has become the lower tier of the Black and Decker offerings. That would have me cautious about anything that is a newer Porter Cable.
My brother who makes a living with his tools swears by his Milwaukee's.
Josh
I have the PC 423 Mag, and absolutely love it.
The magnesium makes it light, but stable. I prefer a lefty (it seems more natural with the main part of the saw in my right hand), but others have other preferences, so YMMV.
The dust collector nozzle is nice ... not 100% efficient, but it helps when I am cutting up sheet goods.
I bought this saw about 5 years ago, and have never had any trouble. I know the popular opinion now is to judge Porter Cable as the "slum lords" of power tools, but I didn't know that when I bought it ;).
I have no experience with the other saw, but I have only positive experiences with the PC 423 Mag.
John - I believe the newer offerings (past 2-3 years)of PC is what people are all in a bunch about. I have a few PC routers that I bought about 7 years ago and they are top notch in my opinion.Quote:
Originally Posted by John M Wilson
I have not used or bought any of their newer offerings since they were bought out in 2005.
If you can hook a shop vac up to the dust port, it works pretty well. Right now Porter-Cable seems to have multiple personality disorder. The tools that were around prior to the B & D acquisition seem to be what they were before. Have they been cheapened up internally? I don't know. It seems like if the model # starts with PCxxxxx it the "value line" e.g. new B&D FireStormQuote:
Originally Posted by John M Wilson
I have both the 423 Mag and the 6" PC saw boss, both great saws. Lots lighter than a 77.
I have the older PC-Mag right-blade and love it. The newer ones do look a little cheesy.
I have the Milwaukee 6391-21 and I like it a lot.
At first I thought the tilting handle thing was just a gimmick - but as I started to use it I find that I really appreciate it. If you're using it upside down or at other odd angles for home improvement stuff it really shines. But for "real" woodworking it comes in handy too - for example when Im a really shallow cut, like just enough depth to get through a 1/2'' sheet of plywood. On a "normal" saw you feel like you have to point your elbow directly at the rafters to get a comfortable grip on the handle/trigger. But with the Milw you just adjust the handle and you can make your cut without contorting your wrist or raising your arm to odd angles.
The dust collection port on the PC seems intriguing though - does anyone have any experience with how well that works? The DC capabilities on the Milwaukee are nil - but then I dont think most people expect that as a feature on a circular saw.
I don't think the saw you have is available any more. OTOH the new and improved one has a laser!! :rolleyes: :D. The dust collection does work well on the left bladed 423 but there are times I'd prefer blade on the right. I'm right handed. I've thought about the Eurekazone.com solution but don't know how well it works.Quote:
Originally Posted by glenn bradley
I have hooked up my shopvac/Dust Deputy combination to the dust port (with an adapter) and used it when cutting up sheet goods.Quote:
Originally Posted by Jason Hanko
It's a bit of a pain to dig up the parts, hook it all up, and then work around the hose, so I don't do it unless I am cutting up a bunch of stuff.
It works pretty well -- not 100% by any measure, but 80%-90% reduction in the amount of sawdust generated makes clean up easier. It also seems to help with the stream that tends to fly directly into my face.:cool:
I would say (IMHO) that it's a nice added feature -- probably not the sole reason for picking this saw over another, but a small +1 in the plus column.
Hope this helps...
Not sure if you've used a left handed saw or not before, but I personally don't care for it.
I have a right hand saw and a left hand trim saw I got with a cordless set. The biggest problems I have with it are when doing a thin rip you're saw is not supported, and when doing cross cuts you're saw is supported on the off cut, not the piece that you're normally holding still with you're left hand if you're right handed.
I find the whole thing very awkward, but there have been times that the left blade has been fantastic too. I guess it depends a lot on what you're doing. If you don't already know you like the left blade and can borrow one to try out, I'd recommend doing that to get a feel for it.
I have the Dewalt DW364K and it's fantastic. I absolutely love the way the handle stays behind the saw, and everything is adjustable so that you can make sure the base plate is lined up properly with the blade.