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Furthermore you can't put a spare blade in the bag because 1) the bag is too small and 2) it would shred the bag to pieces. Over the years I have bought 3 of these saws, however the new version is heavier and less well balanced than previous ones. Perhaps consider the Milwaukee instead. This is a problem because you don't want to throw a spare blade in with your hand tools or in the back of your truck. Also Porter Cable have chosen to sell the saw with a canvas bag instead of the sturdy plastic case it came in before (the new saw does not fit in the case that the previous model came in either). The saw barely fits in the canvas bag with the zipper straining to close.
Nothing now is made like it used to be though.I like the blade on the left but takes a bit of getting used to. It works OK.
I like the balance better than a worm-drive, but for monster cutting, it's good to have one of those, too. I also have a trim saw for small jobs, but as a starter I would get this. I'm not sure why all right-handed saws do not have the blade on the left side. You can never have too many tools, although several saws is a luxury. It will do it all for you. This thing is powerful and light. This is my go-to saw.
So I was very happy to buy a few of the newer MAG saws when they came out.And they performed wonderfully. It should go without saying a commercial duty tool should NOT break so easily. As you can imagine, I've seen and used my fair share of circular saws.
Yes, they were dropped. The repair guy at the local tool store that caters to contractors said he has seen 100's of these with the same problem. From 3'.
I've owned my own a residential construction business for over 20 years. All three of them have broken where the table meets the depth adjustment guide. So, I am back to shopping for the older ones on eBay.
Porter Cables previous circular saws (743 and 347) were among the best I had ever used. for a while.
Accurate (square/flat baseplate from the outset) good power, nice weight/balance in the hand, and the directional sawdust exhaust port is a nice feature. The saw works beautifully for rips and crosscuts. Should have gotten one of these a long time ago. Arrived quickly packed in the manufacturer's box. All good.
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