In the 1970s, I grew into the carpentry trade using a standard 7 1/4-inch sidewinder saw, with the blade to the right of the motor. During those early years of my career, I developed habits of workmanship that are now deeply ingrained, including how I set up my saw station, hold the material, hold the saw, and follow the line. Sure, I know that the line of sight is much better when the blade is on the left side of the saw, as is the case with worm drive and hypoid saws. But I’ve adjusted to the less-than-perfect sight line on my sidewinders and am willing to put up with it in exchange for the full support that I get on the “keep” side of the line as I finish the cut.
Of course, there are times when a left-bladed saw is handy, such as when I need to cut something in place and the motor on my right-blade saw is in the way. Or when I make the bevel cuts on an open-stringer stair skirt and need to tilt the saw in the opposite direction that my right-blade saw is capable of tilting. I’ve also found the clear line of sight on a left-blade saw is a big advantage for cutting plywood and for cutting rafter tails in place. So even though my main circular saw is a right-blade sidewinder, I also keep a left-blade saw handy and consider it an essential part of my tool arsenal. That’s why I was eager to check out the new Skilsaw 67M8-01, which Skilsaw calls the “Southpaw.”
After installing the included 24-tooth Skilsaw carbide blade, I found the Southpaw ran smoothly and was relatively quiet. Even though the blade seemed to be of average quality, it cleanly cut the plywood and framing lumber I was usingy.
Because it’s made out of magnesium, the Southpaw is pretty light--it weighs a little less than 9 pounds, according the specs. In comparison with my two other 7 1/4-inch sidewinders, it weighed .4 pound less than one and a full 2 pounds less than the other. I like this lightness because, when I cut things in place, I often have to hold the saw high or at difficult angles.
The Southpaw draws 15 amps, so it has plenty of power. The sides of the table are a hefty 3/8 inch thick, and they’re square to the bottom. This provides an excellent surface to run along a straightedge. There's no blade-brake or built-in rafter hook, however.
One neat feature is the way the arbor wrench clips into a slot at the back of the table. Instead of going AWOL almost immediately, now the wrench will be handy whenever I need to change the blade. This clever detail warmed my gadget-happy heart.
Cutting capacities for the Southpaw are standard for a 7 1/4-inch saw. At 90 degrees, it cuts 2 7/16 inches deep; at 45 degrees, the depth of cut is 1 7/8 inches. Not so standard is the fact that the saw can tilt way past 45 degrees and all the way up to 56 degrees.
This is a well-designed, professional-grade saw that’s well worth the price ($109, if you shop around). You may not think you need a left-bladed saw, but you do. And if you don’t have one already, I highly recommend this one. Skilsaw.com.
