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Exelant tool, this is one of my favorite saws. It,s the lighter weight and size that is so useful, AND THE BLADE IS ON THE LEFT SIDE of the motor, most saws of this type have the blade on the right side, the point is you can see what the blade is doing (if you are right handed ). I,ve been a carpenterfor 20 years now and own and use over 10 differant electric powered sawsthat I use regulary on any given job. The Porter Cable Saw Boss has the power to cross cut and rip 2 X matierial that I otherwise would have to use a worm drive drive saw to do. My go to saw that is allways in the truck. Oh, and it's heavy duty biult TOO.
Truthfully, what more do you need for a circular saw.As for the comments about the saw being underpowered I honestly don't understand how that can be. Some have stated the lack of blade options as a negative but I must disagree.
Being that 99.9% of the time I cut nothing more than sheet goods or 2x material at 45º the small size and light weight of the Saw Boss is perfect for me. That being said and as much as I love and recommend this saw if you often have the need to cut stock of thicker dimensions than the Saw Boss is capable of then obviously a good 7 1/4" would definitely be the way I' go.The strong points of this saw are most importantly the small size, light weight and right-hand drive.
I bought this saw back in 1996 and I don't think I could be happier with it. This saw, as with any and every tool, has limits and within those limits it excels.
In my younger days on jobsites I "prided" myself on being "the man" slinging around heavy tools like they were nothing but in my older and much wiser days I truly appreciate the virtues of something smaller and lighter but still as capable. This saw is an absolute pleasure to use and the right-hand drive gives us righties a perfect view of the cut line.As for negatives I personally don't have any.
Not only does Porter Cable offer an 18T rip and and 40T crosscut blade ( I have both and they are more than acceptable) but Freud also offers both a 20T rip and 40T crosscut blade. I'm not out to call anyone a liar but any sort of 2x material is no match for 9 full amps and a thin kerf carbide blade - my personal experience has confirmed that repeatedly.All said and done if the majority of your sawing involves nothing more than 2x at 90º or 45º and/or sheet goods then I think you'd truly appreciate the beauty of the Saw Boss and I'd venture to say it would be a welcome addition to your gang box or garage but if you frequently saw anything out the the Saw Boss's limits then it, again obviously, would be a questionable investment for me or anyone.
The 345 is a well sized circular saw for most jobs. The lefthand configuration provides great access for viewing the cut (but wear safety glasses), if you're a righthanded user.On the negative side, the price tag is high and the blade selection and availability are limited. The base plate is unimpressive, similar to the sheet metal plates found on B&D and Skil sawsI bought my 345 used for $25, so I'm quite happy. If I had paid $140~150 for a new unit, I would be much less impressed.
Great light-weight saw for both contractors and homeowners. Not for framing, but very versatile for tight spaces.As always, Porter Cable is one of the best.
Well, after a lot of use and and a few saw blades, it is the first saw I usually grab when planning a job. I've had this saw for about 6 years now and have grown to love it. Like any saw, keep the blades sharp and it cuts like butter. I've always used 7 1/4" saws, usually worm drives, but after doing a remodel a few years ago with a friend of mine who had one of these saws, I had to get one for myself. At first I wasn't sure because it is so light and I was not sure if it would hold up over time. Use the bigger saws for heavy loads like 4X material and you'll be happy. Great little saw.
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