"Teamcasa" wrote in message
...


Leon,
You obviously spent a great deal of time looking up this data. However,
if you ask anyone who uses a worm drive (by default, left blade) saw,
they will tell you it is a great tool. I have made hundreds of thousands
of cuts with one and I have never felt like my arms were criss-crossed.
99% of the time, I am holding the workpiece with my left hand and cutting
with the right. The action is the same as hand sawing only with a powered
saw. I see the line, I hold the work and that nonsense about the weight
of the saw only supported by thin side is just that nonsense. If a
builder can not hold the saw up, he should not be using it anyway.

Dave I am not saying that people are not using the saw the same way that you
do. I agree that probably most people hold the left blade worm dirive with
their right hand.



The other advantage to the worm drive is it length. I can cross-cut a
4'x8' piece (in the middle) of plywood in one push. The other thing I
have found interesting is West coast framers overwhelmingly prefer the
worm drive saw. However, East coasters like the sidewinders. Since Texas
is in the middle, maybe that's the source of confusion

I emailed both Milwaukee (I don't take credit for their grammar) and
Porter Cable, their responses are below. Neither say one is for left
handed or right handed people.

Well nothing you ask a rep is binding and they will always refer you to the
owners manual if there is a possibility of litigation concerning an injury.
I recall the first time I saw the PC left blade at a ww show. The reps were
selling them that they were intended for left handed users. The owners
manuals indicate this also. Regardless of whether a person uses the saw
correctly or not the owners manual is the final say.