On Sunday, December 9, 2018 at 4:13:30 PM UTC-5, J. Clarke wrote:
On Sun, 09 Dec 2018 15:07:25 -0500, Clare Snyder
wrote:

On Sat, 8 Dec 2018 20:17:43 -0800 (PST), "
wrote:

On Saturday, December 8, 2018 at 8:49:51 PM UTC-6, DerbyDad03 wrote:
Christmas is coming. I'm considering buying a circular saw for my daughter.
She's 26.

Other than a drill, this will be her first real power tool. I have a Porter
Cable 743 left blade which I love. I'd buy her the same saw but it's no longer
available, other than used. Same for the 843 which I believe is the same saw
but with a brake. Same issue with PC 424 MAG, another saw in that same line.
(I think).

So, if I can't get what I'm familiar with, I'm looking for suggestions for
decent left blade circular saw. A brake would be great.

No, she is not going to start framing houses, at least not right away.. ;-)
All I know really know is that she wants to start doing some woodworking
and was wondering what type of "first saw" she should get. She also
mentioned cutting up some pallets to make a compost bin.

Any thoughts? Thanks!

Guess I'd suggest you abandon the circular saw thought. A drill makes sense. Its very useful for lots of situations. Hopefully it was cordless. I have and use electric drills frequently, but only in special situations.. Cordless drill for 90+% of tasks. Back to saws. If it has to be an electric, powered saw, then I'd suggest a jigsaw. Can't get hurt, its not dangerous. Like a drill, a beginner with no knowledge at all can operate a jigsaw and not get hurt. It does not cut straight or smooth like a circular saw. But cutting up pallets for a compost bin it would be perfect. And with circular saws, the wood needs to be stationary and clamped down to make a good, safe cut. And you need a guide too. I know construction crews make freehand cuts in midair with circular saws. But they have a lot more skill and daring than your daughter. Or me.
A sawzall would be better for pallets - and a jigsaw is most
certainly far from idiotproof - or "safe"

A lot of people have irrational fear of circular saws of any kind My
Dad was doing a good bit of building at one point (200 foot bulkhead,
150 foot dock, three-car garage and attached workshop of equal size,
storehouse (not "shed", it served the same function but had about a
thousand square feet of floorspace) and the only saw he had was a 20
buck jigsaw he got at the Navy Exchange (he actually had four of them
from which he had scavenged enough pieces to make one working
saw--they were really crappy). I got him a Sawzall and a Skil worm
drive saw and after he got over being afraid of the Skil (I I never
figured out why he was afraid of them--he was a Seabee in the Pacific
in WWII so lack of experience or exposure can't be it) he was happy as
a pig in ****.

A few years later he told me the only good tools he
had were ones that I had given him.

Whether that was true or not, that's what any Dad worth being a Dad
would say. ;-)