Customer Reviews

Porter-Cable 423MAG 15 Amp 7-1/4-Inch Circular Saw with Blade Left

5 star:		(16)
4 star:		(6)
3 star:		(5)
2 star:		(6)
1 star:		(1)

 

 

This is my 4th circular saw. I have a Skilsaw 77 worm drive, 2 Makitas, 1 blade on the right and one cordless blade on the left now this one.

One of the features I was most interested in was a solid base when locked. When I'm cutting sheet goods down to size I want the base to be stable. When I apply preasure to the saw I don't want the base to flex or distort while I'm trying to maintain a straight cut edge. Just a little bit of flex would reduce this to rough work only.
This Porter cable was the only one to do it outside a Festool (which is about $400). All of the other saws bases flexed while I put some downward pressure on them and rocked them a bit. Although the Bosch was pretty solid it blade is one the right.

The other feature I wanted was the blade on the left. I'm right handed and love the blade on the left. I like to be able to see the blade and in some instances I like to walk along with the saw and again, the blade on the left allows me to do that comfortably.

This Porter cable easily ride along a fence and is powerful and stable. The blade that comes with it is working pretty darn well, negligible tearout on plywood has been my experience.

The other thing I loved especially after some time using this is the fact that the saw is relatively light in hand and it's well balanced.
I like the worm drive Skil but it gets heavy using it all day. Just a few pounds even 1 or 2 really seem to make a difference.

Another thing which is small but welcome is that Porter Cable cast the distance from the edges of the base to the blade right on the base. Seems that's a measurement I don't retain between weeks of use. I got out my ruler to take down the measurement and behold, there it was already marked for me. 1 1/2" on the left and 5" on the right.

This has been a very enjoyable saw to use. My most enjoyed actually.

I've been framing going on 25 years now and have used my share of saws through the years. I must admit that a Skil Model 77 was my saw of choice from the beginning and still is now, most of the time. The worm drive with the blade on the left is by far the most comfortable for me. When Porter -Cable started making circular saws that are more powerful and lighter than the trusty model 77 and with the blade on the left side ( like the worm drive)- I had to check one out. What I primarily use mine for is stacking up a bunch of plywood and ripping it down into small strips, very hard on *any* saw. This little saw powers through the plywood considerably better than my worm-drive. The little extra 'oomph' the 15 amp motor provides makes a big difference(the worm drive is 13 amps). Works fine for regular use as well(cutting 2x4's, etc.). I first had the Porter-Cable 743K and I just tortured that poor little saw and it lasted longer than it had any right to, so when it died I had to get another like it. Porter-Cable has certainly earned my respect with the last saw. The 423MAG has alot of power in a very light package.

This saw is not an appropriate replacement for the model 743K, in fact its not even in the same league. After just 2 days on the job the keyless blade change broke rendering this saw useless, and the dust nozzle is too small .... all it does is stay hopelessly clogged. It works fine if all you do is cut perfectly dry lumber, but what contractor is able to do that on a daily basis? The rip guide attachment in only good to around 8 inches where as the model 743K has a 12 plus inch rip capacity with the exact same rip guide. Take a professionals advice and buy a 743K if you can still find one. Porter Cable really goofed on this one!!!

I borrowed a friend's Porter Cable 743k saw - the previous model of this saw - and was immediately smitten. The 423 is the current version, so I ordered one from Amazon without hesitation.

Any improvements from the 743 to the 423 were more than offset by a tremendous increase in noise. Running my "loaner" 743 side-by-side with the 423 showed the new 423 to be at least 25% louder. It had a spine-tingling whine that drove me nuts.

A fluke? Maybe. So I bought another 423 locally; it had the identical whine. I returned both, and found a seller that still had a 743. Same price, much less dB, and I'm a happy camper.

If you're looking for a quiet saw, keep looking. If you're already going deaf, I had no complaints with the PC 423.

This saw was an impulse purchase based on frustration with an old right hand blade Skil saw that could not cut 3/8 paneling without twisting and binding and did not cut cleanly in 2" dimensional lumber.

While its billed as a framer's saw, it handles panels easily, from Chipboard to MDF, and the dust collection port works pretty well. The best news for me was that it seems to fit my hand, and being right handed, the blade was were I could see it as I walked down a long rip even in low light.

The integral blade changing feature is nice if you lose wrenches for tools as I do, but was not a decision point. The solid feel and strong bevel adjust makes this saw easy for me to drive straight and true.

This saw cuts very well and is about 2.5 lbs lighter than comparable saws (the Makita 5007 for example) but there is a trade off in the weight and the toughness of the saw. If you want, you can use the makita as a hammer and then cut lumber with it. The magnesium frame and guard of this saw lightens the saw but you can't even drop the saw or it may crack as mine did on a 3 foot drop onto a wood floor. I also had the same problem with the tool-less blade change feature as another review and $29 to replace the part is ridiculous. The blade retention bolt on other saws is a dollar and on my 20 year old PC I havn't needed a second one yet. Too many gimics and plastic on this saw to be viable saw for the construction trade. Perhaps as a high priced alternative to a Black and Decker it would fit the bill.

I'm left-handed and had been using a cheap Skil saw for about 5 years with the blade on the right side of the saw. You might think this would be a good thing for a lefty because the cut line is more visible. I disagree! The blade was a little too close to my hand for my own comfort. Plus, you can tell the saw was designed for a right-handed person because of the way it "feels" in your hand. Any lefty knows what I'm talking about. A "blade-right" saw in your left hand can feel unbalanced, which presents a dangerous situation.

Enter the Porter Cable "blade-left" saw. Finally, a circular saw built for leftys like me!! The saw feels incredibly well-balanced and comfortable in my left hand. I can see the cut line just fine without leaning over the saw. Plus, it's lightweight and has plenty of power (more than a DIY-'er like me could ever want or need).

My first saw (the Skil) was about $40. I bought the Porter Cable for about $130 at Sears. Money well spent! I highly recommend this saw for left-handed people. Milwaukee also now has a "blade-left" saw, but I haven't tried it.

I've owned my own a residential construction business for over 20 years. As you can imagine, I've seen and used my fair share of circular saws. Porter Cables previous circular saws (743 and 347) were among the best I had ever used. So I was very happy to buy a few of the newer MAG saws when they came out.

And they performed wonderfully... for a while. All three of them have broken where the table meets the depth adjustment guide. Yes, they were dropped. From 3'. It should go without saying a commercial duty tool should NOT break so easily.

The repair guy at the local tool store that caters to contractors said he has seen 100's of these with the same problem. So, I am back to shopping for the older ones on eBay.

After years of peering over the saw guide and getting pelted directly in my safety glasses with sawdust, I decided to try this saw. Seeing the cut line is worth the money spent...period. The thing to keep in mind is that if you hold this saw with your right hand, the stable material (being held by your left hand)is going to be on your left. This means that this saw will be weighted over the waste piece (right). Not ideal for perfect cuts. Saw was a big power improvement over my 5 year old Skill saw.

If you use any battery powered saws, they ALL have the blade on left. I really like being able to see the line with these saws, and not bending over the saw for difficult cuts (as you do with a blade-on-right electric circular saw). So I thought I'd try a blade-on-left. I've used quite a few saws over the years, and I really like the solid feel but very light weight of this saw. Haven't cut much but a few sheets of plywood (long rips) and some 2x4 crosscuts, but I REALLY like being able to see the line on those long plywood cuts.

Not sure about the safety issue that one reader raised. I don't see the problem, but would appreciate it if someone could explain why a left-blade saw is unsafe for a right handed person. Actually, I almost cut my thumb off about 20 years ago on a long 2x4 rip cut. The blade bound up in the cut and "walked out" of the cut backwards and ran over my thumb (the one holding the 2x4). I think the blade-on-left saw would have made the situation better because I wouldn't have had such an awkward material holding position.