Customer Reviews

Porter-Cable 743K 7-1/4-Inch, 15 Amp Framers Saw with Carrying Case (Blade on Left)

5 star:		(36)
4 star:		(6)
3 star:		(2)
2 star:		(1)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

The only reason a right-handed person should want to use a circular saw with the blade on the right is because it is easier to control after the cut is made because the motor side is resting on the remaining work-piece. PC even makes that one advantage a mute point with this saw--It is so light it is easy to control even after the cut-off falls away. Besides being able to see your cut line with the blade on the left, you can hold a speed square on your board with your left hand to guide the saw and make a perfectly straight cut! With a right-bladed saw, the motor usually gets in the way of this operation.

To top it all off, this 15 amp saw makes fast, clean, easy work of everything I've tried to cut and is priced very reasonably.

I have had one of the above saw for a couple of years now, and could not be more pleased. The primary use that I reserve for my 743K is the cutting of plywood stock for kitchen cabinet boxes. I simply use a straight edge made from aluminum bar stock, a couple of Quik Grips, and my 743. With a plywood blade on, the 743 goes through three-quarter inch, high grade plywood with ease. I have destroyed two other circular saws in previous years doing this mundane task of ripping and cutting sheet stock. The Sears brand lines are a waste of your money as are most of the Skil line. Do it right the first time, and get a Porter Cable. Costs a little more initially, and you don't end up with two circular saws...the 743 and brand X that no longer works!

Handy Dan

My partner and I are framers - primarily residential homes, and use the 743-K daily. Finally, here is a left hand blade saw that's lightweight, contrary to the worm drives, has plenty of power, and an easily accessible cam-lever lock for quick & easy depth adjustment. After using the left hand setup, I'm not sure why anyone would use a standard right hand model. Even if you have a standard handsaw that works, buy one of these - your current saw will sit on the shelf - guaranteed.

This Porter-Cable circular saw has an amazing 15 amp motor and is easily the lightest saw in its class. That 17 pound Skilsaw wormdrive was really getting to my arm and I got rid of it at a yard sale. I could never make a decent sawcut except with a wormdrive because of the leftside blade. A leftside blade is the only way to go. I was astonished and did a doubletake when I saw the Porter-Cable. A left hand blade PLUS lightweight, powerful, and topnotch quality. It is actually easier to adjust angle and blade depth on this one than a wormdrive. Also, it has a built-in drive shaft lock and a blade wrench below the handle. Mine came with a sawdust chute, a deluxe thin kerf carbide blade, and a nice compact case. Even if a person wasn't savvy enough to go for the left hand blade, the same saw in a right hand blade model would be superior to any other saw on the market. In the left blade version, it is absolutely in a class by itself.

I have been in Industrial sales for over eight years now and I know one thing for certain. Porter Cable consistantly makes power tools the pros like. Trust me when I say some of my customers are very tough to please. I have never had any bad luck selling the Porter Cable line of 7 1/4" Saws though. They are lightweight a sturdy at the same time. One of my customers once told me that the balence of the saw helped him hold straighter lines for twice the length of his normal skill saw. The chip blower is also a nice feature many saws do not include. By having this you will keep your work surface cleaner making it easier to cut, so trust me boys, this is the circular saw to own and to sell if your in my shoes!!!

I replaced an old B&D circular saw with this new Porter Cable and the difference is beyond description. This left blade orientation makes eyeing the cut as easy as can be for this right-hander. I replaced the factory blade with a good quality Freud blade and in a side by side comparison, will out-cut my contractors table saw in speed and smoothness. My typical use of the dust port is to just install the elbo and direct the debris away from me and the cut. But if I am sawing anything with a high dust quotient like MDF, I adapt my shop vac and a hose to it and about 90% of the dust and chips are drawn away. I don't use the vac most times because dragging that plastic hose across the work gets annoying after a short time. Everything about the tool says quality and it just feels good in the hand. Well balanced, well made, and most of the controls fall easily to hand when working with it or changing blades. My wish for any improvement? Include a small dust bag attachment and an adapter for a dust hose. I spend a lot of time comparing and researching before I spend my money on new tools, and this one came out on top in just about every aspect compared to the competition.

Excellent saw. If you're a right-handed person used to a right hand blade, it will take a little while to get used to a left hand saw, but once you do, it's a great improvement. Dust port is a god-send especially when working with MDF and other dusty "woods". Typical Porter-Cable balance and finish quality. The best saw I found and I tried them all.

Bought this saw to replace an old right hand blade Skil saw. Wasn't sure about the LH blade but tried it out. It does provide improved visibility vs. a RH blade. However, it does take some getting used to (e.g., your support falls away, since you're on the "blade side" you tend to get dust kicked up at you, etc.). Wasn't sure about the LH blade for the first couple of weeks but did get used to the differences btwn it and the RH blade. Recommend sticking it out for 3-4 weeks to give it a fair shake.

Other than the blade orientation, the saw has been great. More than powerful enough, in my experience. Lighter wgt than many other saws in its category. The dust chute is a neat idea but don't think it will eliminate your mess -- just directs ~75% to one side. Another poster recommended a dust bag which I might try; don't think hooking up to a ShopVac will be very practical.

Overall a very reasonable priced saw for all it offers. Would recommend to anyone -- either this model or the RH blade model.

Until I bought this saw, I avoided using my circular saw (a very old B&D). Faced with cutting a lot of sheet goods, and not having a sliding table on my table saw, I opted to purchase the Left-Handed Porter Cable. What a saw! This thing cuts through plywood and siding like it's got rollers under it! I can't believe the improvement over my old saw, and having the blade on the left is a REAL improvement (even though I'm right-handed). To cut with an edge-guide attached to your sheet, just add 1-1/2" to your measurement and go. This saw has been a real time saver. It's light, but not even a little bit wimpy. The light weight is a real back saver, too (when you're leaning over a sheet of plywood). I hesitated to spend this much money on a circular saw, and almost bought a saw in the $59 price range, but from the first time I used the PC, I've never looked back.

I have owned many circular saws over the years. This one is the best by far. It is light, yet very powerful with the 15 amp motor. It has no trouble with the toughest chores. I just completed an extensive remodeling project with it and was very pleased. Ripping, crosscuts, bevels, etc. It handled all of them. Nice case, convenient blade wrench for quick blade changes. I am glad I made the purchase.