Skilsaw Southpaw Blade Left Sidewinder

Skilsaw recently introduced the Skilsaw Southpaw Blade Left Sidewinder, an all-magnesium circular saw featuring blade left orientation and Skilsaw’s Dual-Field Motor design. The saw has a 56-degree precision beveling capacity and includes a 24-tooth Skilsaw carbide blade along with a multi-function wrench stored on board.

Our Take

Blade Left Vs Blade Right

From the company that started it all comes a corded circular saw that continues the recent line-blurring between blade-right Sidewinders and blade-left Worm Drive saws. The debate about which orientation is better in practice rages on. It’s quite likely that “better” is a matter of familiarity and experience. However, the logic goes like this: since the vast majority of us are right-handed, a blade-left saw increases cut line visibility and cut accuracy as the saw is operated with the right hand. It’s the mirror image of a left-handed operator using a traditionally blade-right saw.

It’s More than Blade Orientation

But improved usability for the majority of the market isn’t the only thing that this new saw boasts. The all-magnesium frame cuts the weight and keeps the strength. You can also get a pretty steep bevel at 56-degrees – more generous than the typical 45- to 54-degrees – which comes in handy when you don’t have a table saw or if you just prefer to make bevel cuts with a circular saw. Additionally, the Dual-Field motor sports two copper coils instead of just one like other saws, and this airspace presumably allows the motor to run cooler and possibly extend its life.

Will Skilsaw Go Cordless?

For reasons unknown (well, maybe not unknown to everyone), Skilsaw has eschewed the cordless revolution. At least so far. You’ll see a deep line of corded saws in the company’s product offering, but not one of which is powered by a battery. This made sense when Bosch owned the brand to avoid inter-company competition on the Pro side. But now it’s part of the Chervon group, so there may be more plans in the works.

Regardless, we can focus on the positive side of a corded saw. It’s light (especially with the magnesium frame) and it can be a workhorse, never running out of power with a pack. After all, with its pedigree and the fact that so many tradesmen call every circular saw a Skilsaw, there’s an earned reputation to back it up.