Porter-Cable 325MAG reviews
Smooth as butter
Awesome saw...flies through wood, has a great weight to it--not too heavy, but not too light that it feels cheap, the magnesium body and fence were a great choice. This model has the electronic brake which brings the blade to a stop about a second after you release the trigger. (Doesn't really make a difference since the fence will protect the blade from cutting anything, but it's a nice for piece-of-mind.)
My only gripe is the motor being awfully close to the workpiece. I wanted to use a 3/4" piece of MDF as a fence to ride the saw along, but the motor is too deep, the saw wouldn't lay flat. I ended up using another strip of wood that was about 3/8" thick. That gave the motor plenty of room.
11/24/2007
no more hard case
The saw I received today (from 7 Corners) comes with a soft canvas case. They tell me Porter Cable (Dewalt) is switching over from the hard plastic. Forget about protecting the plate alignment while it's being transported in the back of the truck.
The quick-change blade clamp is certainly awkward - I see a previous reviewer's bolt broke on first use.
The back left corner of the base plate has about a 2" triangle cut out -- that is, the left edge is that much shorter than the right. (The pictures, of course, don't show this.) So be sure any straight-edge guide extends a few inches beyond the work piece.
Also forget about easily using the dust bag that worked so well on the old 447 - with various adapters and duct tape I have the old bag precariously hanging on right now. That may not matter to most people- it apparently doesn't to Porter Cable -- but I found the bag cut down on 90% of the dust (on ply rips, for instance) without the hassle of a hose and vacuum. (7 Corners told me in advance the saw was not designed for the bag - but I figured there must be some way to adapt that chute.)
That said, I have had several Porter Cable 447's and been very happy with them. This still seems a good tool, the rubber handle is nice. I will give it a spin for several days and report back. But I'll also be keeping an eye out for a 447. And hoping Porter Cable's design philosophy hasn't changed for the worse.
Porter-Cable 325MAG 15 Amp 7-1/4-Inch Circular Saw with Blade Right and Brake
3/5/2008
Porter Cables "Contractor" saws !!!
I've been working with wood and saws all of my life. My Dad was a master carpenter in the days when it ment something to be a CRAFTSMAN. He never owned a power tool.
I own numerous circular saws, standard and worm gears types. I first purchased a Porter Cable blade left contractors "Mag" saw last year from Amazon and liked it so well that I purchased the blade right and retired all of my other saws.
This saw without the fumbling safety lock built into the handles of most saws today is the absolute best. When combined with a high quality blade like the freud blades, that I also purchased through Amazon, this saw will do the the job effortlessly.
With the powerand and versatility of this saw combined with a high quality blade you should be well satisfied with it's performance.
Dr. T.G. Menges
2/17/2008
Makes me happy!
Great power tools sends me to a very Tim the Tool Man Taylor kind of place. Puts a smile on my face. Oh, and welding, too! Arr arr ARR!
Anyway...
This is the perfect Circ Saw. The Magnesium construction makes it strong and light. 15 AMP power is, well, powerful! The directional dust shoot - not so much of a big deal, but useful. Perhaps the best feature is the electric brake, a great safety feature and helps to keep the noise down since you can shut it off so quickly.
The included blade is fine, but I use a Freud Diablo 40 tooth blade for fine cuts. Freud D0740X Diablo 7-1/4 40 Tooth ATB Finishing Saw Blade with 5/8-Inch Arbor, Diamond Knockout, and PermaShield Coating
I use it mostly with the Eurekazone rail system. Another great product. Eurekazone SGS-1 EZ Smart Guide System 100 Inch
If it fell off of my truck I would buy a new one.
12/8/2007
Power with light weight
This is a rugged and powerful workhorse. The other carpenters on the crew ar always wanting to "borrow" my saw. Lightweight and the blade brake are the best. PC could incorporate an inexpensive LED to help light up the cut line. Other than that no complaints and will replace with same saw in the future. All the other guys on the crew are buying this one when replacing their saws. Watch out when ordering to get the left or right side blade whichever you prefer.
10/3/2008
Quick Change Stripped First Time
I've had excellent luck with Porter Cable tools over the years, in fact most of my tools are Porter Cable. Unfortunately this one didn't live up to my expectations. The first time I tried to remove the blade using the "Quick Change" bolt it stripped out. Other than that the saw performed fine. Called Porter Cable and they said they've had problems with the quick change device. Offered to send a new quick change or a standard bolt. I opted for the standard.
2/1/2008
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