Which saw?

[Deleted member 174758]

The other main difference between these two saws are the metal plate and plastic plate as opposed to metal.

The DHS680 (like mine) has a cast aluminium base plate - the plastic width scale is just screwed on (and TBH I rarely use it).

Edit: Never mind, found the adapter that's required

https://www.powertoolworld.co.uk/ma...zAGtX9BQX7qPYPzAFYP56Rc1Kgo1ew0xoCVnkQAvD_BwE

Not cheap at £45, when you factor in the cost of the saw and rail in comes in at £241 for the full set, which is still a damn sight cheaper than something like DSP600 Plunge Saw and Track.

Sorry. I thought you realised that the guide rail adaptor was an extra. The rail suggestion was really about a lower cost rail which would work with the adaptor. It's a bit of a moot point with me, personally, as I also have a DSP600 (plunge/rail saw) for work that reequires it

 

[opps]

Whilst that is true for corded saws, TBH it isn't really the case for cordless saws. The DHS680 I use (165mm, below) is a left hander and is very popular in the trade - being a left hander it is easier to set-up and use with a speed square for cutting joists, studs, etc to length (you clamp the speed square to the timber with your left hand) - the left hand blade also makes it easier to see the cut line when you are working to something like a chalk line (not all cuts are done with a plunge saw). Being right handed a "lefty" does seem a lot less convenient for ripping down timber, thoughh, but as crosscuts probably outnumber rip cuts 50:1 in framing and general carpentry work, I'll live with it. I did find that left hand blades are a lot less convenient when I tried using a guide rail, possibly because I couldn't use my spare hand to hold the guide rail down when needed.

View attachment 261296

The framing saw I have for roofing, the Makita DRS780 (184mm) is also a left hander:

View attachment 261297

Various forms of witchcraft...

Again, I stand corrected. I was thinking to myself that even my old DS140 (biscuit joiner) had a blade on the left.

 

[Deleted member 174758]

How's about this, then? The biggest cordless "lefty" (saw) I currently know of now is this 40 volt jobbie from Makita:

which has a 210mm saw blade and is designed for timber framing (56° max. bevel, 95mm depth of cut - actually bigger than my 230mm corded Hilti saw which does about 88mm, 6.3kg). As I'm getting a bit old for that sort of work I think I'll pass - the price, at £570 for the set (because I have no 40 volt XGT kit) is also no encouragement

AFAIK these only came out last year

The other thing about the guide rail adaptors. This is the adaptor for the DHS660 (part no. 199232-5 metal):

as opposed to the one for the DHS680 (part no. 196953-0, plastic):

I know which I think is more durable, and which I prefer (hence my original recommendations, above)