Favorite Worm Drive?

ribuilder

Whats your guys favorite wormdrive? I like the skill believe it or not. Been using the bosch too, my partner has that one. Anyway, fire away!

__________________
remember what you did right, then do it again!

D.Foster

I like the skil too,...But the Makita hypoid is nice as well.

__________________
Do what you would do, as if i won't Do anything after you Did It!

KentWhitten

I've used Skil for years. Went to the Mag awhile back. Then I got to a point where I needed a new Skil Mag. So I went and bought one. First day, I had a kickback. Something happened with the gears inside, they bent or something. I took it back and they replaced it. Happened again later, about a week I'm guessing. Took it back, got another. Happened again and again, I'm like WTF?

Bosch bought them out and I assume they replaced the gears inside with some cheap steel. I was directed to the Bosch wormdrive which is essentially the same saw with a few upgrades. Haven't had any problems since, but I'm disappointed in the level of quality now on the Skil 77. Maybe they just had a bad run, don't know.

Hypoids, I've tried. They seem decent enough. From my understanding the sealed gears don't last as long. Don't know if that's true or not. I know the Makita has quite the startup torque.

I knew one guy who swore by the DeWalt. Don't think I'll go there ever.

__________________
If you correct your mind, the rest of your life will fall into place ~Lao Tzu

Custom Cabinetry - Portland, Cape Elizabeth, Scarborough, Kennebunkport, Yarmouth, Falmouth, Cumberland, Ogunquit, Maine

Salmon Falls Cabinetry

neolitic

The one that someone else
has to use.

__________________
Put your location in your profile!
(Sorry....it seems there really are dumb questions)

Bodger

I've always been sold on the Skil Mag 77. I have three, they're all at least five years old. I didn't know Bosch bought them out and started fookin' around with the gears and such.

Every Mag I've ever owned took a beating and never gave up. In fact, I've never used one up, always sold them cheap when I ecided it was time to get a new one.
Disppointing to think if I buy one new now, they might have gear issues.

SLSTech

Skil Mag or the Ridgid are my top two choice, I have had less issues with the Ridgid

__________________
Alabama Full Service Remodeling, Renovation, and Preservation by SLS Construction
Certified Energy Efficiency Audits, Ratings, Modeling, Verifications, & Consulting
Residential, Commercial, & Industrial Infrared Thermography Scans

strathd

Been using skil for 25 years. Have 5 and 1 mag. Found that the mag table does'nt hold up as well. Cant take the abuse us framers put them through. Table just gets bent to easy. A buddy of mine uses 6 1/2'' skill worm drives. Back in the day we used to take the guards off the 77 and put a 8 1/4'' blade in. I also have a 8 1/4'' skill pro bevel that goes to 61 degrees.

Norrrrrrrrrrrrm

I have the Boach as well. It has served me well over the few years that I have used it.

__________________
Norman Sharp
http://www.sharpimprovements.com

strathd

Hey, check this out. I worked with this crew in the early 80's. I was pretty green, asked the boss what he wanted me to do. He said grab that saw over there and start cutting door plates out. This saw had the guard removed, the housing that covers the top of the blade and the table.I said there's no way im using that saw it was like a grinder with a blade. We were doing apartments so im sure it was much quicker than using a sawz all. Yeah I was a pussy then but I still have all my fingers.

KentWhitten

I'm not 100% positive that's what they did. I'm just relating what I went though with mine. I sent 4 back in a month though. These weren't big kickbacks either.

__________________
If you correct your mind, the rest of your life will fall into place ~Lao Tzu

Custom Cabinetry - Portland, Cape Elizabeth, Scarborough, Kennebunkport, Yarmouth, Falmouth, Cumberland, Ogunquit, Maine

Salmon Falls Cabinetry

jhark123

Standard Skill 77 here. If you're using it right the weight doesn't matter

Bodger

I have heard that from some framers before. Sounds about right. I can't tell much difference either really.

Bodger

I remember in one of Lary Haun's books, he showed a 'gator of a saw that I think was commercially produced back when you could get away with such things.
It was essentially a stacked dado type multiple blade assembly about three inches wide, set into a circular saw with a base plate.
No guards, top or bottom. It was used to gang-cut bird's mouths in rafters that had been clamped together.
Looked, and was, dangerous as hell. Kind of thing if OSHA stopped by and saw, you'd be in deep stuff.

xxwckdxx

favorite is my bosch direct connect....for beams i have a makita hypoid with the beam chainsaw attachment cant remember the makers of it...

ribuilder

I've been pretty happy with the bosch too...no problems...even the blade it came with lasted a long time! I'm usually a freud man, but we just put up 304 rafters and I didnt change the blade until the last few sheets of ply.

__________________
remember what you did right, then do it again!

RobertCDF

Bosch with new diablos all the time... I change them out more often than anyone I know. A nice very sharp blade makes all the difference.

__________________
Robert Shaw
Colorado Springs Custom Decks
Colorado Custom Decks
Custom Composite Decks

BuiltByMAC

I'll second the reg. blade changes...I've got a Skil Mag77 that I really like (5 years old) - I drop a new Diablo blade on at the start of each project.

Mac

billderboots

Makita hypoid with Diablo blades!

j.m.s.

Skil baby!!! and I am not telling what I do to them as soon as I get them home. I have 4 and have used them for 25 yrs. You should have seen the old rockwell we had to use on job when I started, no guard and 1/2 a table, had to stop blade with your fingers in order to put it down. You could cut out window sheathing from the inside with it, nice and flush to 2x. Guards are more dangerous!

__________________
A Constitution of Government once changed from Freedom, can never be restored. Liberty, once lost, is lost forever. (John Adams)
http://jmsconst.110mb.com

D.Foster

I would stop the blade with my end cut before i put my fingers in there!!!

__________________
Do what you would do, as if i won't Do anything after you Did It!