Worm drive circular saw - Contractor Talk - Professional Construction and Remodeling Forum

Michaeljp86 · 09-27-2007, 09:58 PM

Whats the deal with a worm drive saw? I never had one and never used one. They are expense but people buy them so there must be a reason. So whats so great about them?

shed-n-deck · 09-27-2007, 10:34 PM

I like the Skilsaw worm drive, mostly because it's easier to make cuts as a right handed person. Plus, it is more powerful, and the arbor is squared, so blade slippage is eliminated. The Mag77 is a lighter version, it only weighs 7.7 pounds. I also used to own a Skilsaw 8 1/4" saw, it was a bit hefty, but it could cut 3 1/8" deep (I think). Now I only own a side winder, my wife almost bought me a mag77 for my birthday back in june, but we were a bit short on money, so I settled for a cheap bottle of scotch whiskey...

skyhook · 09-27-2007, 10:55 PM

I've had the same 2 model 77s for 25 years. Easy and powerful to use. The extra weight prevents kick back. My nephew sliced his forearm wide open with one when it was only freewheeling. Some guys should not wedge the guard back. Me, I take the guard off and use an 8" blade, Change the cord to 25', add a skyhook (they call them sawhooks now) and use them Left Handed.

Michaeljp86 · 09-27-2007, 11:32 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by skyhook

I've had the same 2 model 77s for 25 years. Easy and powerful to use. The extra weight prevents kick back. My nephew sliced his forearm wide open with one when it was only freewheeling. Some guys should not wedge the guard back. Me, I take the guard off and use an 8" blade, Change the cord to 25', add a skyhook (they call them sawhooks now) and use them Left Handed.

Wow, you like flirting with disaster dont you

. Sometimes I think removing the guard is safer. I cant say how many times the guard would hang up on the edge of the wood when you start the cut and your pushing really hard and wiggling it trying to get it to let go. I guess its like my grandpa said, your less likely to cut yourself with a sharp knife then a dull one.

kapena · 09-28-2007, 03:15 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by skyhook

My nephew sliced his forearm wide open with one when it was only freewheeling. Some guys should not wedge the guard back.

Does your nephew have a wife who might have given him a cheap bottle of scotch whiskey for a birthday gift on the morning when he had that accident?

**joasis** · 09-28-2007, 06:12 AM

I have the conversion "Bigfoot", a mag 77 with a 10 inch blade....bought it for one job, and it rides around in the van, just waiting.......just as an add....anyone have one of the 18 inch beam saws Makita puts out?

BTW, I also have a Prazi attachment for another 77 I have.

Kgmz · 09-28-2007, 08:50 AM

I also have used the Skil worm drives for over 25 years. In fact I still have my first one and own 4 of them, the last being a Mag77.

I also like the blade on the left since I am right handed and also own 2 Porter Cable 345 Saw Boss 6" sidewinders with the blade on the left. I love these little saws since they are so light and have enough power.

And a worm drive is really not any more expensive than a quality side winder. A Skil Mag77 is only about $160, the Porter Cable 345 is about $140, and any other good sidewinder is $120 to $160.

Now if you think they are expensive compared to the $30 to $50 sidewinders. Think about this, I have saws over 25 years old with just routine maintenance, brushes, etc. How long would a cheap sidewinder last and how many would you go through in 25 years. Besides being less powerful, etc, etc.

Michaeljp86 · 09-28-2007, 09:33 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Kgmz

And a worm drive is really not any more expensive than a quality side winder. A Skil Mag77 is only about $160, the Porter Cable 345 is about $140, and any other good sidewinder is $120 to $160.

Now if you think they are expensive compared to the $30 to $50 sidewinders. Think about this, I have saws over 25 years old with just routine maintenance, brushes, etc. How long would a cheap sidewinder last and how many would you go through in 25 years. Besides being less powerful, etc, etc.

Thats cheap for a worm drive, the cheapest Ive seen was around $200. Id buy one if I could get one that cheap. Lowes only has maybe one at a time for around $250-300.

RobertCDF · 09-28-2007, 12:38 PM

Buy the bosch and never look back... Sidewinder suck, once you get used to a worm drive you will wonder why you wasted so much time before with sidewinders.

nadonailer · 09-28-2007, 09:43 PM

I just bought my first Skilsaw Mag 77. I've used only Makita Hypoid drive saws for the last 25+ years, but I needed an extra saw so I bought a Skil. Don't know yet whether its as good as the Makita, still tryin it out, but definitely a saw of this style for the real carpenter, not a sidewinder. I even have the nice Makita sidewinder and it's just as powerful and has some great features, but they just aren't the same, not enough weight different feel, blade on wrong side etc...

Kgmz · 09-28-2007, 10:05 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Michaeljp86

Thats cheap for a worm drive, the cheapest Ive seen was around $200. Id buy one if I could get one that cheap. Lowes only has maybe one at a time for around $250-300.

I hope you are in Canada if those prices are right.

Just looked at the Lowes website and they have the

Skil Mag 77 for $197.36
Regular 77 for $159.00
Bosch 1677 for $189.00

Home Depot website prices:

Bosch for $199.00
Skil Mag 77 for $179.00
Regular 77 for $159.00

If you have a White Cap near you their regular prices are,

Regular 77 $139.00
Skil Mag 77 $182.85
Bosch 77 $214.48

But never buy one of these at White Cap unless they are on sale and they usually always have one of these saws on sale every month. Couple of months ago they had the Mag 77 on sale for $149

Also in case you don't know, Bosch owns Skil. And the Bosch worm drive is basically a Skil Mag 77 with some improvements.

Michaeljp86 · 09-28-2007, 10:15 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Kgmz

I hope you are in Canada if those prices are right.

.

nope I live in michigan, that may be the prices but lowes never has any and the very few I did see there were a few years ago and I think the only one they had was around $250.

shed-n-deck · 09-29-2007, 02:30 AM

I don't want anyone to take this the wrong way, but if you need to pin your guard back, perhaps you should rethink your skills....It's not really that tough thumbing the guard, and it can save a knee or leg muscle....On top of that, if you set the saw down wrong, wouldn't it be a nice reassurance that the saw isn't going to come after you?

**BuiltByMAC** · 09-29-2007, 08:38 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by shed-n-deck

I don't want anyone to take this the wrong way, but if you need to pin your guard back, perhaps you should rethink your skills....It's not really that tough thumbing the guard, and it can save a knee or leg muscle....On top of that, if you set the saw down wrong, wouldn't it be a nice reassurance that the saw isn't going to come after you?

A couple of thoughts on this thread...

$ - maybe it's just a location thing (West Coast?), but in the last 5 years, I've never seen a Mag 77 for sale for more than $180. Sometimes you can catch them on sale for as little as $160 or so (with a softshell case too!). A lot of East Coast builders on here haven't heard of worm drive saws so maybe it's a product the retail stores in the East just don't carry (supply or demand? If enough demand it, they might start supplying it?)

Michael - if you do buy one online, pony up the $ to get the Mag 77 over the Reg 77. The difference in weight will show itself within the first week (if you do a lot of sawing). I've heard good things about the Bosch, however, the one I bought, I took back because it was binding (being a big wuss about cutting wet wood). Not a good first impression so I exchanged it for a new foot plate and cord for my old Mag77.

Shed-n-Deck - not sure how I could take it the wrong way - saying if I pin my guard back, I'm not a good builder? How else would one "rethink their skills"? When I cut angles (entering the wood from an angle), I'll pin back my guard because it catches on the wood and forces my saw out of the line. (I'll be holding the piece of wood with my other hand)
With that being said, my reassurances are that when I'm using the saw, I am ALWAYS aware that the thing could cut parts of me off if I'm not careful, guard pinned or not. When I set it down, my mind is on setting it down. Of course, I pulled the safety setup on my table saw too so I'm really living on the edge!

Mac

RobertCDF · 09-29-2007, 08:58 AM

The bosch saw has a better guard setup than the skils. You wont have to pin your guard back as often if you use the bosch and set it to the depth of the lumber. It is kind of rounded on the edge that hits first and moves out of the way nicely.

I wonder about the people who remove/always pin guards back are you cutting on horses? Or are you cutting with the board on your foot?

Pinning a guard is ok... REMOVING a guard from a worm drive is dumb. Removing the guard from a table saw is the only way to use it. I dont know of a time I have used a guard on a table saw.

Michaeljp86 · 09-29-2007, 11:07 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by shed-n-deck

I don't want anyone to take this the wrong way, but if you need to pin your guard back, perhaps you should rethink your skills....It's not really that tough thumbing the guard, and it can save a knee or leg muscle....On top of that, if you set the saw down wrong, wouldn't it be a nice reassurance that the saw isn't going to come after you?

My cordless I rarly pull up the guard but on the saw with a cord I do alot because the way its designed it hangs up on the start of the cut and I think makes it alot more dangerous. I never remove the guard or tie it up.

And on mine you cant pick up the guard with your thumb because its on the wrong side. A friend had a old beat up saw and his you could move the guard up with your thumb on the same hand that held the saw. That made it nice, I think it was a old B&D.

skyhook · 09-29-2007, 11:35 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by RobertCDF

Pinning a guard is ok... REMOVING a guard from a worm drive is dumb.

What is the difference in pinning it back? If a guy can't be trusted without it, can he be trusted with it pinned back? The 8" blade won't fit with it on.

Tmrrptr · 09-29-2007, 11:51 AM

Over 20yrs on same pair of 77's... No maintenance and much abuse.
keeps on tickin
r

randomkiller · 09-29-2007, 12:53 PM

I was just at a Lowes near me this morning and saw they are clearing out the Mag77's for $99, it looks like they are going to another model or something.

RobertCDF · 09-29-2007, 02:16 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by skyhook

What is the difference in pinning it back? If a guy can't be trusted without it, can he be trusted with it pinned back? The 8" blade won't fit with it on.

They make one that fits the 8" balde or you can buy the bigfoot conversions and have a 10" blade with a guard.

Reason I dont think its a good idea to REMOVE it is because then you have to do a lot of work to make it safe again. Were as if its just pinned you can just pull it for a few cuts. Have you ever made cuts with that saw standing on the top of a 8' ladder? Trust me you want the guard in place in case something happens.