I don’t care where you go or who you speak with, but everyone has heard of Skilsaw. They either own one or have used one. It’s one of the oldest circular saw companies around. In fact, it is the saw that built America, yes they are that old. In a world where it’s good to be young, it’s opposite in the tool world. You could say Skilsaw is the grandfather of all circular saws. The wormdrive has been around the longest and is still used by serious professionals even in todays lightweight cordless era.
The wormdrive is the king of saws, while it may not be fast, it has the torque to power though pretty much anything, even skin and bone as I saw first hand when I was younger. Not by my doing, but by someone who was doing our basement. He had the bright idea of taking off the guard (which you should never do) and the rest was history. Okay enough about doing idiotic things, let’s get into the nitty gritty of this saw.
A worm drive is heavier than an inline or direct saw, but it’s the way it’s designed that gives it the torque along with the added weight. However Skil being Skil decided enough is enough and added Magnesium to this saw. Yes the housing, guards and foot plate are all Magnesium. So you still get the strength, but not the weight. The saw weighs 11.5 lbs, only a couple pounds heavier than their Sidewinder. They have a dual-field 15 amp motor which is designed for heat reduction and to increase motor life. Just in case you’re wondering, yes the saw comes with the Diablo blade that we showed in the picture above.
You can make bevel cuts up to 53 degrees with stops at 0 and 45 degrees. I wish the saw had a 10 or 15 foot cord, but the 8′ cord is not bad. One cool feature is this now has a rafter hook so when you’re done cutting, you can hang it up without having to bend down to the ground all the time and grab it.
I know I am preaching to the choir, but this is a great saw for anyone looking for tough applications. I do wish it came with a case, but oh well. As always, Skil makes great saws.
Skil SPT77WML-22 7-1/4 in. Lightweight Magnesium Worm Drive Circular Saw with Diablo Carbide Blade
A classic saw. I really like the wormdrive.