Skillsaw

[abunaitoo]

Never had or used one before.
Friend said it's so much better than a circular saw.
Found an old one on craigs list, so I picked it up.
Old metal body Rockwell, 7 1/2 blade.
The cord is 5" long, and has black tape on it.
Never ever having one, didn't think much of it.
Plugged it in and it spins clockwise.
Looking at it, I would think it's suppose to spin counter clockwise.
But looking on utube, it is suppose to spin clockwise.
Strange to me.
This thing, being all metal, is heavy.
I'll try cutting with it to see if I like it.
If I do, I'll look for a better blade, and change the cord.
I just like old tools.

[redneck1]

If your talking about a worm drive saw vs a regular old circular
saw One thing you should be aware of is the need to check the oil for the worm gear . They tend to leak a bit after 20 or 30 years and they don't hold much oil .

The seal isn't much money if you like the saw and cut stuff you don't want the ocasional oil drip on . But they are a bit of work to change .

[pworley1]

Unless you are working over your waist height with it "heavy" is a good thing in my opinion. If the brushes are good and the oil is kept full it should outlast you.

[trebor44]

"skillsaw" oil is thicker than regular oil, the bearings do wear and the blade change bolt is counter intuitive. I've had mine since the 70's and while it is 'heavy' it CUTS! The 7 1/2 inch was the most common but there are 8 1/2 and the 'beam' models out there. Blades and brushes are the expendables and the cord is easy to replace. Locking back the blade guard is not a great idea if you are careless.

[Plate plinker]

I have used them and they are nice.

[bedbugbilly]

Just make sure the blade functions as it should and don't get sloppy when using. I have seen a number if injuries over the years where guys complete their cut and the tendency is to let their arm swing down towards their leg. If the guard doesn't function properly and you get that exposed blade near your leg, it won't be pretty. I know of one individual who cut his leg that way and bled out and died as he was working alone with nobody around.

If the blade guard hangs up and you set that saw down with the blade still spinning = that saw will take off like a kid's motorized toy car.

Not trying to scare you - just always be safe and respect the damage it can do if you don't pay attention to what you are doing. I've used them my entire life.

[kerreckt]

The spin direction depends on whether the blade is on the left or right. Whether worm drive or not. I have framed many houses as a carpentry contractor starting in 1970 and am very familiar with all of these saws. It seems the worm drive models were more popular on the west coast. These circular saws can be dangerous and must be respected.

[Bmi48219]

‘SkillSaw’ is a manufacturer of saws. A portable circular saw can be direct or angle (worm gear) driven.
I have a 60 year old Rockwell direct drive circular saw. It is a great saw but really heavy. Most times I use a lighter Mikita. The big worm gear circular saws had a lot of power and a longer steering-base from grip to blade center. They were long, easier to keep on track and seemed to last forever but unless you’re endowed with a strong right arm you needed two hands to line them up. One reason was their weight, adding to the load carpenters carry around. Most preferred the shorter direct drive saws for weight and one handed use. We seldom had to replace worm gear drive saws, nobody wanted to steal them.

[Bazoo]

I have a porter cable 347. It’s a regular saw. I’ve never used a worm drive. Course I never worked on a crew building houses. Anyways, you got to be careful that it don’t kickback on you. It can, and will jump up and hit the artery in your leg, or take your hand off. They have a lot of weight to control when they kickback. I use a Freud Diablo blade on mine. It was $10 from Home Depot.

[MaryB]

For home use these days I grab the battery powered Ryobi mini saw... it will run for a couple hours worth of making a cut every so often, is super light... just a really handy gadget. You won't be cutting a 4x4 in one pass though! 2x4 depth is about it.

[Jim22]

I don't know how much need you have for a saw but if you are framing and cutting 2x4 0r 2x6's leave them on the floor. Pick one up and rest it across your foot. Mark where you want to cut, move the mark a foot away from your foot, then use the weight of the saw to help your cut. That is if you're right handed. The blade being on the left makes accurate cuts easier for right handers. You can do the same thing on top of a pair of saw horses. Nail a 2x3 clea to the end of one horse and hang the sasw there by its upper handle. No bending over.

The only thing I don't like about the old worm drive skilsaws is that they have a ground prong on the plug so they are not double insulated. If you use one in the rain - especially the metal grip ones - you wil be shocked.

Jim

[bangerjim]

All my portables are now BOSCH LION tools. Batteries hold a charge for YEARS it seems like. Always ready when I need them.

And tons of power!

2 drills
1 impact
1 circular saw
1 bandsaw
1 recipro-saw
1 sander

All run from the same battery packs.

I still have all the old corded tools, but they are just collecting dust on a shelf in storage. Some are actually collector's pieces today.

Enjoy your new toy. Just be VERY careful with it!!!!!

[Mk42gunner]

I never ran a worm drive saw very much, but I do think they are smoother than the normal circular saw. More expensive too.

Robert

[lightman]

I have an older Craftsman worm drive saw that was made by Skill with the Sears name on it. Its served me well.

[jonp]

For home use these days I grab the battery powered Ryobi mini saw... it will run for a couple hours worth of making a cut every so often, is super light... just a really handy gadget. You won't be cutting a 4x4 in one pass though! 2x4 depth is about it.

The mini 4in saws are a thing of beauty for cutting plywood, boards etc. Use one all of the time for everything other than lumber and I have a Hitachi for that.

[ebb]

Worm drive saws are near indestructible. When i first started in the trade i was cutting down Ellis jacks as fast as 5 laborers could lay them on my horses, and haul of the cut jacks. This went on for days and days. I noticed the saw had a different name on it from the company i worked for. The company name changed when the owner got discharged from the army in Korea. It was 22 years old before i got ahold of it. I never set it on the ground i dropped it.

[Bmi48219]

I have an older Craftsman worm drive saw that was made by Skill with the Sears name on it. Its served me well.

Haven’t handled one in 15 years but you new there was some power there the way the motor rotation torqued the saw when suspended.

[ebb]

Lefthanded people seem to like them a lot.