What are your opinions on the best sidewinder? Right now I have a Makita Hypoid and the Makita 5740 Sidewinder, which while nice, is a bit underpowered at 10 Amps.
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I like my PC mag saw, blade right, yup, it's the best one. Maybe spring for the brake, but I think they are just one more thing to break.
Bubba James
Skill Saw 77. Right or left drive. keep a bottle of oil handy.
Chuck S
Right drive 77? Mine's left.
Mark,
Must be dating myself. We had a right and left 6 1/2" in the late '70s. I think they were 12 amp. High torque, low rpm.
Chuck Slive, work, build, ...better with wood
Never saw a rightie, must have been unpopular.
isn't that a wormdrive? I was looking for sidewinders, but thanks anyhow.
My Milwuakee thats about 33 years old was the only saw that I thought I'd ever own until I bought a EZ and wanted a better saw for it.
I got the Hilti 167 with a break and now thats the only saw I use. Not saying the 167 is so great, its the break, I wont have a saw without it now.
I now have the Hilti 267 and thats even better, course it cost a bit more.
Doug
Does the Hilti 267 have an electric brake also? I didn't see it listed in the description on Hilti's website.
Boy it better!
I bought the 267 to replace the 167(for the good dust collection system) on the EZ, havnt gotten around to doing that yet so I've never ran the saw! I assumed it did since the 167 does - also thats the saw that they use for their "shooting board" system.
Now I have to look into that.
Doug
turn the damn thing on and let us know what you think about your 267Mike Smith Rhode Island : Design / Build / Repair / Restore
I've been looking at the 267 as it gets great reviews, but I'll tell you one thing, when I checked one out at the Hilti display at HomeDepot - man that sucker is loud!Almost sounds like it's got bad bearings - but it was a new saw. High-pitched whine.I currently have a Milwaukee Tilt-lock that I modified with a dust port that allows me to saw almost dust free even inside - but I'd like a blade brake.The milwaukee has a smooth low-range roar to it that is easier on the ears than that Hilti I checked out and seems very smooth in use -although I've not pushed it to it's limits really.Before that, I owned Makita 13amp saws and a PC lefty 15amp. The Milwaukee is much smoother running than either the MK or the PC.Don't use them as much these days - use the 18volt saw (Bosch) for most of basic cutting chores.Have the Milwaukee set up on an EZ guide.Doesn't hurt I picked it up mint with a case on Ebay for $55 shipped...Still - I'd like to have a brake on it.JT
Edited 3/20/2007 2:20 pm ET by JulianTracy
I'm not in the trades but bought the Milwaukee Tilt-Lok a couple of years ago. No complaints except that I haven't found a dust collection accessory for it and the dust flies everywhere (usually into my face). Can you either post a link to what you have or some pics if you made it yourself? Thanks!
Julian.
This time go for the Bosch-Skill worm drive.
Works like charm on the ez Bridge.
If you need more depth go for the Skill worm drive 8-1/4"
david
My Milwaukee works great on the EZ rails - I'd just like the brake...Will the Hilti 267 do 2 3/4" doors on the EZ rails?Is there an 8" saw with brake and dust collection?JT
The Bosch dust port can be adapted to all saws.
The best 8-1/4 saw is the Dewalt with brake.
If you go for the ez Bridge, get a left bladed saw.
The 8-1/4 Skill Worm drive with a modified dust port?
I use a similar setup with the one on the youtube demos.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3I4bg4jjtz8&mode=related&search=
david
"best sidewinder"
That sounds alot like "army intelligence", or "jumbo shrimp".
go worm or go home
That haircut, and a time out. All in the same week.
Sucks to be you.
OH NO! It's a snake and worm fight again!!!!
Check out the Bosch CS20.
56 deg bevel
Easy-to-read depth of cut indicator
Good sight lines
Comfortable grip
connect any extension cord for your line cord so you won't snag the plug when cutting a long rip, and when you do cut the line cord, you don't have to order a special replacement cord and take the saw apart to install it. (Don't ask how I know the benefit of that feature, but suffice to say it was getting dark and there was a pretty good light show for a few seconds.)
connect any extension cord for your line cord so you won't snag the plug when cutting a long rip, and when you do cut the line cord, you don't have to order a special replacement cord and take the saw apart to install it. (Don't ask how I know the benefit of that feature, but suffice to say it was getting dark and there was a pretty good light show for a few seconds.)<<<<<
I could be wrong but I heard somewhere you have to use a heavy duty cord with this saw or you can damage it.
"When you point your finger, you got three long fingers pointing back at you". Mark Knophler
http://WWW.CLIFFORDRENOVATIONS.COM
Any high amperage tool should have a 12ga or better extension cord. Motors don't like voltage more than 5% low; line loss in long cords can be pretty high. Bosch's cord is 12ga, 25ft. You can get away with 50 feet of 12ga; 100 ft better be 10ga.BruceT
Bosch's cord is 12ga, 25ft. You can get away with 50 feet of 12ga; 100 ft better be 10ga.
I run 50' of 12 ga from the pole to a spider. From there we run everything from 14ga 50'ers to 12ga 100'ers out to the tools. Everyday. No problems. 15amp wormdrives whirring all day long and never trip a breaker or burn up a motor. You gotta be kidding me if you think I'm going to drag 100' of 10ga cord attached to a wormdrive all over a frame. Only time the 10ga cord comes out of the trailer is for either the 10" wormdrives or if I have to run an electric compressor. (Or if the electrician decided to install the temp pole in a spot that was convenient for him.... but not the rest of us.)
Back to the original topic. I like the hybrid type saws and wormdrives myself. But my favorite sidewinder is the Milwaukee Tilt-Loc. My lead guy likes the new PC sidewinders though so I bought him one. It too seems like a very nice saw with plenty of power.
Personally.... for residential framing... I'm of the opinion that "power" is way over rated and is more about testosterone than anything else. 13 amps on a 7 1/4" blade should be more than enough for most anything you encounter in a residential frame. The Skil 77 crowd needs to get with the times. View Image
The 77 only has 13 amps. We are way ahead of the times! ;) The newer Bosch version has 15. Maybe the newer 77s too...mine is several years old.
I just got the hitachi- it's my first non-wormdrive. I just use it for sheetgoods with a guide and such. It's got good power, the brake is nice, bevels to 55 or 60º, has a great baseplate, and it's cheap- $99. Check it out. I'm usually pretty happy with hitachi stuff, except for the look of some of them.
zak
"When we build, let us think that we build forever. Let it not be for present delight nor for present use alone." --John Ruskin
"so it goes"
I think a case can be made for the rigid "Fuego" 6.5" sidewinder. Light and easy to use were what I saw on a review... and I really love my Rigid worm drive.
Rebuilding my home in Cypress, CA
Also a CRX fanatic!
That rigid 6.5 is a beast. I have owned that saw for two weeks and it is beautiful.
luke
i have a old skill 6 and one half builders saw with extra ball bearings, It cost a lot back then and it was the best one they made
I guess that most of you guys use wormdrives from the lack of posts, eh?
Pretty much. Best saws made.
my old beater is a Rockwell ( what 415 ? )
have the older PC's... right & left... great saws
mostly use a Bosch CS20... nice saw... got a 25' cord attached
next saw will probably be a Hilti 267.. heard a lot of nice things about it
if i wasn't buying that .. i'd probably get the new PC with the electric brakeMike Smith Rhode Island : Design / Build / Repair / Restore
I prefer worms for high output cutting but all the same I reach for my V28 Milwaukee sidewinder often. No cord, greater mobility, less entanglement and rerouting. So you might consider Milwaukee V28 or look for the Bosch 36V lithium that should be coming out soon.
I framed for 8 years straight a long time ago, I always had a skill worm drive and a skill right hand sidewinder, Half the time its nice to have a blade on one side then the other, Also i did not want to use a worm drive on a wall or over my head,Now i use a little makita 5 and one half if im just cutting plywood
Bubbajames,
First ever saw was all cast (no plastic anywhere) Skil 77. Older carpenter I bought it from said it was the greatest thing to ever hit the trades. 2 months later, thoroughly unimpressed (except for the growth in my left bicep), I dumped it in favor of the Makita 5007NB. That was in 1987, and I've never used anything else since. Light-weight, easy adjust, 13 amp.
I think the 77's have some special capabilities that the hardcore framers can really appreciate, but for me the heft is just too much.
I have always used wormdrives and my favorite is the Ridgid, but recently we bought a sidewinder and bought the Bosch CS20 and I really like it.
http://pic40.picturetrail.com/VOL293/2163851/15410460/239229227.jpg
http://pic40.picturetrail.com/VOL293/2163851/15410460/239229215.jpg
Ok, I'm one of those West Coast framer guys...I like the 77.
But, from reviews (not experience), I haven't heard anything bad about the Milwaukee Tilt-Lok.
I have a couple of sidewinders...One old Skil or Craftsman(if I don't know, I never use it), and a 8.25" Bosch. Throws me off with the blade on the wrong side. Bosch tilts to 60*
I do love my 18v Milwaukee though.
I've got to say, I don't really like that tilt-lock saw. The baseplate looks a bit too delicate, it doesn't have all that much power, and it takes forever for the blade to stop (important on fine cuts). I prefer my Hitachi.
I use a wormdrive and a sidewinder, it's really nice to have both for a lot of things.zak
"When we build, let us think that we build forever. Let it not be for present delight nor for present use alone." --John Ruskin
"so it goes"
I have three of the Milwaukee Tilt Lok saws and prefer them over everything else. I did bend a baseplate on one of them though, after backing over it with my Superduty... ordered a new one and the saw still works fine!
Some of the other guys around here prefer the Porter Cable saws but after getting used to the feel of the Milwaukee it just seems awkward to me, although it does have good power and seems to be balanced well.
I used to have a Hitachi saw but sold it to one of my buddies who likes it, I always felt that it was underpowered but it was lightweight.
Good to hear from someone on the other side. I didn't know the Tilt-Lok doesn't have a brake. That seems like one gadget that all new saws should have.
Apparently a lot of folks here like them. I really love having a brake on my saw though.
Like I said, it's nice to have right and left blade saws. I do all my framing with a wormdrive.zak
"When we build, let us think that we build forever. Let it not be for present delight nor for present use alone." --John Ruskin
"so it goes"
This model 6394-21 has a brake. Does anyone have any experience with it? http://www.cpomilwaukee.com/saws/circular_saws/7-1-4-/6394-21.html
Edited 3/21/2007 3:13 am ET by condoone
I've had quite a few years of fine service from Milwakee circular saws. IMO, they're the best overall. My preference is for the three models which have straight up and down depth adjustment, via a front sliding adjuster. They are quicker to adjust and your hand/arm angle remains the same, regardless of depth. That makes for better accuracy.
This model has a brake.
http://www.cpomilwaukee.com/saws/circular_saws/7-1-4-/6376-20.html
As much as I like Bosch tools I have to say I'm not real fond of my CS20 Bosch sidewinder. The crappy plastic depth gauge broke which I had to fix on me being it was over a cpl of years old. Nothing real special about this saw to me.
Believe it or not one of my favorite sidewinders was an old Black and Decker. Now THAT sidewinder rocked!! HAd an adjustable depth control knob that I see on no saws now a days.
On the Bosch I do like the cord though : )
Why's it on sale at home depot right now for $99...hmmm.Cord alone is over $30View Image
"When you point your finger, you got three long fingers pointing back at you". Mark Knophler
http://WWW.CLIFFORDRENOVATIONS.COM
"Believe it or not one of my favorite sidewinders was an old Black and Decker."Me, too. I still have my 8-1/4" Super Sawcat, and it is still sweet. Rear pivot, adjustable shoe for squareness to blade, easy to read depth gauge, big ol' knob, and awesome power. Whatever possessed them to stop selling those things? It also has a really cool sound to the motor. I haven't tried the Hilti. It sounds good from all the reports, but I don't do enough anymore to justify the expense of another saw I don't really need.Bill
Bubba,
You won't be hearing much from the guys who use Milwaukees because most of us have only ever used one saw and have no basis of comparison to the rest.
I have a bit wider experience in that I have almost been bitten by a couple of different Makita saws and now will wade through them knee deep to get my Milwaukee out.
I also used to have a metal-bodied Skil which I kept about four or five years too long.
Ron
I prefer Milwakee and Porter-Cable because the front depth adjustment means that your hand/arm stays at the same comfortable angle, unlike the rear wingnut types. This http://www.cpomilwaukee.com/saws/circular_saws/7-1-4-/6376-20.html one has a brake.
The ones I have and use are the PC right and left, and a Dewalt. Just picked up a Milwaukee 18V, my first cordless saw. I could get used to it.
The best sidewinder I had for 20 years they don't make anymore and that is the B&D Sawcat. That thing was the berries.
Used sidewinders all my life except once, and I have to say I really like the performance of the worm. Old habits ya know...
Porter Cable Left side Blade so you can see your cut line. Light weight, power, a great plywood saw.
I'm a wormie at heart and like Skill and Makita and makin sawdust is my game.:-)
"Rather be a hammer than a nail"
Bob
That saw also gets my vote as the sidewinder that I prefer.
I am also a worm drive guy.
Edited 3/28/2007 10:11 pm by dovetail97128