It’s time to buy a wormdrive saw. I have done some research and do have some restrictions – not important to list.
My choice is between the Bosch 1677M and the Skil HD77 MAG.
Anyone have pros or cons to either? I recently found out that Skil and Bosch are now the same company.
There is a Bosch Rep Day at my local tool supply this Thursday so that is when I am going to pick one of them up – hopefully with a Rep’s discount! Normally, the Skil is $20 cheaper than the Bosch. Is that due to quality or brand image?
FWIW – they are the same weight but the Skil is 2amps weaker (14lbs and 13 vs 15amps). Both have magnesium footplates.
Any thoughts?
Frankie
There he goes—one of God’s own prototypes—a high powered mutant of some kind never even considered for mass production. Too weird to live and too rare to die.
—Hunter S. Thompson
from Fear And Loathing In Las Vegas
Replies
No experience with the Bosch. Love my 77 mag. Figured it was the last saw I'd ever buy. Rips oak with ease.
PAHS Designer/Builder- Bury it!
My opinion is to go with the Bosch. I've got three of them and they are workhorses. The Bosch also has a rafter hook which can come in very handy. I've also heard that the table is different on the Bosch and the Skil Mag. The Skil mag tables bend easier, but that is second hand information. I also like the top handle on the Bosch better than the one on the Mag even though you probably don't use it much.
I've also heard excellent reviews (from Tim Uhler) on the new Rigid wormdrive. I haven't tried one myself, but he is convinced it's the best of them all and he has literally tried all of them for JLC's tool testing.
I like to add a BigFoot Universal handle to my Bosch saws. They're great.
View Image
Hey DP, I just bought this saw and cut through the cord in less than 2 hours. Seems like this is bound to happen a lot with this saw. Have you had this problem?
TPToolpig (a.k.a. The man formerly known as "Toolfreak" and "Toolfanatic")
Man you went waaaaay back to dig up this one, huh? ;)
I'm assuming you're talking about the Bosch wormdrive? Can't say it has been a problem for me (cutting cords). No more than any other say anyway. I do notice that there's a VERY good chance that a brand new saw cord will get cut in the first day or two.... a better chance than any other time in fact. Reason being that the saw cord is still "trained" in a zig-zag from being bundled and twist-tied together from the factory. So instead of a straight cord which hangs out of the way naturally, you've got a zig-zag bent cord which seems to get in the way of the blade a little too often.
Bummer bro. LOL..... been there. A few years back one of my guys drove over a Bosch wormdrive with the forklift... it had been out of the box all of 10 minutes.View Image
Got my Bosch worm when they 1st came out, really like it and have no hankerin' for the direct connect. All my saws, when I first get them, I put a 12' or 16' cord first thing.
yeah but a little government organization that we have around here called OSHA doesn't like to see those "non-factory" cords 16' long installed on that saw. I have seen guys get sitations for something that stupid, even though it was professionally installed. What a bunch of idiots, the government guys have no common sense.
What is the reason for the OSHA citation - the non-factory cord or the length?
Mike
Non-factory parts. OSHA doesn't even want replacement ends on extension cords. When a frikken ground prong breaks off a cord it gets sent home with one of our guys.
That's what I thought, thanks. I love the saw -- but it got me thinking about getting one of the newer Bosch "direct connects" that only requires an extension cord that plugs directly into the saw. Looks a little too bulky, though.
Peace.
TP
Toolpig (a.k.a. The man formerly known as "Toolfreak" and "Toolfanatic")
Edited 9/17/2007 6:52 am ET by Toolpig
I'm of the opinion that Direct Connect is a pretty decent marketing stunt and not much more. My daddy's hedge clippers had Direct Connect back in the 70's and it was a sh1tty system back then too. Instead of cutting a $15 saw cord in half you can cut a $40 extension cord.
That being said... I have actually tried the Direct Connect system. Yeah... there's one born every minute. I bought a total of 3, IIRC, Bosch CS20 sidewinders when they first came out. They're of homeowner quality (again just my opinion fellas) but that's not the point. What I saw happen with the Direct Connect system was that the guys got lazy quick and wouldn't properly loop the cord the way it's set up. This put unnecessary stress on my extension cord ends and a lot of them failed prematurely. And, as I stated earlier.... cut cords grew to be a more expensive problem as now if one got cut... it was an extension cord and not just a saw cord.View Image
Yup. I agree with all of your points.
TPToolpig (a.k.a. The man formerly known as "Toolfreak" and "Toolfanatic")
The last time I cut through a cord was 1975. I don't see why the cord on this saw would be any more likely to be cut that the cord on any other worm-gear saw. For that matter, I don't see why the cord on a worm-gear saw would be more likely to be cut than a sidewinder.I think it's the user, not the saw.George Patterson
Maybe. I actually didn't cut the cord when I was cutting wood. It happened when I lowered the saw down near my side. Was also using my left hand, which I'm sure didn't help. The cord got "sucked in" as I lowered the saw with my left hand. Oh well.
I'll get a new cord and be done with it. Thanks for the input guys.
TPToolpig (a.k.a. The man formerly known as "Toolfreak" and "Toolfanatic")
Obvously, you've not heard my diatribe about the "cord-eating" facility of these saws (I have one).
Look at the cutback on the guard, to allow for easy retraction on 45º cuts - that's the reason.
Forrest - knowin' the answer
I did the exact same thing with a Skil Worm drive. Lowered it by my side and nicked the sheathing of the cord. We taped it all up nice and kentucky, and sure enough the very next day my carpenter cuts through the cord after lowering to his side. Different spot, right through the cord.
I'm not a wormie, but the latest issue of Hanley-Woods rag - Tools of the Trade has a comparison rundown on them all. Would be worth taking a peep at for you
Welcome to the
Taunton University of Knowledge FHB Campus at Breaktime.
where ...
Excellence is its own reward!
i got the new ridgid and i love it. i recently switched over from sidewinders and i don't think i'll be going back.
RTC
I understand that Ridgid power tools are now covered by a limited lifetime warranty. This includes batteries for their cordless tools, too.
I've the skil mag and the bosch. Its true about the handles, but I also reckon that the bosch is smoother and quieter
Edited 9/25/2005 4:47 am ET by Richard1
I love my Bosch. I had the old steel footplate on my skil and bent it so I bought the Bosch. Great saw!
Headstong, I'll take on anyone!
Having spent a number of years working with a pair of mag77s I can say nothing bad about it other than it's heavy and the blade guard design is so poorly thought out that zillions of framers cus it daily. The blade guard on the Bosch looks to be a major improvement and for the life of me it makes no sense that something so simple hasn't been upgraded on the skill.
The dedicated framers will howl at this one, but framers don't typically have a lot of off-kilter cuts and can get by with a long worm drive, while those of us who are using the saw for a wider variety of cuts need a saw that can be used left, right, upside down.
Myself and two other carps I know have happily switched to the humpback Dewalt. It's only a pound less than the mag77, but the compact design makes it seem much lighter. There is also a built-in rafter hook and it's a full 15 amps.
The main reason I switched is that, side by side with a relatively new mag77 and identical blades for comparison, it's quicker and easier to saw a straight line with. If you want to see for yourself simply draw two identical shapes requiring multiple cuts on a sheet of plywood, or line up a number of 2x cuts requiring different angles/bevels and race the two saws. A few years ago the dedicated framers on our crew poo-pooed the Dewalt until this finish guy came along and could cut framing as fast as they could with the Skill.
Bosch also has a top handle worm drive, but it almost looks like the handle is too far forward.
View Image
Those are basically the same saws with minor differneces. The Bosch has a plastic handle for the left hand; the Skil is metal. The blade guards are different; the Bosch is a vast improvement. DeWalt has the same guard improvement. Why the Skil doesn't is a mystery - Skil and Bosch are the same company, but only the worm drive saws are the same. I've used the Mag, the Bosch worm, and the DeWalt worm. I'm out west so I've never even seen a sidewinder on site. When my current Mag finally fails (10 years and counting), I think I'll get another one. The Bosch and DeWalt have better guards, but just don't feel as durable - too much plastic.
I just read the Tools of the Trade article and my suspicions were confirmed.
The Skil mag actually has an aluminum base while the Bosch's is magnesium. I have had real bad luck with bending aluminum bases on circular saws. Every one that I've owned in fact. The magnesium base is far more durable.
I just read the Tools of the Trade article and my suspicions were confirmed.
You're so smart.
Frankie,
Call me ignorant, but I've had the same "original" Skilsaw for about 10years, and it was handed down to me. My uncle decided to upgrade to a Milwaukee sidewinder, which has been replaced 5 times at least.
View Image
WTF?
weak attempt at humor.
That is the same saw that I own, in my opinion it has to still be one of the best ones on the market. It's only 2-3 pounds heavier then the lightest worms, worth every pound.
I've never tried the bosch. Always skill, sometimes the classic sometimes mag. The classic footplate is steel not magnesium so when I'm done with a classic I usually change over the footplates from the classic over to my mag. I've had the 'humpback' dewalt and really was not all that impressed with it's longevity. The blade guard is good, footplate is good 50 degree bevel very nice. Only real problem is that the motors burn out easy, is the dewalt actually a wormdrive or is it a hypoid like the makita? That might explain the motor burning out. I alwo wen't through bearings. I'd like to try bosch. 15amps is nice, put a fresh diablo on it and your off to the races
The only problem with 15 amp is blowing 15 amp breakers. Some jobs all I have is 15.
As I recall too, the article made mention of the fact that the skil came with a steel blade- the Bosh probably has one of the carbide blades that everyone seems to hate!
I love my Skil Mag77, and even though I'm on the east coast I use it more than any of my sidewinders. The aluminum base is prone to bending though, so I'm very tender with it. Easy for me since I'm mostly a trim guy, might be harder if I was framing every day.
My brother has the Dewalt worm drive, and even though I usually don't like Dewalt tools, I have to say it's worth looking at. Seems to have more torque than my Skil, and the center of gravity is higher which actually seems to make the saw easier to handle. You control the saw with your thumb and first two fingers, instead of your ring and pinkie fingers and lower forearm like you do with the Skil. Hard to describe, but suffice it to say that the Dewalt is comfortable to use. The base is a ribbed metal, looks like the Bosch base, seems very tough.
Mike
Unless something has changed, the Skil HD77 Mag does not have a magnesium shoe. The last one that I used had an aluminum shoe that would bend if you looked at it the wrong way. But maybe that has changed, I haven't looked at any new saws lately.
If you go with the Bosch, you may want to think hard about the direct connect system before you buy. I really do not like it, and in my area no stores stock the Bosch saw without direct connect.
EDITED: whoops, I guess I should read all the posts before replying. Looks like dieselpig confirmed the aluminum plate......
in vino veritas
Edited 9/26/2005 10:17 am ET by Ryan1
I own a skill 77, its about 6 yrs. old. I switch around from this saw to many different makes of sidewinders that I own. I really enjoy using the wormdrive, I got a aftermarket rafterhook, and bigfoot handle on it. The guard gets in the way, many guys I know pin them back. The newer model 77's have a guard on them now just like Bosch. Seen them at Home Depot, Skil 77's are all around good saws that have proven them self over time.