For the 35 years I’ve been a framing carpenter, I’ve used a worm-drive circular saw. My first was a Skil 77, and then in 1994, it became a MAG77. Now Skil has done it again with the new MAG77LT.
Most of the buzz about this new saw is that at 13.2 lb., it’s 4 lb. lighter than the standard Skil SHD77, 2 lb. lighter than its magnesium counterpart, and the overall lightest worm-drive saw on the market. Skil achieved this weight reduction by relying on lightweight magnesium not only for the guard and the baseplate but also for the motor and the gear housing. I’m thrilled about the light weight, but focusing only on that is like saying the best thing about rocky-road ice cream is that it fits in a cone. The MAG77LT has a lot more going for it than that.
For starters, the spindle lock on the MAG77LT is more accessible than on the MAG77 model, making blade changes faster and easier. The depth-of-cut adjustment is marked clearly for 1⁄4-in., 1⁄2-in., and 3⁄4 in. plywood, and for 1x and 2x dimensional lumber. The easy-to-read bevel adjustment has a spring stop that halts the bevel at 45°. Releasing the spring stop allows for bevel cuts all the way up to 53°, a 2° improvement over the MAG77.
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