i know a few years ago skil bought out bosch. but what i was wondering is, if there using skil parts in the bosch worm-drive saws, with the bosch patten. and im guessing it is legal, because they own both. or putting bosch parts in the skil and bumping up the price just to make skil look good. also i read that the skil-hd77 with a cord, has a better rating than the bosch, which has a knew quick connect cord,md#1677, 15 amp. they say the skil has a little more kick to it. and theres only a $20.00 difference in price, the skil is the one priced higher. i would think even though the skil has a little more kick to it, the bosch would be a better choise, as far as cords getting cut and money being saved in the long run. does anyone have any input on any of this skil vs bosch. i also know theres alot of cost cutting and cutting corners on all these big companies. but who knows what really goes on. any idea which worm drive would be a better choise between these two saws.
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Replies
You cannot go wrong with either one.
I've sworn by the Skil Mag for decades. When my truck was broken into a few years back, they got the Mag.
Bosch had just come out with thier version, and I wanted to give it a try. Ended up buying both. If for no other reason than to make myself feel better about being robbed.
I use them interchangeably and have no real preference of one over the other, although many here will.
I'm sure you will also get some positive responses regarding the Ridgid worm.
Maybe I'll check that one out should my truck get hit again.
Convincing the wife that I need three wormdrives aint gonna be easy though.
J. D. Reynolds
Home Improvements
i spoke to a ridgid rep about three weeks ago, he said ridgid does not make a worm-drive. but any ways if they do come out with one or already have one out there. who knows.
Looks like Ridgid needs a rep with a little bit of product knowledge as they do, in fact, have a worm drive saw, the Ridgid R3210.
That being said, the latest issue of FH has a test of worm drive saws and the Skil Mag SHD77M ranked first and the Bosch 1677M came in second. The Ridgid was somewhere in the middle of the pack.
Ridgid rep. or Home Depot employee?
Ridgid has a wormdrive, and several board members here have sung its praises.
J. D. ReynoldsHome Improvements
View Image
There ya have it!
half the reps out there have no clue what they're talking about. View Image View Image
Convincing the wife that I need three wormdrives aint gonna be easy though.
Boy, I hope Buck doesn't see that statement. http://grantlogan.net/
My mother once said to me, "Elwood" -- she always called me Elwood -- "Elwood, in this world you must be oh so smart or oh so pleasant." For years I tried smart. I recommend pleasant.
Elwood P. Dowde (James Stewart), "Harvey"
LOL.
That was really just a joke.
Actually, the wife has no say in what tools the business buys.
Now....if I tried to tell her that I wanted to buy them using our personal finances....that would be another story altogether.
No complaints though. She doesn't give me any grief when I come home with the good beer instead of the stuff that was on sale. And really.....isn't that all that truly matters?
J. D. ReynoldsHome Improvements
The Bosch version has a better base, IMO, and a fine adjust on the tilt.
I have both the corded and the one with the receptical in the handle. I use the corded one most, but the other is handy if working on a roof where dragging a plug assembly over roofjacks is a PITA.
I still have several of the oldert Skil 77's, a couple dedicated to specific tasks, like cutting concrete block and another with a Big Foot.
The one thing I wish Bosch would improve is the base depth adjustment....they're still using the original and from saw to saw some work fine and others are a constant pain.
where did you get your mag 77 and is the depth on it better than the bosch 1677m. also will have to change the swing table on it to a 75deg so i can cut multiple bdsmouth cuts at the same time.and was told you can only make these multiple cuts with a worm drive, with a big swing table on it.for the level seat cuts.i'm just starting out with this method,so i'm assuming this can only be done with a worm drive.because the plumb cuts will probably be 5 or 6.because as with a regular circ saw you can make all these cuts if your doing a 12-12 pitch. becsuse most reg cerc saws go past 45 to atleast 50 deg. so in reallity which one has the most advatages, mostlikely the worm drive, right. well atleast for cutting brds mouths with 4-5-6-8. pitch, i'm assuming. am i correct on any of this. if not would you mind if i ask for your input. or anyone elses. thanks. oh yea almost forgot how much $$$$ does the mag 77 go for.
Skil Mag77......I wanted to say about $180....just checked Amazon, and they're showing $216.
No way I paid that much for either one.
Figure around a buck ninety is a pretty good deal.
I don't understand why you need to be able to cut a 75 degree bevel for a birdsmouth?
J. D. ReynoldsHome Improvements
i just want a swing table that atleast goes up to 75deg. because, for stacking. i believe it makes cutting the rafters much faster. and when your doing a 6in pitch, the level (seat) cuts on a gable rafter have to be way more than a saw with a 45 or 50 deg to make the stacked seat cuts. i believe this method works alot faster than fliping every board on it's side. that's why i want to get a swing table that atleast goes up to 75deg. if you know another way let me know. also i checked out skils web site and i don't see the wormdrive mag 77. is there a mod#. nevermind i found it through skils web site. it's the shd77m.
Edited 1/5/2008 12:29 pm ET by T3
HD77M
thanks i found it earlier. thanks again anyways.
I've used the Skil worm drives for 35 years and never have seen one burn up. That says a lot to me.
I burnt up a 77 once, cutting concrete too fast. My bad. I had it fully reconditioned (new armature, bearings, cord, shoe, everything with visible wear was replaced) for the fixed price of $95 at Skil's service center in Denver. This was in the early 90's. I still have that saw. It only sees masonry and steel, and is fitted with a Dust Muzzle. The 77 is a great tool, although a little crude in places. My wood cutting worm is a Mag77. Same basic spec but lighter weight.Bill
i burned one up once but i was working on a church and they strung out 200 feet of 16 gauge wire, so it was not the saws fault. gave it to my buddy he had it rebuilt for 70 bucks and he still has it, I bought that one new in 78
Personal favorite is the Bosch between the two.
When I had a large crew both saws were available and the Bosch got used first.
I didn't get the one you plugged a cord into.
I still own two Boschs, one has the Bigfoot mounted to it. The other is waiting to replace it.
I'm not sure if the Mag 77 comes with a rafter hook, I don't think it does like the Bosch. It's a handy feature.
I only use my Rigid worm drive now. It feels better in my hands.
Woods favorite carpenter
how many rpms does your ridgid have and what is the bevel. it is corded i assume. you know i was in HD about two or three weeks ago and i happen to run into a ridgid rep, not a employee. so i asked him, why i don't see any rdgd worm drives here. his answer was, rdgd don't make a worm drive. he also said he will mention it to his co. and oh maybey in the future they will come out with one. he also said, that as far as power tools,ryobey outbeat rdgd in the ratings. hmmm i find that rep very strange or very new. some may not believe this coming from a rep. but he was wearing a rep jacket and was writing down stuff and told me he was a rep and not a employee. but anyways, the skil mag77 does have a rafter hook and the rpms are 4,600 and the bevel is 45 deg. the bosch has 4,400 rpms and a 50 deg bvl on it. but i'm still going to put a bigfoot swing table on which ever one i decide to go with. but my most concern is the rpms. is there really much of a difference. i really want is one that has power for cutting stacked angle cuts. (seat cuts). also the lightest one and most comfertable one ou of those two. meaning the mag77 or the bosch or maybey the rdgd. i know i'm not going to find all these qualities all in one saw. the stacked angle cuts, for power and atleast comfort. i just don't want to waste money on the wrong choice.i'm sure everyones opinion is different. but most contractors i see,even on tv always are using a skil. the ones on tv are probably just for sponser and promos anyways. but if you or anyone else have anymore input, it will help me decide. thanks.
I have no idea what rpms the Rigid produces. It bevels to 51.5 degrees if I remember right.
Im not sure if Bigfoot makes a kit for it yet or not. Last I knew it was not available.
Comfort wise the Bosch feels better than the Skil, thats my opinion.
I have a hard time believing that the Mag 77 produces more rpm than the bosch with a smaller motor. On our jobs the skil always took longer to get up to speed than the Bosch.
Put your mind at ease, you really can't go wrong with either saw. It's just a preference. Both will probably have the same lifespan.
My suggestion if you are going to mount a swing table to it is buy the saw with the bigger motor.
Are you just mounting a swing table to a 7-1/4" saw? Or are you mounting a 10-1/4" blade with a swing table?
View Image
Heres a photo of the Bigfoot with swing table mounted on a Bosch motor in the top right corner, the Rigid worm drive is in the top left corner.
Woods favorite carpenter
i'm getting a swing table from big foot that fits both the skil and bosch 7 1/4. but from what i hear in here, the mag77 takes a little longer to build up rpms. and it sounds like a bad employee, they take to long to change anything. but on the other hand, i have always liked skil. and i don't think theres much of a difference between the rpms. as far as cutting stacks. skil is 4,400 and bosch 4,600. i'm starting to lean more torward the bosch. for some reason i sometimes beleive in going with my first thought. i think after what everyone is saying, there both neck to neck. i also like not only the quick connect, but the top handle on it. though it makes me wonder,after using the qk-ct after so long, will it start to wear lose,causing the ex-cords to come out. i just want to say. everyone here has good opinions. thanks everyone. i'm still going to give it a little more thought. because it's like having a wife, it's going to be with you a long time. so you want to make the right choice.
I've owned mag77s and the Bosch. I really like the Bosch quite a bit more. It's got more power than my mags, but I never really had a problem with them not being strong enough, I don't do enough heavy duty framing. I love the shoe and the rafter hook, and it feels a bit more comfortable to me for some reason.
The one main reason that I like the Bosch better that I havn't seen anyone talk about is the blade guard. Something about the way they made the end of the guard seems to keep me from getting hung up on the tapered cuts, or most of the smaller slivers that I get hung up on the mag.
I have the Bosch with the cord, not so sure that I'd like the version without one. Seems I usually end up being within a few feet of an outlet, or close to my work area which is already set up with cords. I'd be ticked if I had to go dig up a cord as well as a saw to make a couple of quick cuts for a bath remodel.
Wish I could join in but my boat anchor skil worm drive wont
quit and I will probably never get to check out these fancy new ones!
Suppose I could have more than one tho...
My excuse for buying one of each, was for when I frame roofs.....once or twice a year....I like to set up my bench with a saw at either end of the rafters so that I'm not lugging the saw and dragging the cord back and forth from ridge to tail.
There's a reason you need two.....just gotta look for it.
; )
J. D. ReynoldsHome Improvements
I tried to rip a board with my Skill 77 with the bevel set at 45* and use my rip guide. No can do. The rip guide wouldn't go in the slot with the bevel at 45*. I just can't believe they are doing things that way.
I set up my 18V makita and it worked like a charm.
I chose my Skill first because I was ripping at 45*. It is a work horse. But they have been using the same bad designs for to long imo. I don't think they care a whit. Brand loyalty keeps them going.
25 years in the business.
I have yet to see anyone use a rip guide with a circular saw. Worm, or otherwise.
J. D. ReynoldsHome Improvements
I use my rip giude all the time.
For $4 it was a great purchase.
Alot more accurate than snapping a line.
For alot of rips its alot quicker than measuring each one. Woods favorite carpenter
Never seen it.
Maybe its regional.
J. D. ReynoldsHome Improvements
not regional...
hellava time saver...
Life is not a journey to the grave with the intention of arriving safely in a pretty and well preserved body, but rather to skid in broadside, thoroughly used up, totally worn out, and loudly proclaiming<!----><!----><!---->
WOW!!! What a Ride!Forget the primal scream, just ROAR!!!
look for that process here....
Life is not a journey to the grave with the intention of arriving safely in a pretty and well preserved body, but rather to skid in broadside, thoroughly used up, totally worn out, and loudly proclaiming<!----><!----><!---->
WOW!!! What a Ride!Forget the primal scream, just ROAR!!!
What does that mean? We were talking about saws. why get personal?
just let it go, just let it go, ju......
Edited 1/6/2008 12:20 am ET by popawheelie
Personal?
It was an observation.
Neither positive or negative in nature.
As others have attested, you are not alone.
No idea how/why you took anything personal.
Now.....if ya wanna debate worms vs. sidewinders, I'll gladly make it personal. ; )
J. D. ReynoldsHome Improvements
Thanks! I was ripping expensive corner trim and both of my tablesaws are mothballed right now. I'm working without my shop.
I've always like my skil's. I"ve got tons of them regular 77's and a couple of mags. Anyways my tool supplier asked me if I wanted to try out the bosch's. I could go either way being that I've been on a 77 most of career. But the rooks like them more. They think they gotta a better feel to them. I like the direct connect plug but there is one problem. If you try to plug in a thick 12 guage or a 10 gauge cord they cord dosen't fir in the cord wrap. But what are ya gonna do. For me my personal saw is a skil 77 mag. It stays in my truck not a work van and usually just gets used by me. for my saw I'll always use a mag 77. But we'll see about the bosch. When I end up buying some more saws I'll have the guys take a vote. They're the ones using them everyday.
Rip guides get used all the time and are a great tool. A couple of rips using your finger is fine. But if you gonna rip 20 beveled risers for a stair form a rip guide is a wise choice. View Image View Image
Table saw.
table saw doesn't fit in my pouch as easily.
EDIT: I'm now guessing that you as well were thinking I meant for finished risers. No I meant for concrete stair form work, where the risers are beveled on the bottom in order to trowel the treads. I could use my table saw, but I prefer to use it for finish work.
View Image View Image
Edited 1/6/2008 2:08 pm by alrightythen
Ya see.....I wouldn't dream of ripping finished materials (stair risers) by hand with a circular saw.
That's what the good lord designed tablesaws for.
: )
J. D. ReynoldsHome Improvements
Ahhh...see yer talkin to a framer. for finish stair risers I wouldn't dream of it either. But I was talking "formwork" as in for concrete forms.
I did say "stair forms", and I don't think finished risers are ever beveled on the rip anyway.
but I guess I wasn't clear enough - sorry
View Image View Image
Edited 1/6/2008 11:22 pm by alrightythen
Did I miss something, I thought Bosch bought out Skil, (amazing how many people spell it Skill).
iirc, Bosch and Skil formed a joint venture in 1992, the S-B Power Tool Company, the joint venture is a subsidiary of the Bosch Corporation. Don't think you'd go wrong with either the Bosch 1677 or the Mag 77- they're essentially the same saw. I have the 1677MD, the Direct Connect, and like it. My extention cords (Bosch and Polar) fit it fine. There's another Direct Conect version, the MDT, which uses a twist lock plug- you'll have to wire up the appropiate plug to your ext. cord. The M is the regular corded version. The top handle on the 1677 is different than the Mag77; I like it better but you may not. Since I bought mine I believe the Mag 77 has been upgraded; 15 amp motor now, rafter hook. The only bad thing I've heard about the Mag 77 is a rumor that production may be shifted to China ........... hope it isn't so.