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Worm Drive Saws

patriot | Posted in Tools for Home Building on February 12, 2003 02:03am

OK Who has the best Worm drive ? Skil, Bosch or Milwaukee?

By the way not trying to start a Brand war, just looking for

good info. I lean toward the Milwaukee. Any pros/cons would be

appreciated for all above saws.

 


Edited 2/11/2003 6:08:15 PM ET by Patriot

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  1. CAGIV | Feb 12, 2003 02:51am | #1

    I ve used Bosch and Skil, I like the skil

    View Image
  2. User avater
    BossHog | Feb 12, 2003 03:13am | #2

    I bought a Milwaukee model 6378 a few years ago, and am quite fond of it. Since it's an 8 1/4" saw instead of 7 1/4", it's bigger than everybody else's.

    It has enough power to make Tim Taylor happy. Cuts through anything without bogging down. But it's danged heavy.

    I wouldn't buy an 8 1/4" saw unless you cut 6X6s occasionally. (It will cut through them in 2 passes, where a 7 1/4" won't)

    And buy a small saw (Like a 6") for cutting overhead, or cutting 1/4" underlayment where the big one would be overkill.

    You can't make someone love you. All you can do is stalk them and hope they panic and give in.

  3. RW | Feb 12, 2003 05:35am | #3

    Speaking of small . . . the little PC has got to be the smallest circular saw out there. It's blade is only 4 1/2", but it's a worm drive, and yeah, works like a charm in tight quarters. Down side of going that small is your depth of cut bottoms out at 1 1/4", so you couldn't even cut regular framing with it if you had to. Not that it's "intended" for that, but intended usage usually goes to the wayside once we plug things in.

    " Clothes make the man. Naked people have litte or no influence in society" - Mark Twain

  4. scotcrpntr | Feb 17, 2003 06:35am | #4

    I can honestly say i have  seen nothing but skil's on any framing crew I've come across in ten years of framing in Seattle, from commercial to production residential. They are powerful and indistructible and parts are easy to come by when you do drop a beam on them. put a rafter hook on them and they are perfect. Basically, I could say the exact same about the hitachi framing nail guns. 

    1. fdampier5 | Feb 17, 2003 06:48am | #5

      The Mag 77 by Skil.

        it's reasonable weight and power make it the champ..

  5. PhillGiles | Feb 17, 2003 06:50am | #6

    Skil and Bosch are the same company; the new Bosch is just the latest update on the Skil.

    .

    Phill Giles

    The Unionville Woodwright

    Unionville, Ontario

  6. pm22 | Feb 17, 2003 07:44am | #7

    I think "worm-drive" is a mis-nomer. I seriously doubt that they use worm gears - or even nematodes. Most likely bevel gears.

    If you can move the blade [ with power off and unplugged] by hand and the motor turns, you most assuredly are not dealing with a worm drive. A true worm drive would probably spin the blade at about 150 rpm.

    ~Peter

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