I was inspired by The Essential Craftsman youtube channel to buy this saw and have been happy sawing through my weekend warrior projects. Check out his channel for a good vid on tips for using this saw.
I used a standard sidewinder dewalt circular saw for years and then started noticing that our formwork carpenters preferred the wormdrive saws. I purchased this Skil Wormdrive and within two days trashed my dewalt. Worm drives are much more heavy duty and will outlast a standard circular saw. Normally the price you pay for that durability is the weight. This Skil LT model is not much heavier than my old dewalt. Is it more expensive? Yes. Do you get what you pay for? Absolutely. I will never own another brand or type of circular saw and I will never purchase my carpenter crew another brand or type, for that matter.
One tip, dont forget to purchase the lubricant! This saw will last forever as long as you keep it lubricated and take decent care of it.
I have been building houses since 1986 and I have gone through a lot of Skilsaws. The last time I bought new saws I switched to another brand and I was really sorry I did that. Recently I bought two new SPT77WML-01 saws, and I have to say my guys and I love them! At 61, its all about the weight these days and these saws are super light. Picking one up for the first time the light weight was really noticeable.
I've owned a wormdrive saw for probably 35+ years (the same one) and have always loved the power transfer you get from a wormdrive. But, as you probably can tell, I'm not that young stud anymore, who can heft that booger around. It has been relegated to my track for track-sawing only. But I needed another hand held saw, so decided to try the "Mag" version. Now "Mag" indicates the material the saw is constructed of, not of a more powerful motor like many might think. This is just a newer version of the saw I have owned and loved for years, but made of the lighter weight material "magnesium" It has to be, at least, 4 1/2 to 5 lbs lighter than my old one. As far as portable circular saws go, it is still heavier than most of the 'sidewinders', but it has the power, feel and control of my old saw. Time will tell if it is as good as the old one, but if it lasts half as long as I've had my old one, it will outlast me and I'll be handing it down to one of my grandsons.
This saw cuts so smooth and has plenty of torque. I got this to be a lifelong tool for my hobbies and occasional framing work.
Be sure to get some oil and keep your saw clean and maintained. Take care when starting it as it will torque twist in your hand at first. Keep a firm grip and make sure your material is held in place properly. This tool is powerful enough to really injure you if you lax your grip when it binds or throws material. Experience and safety conciousness will go a long way. Always consider safety first.
Also, while this may be a lightweight Skilsaw, it is actually quite heavy compared to a common circular saw. Something to be aware of for the less familiar.
I enjoy this saw very much. My accuracy compared to a cheap circular saw is much higher and I can rely on my tool to give me material that is clean and precise. It won't substitute for poor craftsmanship, but if you know what you are doing and respect the tool it will deliver.
This saw is well worth the price. Be sure to maintain it well and always, always be safe before all else.
Feature Product
- Lightest magnesium construction reduces user fatigue for less down time
- Cut-Ready depth of cut system helps with quick, accurate depth measurements
- 53° bevel allows users to complete a wider variety of cuts
- 15 Amp of power gives users the power to rip through more lumber in less time
- The anti-snag lower guard provides smooth operation for small cut-off pieces
Description
The lightest worm drive continues the long tradition of SKILSAW quality, rugged durability and consistently exceptional cutting performance. Weighing in at just 11.5 lbs., it’s the lightest worm drive saw on the market. The rugged magnesium housing stays strong but keeps the motor cooler, giving you powerful performance job after job. Legendary SKILSAW worm drive technology meets our best-in-class Dual-Field motor, invented specifically for saws. This model even comes with a SKILSAW blade, just to make sure your SKILSAW is tough as nails right out of the box.
Sceptical when first delivered. Box looked like it just came out of a wood chipper. I could reach in the one side and almost completely pull the saw out, without even opening the box. Upon inspection, surprisingly nothing was damaged. Checked oil, was full and used saw many times with 40 tooth Diablo blade. This this runs awesome! Even better, got it on a random sale. Score!!
I have been using the Mag77 since it came out. Basically the same as the 77, just lighter. They had made a few changes here and there, but nothing major. A while back they allowed the saw table to tilt just beyond 45 degrees, (just after I bought a replacement that was the older style).
The new saw tilts further than the Mag77, the 45 degree stop release lever is in a much better location, and, wait for it...you can actually read the degree indicator on the tilt protractor! It is marked with white numbers and hash marks on a black background, and the pointer does not block the numbers, unlike the older Skilsaws. Also, it has every degree indicated instead of every 5 degrees like the old saw.
You can definitely feel that it is lighter, in fact when I picked up a fellow worker's 77 I felt like I was going to pull my shoulder out of it's socket! What a difference 4 pounds makes!
It also has a blade wrench that stows on the saw table, at the rear under the handle. I have not had a problem with it falling out, and it feels secure.
The blade guard has been redesigned and works better, I do not have to pull it back nearly as often as the older saws.
They changed the blade lock from the side to it's new location at the oil fill bolt. I cannot get used to that, it feels very awkward, but I guess if you are new to this saw it will be fine.
It has softer rubber inserts on both handles that help improve the grip.
There are some other changes internally and on the table, but they don't make the saw feel any different, except for reducing the weight.
Definitely worth the extra money, very happy with it.
This saw is for the professional construction working man. It's solid. It never slows down. Its easy to use, easy to maintain, lightweight . It simply does a great job and looks good doing it. It feels great in your hand. I understand now why this saw is revered as the original worm saw and why it so well respected by the pros. If you do a lot of woodwork... actually... if you do ANY woodwork, you need this saw. It is now my go to saw for all framing and demolition projects.
Can't beat this wormdrive... My last one lasted for 20 years, and I only cut the cord off of it twice
Very light indeed, relatively of course.
I think this saw is actually lighter than the first SkilSaw I ever used, a 6.5 inch model belonging to a contractor I worked for starting in 1968.
I have owned at least half a dozen of the base model 77 over the years since, for myself and my crews, but, now, I really appreciate that this tool has come along, and am currently rough cutting cabinet drawers with it.
This is one great advancement in our industry!!
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