I have owned a few circular saws over the years, a Craftsman and a Skil corded, and two DeWalts, 18v and 20v cordless, all of which were sidewinders.

I am now in the market for a good worm (or hypoid) drive circular saw. The field has been narrowed down to the Skilsaw SPT77WML-01, which is the classic Skilsaw upgraded with magnesium body and baseplate, and Makitas hypoid drive 5377MG. A third choice is the Ridgid Through Cool worm drive, but only because it has a lifetime unlimited warranty. Mainly I am looking at only the Skil and Makita.

The Skilsaw is the tried and true workhorse that remains mostly unchanged except for the magnesium construction. One thing I like about it is the fact that you can change the oil in the worm drive transmission. Price on it right now is $147.

The Makita, on the other hand has the hypoid drive, which is similar to the worm drive, but an improved gear interface which is supposed to put more torque to the blade. The downside is the drive is sealed and has a limited lifetime. The Makitas pluses are that it is a more refined design than the Skil, and it also has magnesium construction like the Skil. It is supposedly more comfortable to use and has more precise controls. Price is $195.

I would love to hear from some pros what their choice would be and real world experiences from owners of these saws, and if you would recommend a different model or brand altogether. I am basing my choices on reviews I have gleaned from the web. Here is one of the best I have read so far. He is a long time user of Skilsaws, but really likes the Makita for the ergonomics and features.

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USS Brewton FF1086
SWCA#3597

This one.....

CSW41 Circular Saws

very similar to the Skil77, but with a much superior foot plate. Takes the same triggers, cords and brushes and other parts as the 77, too. They're both skil/bosch made.....

Are you a professional framer where the saw will be used 8 hours per day? If so I have an excellent framing contractor who only buys the best and I could ask him, I know his air nail guns are Hitachi. If you don't use the tool to make a living you probably don't need to buy the real expensive stuff but I know a lot of guys want to buy DeWalt because that's what most of the professionals use. A Ryobi is half to a third the cost and most casual guys will never wear one out.

I used my Skil worm drive for 11 years doing commercial framing. Then gave it to a guy who is still using it. If you are stuck on worm drives, go with the best, Skil.

If you merely need a great circular saw, my Porter Cables ( 6 1/2’ and 7 1/4’)were bought in the 90s and are still going strong.

Kevin

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Unshared knowledge is wasted.

My brother did commercial framing for 15 years. His saws said Skil on them.

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The best I can with what I got

Huntsman, thanks for the recommendation. I’ll add that to my short list. After reading about it, I’d say it edges out the Skil and Makita. Amazon price is $190, so right in line with the Makita. In the review link I posted, he reviews the Bosch 1677M, and not the CSW41. Prices are similar…I wonder what the differences are?


Farmer, not a professional framer, but we are getting ready to move to some acreage and I’ll be building a lot more stuff when I’ll have more time soon, i.e. retirement. I just like quality tools that make life easier and hold up well. I’ve never had a circular saw die on me, but I’ve experienced some frustration with kickback and bogging on the ones I’ve owned. Price point is not bad at all either. When I clicked on the link Huntsman provided, I expected a $300+ saw, and was pleasantly surprised it was less than $200.

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USS Brewton FF1086
SWCA#3597

tlawler, The only difference between the 1677 and the newer csw that replaced it, is the skil-style top handle and the hanger. And different rubber. .... Framing for almost 50 years, I'll take the bosch over the makita, dewalt, milwaukee and the older B&d industrials, and I've owned/used all of them.. And I started using worm drives when they were all metal.....

Worm drive, for sure.
My PC314 4.5" is too small for your chores, but still runs after
decades of boat and gunstock work.
My larger, non worm, is a Skil from the early '70s, still cuts.
Keep my blades sharp.

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Have Fun/Stay Safe

Bosch it is! I’ve got a CSW41 on the way.

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USS Brewton FF1086
SWCA#3597

I'm not allowed anywhere near sharp objects.
Good luck with your choice. I have an old Sears one for about 40 years, and I probably used it that many times, but it's still running great when I need it.

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Waiting For The Sun.

I laminated some plywood together for a shelf, the total thickness is about 1 3/4”. I knew I was going to have trouble cutting through that with one of my sidewinders. The DeWalt 20volt…no way, and my Skil has a wonky thin steel baseplate that flexes. I’ve always wanted a worm drive saw, just kept putting it off. When I found out they really weren’t that expensive, I decided to treat myself. I’m planning on doing some framing and deck building once the new house is built and I retire, so I convinced Mrs.tlawler I needed it

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USS Brewton FF1086
SWCA#3597

Skil magnesium worm drive here and very happy.

I went with the mag Makita last year and it’s been great. Mainly used on PT lumber in the south building decks.

That said, I just went with a Bosch 12” sliding compound miter (the Glide). My point is I’m not locked in to one brand. I got some yellow, some red, some Bosch blue, and some Makita blue all hanging in the shop.

I agree that the Skilsaw or Bosch worm drive is about the best for heavy and long usage. Never owned a Bosch though. When I needed a new circular saw about 12 years ago I bought a Milwaukee (USA made, new-old stock) with the blade on the left side - perfect for right handed users as you can see what you are cutting. While it might not be as good as the Skilsaw or Bosch worm drive, it is smaller, lighter and handier for the occasional use it gets from me. It is also quite powerful and serves my needs. If I used a circular saw more often, I'd buy what Tom just did - or the Skil version.

12 years ago I sold ALL of my cordless battery operated tools. I replaced them all with corded models. After retiring 17 years ago I didn't need battery operated convenience and much appreciate the greater power, endless power and no need to worry about batteries or charging! I have not had any battery operated tools in 12 years and do not miss them at all.

The new Bosch was waiting for me when I got home, so I set up to cut my laminated ply shelf that I had glued together for a project. I needed to rip about an inch from both sides to straighten the edges and square everything up.

This saw is a dream to use compared to my old sidewinders. I can’t believe I put off getting one for so long. It made a tablesaw-like perfectly straight cut that would never have been possible with one of my flimsier saws. They will still have a place in my kit for smaller, less precise jobs. Mrs tlawler helped out by holding down my little improvised saw table while I did the cutting and is now talking about all the projects she’ll have for me once we move out to the property. Sheesh…what have I gotten myself into? Lol

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USS Brewton FF1086
SWCA#3597

This according to Popular Mechanics...
Best Overall: Bosch GKS18v-25GCB14
Best Value Corded: Skil 5280-01
Most Powerful Cordless: DeWalt DCS573B
Best Rear-Handle for House Framing: Metabo-HPT 36V Cordless
Best Value Cordless: Hart HPCS25

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Hipcocked & Locked

I'm 69 years old. "Heavy Duty-what the contractors use" and "life-time warranty" doesn't mean as much to me any more. I now tend to go with "cheap and gets the job done" at this stage in my professional development.

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Forum consigliere

Many of the Harbor freight tools work great for the casual handyman, but you have to be careful what you get and expect. Jack hammers are probably not going to last but a circular saw or drill might last a long time for not much money. One of my subcontractors has one of their small welders and he likes it better than his Lincoln.

Never was a fan of the worm drives because of the torque lol. I’ve used skil,Makita and currently have a red one (the brand escapes me for the moment) I think I preferred my makitas overall