8-1/4 in. Worm Drive SKILSAW

as stated, strong saw

While this is a heavy saw, it is powerful and will slice through any wood with ease. It tracks very straight. I love the ease of adjusting the depth of cut and angle of cut, no tools necessary. I would recommend this to everyone except those looking for a light weight saw.

I received the box with much anticipation. I opened it to find a saw ready to go to work. No fancy styrofoam, just a saw in a box. Kick the box arise and get to work! There was nothing this saw wouldn't digest and I was very happy with the power and quality of this saw. Advantages: Power Accuracy Durability Disadvanteges: Weight (18#) Spindly left hand grip

Got this saw mostly for framing and larger wood projects. It's heavy but oh is it smooth. If you have a lot of large board cutting to do this is the saw to have.

I bought this 8 1/4 inch saw because the blade was large enough to notch a 2x6 in half at full depth (2 3/4 cut). I have also heard that they are powerful saws and I knew this project (notching 24 treated 2x6's eleven times each to create a grid ceiling for my cabana) was going to be tough. I planned to use the saw to cut either side of a 1 1/2 inch notch and then pass it through a few times in the center and remove the waste with a chisel. I soon learned that the saw was willing and able to clean up the notches on its own. I then clamped 11 treated 2x6s together to be more efficient and accurate with my cuts. The saw didn't even whimper. I wore out a blade in one 10 hour day and abused the saw through misuse (working the saw side to side and occasionally backwards to clean out a notch is a big time no no) but it handled it beautifully. I will keep this one forever and recommend worm drives by Skil to anyone strong enough to handle them.

That's to bad Skilsaw don't make it cut at least 3-1/8" but 3-1/4" be better. Reason I say this, I have a Makita 8-1/4 and it will cut through two plates, it is great for when laying out wall plates to cut two at the same time. I love worm drive saws as they are a true left hand saw and I have been using the left hand worm drive since 1986. Can they re-engineer them, would be nice. The 10-1/4" are just to big for that application.

The heaviest saw in Skilsaw's arsenal of saws, Skilsaw named their 10 ¼” saw the Sasquatch, this saw should be called the Beast! Weighing in at a stout 18.5 pounds, and comes equipped with an 8 ¼” blade cutting to a max depth of 2 7/8” and angles up to 60 degrees it is a worthy saw for any contractor or homeowner. This saw, more than adequately, handles all types and sizes of hardwoods and dimensional lumber with its high torque 15 amp motor. Because of its size its handled best with two hands but its weight makes it a steady saw, cutting with ease even the wettest treated lumber. This saw was built to last a lifetime of abuse!

I use side winder saws, and they work fine, but I prefer the worm drive saws. I use the super 77 daily for work, and I own the 8 1/4 for projects where I need to cut rough, 2x, true dimension lumber. In rough sawn, it will cut clean through at a 45 deg where a smaller 7 1/4" will not. The super 77 and the 8 1/2 are the most rugged hand power tools I own and will motor through treated, engineered and wet wood without bogging. The great line of sight to the cut line allows me to make more accurate cuts than any side winder I have owned. The handle in the rear allows me to gain 5-6" more in reach, and this is great when cutting sheet goods. Having the handle in the rear makes the saw more stable and helps it to track better. The extra weight and the rear handle are an advantage. If you turn your stock so you cut down hill, gravity works to effortlessly cut through the material. It is a change from a side winder but to me, it is worth it with the better line of sight, rear handle, increased power, and the gravity assist cutting.

I really like the saw except for a couple things. 1) the metal handle which you hold with your left hand (if right handed) should a little bigger around . It is too small in circumference 2) The saw should come with an electric brake built into the switch. I was working in an odd position in a safety harness, 40 feet above the ground cutting vertically and 3 times the saw was being removed from the cutting area after the cut the coasting blade hit the rafters and kicked back. I admit it was mostly operator error but holding that saw in the position I was in was very hard. An electric brake would have fixed it. After using a circular saw (B&D) with an electric brake it is the only way to go.

Terrible saw, recently bought 8/14 skill saw used it twice and it stopped working, literally wasted my money