Customer Reviews

Skil HD77M 13 Amp 7-1/4-Inch Mag Worm Drive Saw

5 star:		(39)
4 star:		(3)
3 star:		(1)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(1)

 

 

No body but no body builds a better saw than the people who invented the thing so long ago. Yeah , other companies make fine tools. But none better than the skill mag 77. Dewalt tried to copy the design , it was a flop. So they came up with their new hypoid framing saw that doesn't even compare for durability. Milwaukee makes an even bigger wormdrive with a 15 amp motor . It's an also ran. Makita made a super duper hypoid gear saw that stripped gears like they were going out of style. I'll admit that their new one is a lot better than the first but it's still not a skil.Unless you live on the east coast , when you drive by a construction site, 9 times out of 10 you're going to see a worm drive skil saw. There are reasons why .They are the most durable. They run the smoothest. They are the most powerful. I conducted a test of several framing saws. I ran all available wormdrive and hypoid gear saws as well as the Porter Cable blade left 15 amp saw with marathon blades down 16' 2x douglas fir as fast as I could without tripping a breaker. My partner timed me. The skil was the fastest by over a second. Then we switced places. Same result. At the time we had no preference for brand. In fact , we were hoping the new Dewalt would be the best ripping saw.With its bright yellow color and its 15 amp motor, we thought it might be. Not! The 13 amp skil blew everything away. I must say we were impressed. I continue to be to this day. The mag 77 might be heavy but not overly so. In some instances the weight is an advantage. if you are cutting close to the ground , tilt the lumber so the saw is going down. It will glide through with no effort. The length of the saw is also a plus . When crosscutting sheet goods it is much easier to go all the way across from one side without changing your position. The in line design also makes it easier to follow a straight mark on your material. The depth markings are a nice feature for a rough reference point. I have a few minor caveats though . The aluminum shoe isn't as tough as the steel on the older saw. The cords crack pretty bad just past the strain relief. I don't know of many power tool cords that don't though. I think my Bosch and Hilti cords are in tact. If you want a 15 amp motor, a blade brake, a rafter hook or a lightweight package , this is not your saw. If you want the most powerful smoothest running most durable workhorse of a saw then look no further than the skil 77 original or lighter mag 77.

I have a framing company and use only Skil worm drive saws. I am now replacing older saws and buying only the Mag the less weight is a real bonus. The one thing to watch is that they have the same power but they are lighter and will kick back faster if jamed so you must beware until you use them for awhile.

We use the Mag 77 saws in our granite business cutting through 1 1/4" thick granite. This is an incredibly tough environment for any power tool: cutting granite produces tremendous heat and dust, both of which are destructive. Granite dust is second only to diamond dust in its abrasive qualities. We burn up Makita, Porter Cable and Metabo power tools on a regular basis, but this saw never gives up. I wish we could find a sander with this kind of durability. The granite dust is highly abrasive and will quickly destroy lesser power tools. The heat generated during cutting makes the dust so hot that it can burn you as it comes off the diamond blade. We have a Skill 77 that is at least 6 years old and still going strong with more torque than a Cummins diesel. This saw simply does not bog down when cutting granite. The torque is unbelievable. Believe me, we have tried dozens of different tools by different manufacturers and this saw flat out beats them all. If you keep the oil fresh and topped off and keep the motor blown out, this saw will last forever. Your only maintenance will be replacing brushes when needed (you will get 1000's of cuts before you have to replace the brushes). Our saws get dropped on a regular basis by workers that don't really care, but the Mag 77 keeps right on working. We have cracked the casing on one saw, but the saw is still going strong. Remember, cutting granite is far tougher than cutting wood....so you wood butchers out there should be delighted with this American masterpiece of machinery.

My father has owned an original Skill Wormdrive for over 30 years and other than replacing oil, bushes, and blades nothing has ever failed.

I bought my own Mag 77 about 20 months ago, and the machine is superb. If you've never used a saw with the blade on the left, give one a try, once used it is very hard to go back.

The saw is by no means light, but the mass makes for greater stability when cutting. Unlike traditional direct drive saws the majority of the wieght (the center of gravity) of the saw is located behind the point where the maximum depth of cut occurs, this makes for easy control and finishing at the end of the cut.

As several other reviewrs have stated here, there is a fair torque kick when you start the saw, but, this is translated into effortless cutting. Cutting any form of wood, even brick is smooth, wood cuts can be made as fast as you are confident enough to drive the saw, again with a decent blade. The left hand blade makes for very easy observation of the cut. Practice on some scrap 2x4 or 2X10 both ripping and crosscutting till you are used to the kick.

I agree with other reviews of the Mag 77 that a steel foot could be an advantage, even as an option. But so far my Aluminum foot is holding up fine, I suspect the choice of Aluminum was to keep the wieght of the saw down.

Do yourself a favour, if you invest in this saw, treat it to a decent blade. The blade supplied is better than nothing, but only just. I suspect that the single negative review here, where the motor burned out, was due to a poor or blunt blade.

I cannot personnaly imagine what you would need to be cutting to burn out the motor, and if you did I am sure the folks at Skill would love to know. With resoanbale care and attention when cutting, this saw is as safe as any.

Overall, the mass, feel and finish of the saw instills confidence that it will perform any task asked of it, and also, that it is designed and built to last.

I am confident with a little regular servicing my 77 will last as long as I wish to use it, and in all probability will outlast me.

This is a great Tool and well worth the investment.

I finally got fed up with my sub-standard circ-saw while doing a large deck framing job that required close precision. After researching all the "pro" saws including the Dewalt I decided to go with the Skil MAG 77. I must tell you, I am not disappointed. This is simply an amazing saw. It tracks perfectly, allowing you to make not only precision cross cuts but do quick job-site ripping by hand. One of my main reasons for opting for the Skil was its superior gauge design. The Dewalt has an raised arch rim on the front of the foot that makes it impossible to site across the blade and the front reference mark at the same time. The Skil's foot is flat allowing you easily to site across the blade and front gauge. BOTTOM LINE: One of the BEST power tools I've ever purchased - definitely worth the money!

After you have used the rest, you come to the best. I got my first worm drive saw in 1988 and I am still useing it today on a decking project. I have done anything from cabinetry to framing to cutting concrete, steel and asphault. The first one I used was in 1981 and it left a 6 inch reminder that required 120+ stiches to close on my right theigh. So obviously they are not for amatures. I do not allow anyone to use or handle this saw with out proper instruction. I have a Porter Cable for the less skilled which also has a left handed blade. They are well improved over the years and much safer to use. The earlier models had a problem with the blade guard, so it was standard procedure to remove or tie up to guard to eliminate kick back and binding. That is the kind I was useing in '81. The newer models do not have that problem. And the price is about the same as when I bought mine, $169.00. It is a heavier saw that is not good for over head work, or for cutting window or door openings, but for straight line and cut off work, it is all but self employed. If it ever wears out, them I'll buy the Mag. That is if I am not too old to still use it!

This saw is still the staple of circular (HD 77) after yearsand years of construction use. This saw is advertised to be 2lbslighter than the HD 77. That is the only difference. I bought this saw last year and tried to overwork it. I overworked myself in the process. The only thing that wore out was the blade. The price may seem steep. Think of it as a heirloom. This saw will outlast many of us for many generations.

I use this saw on a daily basis and there is no other saw I would consider. I have tried both the DeWalt and Bosch versions of this saw and do not care for either. Although each of the saws cut well, the construction doesn't seem to be as sturdy as the Mag.

The Mag 77 is the smoothest and comfortable saw among the three. If this is your first saw beware the torque on start up, it will turn the saw in your hand a little, once you're used to it its not a big deal though. The weight of the saw will also help keep your cuts straight.

Any saw will bind up under too much pressure from any material. If this happens to the Mag, the motor will continue to spin and the blade will stop moving, this is a built-in saftey feature to prevent burning up the motor by seizing it with too much torque.

Skil made a few recent improvements to the table, or plate as many call it. Previously, it was just a flat piece of aluminum, but recently Skil rounded the edges which provides much more ridgidity and will prevent it from warping. I can attest to this as I dropped my newest saw 12 feet off a ladder and the plate is in perfect condition (except for a modest scratch)! I also highly recommend a rafter hook to prevent such occurances.

One other improvement on the latest Mag 77 is a fatter flange on the blade guard. This prevents binding on thinner material, especially when cutting at angles. Some professionals will pin or remove their guards due to this problem, I strongly recommend that the guard be left intact. Saftey is much more important than convenience. I would rather keep all of my limbs and deal with an annoying guard than the other way around. Accidents happen way too often without inviting them.

Overall I believe there is no better saw on the market. Whether you are a weekend warrior or a proffessional builder this is the saw to own and most in the industry agree, just look at the number of these saws on any jobsite.

If you want the best for a lifetime get a Mag 77.

The regular HD77 is known for excellent balance, as well as being one of the best saws available. However, it appears that in knocking 2 lbs off of the MAG version, Skil has inadvertently unbalanced the saw from side to side. If you hold the saw by the forward handle, you will notice that the saw droops to the left. Skil would have had to redesign the saw to avoid this problem, so the situation is understandable. The saw still handles very well, however, and the weight reduction may be worth it. Unlike some comments about the Bosch, the foot/plate/shoe seems quite secure without play and well aligned. If you are trying to do finish cuts on pieces of wood for furniture with this saw, you are probably out of your head, and I don't consider that a defect of the saw. As others have noted, the blade supplied by Skil is trash. It is puzzling as to why they would sell a top of the line saw with such a blade. They might better sell the saw without a blade and reduce the price by $1.00. It would be a better deal.

I've been a carpenter for forty one years and the Skil model 77 has always been in a class by itself. In forty-one years of daily use I've worn out a few but in all that time I've never burnt one up. Makita, Milwaukee, and Dewalt are respectable saws but when you compare the to the Skil, they're a joke. I've tried the rest but always came back to the best. The best got better with The Mag 77. It's a couple of pounds lighter than it's older brother, the HD 77 and has a much improved table. If you are considering a worm drive saw look no further.