Most Helpful Customer Reviews
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15 of 15 people found the following review helpful:
4.0 out of 5 stars
The Pursuit of Happyness, August 30, 2007
This is the son of the saw that built America, aka the Skilsaw. Notice that it's Skil and not Skill, and Happyness vs. Happiness. Today this saw has more variants than a 60's Corvette. The most recent upgrade includes a magnesium housing, aluminum foot, higher temperature motor wiring, and 2 more amps of current usage (hopefully translating into more power). Like many of you who don't own a worm drive Skilsaw, I was confused and am still confused about which one to buy. When in doubt, buy the most expensive model in the line. Ha ha. There are variants built out of steel, those with a removal cord, and even one that sits on wheels. This is not a joke. I saw one with an accessory plate that had 4 wheels on it. I ordered this just to have a saw that could ride atop concrete. The accessory was priced at $62, and is not offered by Amazon yet. Stay tuned. Anyway, the version of the SHD77M you should buy is the SHD77M-22. That version has a cloth bag. Now let's get to my evaluation of the saw. Power corrupts absolutely. There is no substitute for power. Once you get used to power, you don't want to go back. If you are cutting moist 2 x 12's or are building a deck with Ipe or Tiger Deck materials, a smooth and powerful saw is your only ticket. Another thing this saw does is score concrete. I use this term lightly because a 1/4" depth of cut is almost like scoring the material. That's Skil's recommendation, but you might want to plunge 1/2" with the right blade. Make sure it can take the rpm of this saw. They also recommend successive cuts, which I like to do just to keep the heat down. Okay, now that I have described the power and smooth sound you get out of this saw, let me get down to precision. First, the included carbide blade is disposable. The tips, when viewed closely, have chips on the side. But it cuts and it came with the saw, so use it until you have need of a better blade. Others have noted that the base plate is not exactly level. It bows in the middle looking front to back. You don't even need a precision level to see this, as it is off by around 1/32" or so. On a large flat surface, maybe 20% of the plate is resting on the wood. This might be a design or manufacturing issue. I could theorize how this could be good, as it reduces the friction/drag as you slide across wood. There is a saying in woodworking that you should measure twice and cut once. However, when you build a house, there are instances where you measure once and cut twice. The second cut is with the wood nailed in place. You want the saw to slide smoothly and not get snagged anywhere. A swirl or gouge on an edge can ruin the piece or pieces. So, I have to assume that Skil designed the plate based on a lot of hands-on experience. As for fit and finish, the plate is rugged (thick) but not a perfect rectangle or even a parallelogram. I tried using the left and right edges against a metal fence to determine which one gave a cut parallel to the fence. The right side won. Lefty was a little off (I'm picky). The amount of metal on each side is sufficient if you want to machine it square, but why bother? Out of the box, the blade cut at 90 degrees along the vertical. This is good, and should save you from having to shim the saw (you have to loosen some Torx screws to accomplish this). The two v-notched cutting guides are accurate, and acceptable for this type of tool. The handles are made of a plastic or composite. Since I did not subject this to a drop test, I can't vouch for their longevity. But plastic worries me. Too much plastic in a Bosch saw cheapened it. Luckily the two most stressed user adjustment points on the Skilsaw, the depth and miter screws/levers are both metal. Overall, I am pleased with this saw. It is not perfect, but then it does not cost as much as a Hilti. Nor was the Skilsaw designed for precision finish woodwork. That's what my table saw and miter saw are for. This is a carpenter's saw. I hope the new generation is as reliable as the old.
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21 of 25 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
I Love My Worm Drive Saws, November 17, 2007
I currently own several worm drive circular saws. A Skil HD77, Skil HD77M, Bosch 1677, and a Rigid 3210. I use them all, but I am partial to the Skil Mag 77 & and the Bosch 1677. Before you go thinking that I am a complete nut, I got all of my saws at bargin prices, by shopping around. Also, I got them over an extended period of time, as the deals came my way. I am an avid DYI'er, not a professional, and these saws are by far my favorite hand power tools. For me, once you go to a worm drive circular saw, you just can't go back to a sidewinder. The power and the weight becomes a part of you. I sure wish that Skil (or Bosch) would make a small worm drive trim saw, similar to the Porter Cable 314. That little sucker cost about $250 new, and of course I want one, but it's too rich for my frugal blood. Of course recently Skil upgraded the motors of their HD77 and HD77M, from 13 amps to 15 amps, they include a carbide saw blade (a welcome change from the useless stamped steel combination blade I never use, but save to put back on any worm drive saws I might sell), and include a rafter hook (another option that I always added to my other Skil saws), to keep from just laying them on the ground. In fact, I built a special saw horse just to hold my saws by the rafter hook, when I work in my shop. I wanted the upgraded version of the Skil Mag 77 immediately, but I did notice that the price had gone up about $30 on the newest models. The new SHD77M is selling for around $190 and up. I cashed in my spare change that I had been saving in a coffee can for about six months, and earned some money from a garage sale, and it was burning a tool hole in my pocket. The new higher price of the SHD77M put me off for a while, after all did I really need another worm drive saw? The old version of the Skil HD77 and HD77M had been building America exceptionally well for decades. But the fact that there was an upgraded version on the market, stayed in the back of my mind. I had been considering getting a factory refurbished version of the new model SHD77M, for $149, but I'm just a little skeptical of "refurbished", and I could not justify $190 for a brand new one. But I was patient, and kept my eyes peeled, and finally found a brand new one, still in the sealed factory box, at a reduced price. I got mine for $157, only $8 more than a refurbished one. I guess my previous HD77M, which was extremely loved and well cared for, is going to have to find a new home to make room for the newer model. I keep different types of blades on all of my saws (I guess to justify owning four worm drive saws), so I don't have to change blades for different situations. I break down a lot of hardwood plywood for cabinets and shelves, before I square them up on my tablesaw. A 40 tooth carbide blade does that job very well. But I also use my saws for general construction type work like building a deck or a shed, and a 24 tooth carbide blade fills that bill just fine. I did not have to be sold on Skil's reputation for making a superior product, I've owned them and used them for years, and their quality and durability is already very well established. I just needed to have the latest upgraded version of the legendary Skil Mag 77, in my workshop, so I would be able sleep at night.
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7 of 7 people found the following review helpful:
1.0 out of 5 stars
Skil saw warped base plate, September 3, 2008
My new Skil SHD77M arrived. I heard that there was a problem of the base plate not being flat, but assumed Skil had fixed that. Mine is way out of flat! The whole saw rocks as you place it on the work piece. So, back she goes. What a pain.
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