Worm Drive Circular Saws .....

[Tony Falotico]

The local Lowe's has discounted all the Worm Drive Circular saws, guess they are getting ready to discontinue them. I'm not particularly interested in one (unless you all convince me I am :) ), but have wondered for several years -- Why a Worm Drive?

My question is: What are the benefits / draw backs of a worm drive. Why would one desire a worm drive over a conventional type circular saw ?? :confused:

[Chuck Wintle]

Aren't worm drive circular saws very resistant to stalling? And the other thing is the blade is on the opposite side compared to a regular saw.

[Mark Singer]

Tony,
The worm drive saw is most often a framers saw. It is use for rough carpentry although many people use it for general work. The design places the motor behind the blade ...this allows the blade to be left oriented making it visible as well as the pencil/cut line. The typicall saws are 15 amps and are quite powerful and torquey. The balance is excellnt and once you frame with it it is difficult to use a typical circular saw. The gears run in an oil bath and over the years I have only changed brushes abd an occasional switch....they are reliable. For cabinet work there are no major advantages and there are left blade saws available that are not worm drives. the small PC saw is their worm drive trim saw. Great for siding and detail work...http://www.menco.com/skilHD5860-L.jpg




http://imagehost.vendio.com/bin/imageserver.x/00000000/recontools1/.mids/PC314H.jpg (http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&category=20791&item=4389322651&rd=1&ssPageName=WDVW#ebayphotohosting)

[Per Swenson]

Mr. Singer as usual has it right.

King of the framing saws.

Yes, I framed a awful lot of houses a couple of years back.

Before I bought the Festool AT 65 circular saw I used a worm drive

to straighten 4/4 and 8/4 slabs of Mahogany.

I love em.

Per

[Ken Fitzgerald]

Tony.....Mark pretty well covered the high points. When I worked for a contactor years ago I helped build a couple of houses. I got to where I could use that saw remarkeably well. The left side blade is a big plus for seeing the cut line. The down side......these saws are quite heavy and a little awkward to use until you get used to them. When I replaced my saw 2 years ago, I bought a "regular" left sided bladed PC just because it balances better and I don't have as much strength as I did in my younger days.

[Dino Makropoulos]

Anyone knows how the skill saw got the name skill-saw? :confused:
If not, take a look at the history of circular saws. :eek: :D

http://www.asktooltalk.com/home/articles/toolhistory/divide.htm

By the way. The nick name of the Skill 77 (by the pro's)... is the deadly 77 :eek:

Lowes is moving in the right direction. :cool:

[Corey Hallagan]

Tony is this just the Skil saws or all worm drives that they sell.

Corey

[Phil Ordway]

More power. It's my understanding that the Skill 77 is the best regardless of price. I have the magnesium version. It's lighter.

[Tony Falotico]

Tony is this just the Skil saws or all worm drives that they sell.

Corey


Corey, They had two Skil's and another, a Bosch (? I think ?) on Friday. Come to think of it, maybe the Bosch was gone last evening. When I went to compare price with the new ones, they were no worm drives on the display shelf. Our Lowes is the smallest footprint they build, the manager once told me he thought this was the only one of it's size left. So they don't have the stock and selection I've seen in the bigger city Lowes.

Thanks to everyone else, especially Mark for the info. I still have no reason to go get one, but I've always been curious about them. A little extra knowledge never hurts. :) :)

[Peter Mc Mahon]

Hi Tony. I frammed houses for about 7 years. All we used where worm drive saws. They are generally more powerful, much more resistant to stalling and easier to cut straight with. They run at a much lower rpm than sidewinders which gives them greater torque and therefore less prone to stalling. They are easier to cut straight with because your hand is down low and you can push in a straight line as opposed to your hand being much higher up and having to twist your wrist on a sidewinder. The draw back of a worm drive is they are HEAVY. Having said all this, in my shop I just bought a model #2 black and decker sidewinder made in England, takes a 6" blade. So for shop use I would recommend a regular sidewinder but for framming there is no competion- a wormdrive. Peter