Review: Skil SHD77 Worm Drive Saw

The reasons DIY’ers, framers, and contrac­tors choose the Skil worm drive circular saw.

I started in the construc­tion busi­ness more years ago than I can remember. First as a laborer and then moving into framing. That’s when I bought my first commer­cial circular saw: the Skil 7–1/4 inch worm drive saw.

Before that, I was using a stan­dard 7–1/4 inch DIY circular saw. The first time I used my Skilsaw I was totally amazed at the power and how its balance made it so easy to control. This is one amazing saw.

First off, I’ve got to say, this saw was designed and built for framers and contrac­tors, and isn’t for every­body. At 16 lbs it’s quite heavy, and takes a bit of time to learn how to handle. But once you get a handle on it, it’s the finest saw you’ll ever own!

Great care was taken in the design of this fine saw, such as the precision-machined worm gears that elim­i­nate the kick­backs found in the lighter saws. The heavy duty aluminum foot glides smoothly over your work, and the large, quick-release, posi­tive locking bevel and depth levers make this saw easy to use, and extremely accurate.

The 15 amp motor has all the power you’ll need, and there’s easy access to clean or change the brushes. It also comes with a two posi­tion saw hook, or some­times called a sky hook, used for hanging the saw on rafters and joists.

The push button blade lock allows for fast and easy blade changes, and the “anti snag” lower guard allows for very smooth oper­a­tion.
Skil SHD77 saw details.

I’ve owned and commer­cially used my Skilsaw for well over twenty years now and have never needed to replace anything, except the blade, of course. In my opinion, no one has built a better worm drive saw.

If you’re consid­ering investing in a worm drive saw, take my advise and buy a Skil. It’s a sure thing.

Learn More