Okay, I've got a burning question:
For those that use and love their skil 77 worm drive saws,
How often do you change the gear oil?
I bought a garage sale skil 77 for $25 and got it running for another $25 plus a decent blade. The guy at the repair shop where I bought the parts said not to worry about the oil.
For what it's worth, I've got that old skil and one of the fancy lightweight Bosch worm drives. They are both made in the same factory now (in the USA). They both work great. They are heavy, but I am young.
One added benefit of the worm drive saws is that you can buy a special metal cutting blade and use them to cut through a steel I-beam. The blades are rather expensive though. Sidewinders spin too fast and don't have the grunt to do this.
Jeff Dantzler Seattle, WA