New circular saw

B & D was the choice of professionals in the past but the last pro quality tool they made was probably about 1960. They were fine for the home handyman use. I had one for many years for light duty. Making 12' rips was not their forte.

I don't know about DeWalt. They used to be a higher quality. Meantime, can you get the B&D repaired under warranty? Keep it as a spare or sell it and recoupe some of your cost.

Makita is still a lot better than DeWalt - so are Milwaukee and Skill and Bosch. Generally speaking, if under Warrantee they will more likely replace than repair - many of the B&D crap today you can't even get parts for. Wear out a brush, and the replacement part is the whole motor, including the plastic case.

I think that depends on the Skil model - the homeowners models (used to) suck, but the worm-drive saws are de rigueur on job sites (and it appears that Skil no longer makes the worm-drive saws).

Actually, it is their flagship saw. For a while, they made them for Bosch as well. Don't know about now. I didn't realize they were making this many sidewinders, though.

Robert

I have the 575SB and from day one, the electric blade brake is intermittent. Sometimes it works and stops the blade and other times it don't do a thing.

Of course, Murphy's Law dictates that it usually doesn't work when I'm actually cutting. YMMV.

Ah, I see that there is a Skil Tools (which makes the homeowner crap) and SkilSaw (which makes the good stuff).

My first question is why would you buy a B&D anything these days?

Skil is owned by a Chinese company after being sold by Bosch that apparentl y bought them to get rights to the worm drive saw.

Its confusing. When I started in the trades a few decades ago, even though we didn't use Skil branded tools (except the worm drive)all wood cutting c ircular saws were called "Skilsaws". Nothing has changed. We don't say ge t a drill and a "Makita" and head to the job.

Skilsaw© was the first, powerful, practical and reliable wood cutting circular saw. It was a patented, heavily protected piece of machinery (muc h like the old Fein oscillators or the Festool Domino) that had the worm dr ive market to itself. The Skil line of saws, drills, routers, was developed for the lighter use group and in the 60s they made some pretty good tools.

Skil makes the Skilsaw©, and now (rumor has it) that since Skil was re cently sold to a Chinese company, they are redirecting their efforts to mak e a "professional quality" set of tools. Not sure what that means anymore, but I guess they are getting out of the crap tool business.

Robert

You may be wrong:

nb

" snipped-for-privacy@aol.com" writes: [snip]

Hm.. I have a worm-drive saw that's not a skilsaw (was in the garage when I moved in). Probably 50's vintage. Needs grease, so I've never even fired it up (came in a nice metal case). I'll have to dig it out of the back of the shop and see if it can be rehabilitated.

Doesn't even show up on

Perhaps, fer you. (shrug) ;)

nb

I get this this great big banner, alternating with a banner for their homeowner circular saw line. Right on the main page.

People seem to really like that saw. I bought a Milwaukee 6390 years back when they were on sale at Sears. I just used it this afternoon. It's on the heavy side, but it's never disappointed me for power.

They still make several worm drive saws. The Sawsquatch is one of them. Remember, Skill is now owned by Bosch. They stil make the SHD77 too amd the SPT 77 and 78 models.(as well as the MeduSaw for concrete)

I've got a 1958 worm drive skill, an 8 inch Milwaukee, and a 7 1/2

Not as of last year. Although I can't find the article, I read some time b ack that Bosch no longer needed (or wanted) Skil. They were sold to Chevro n, a Chinese company that indicated (sorry, no cite) that intends to start making more "professional grade" tools.

Sale info:

Robert

IIRC Skil and Bosch have separated.

Do all that - then drop the engine into a car that doesn't rot away in 3 or 4 years .. then you might have a car-of-the-year candidate ! John T.