For me, the ideas in ua-cam.com/users/postUgkxAfqpMLyFn37qcqUl0FAzqkkycQeXqrhP Plans were a starting point for building different sheds . Ryan gives ideas that allow an individual to draw nicest conclusions into the design and building of his or her own shed.
Thanks for the review, I've had the Makita for years . I just went on Amazon and snagged the Skil for $458.00 . Worm drive, rear handle and left cut is enough reason for me to switch ! As far as cord storage, noooo problem here. The first thing I do with EVERY corded saw I purchase is to chop the cord off to 8" or less and put a twist-lock end on it 😊👊
Finally! Even though I'm not in the market for either of those saws, I love the way you went about the review! Long term, real world use and an honest assessment of the performance and individual quirks that could be a deal breaker for some folks. I'd love to see more of this.
Not just DeWalt Lou Cifer. Don't be fooled by one number on the battery pack. Most of the companies newer li-ion batteries use the high density 20700 cells so are much of a muchness with slight differences in how they package/manage the energy available. Some are moving (as will they all eventually) to even more hard core 21700 cells. Bosch's new ProCores use these. So whilst they're still 18v, they can deliver a sustained 90-100amps (amps x volts = 1620w +). 2 of those paired could easily supply the 2800 watt needed for a beam saw. And, like Milwaukee and Metabo, Bosch have a 12 ah (amp-hour, not to be confused with amps) endurance pack coming out later this year. So in short, any of the big brands have battery packs available now or coming very soon that could run a beam saw. Not just DeWalt, clever as the FlexVolt is.
Have had a Makita 10+ years. We use them for 5.25 PSL headers for mostly flush header flatroof modern homes. If i could trust the brand Skill to holding up durability wise i might have to try one. We use Makita everything tho so im biased, but it also means that they last. Ive had the same Impact as well ever since Makita came out with them and on the 3rd set of brushes.
Just wondering... how do you stay current on the latest and greatest? I'm a Technical Architect for a living, which means that I run software development teams. Probably the hardest thing to do (aside from educate the client) is to stay current with the latest and greatest tech. Not just learning it, but learning it well enough so that I then know whether it's worth adopting for the next project... use it, or just keep on using the tried-and-true stuff already in the toolbox that has a track record and is a known commodity. How do you do that for your gig? Conferences? Magazines? Websites? Blogs? Ever tried something new that didn't work out as expected? On that note... in my world, knowing what not to do is almost more important than knowing what to do, so we spend a lot of time doing postmortems on failed projects... sharing with others the "we did this and woah did it screw us over and this is how" stories to help others in our field learn from our mistakes. Ever had anything go really, really wrong on you? Real "well that's not at all how I expected that to go" moments? Care to share them sometime? Again, thanks for doing what you're doing... very interesting and engaging!
5lbs lighter, left side blade, nice grip for left hand, worm drive, magnesium plate, less cost, all great reasons for the skilsaw. I don’t care about the dumb cord location. Great video. Thanks!
A timberframing company (or one of the organizations, I don't remember anymore) used to make an aftermarket base for the Makita. Big improvement, but MAN is the wormdrive an improvement, especially in hardwood.
The thing I like about the Makita is, they last forever. Bad thing about the Makita, as you pointed out, dust port on wrong side plus, direct drive vs the worm drive. Worm drive IS the only way to go when it comes to any circular saw. I do have 2 skilsaw wormdrives, love them, base should be better but, nothing beats them. Thanks for the review, cheers :)
I haven't found Makitas to be as durable as others have found, and there's always something a bit "off" with their ergonomics. Makita products remind me of a Mitsubishi (Dodge Ram 50) truck I had-- fair to good longevity, crappy egronomics. For my daily driver 7-1/4 saw, I go with Porter-Cable, but I've had good luck with Skil with other power tools. I'd definitely go with the Skil if I needed a beam saw.
I use the Makita at work everyday to cut 6” metal insulated panels....works like a champ...holding the guard back is not awkward at all unless you are inexperienced....I ripped 67 feet in one shot of IMP never had the dust get in the way of my line
Thank you Ryan for releasing a great product as this shedbuilder.work Most of the plans I have imagined in my mind are put down on your woodworking plans. This is more like a genius job. I love it!
That worm drive skilsaw looks so delicious! I bought a 12" beamsaw right after watching this video. Neither of these models are available in India, so I had to buy the only 12" model on offer. The skilsaw clearly wins this in my opinion. I've done jobs with poorly designed/abused/broken tools at times. Use what you have at hand to earn today, until you can afford to pay for a tool that will pay for itself many times over. 👍 Is it fun using ill-suited tools to finish real jobs on a deadline? Hell, NO!! It is painfully frustrating knowing you could have done this or that so much faster. But does it teach you things you wouldn't have learnt otherwise? YES Thanks for the comparison! 👍👍
Hey Kyle awesome review, last week I bought a old 1990 Makita Beam saw this thing is a beast. I don’t think I’m going to use this so often but I’m looking forward to try it. 😉😅 like always fantastic content 🙌🏻🙌🏻🙌🏻👍🏻👊🏻👌🏻
I hear you about the guard. The guard on the makita has always been an issue for me and as you said I always have to hold the guard up when I go to make my cut.
Hola. Gracias por el video comparativo. ¿podrías darnos tu opinión respecto al uso de algunas motosierras para este tipo de corte? De antemano gracias.
Does it cut square? I have the 10" skilsaw wormdrive and the blade wobble is so bad it cuts about 3/16" out of square on 4" because it's a thin kerf blade! I'm waiting for some custom made thicker blades to arrive soon. Just curious?! Love your videos, Thanks!
I just got my first beam saw, the skill. My question for you is doing rips on beams is there a blade you prefer over the 32T that comes with the saw. Yes, they are priceless, but when someone shows on the job site with one they almost always know what they’re doing. Thanks for the review.
Just a thought. My normal sized corded circular saw has the same power rating as these saws, in theory, could you take the blade, frame and blade guards/housing off so you are just left with the unit and a spindle then either fashion a new frame, sole plate and guaurd or even buy the makita or skillsaw bits as spare parts and put the big blade on it? Now obviously theres safety to think about but really whats the difference between these very expensive saws and a powerfull normal sized one except the blade and meytal frame parts?
As a tool guy I would love to have one. I don’t know what I would use it for. But it is better to have it and not need it. Then to need it and not have it. 😂😂😂 If only I could get my wife to believe that.😂😂😂. Thanks for the video.
Ya know, This was a great review. I think my mind is made up. I used a Makita years ago to cut a giant slab for a mantel, no complaints,but back then it was the only one available. I saw the Skilsaw at my local tool repair shop that sells tools as well.I am a big Skil fan and am very happy with the 7 1/4 and the 10" This new Skilsaw will make cutting giant 6'' maple slabs much easier. Thanks for the review.
Good review Kyle, As a follow up video what about care and maintenance of each saw. Are the motors brushless? Cost of brushes? How easy is it to replace the blades. Is the gearbox in the Skill saw sealed? do you need to change the oil if so how often? Once again thanks for all the videos over the years
No one offers a brushless circ saw yet. Modern carbon brushes last a long time and are easy to inspect and replace. Brushes can run as low as 8 bucks a pair or maybe double if you buy from a local repair shop. Wormdrive gearbox is sealed and oil is normally for life of a brushset or longer on the Skilsaws. Most important wear item is the expensive 16 inch carbide blade. The Skilsaw ships with a Freud Diablo blade or it used to as Skil was owned by Bosch group and so was (and still is) Freud. The teflon like blade coatings are important to keep binding and friction down as both these saws are underpowered due to 15A max motor draw. Clean that green wood pitch off the blade to stop binding and smoking cuts. Make sure your blades are sharp and not missing teeth. New blades more that 100 bucks but they can be sharpened professionally to redress the teeth. Buy a cordless chainsaw to save bucks if you don't need the glass smooth cutlines in your work. You can buy chansaw guiderails for cheap to help with miters etc.
Michael Patish We blow out our saws EVERY Day !!- Before puttin Them to bed ! We clean all the saws on Friday ! Before puttin then to bed for the weekend !- blades are the same to change ! Just U have to have the saw sittin sideways w/a beam ! Can’t lay them in their sides ( Makita ) Cause U WILL bend the base plate !!!!- Makita n Skol have brushes !!- the rotor of their motors are 4 times bigger than a regular saw !-The Skol has to be greased ! Just like all worm drives !! They are Beasts !! Holding the Makita at waist level ! N starting it !!- will torque Your wrist !- n scare Anyone ! Sittin them on a beam n starting !- no torque !- Very little kickback !-none - Really cause the blade is buried in the beam !- the motor will stall !- Can smell them burning up w/Tha New Guys !!- But The saws keep living on !! Only times we have burned them up !!- Oak beams ! - Hardest Wood Brazilian Epi !! TeXaS Summers !! Go see the Houston Gorilla Exibit !!- Almost a year !! 🖖
For your standard circular saw, having the blade on the right isn’t too bad as far as visibility. When your blade is 16 inches, I think a blade left is much better.
I’ve run the older gold version of the Makita saw from the 80’s. Used it for 17 years, every few years the armature needs to be re-wound, direct drive motor is underpowered when ripping timbers. I’ve always run my worm drive 7-1/4 first when ripping to give a guide/channel for the big saw. Even then ripping with the Makita takes 2-3 passes at different depths to not cook the motor. The design of the saw goes out of square often, especially if moved around, or you place it on the ground the wrong way. The guard is awful, I’ve gotten used to holding the guard open, and gripping the top housing rather than the side handle provided. Also the dust shoot blows right in your face especially when ripping, even gotten past my safety glasses. All in all it’s been a necessary tool if your a timber framer/ restoration contractor. That being said my go-to is the skil mag77 or any of that variant. Now that they have a 16” version I’ll upgrade!
I've been using the skil worm drive since the 80's. In my opinion, the strong worm gear and the left side blade beats all the games in town. I own a few others including a few strong Milwaukee standard sidewinder for rip and demo, Ass kicking saws but for go-to, it's the skil and a new Bosch worm drive which is holding up well. Also, while I'm over six up, I can only easily stretch a worm across a 4 by sheet in one push because of the blade/saw configuration. Great review man, working crew review.. For that, thank you and I trust your opinion! Cut On men!!!!
As a contractor cutting often large beams, you should check out/ test the big capacity Mafell saws! Very expensive, but worth the money for traditional frame builders!
cool review! i have an 8 inch skill worm drive and it is about as heavy as i would attempt, it does make everything else feel like a feather. i use an 8 and 1/4 blade versus the stock 8 blade for a tiny bit more depth. although heavy at 18 plus pounds, it has roughly same footprint as smaller worm drives and comparable cost...
Skilsaw work drives and sidewinders also have a "clutch" type arbor that in a kickback situation, it will allow the blade to slip on the arbor to mitigate the kickback. I've never had the blade slip while cutting even at full depth but in a binding situation it will allow slip as long as you follow the directions on how much you torque the arbor bolt. If you tighten too much you lose the clutch slip ability.
I don't like having my circular saw in a bag either so I made a wood mount for my bag. I cut a peice of plywood to a 12 inch bigger than my circular saw base and cut a hole with my circular saw blade to put the blade into the wood. I glued 1/2 inch pieces of wood around the edges on top and put wood underneath the bottom of the plywood to prevent the bag from touching the blade, lifting the saw base. I have space under the saw and I put a hand held brush and dust pan and a few things like a pencil, square and tape measure that I need with my saw. I basically took a soft bag and made it a hard case, specifically for my circular saw. My life is easier since I did this cause I use it alot and I can put my saw in my truck bed and it's safe if it tips over cause I kinda overbuilt it to prevent damage but it's lite enough to grab and go, while having everything I need to use my saw in one bag. I even have a knife for cutting straps off lumber or to sharpen my pencil. I just thought I would share this to give someone else a idea to store they're circular saw and to prevent damage to it and having everything in one bag from measuring tape, square and pencil.
I’ve had a Makita for years, I’m left handed so the blade is on the side I want but I agree with the dust fan, on one side you get the blade dust and on the other the motor fan blows in your face. I keep meaning to put a deflector on it. There is no kickback and I don’t have any problems with the guard. I’ve repaired them a couple of times and is not too difficult. I rip with them but it is a little slow mostly because there aren’t any good ripping blades.
Also have the Makita and am left handed, but find it to be a strongly right handed tool- very awkward for left handers. The cross cuts in 6x material are amazing 'tho, and I got it for free so there's that. Polish and wax the blade!!
Great Review, I was considering buying the Maikita, but thin I will go with the Skilsaw. Unfortunately the last 4 year has seen a dramatic increase in price with the Skilsaw now as of 2 November 2023 right at $700.00 and the Makita at $1100.00 Sheesh!
Only thing I wish it had is a swing table like its cousin the bigfoot brand that retrofits on a bosch or skill worm drive. But it definitely looks a little easier to handle and a much stouter base plate. Great review
Pricewise - The blades for these monster saws is through the roof on Amazon the blade suggested for the Makita was over $209 and the Diablo blade was $115. Very steep to say the least. Home Depot has awesome prices for some really great name brand blades. Do you have any videos for the 7-1/4" and 10-1/4 saw blades? which blade does what or what each blade doesn't do? Also what about carrying bags for the larger (10") saws? Not hard to find a good, strong and versatile tool bags for the 7 1/4" saws. However, the larger saws are a pickle to find.
Put them against a Mafell HKS185 if you ever get the chance I’d be interested to know what you think. Neither of the saws you tested are available in Europe so it looks like I will have to buy a Mafell at big money.
I maybe different than everyone else but, I'm right handed, and when I'm cutting anything, I'm always looking at my cut and the line I'm cutting on the inside of the saw. Meaning, I'm looking in the opening of the right hand side of my saw, that's where the outside of my line is and that's where I want to make sure I'm cutting, on the left hand side of the line. Because my usable lumber is always on my right. That's where I want to guide my saw blade. I guess you could look at the left hand side of your cut but, I always use that little opening on the right hand side, so, if the Skilsaw has the exhaust port right in the way, it would be a pain for me. But I really like the fact that you can attach a vacuum to it. The Mikita saw is a poor design right out of the gate.
Nice video, your correct on everything. I have the skilsaw which I love. We are deck builders and it makes our work lives much easier. One thing, I feel the blade is not so good. I will replace with a Freud blade.
There's a Hitachi beam saw sitting in the shed here. It got used at a timber laminate factory and it got ridden hard and put away wet god knows how many times. It got written off after one of the boys dropped it and bent the base plate. I need to take to it with some panel hammers at some stage and it'll go another round. They also have 24 inch 3 phase beam saws as well, which have their own trolley and are a 2 man job to lift and use, especially when ripping 8x2 and 10x2 laminated beams
Great review! Nothing like a honest review of a product you actually use. Would never buy it or need it, but who doesn't like a saw that large. They chose a great name to describe that beast. Give Makita credit though since they were one of the first. Because of that people who needed that large of a saw probably already bought the Makita. If I was using that type of saw I would definitely buy the skilsaw just for the improved safety enhancements.
Great video, thanks for sharing. Do you know if anyone makes a blade that can cut through nails? I have a Diablo for my 7-1/4. None of the 16-5/16 say anything about nails. Thank you for your time.
The Skilsaw looks like a great tool and ideal for our historical church timber jobs: well-designed ergonomics, rugged dimension choices and balanced power/capacity output for a very realistic price (certainly compared to the ridiculous +6000 dollar Mafell tomfoolery-toolery, as if they're selling a Swiss minilathe). I'll try and get one shipped to Belgium for medieval cathedral work, but unfortunately Skilsaw seems to be almost nonexistent as a brand in Europe compared to Milwaukee for example. A petty because I like their worm-wheel longitudinal designs a lot.
I feel like the skill is probably the longer lasting saw. I've never used either, but I feel like running the motor so slow on the Makita will put a lot more heat and strain on it, as opposed to the skill which gets a much faster motor, much faster spinning fan, etc.
Well my dad still has the same Makita that he bought while timber framing 30 years ago. We still use it on at least a half dozen jobs a year (carpentry and timber framing)
Just bought my Sawsquatch. The price has gone up considerably over the past two years but found one on sale for about the price you quoted in the video.
yet i use a 12 inch bar attachment on my makita worm drive cuts great use on 8x8 posts lvl"s and sip panels iv seen youtube vids using dewalt flex saws with same kind of bars cutting pretty good does fare better job if you ask me
The TFG used to sell a bigger/better base for the makitas - but without that better base I’d go for the skill saw. I use my 10.25” milwaukeee more and sometimes just finish the middle with a hand saw when I don’t feel like lugging the bigger saw to a remote location.
I started with the makita and wound up buying the skil. It’s night and day. The skil is so much easier to use, lighter, more accurate and just plain cooler!
SKILSAW ! THE SELF FULFILLING LEGACY, STARTING WITH A BRAND NAME !! WAS INTRODUCED TO THE 77 IN 72 , HAVE HAD ALL THEIR WORM DRIVES , RECENTLY REPLACED A OLD 10 " FOR THE 10 MAG , VERY GOOD !! I HAVE THE MAKITA 16 , SECOND ONE , A VERY GOOD SAW , IF I WAS IN THE MARKET FOR A BEAM SAW, I WOULD BE LOOKING AT SKILSAW !
For me, the ideas in ua-cam.com/users/postUgkxAfqpMLyFn37qcqUl0FAzqkkycQeXqrhP Plans were a starting point for building different sheds . Ryan gives ideas that allow an individual to draw nicest conclusions into the design and building of his or her own shed.
One thing I like is this guy doesn't brag himself up he just gets right into it.
Thanks for the review, I've had the Makita for years . I just went on Amazon and snagged the Skil for $458.00 . Worm drive, rear handle and left cut is enough reason for me to switch ! As far as cord storage, noooo problem here. The first thing I do with EVERY corded saw I purchase is to chop the cord off to 8" or less and put a twist-lock end on it 😊👊
I have an old miter saw with a 16 5/16 blade. I use it all the time, will cut 6x6 on a 45°. Got it for $9 at an online auction.
Next time you're in Deutschland: Mafell. To paraphrase Crocodile Dundee: "That's not a beam saw. THIS is a beam saw."
I don’t need to travel any further than Chicago. 👍. “That’s not a tracksaw”. 👌
No thanks, at 5 times the price of the next brand, only Elon Musk can afford the Mafell...😁 so no thanks!!!
👍👍👍👍thanks, got to borrow the skilsaw this weekend to cut 14- 6x6's.
You and the loaner pretty much sealed my decision what to buy.
Finally! Even though I'm not in the market for either of those saws, I love the way you went about the review! Long term, real world use and an honest assessment of the performance and individual quirks that could be a deal breaker for some folks. I'd love to see more of this.
Mike Guerrieri stay tuned man.
@@RRBuildings awesome!
2:05 I don't see us having any battery technology in the near future that's going to make one of these cordless. Milwaukee..."Hold my beer."
Panhead49EL gotta push them right
Milwaukee 12mha
The only company who could make this cordless is Dewalt wth 2 60v batteries
Not just DeWalt Lou Cifer. Don't be fooled by one number on the battery pack. Most of the companies newer li-ion batteries use the high density 20700 cells so are much of a muchness with slight differences in how they package/manage the energy available. Some are moving (as will they all eventually) to even more hard core 21700 cells. Bosch's new ProCores use these. So whilst they're still 18v, they can deliver a sustained 90-100amps (amps x volts = 1620w +). 2 of those paired could easily supply the 2800 watt needed for a beam saw. And, like Milwaukee and Metabo, Bosch have a 12 ah (amp-hour, not to be confused with amps) endurance pack coming out later this year. So in short, any of the big brands have battery packs available now or coming very soon that could run a beam saw. Not just DeWalt, clever as the FlexVolt is.
Panhead49EL 😂😂😂😎😎💪💪
Great review, these reviews are very important to me. Nice to have your honest non biased thoughts.
Have had a Makita 10+ years. We use them for 5.25 PSL headers for mostly flush header flatroof modern homes. If i could trust the brand Skill to holding up durability wise i might have to try one. We use Makita everything tho so im biased, but it also means that they last. Ive had the same Impact as well ever since Makita came out with them and on the 3rd set of brushes.
Thanks. The left and right angle , 200 rpm , the holding of the shroud was a real help for me , oh and $100 savings. Very good presentation
Just wondering... how do you stay current on the latest and greatest? I'm a Technical Architect for a living, which means that I run software development teams. Probably the hardest thing to do (aside from educate the client) is to stay current with the latest and greatest tech. Not just learning it, but learning it well enough so that I then know whether it's worth adopting for the next project... use it, or just keep on using the tried-and-true stuff already in the toolbox that has a track record and is a known commodity.
How do you do that for your gig? Conferences? Magazines? Websites? Blogs? Ever tried something new that didn't work out as expected?
On that note... in my world, knowing what not to do is almost more important than knowing what to do, so we spend a lot of time doing postmortems on failed projects... sharing with others the "we did this and woah did it screw us over and this is how" stories to help others in our field learn from our mistakes.
Ever had anything go really, really wrong on you? Real "well that's not at all how I expected that to go" moments?
Care to share them sometime?
Again, thanks for doing what you're doing... very interesting and engaging!
5lbs lighter, left side blade, nice grip for left hand, worm drive, magnesium plate, less cost, all great reasons for the skilsaw. I don’t care about the dumb cord location. Great video. Thanks!
A timberframing company (or one of the organizations, I don't remember anymore) used to make an aftermarket base for the Makita. Big improvement, but MAN is the wormdrive an improvement, especially in hardwood.
The thing I like about the Makita is, they last forever. Bad thing about the Makita, as you pointed out, dust port on wrong side plus, direct drive vs the worm drive. Worm drive IS the only way to go when it comes to any circular saw. I do have 2 skilsaw wormdrives, love them, base should be better but, nothing beats them. Thanks for the review, cheers :)
I haven't found Makitas to be as durable as others have found, and there's always something a bit "off" with their ergonomics. Makita products remind me of a Mitsubishi (Dodge Ram 50) truck I had-- fair to good longevity, crappy egronomics. For my daily driver 7-1/4 saw, I go with Porter-Cable, but I've had good luck with Skil with other power tools. I'd definitely go with the Skil if I needed a beam saw.
Why is worm drive so much better if the Makita last forever and has enough power ? Just never understand why Americans love work drive .
What do you think about the Prazi beam cutter attachments for circular saws?
I use the Makita at work everyday to cut 6” metal insulated panels....works like a champ...holding the guard back is not awkward at all unless you are inexperienced....I ripped 67 feet in one shot of IMP never had the dust get in the way of my line
Hey ,what blade you use ,I gotta cut sandwich panels (imp)too
Could a saw like one of these be used to rip green oak/pine/yellow-poplar? Do they make specialized rip blades for them?
Thank you Ryan for releasing a great product as this shedbuilder.work Most of the plans I have imagined in my mind are put down on your woodworking plans. This is more like a genius job. I love it!
I like these tuesday videos , whether they are unboxings or actual reviews. Keep it up
Jake S. Thank you
Does it do well on deep rips on green wood?
I never regret investing my time to watch your content ...strong work!
dnorwood226 thank you brother
That worm drive skilsaw looks so delicious! I bought a 12" beamsaw right after watching this video. Neither of these models are available in India, so I had to buy the only 12" model on offer.
The skilsaw clearly wins this in my opinion. I've done jobs with poorly designed/abused/broken tools at times. Use what you have at hand to earn today, until you can afford to pay for a tool that will pay for itself many times over. 👍
Is it fun using ill-suited tools to finish real jobs on a deadline? Hell, NO!! It is painfully frustrating knowing you could have done this or that so much faster. But does it teach you things you wouldn't have learnt otherwise? YES
Thanks for the comparison! 👍👍
Hey Kyle awesome review, last week I bought a old 1990 Makita Beam saw this thing is a beast. I don’t think I’m going to use this so often but I’m looking forward to try it. 😉😅 like always fantastic content 🙌🏻🙌🏻🙌🏻👍🏻👊🏻👌🏻
The Mexican Carpenter awesome brother
Now this is a great tool review. Much better than seeing a new tool that has no real review behind it.
I hear you about the guard. The guard on the makita has always been an issue for me and as you said I always have to hold the guard up when I go to make my cut.
Nice review, I had to cut back 6x10 rafters with a Makita saw, it felt real heavy pushing it up to make cuts
Thank you! I have no more questions which saw I am going to buy and that red blade
Hola. Gracias por el video comparativo. ¿podrías darnos tu opinión respecto al uso de algunas motosierras para este tipo de corte? De antemano gracias.
At the thickness of stock being cut-would it be easier to use a chain saw?
Thanks for the clarification on the blade size being in and imperial and not metric.
Does it cut square? I have the 10" skilsaw wormdrive and the blade wobble is so bad it cuts about 3/16" out of square on 4" because it's a thin kerf blade! I'm waiting for some custom made thicker blades to arrive soon. Just curious?! Love your videos, Thanks!
Great comparison. Skil for the win!
May i ask where did you buy that circular saw
I just got my first beam saw, the skill. My question for you is doing rips on beams is there a blade you prefer over the 32T that comes with the saw.
Yes, they are priceless, but when someone shows on the job site with one they almost always know what they’re doing.
Thanks for the review.
Have you used the Milwaukee 101/4” saw?
Just a thought. My normal sized corded circular saw has the same power rating as these saws, in theory, could you take the blade, frame and blade guards/housing off so you are just left with the unit and a spindle then either fashion a new frame, sole plate and guaurd or even buy the makita or skillsaw bits as spare parts and put the big blade on it? Now obviously theres safety to think about but really whats the difference between these very expensive saws and a powerfull normal sized one except the blade and meytal frame parts?
Good review, well balanced and you presented nothing but the facts!
As a tool guy I would love to have one. I don’t know what I would use it for. But it is better to have it and not need it. Then to need it and not have it. 😂😂😂 If only I could get my wife to believe that.😂😂😂. Thanks for the video.
Donald Lacy gotta be a salesman
Ya know, This was a great review. I think my mind is made up. I used a Makita years ago to cut a giant slab for a mantel, no complaints,but back then it was the only one available. I saw the Skilsaw at my local tool repair shop that sells tools as well.I am a big Skil fan and am very happy with the 7 1/4 and the 10" This new Skilsaw will make cutting giant 6'' maple slabs much easier. Thanks for the review.
I have the Skillsaw and love it, I hate the case wish they made an improvement on it as you I also lost a clip latch now I use a rubber bugle cord
Good review Kyle, As a follow up video what about care and maintenance of each saw. Are the motors brushless? Cost of brushes? How easy is it to replace the blades. Is the gearbox in the Skill saw sealed? do you need to change the oil if so how often? Once again thanks for all the videos over the years
No one offers a brushless circ saw yet. Modern carbon brushes last a long time and are easy to inspect and replace. Brushes can run as low as 8 bucks a pair or maybe double if you buy from a local repair shop. Wormdrive gearbox is sealed and oil is normally for life of a brushset or longer on the Skilsaws. Most important wear item is the expensive 16 inch carbide blade. The Skilsaw ships with a Freud Diablo blade or it used to as Skil was owned by Bosch group and so was (and still is) Freud. The teflon like blade coatings are important to keep binding and friction down as both these saws are underpowered due to 15A max motor draw. Clean that green wood pitch off the blade to stop binding and smoking cuts. Make sure your blades are sharp and not missing teeth. New blades more that 100 bucks but they can be sharpened professionally to redress the teeth. Buy a cordless chainsaw to save bucks if you don't need the glass smooth cutlines in your work. You can buy chansaw guiderails for cheap to help with miters etc.
Michael Patish We blow out our saws EVERY Day !!- Before puttin Them to bed !
We clean all the saws on Friday ! Before puttin then to bed for the weekend !- blades are the same to change ! Just U have to have the saw sittin sideways w/a beam ! Can’t lay them in their sides ( Makita ) Cause U WILL bend the base plate !!!!- Makita n Skol have brushes !!- the rotor of their motors are 4 times bigger than a regular saw !-The Skol has to be greased ! Just like all worm drives !!
They are Beasts !! Holding the Makita at waist level ! N starting it !!- will torque Your wrist !- n scare Anyone !
Sittin them on a beam n starting !- no torque !- Very little kickback !-none - Really cause the blade is buried in the beam !- the motor will stall !- Can smell them burning up w/Tha New Guys !!- But The saws keep living on !!
Only times we have burned them up !!- Oak beams ! - Hardest Wood Brazilian Epi !!
TeXaS Summers !!
Go see the Houston Gorilla Exibit !!- Almost a year !! 🖖
Super good review! 👍🏼👍🏼 Thanks for explaining the differences. Very thorough.
I dont do this kind of work but I really enjoy your videos! The amount of effort you put into them and what you do is great!
Good review! Definitey like the mag base on the skil saw. Get some more build videos up.
Erik Trent for sure.
I don’t NEED one but I WANT one!
Christoper Moncada exactly
Nailed it
Yeah same haha I'm builder in New Zealand
Same
Who doesn't
Your videos are gonna get expensive for me. Great review.
For your standard circular saw, having the blade on the right isn’t too bad as far as visibility. When your blade is 16 inches, I think a blade left is much better.
Great review! Probably won't buy either but if I do I know which way I'd go!
been considering purchasing for cutting 3" live edge slabs - great info and help.
I’ve run the older gold version of the Makita saw from the 80’s. Used it for 17 years, every few years the armature needs to be re-wound, direct drive motor is underpowered when ripping timbers. I’ve always run my worm drive 7-1/4 first when ripping to give a guide/channel for the big saw. Even then ripping with the Makita takes 2-3 passes at different depths to not cook the motor.
The design of the saw goes out of square often, especially if moved around, or you place it on the ground the wrong way. The guard is awful, I’ve gotten used to holding the guard open, and gripping the top housing rather than the side handle provided. Also the dust shoot blows right in your face especially when ripping, even gotten past my safety glasses.
All in all it’s been a necessary tool if your a timber framer/ restoration contractor. That being said my go-to is the skil mag77 or any of that variant. Now that they have a 16” version I’ll upgrade!
I've been using the skil worm drive since the 80's. In my opinion, the strong worm gear and the left side blade beats all the games in town. I own a few others including a few strong Milwaukee standard sidewinder for rip and demo, Ass kicking saws but for go-to, it's the skil and a new Bosch worm drive which is holding up well. Also, while I'm over six up, I can only easily stretch a worm across a 4 by sheet in one push because of the blade/saw configuration. Great review man, working crew review.. For that, thank you and I trust your opinion! Cut On men!!!!
As a contractor cutting often large beams, you should check out/ test the big capacity Mafell saws! Very expensive, but worth the money for traditional frame builders!
Nice review, you should try if you'll have a chance mafell mks130ec.2500W, and 130milimetres of cutting depth. Amazing timber saw
Thanks. I'm interested in your thoughts on regular sized circular saws. If you get a chance, would you make one of those reviews, please?
Great review Kyle. Thanks for giving all of us the benefit of your real world application experience.
Excellent review. Really informative and objective. Well done.
cool review! i have an 8 inch skill worm drive and it is about as heavy as i would attempt, it does make everything else feel like a feather. i use an 8 and 1/4 blade versus the stock 8 blade for a tiny bit more depth. although heavy at 18 plus pounds, it has roughly same footprint as smaller worm drives and comparable cost...
Skilsaw work drives and sidewinders also have a "clutch" type arbor that in a kickback situation, it will allow the blade to slip on the arbor to mitigate the kickback.
I've never had the blade slip while cutting even at full depth but in a binding situation it will allow slip as long as you follow the directions on how much you torque the arbor bolt. If you tighten too much you lose the clutch slip ability.
Good tip!
I don't like having my circular saw in a bag either so I made a wood mount for my bag. I cut a peice of plywood to a 12 inch bigger than my circular saw base and cut a hole with my circular saw blade to put the blade into the wood. I glued 1/2 inch pieces of wood around the edges on top and put wood underneath the bottom of the plywood to prevent the bag from touching the blade, lifting the saw base. I have space under the saw and I put a hand held brush and dust pan and a few things like a pencil, square and tape measure that I need with my saw. I basically took a soft bag and made it a hard case, specifically for my circular saw. My life is easier since I did this cause I use it alot and I can put my saw in my truck bed and it's safe if it tips over cause I kinda overbuilt it to prevent damage but it's lite enough to grab and go, while having everything I need to use my saw in one bag. I even have a knife for cutting straps off lumber or to sharpen my pencil. I just thought I would share this to give someone else a idea to store they're circular saw and to prevent damage to it and having everything in one bag from measuring tape, square and pencil.
I’ve had a Makita for years, I’m left handed so the blade is on the side I want but I agree with the dust fan, on one side you get the blade dust and on the other the motor fan blows in your face. I keep meaning to put a deflector on it. There is no kickback and I don’t have any problems with the guard. I’ve repaired them a couple of times and is not too difficult. I rip with them but it is a little slow mostly because there aren’t any good ripping blades.
John O I have 3 NOW !!!
Left handed !!😞😤 u out an air hose in my hand n Respirator !!!!😞💀☠️
Also have the Makita and am left handed, but find it to be a strongly right handed tool- very awkward for left handers. The cross cuts in 6x material are amazing 'tho, and I got it for free so there's that. Polish and wax the blade!!
I watch this at 1.5 speed and its still good to watch keep it up
Like this first-hand review format - hands-on experience is far better than promo blurb!
Great Review, I was considering buying the Maikita, but thin I will go with the Skilsaw. Unfortunately the last 4 year has seen a dramatic increase in price with the Skilsaw now as of 2 November 2023 right at $700.00 and the Makita at $1100.00 Sheesh!
I'm using a Holzher RKS 2140 for a few years now. Call it The Beast. 185mm cut.
Great review and completely agree with your observations having owned and used a Makita. Looking for a Skilsaw now ;)
Also use the Skill, like the blade on left side for easy viewing cut. Great Video with solid tips‼️👍 Vinny 🇺🇸
Both of these are beasts. Thanks for the side-by-side comparison.
Only thing I wish it had is a swing table like its cousin the bigfoot brand that retrofits on a bosch or skill worm drive. But it definitely looks a little easier to handle and a much stouter base plate. Great review
Ryan Chaffee I ONLY go w/Mag 77 !!
Lighter !!
Pricewise - The blades for these monster saws is through the roof on Amazon the blade suggested for the Makita was over $209 and the Diablo blade was $115. Very steep to say the least. Home Depot has awesome prices for some really great name brand blades.
Do you have any videos for the 7-1/4" and 10-1/4 saw blades? which blade does what or what each blade doesn't do?
Also what about carrying bags for the larger (10") saws? Not hard to find a good, strong and versatile tool bags for the 7 1/4" saws. However, the larger saws are a pickle to find.
Another great no nonsense video...😎
Put them against a Mafell HKS185 if you ever get the chance I’d be interested to know what you think. Neither of the saws you tested are available in Europe so it looks like I will have to buy a Mafell at big money.
I maybe different than everyone else but, I'm right handed, and when I'm cutting anything, I'm always looking at my cut and the line I'm cutting on the inside of the saw. Meaning, I'm looking in the opening of the right hand side of my saw, that's where the outside of my line is and that's where I want to make sure I'm cutting, on the left hand side of the line. Because my usable lumber is always on my right. That's where I want to guide my saw blade. I guess you could look at the left hand side of your cut but, I always use that little opening on the right hand side, so, if the Skilsaw has the exhaust port right in the way, it would be a pain for me. But I really like the fact that you can attach a vacuum to it. The Mikita saw is a poor design right out of the gate.
Nice video, your correct on everything. I have the skilsaw which I love. We are deck builders and it makes our work lives much easier. One thing, I feel the blade is not so good. I will replace with a Freud blade.
What’s the difference between a regular circular saw and a worm drive one?
We have the Milwaukee on the job site for cutting insulated panels and it does the job but if put against frozen butter it would be useless
Digging the content... solid info backed by real-world experience. Great job, thanks for sharing!
Jeff Grant appreciate that Jeff
There's a Hitachi beam saw sitting in the shed here. It got used at a timber laminate factory and it got ridden hard and put away wet god knows how many times. It got written off after one of the boys dropped it and bent the base plate. I need to take to it with some panel hammers at some stage and it'll go another round. They also have 24 inch 3 phase beam saws as well, which have their own trolley and are a 2 man job to lift and use, especially when ripping 8x2 and 10x2 laminated beams
Awesome video - thanks for posting!
Wasn't expecting the better one to be the cheaper option. It almost never is. But very good review and video!
Kevin what do you kno
Very nice vídeo! Best regards from Brazil!
Great review! Nothing like a honest review of a product you actually use. Would never buy it or need it, but who doesn't like a saw that large. They chose a great name to describe that beast. Give Makita credit though since they were one of the first. Because of that people who needed that large of a saw probably already bought the Makita. If I was using that type of saw I would definitely buy the skilsaw just for the improved safety enhancements.
Great video and review thank you keep the videos coming 👍🏻
Great presentation. Made my decision easier. Thanks.
Bought a super sawsquatch today. It's a beast, for sure. So far, so good.
Sonic Prayer heck yeah man it’s awesome
Great video, thanks for sharing. Do you know if anyone makes a blade that can cut through nails? I have a Diablo for my 7-1/4. None of the 16-5/16 say anything about nails. Thank you for your time.
The Skilsaw looks like a great tool and ideal for our historical church timber jobs: well-designed ergonomics, rugged dimension choices and balanced power/capacity output for a very realistic price (certainly compared to the ridiculous +6000 dollar Mafell tomfoolery-toolery, as if they're selling a Swiss minilathe). I'll try and get one shipped to Belgium for medieval cathedral work, but unfortunately Skilsaw seems to be almost nonexistent as a brand in Europe compared to Milwaukee for example. A petty because I like their worm-wheel longitudinal designs a lot.
I feel like the skill is probably the longer lasting saw. I've never used either, but I feel like running the motor so slow on the Makita will put a lot more heat and strain on it, as opposed to the skill which gets a much faster motor, much faster spinning fan, etc.
Well my dad still has the same Makita that he bought while timber framing 30 years ago. We still use it on at least a half dozen jobs a year (carpentry and timber framing)
Excellent real world review. Your doing an awesome job with the channel! Keep up the good work brother!
Ever looked at the Mafell MKS 185 Ec?
Hans Wieldraaier have not
Just bought my Sawsquatch. The price has gone up considerably over the past two years but found one on sale for about the price you quoted in the video.
What is price difference? What is rpm difference?
yet i use a 12 inch bar attachment on my makita worm drive cuts great use on 8x8 posts lvl"s and sip panels iv seen youtube vids using dewalt flex saws with same kind of bars cutting pretty good does fare better job if you ask me
You can purchase a prazzi cutter for the dewalt cordless blade left rear handle
911 Handyman I have it... not nearly as clean of a cut but great for quick cut downs
Great review. I wore out a makita on timber frame work. I wish i had the skill instead. I want to buy one now just to try it out.
Dude, you are the best. Love you man.
The TFG used to sell a bigger/better base for the makitas - but without that better base I’d go for the skill saw. I use my 10.25” milwaukeee more and sometimes just finish the middle with a hand saw when I don’t feel like lugging the bigger saw to a remote location.
I started with the makita and wound up buying the skil. It’s night and day. The skil is so much easier to use, lighter, more accurate and just plain cooler!
Sure is
Great review, very helpful content
Blade left.
Minus 5LBS.
1/16 deeper cut.
Dust away from work.
Ergonomic and smooth guard.
Magnesium base.
Less expensive.
SKILL FOR THE WIN!
SKILSAW ! THE SELF FULFILLING LEGACY, STARTING WITH A BRAND NAME !!
WAS INTRODUCED TO THE 77 IN 72 , HAVE HAD ALL THEIR WORM DRIVES , RECENTLY REPLACED A OLD 10 " FOR THE 10 MAG , VERY GOOD !!
I HAVE THE MAKITA 16 , SECOND ONE , A VERY GOOD SAW , IF I WAS IN THE MARKET FOR A BEAM SAW, I WOULD BE LOOKING AT SKILSAW !
And bosch sold them off to china.