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Hypoid Saw - teardown and review

superUnknown

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I had a real good look at Makita's new hypoid saw, from the inside out. Nice saw, but I think I'd stick with the old beastly Skill Saw Wormdrive. Thoughts?

hypoid%2Bgear%2Bsaw.bmp


 
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organ

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Welcome to the forums... Skil's worm drive is proven but I like this design. I'd take either.
 

404

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Hypoid is a rolling gear, Worm gear is sliding, so this should get more power to the blade and less lost in the gears. Plus I think someone wanted to show off their CNC at Makita.
 

Kracin

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Hypoid is a rolling gear, Worm gear is sliding, so this should get more power to the blade and less lost in the gears. Plus I think someone wanted to show off their CNC at Makita.

gear looked turned to me, didn't look cnc'd
 

Kracin

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CNC doesn't mean it wasn't made on a lathe, just sayin'

right but i'm just thinking in general terms because there seem to be more than a few ways to make gears. my assumption was thinking the mentioned CNC was involving the use of a multi-axis mill of some kind. not just a computer controlled lathe.
 

franzdom

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right but i'm just thinking in general terms because there seem to be more than a few ways to make gears. my assumption was thinking the mentioned CNC was involving the use of a multi-axis mill of some kind. not just a computer controlled lathe.

Lathes are not "just" lathes any more. The last one I used had a 12 tool turret, and all of them could have live tools. Drills, taps, all sorts of things going on. It was basically a mill except the part moved in addition to some of the tools moving. The thing is mills aren't just mills any more either, the lines are totally blurred.
 

ttpete

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Hypoid is a rolling gear, Worm gear is sliding, so this should get more power to the blade and less lost in the gears. Plus I think someone wanted to show off their CNC at Makita.

Hypoid bevel gearing is rolling AND sliding. The shaft centers are offset. Spiral bevel gearing has the shaft centers the same.
 

Kracin

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Lathes are not "just" lathes any more. The last one I used had a 12 tool turret, and all of them could have live tools. Drills, taps, all sorts of things going on. It was basically a mill except the part moved in addition to some of the tools moving. The thing is mills aren't just mills any more either, the lines are totally blurred.

lines have always been blurred... ask a dental tech what their lathe is, and they'll show you a pedastal grinder... i work with a lot of different machines every day, i don't care for the most part for trying to rant off every single word in the name of it and stick to the easy. laser is a laser, mill is a mill, lathe is a lathe. get into the specifics when you need it. if somebody wants to say "looks liked it was CNC'd" that is extremely generic and i just take it as that person things it was made on a multi-axis mill type cnc (as that is what most people assume a cnc is) :)
 

Kracin

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Makita has been building these hyphoid saws since the early 80s (I believe). I think they got it down by now. I like mine. Smooth operator.

do you know any real difference in power or operation between the different types?
 

RMHoward

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do you know any real difference in power or operation between the different types?

I have owned both, although not at the same time. The Skill 77 (no mag version) was noticeably heavier. Power wise, I couldn't tell a difference. If there was any it was minimal. Funny thing, the Makita hyphoid saw i own (a few years old) is made in Buford, GA. The skill 77s are all now made in China. Maybe that means nothing to some but it means something to me.
 

duke5572

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I run a 5377MG Makita every day, cutting all kinds of ****. A good portion of its use is cutting rips in fiber cement siding with a PCD blade. I've put utility blades on it and cut concrete. It does all my notching and cutting in timbers up to 6x6 cedar. Of course, it does all of this when it isn't being used as a regular 'ol framing saw.

Considering the way I treat it, I only have one complaint in three years of ownership: the depth gauge is made of a fairly soft metal that will bend when it gets abused, dropped, or crammed in a toolbox. It has proven difficult to bend back to smooth operation, but it still works just fine. The bevel gauge works great and is fairly accurate once you figure out how to use it. No, it does not have a diamond arbor, but when properly tightened, it is difficult to stall the saw out. Yeah, a big old Skil worm drive will push through a wet 4x4 with a rusty blade, but I'll take the trade-off in lightness and keep my blades sharp.

The saw is light and has an excellent skyhook for framing work or just hanging it on a sawhorse. I was concerned that the arbor nut wrench would fall out of the handle, but it never has. It is actually a fairly clever place to keep it.

Overall, it's a tank. I'll buy another when the time comes; probably just to add to this one, rather than replace it.
 
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Mohawk Dave

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I spent half my life wielding a 77, and my forearm proves it. Then I used my Uncles hypoid....SMOOTH. I really liked it. Never did get one because I have a dozen 77s, and picked up a few Ridgids a while back..they are really nice for a worm drive BTW.

I'll get a Hypoid one day...
 
OP
S

superUnknown

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I can't find any oil spec other than that link that neophyte posted from replacementparts.com.
Kinda disappointed that Makita doesn't specify what oil to use. You can buy all the spares to repair the gearbox, but you can't buy the oil?!
 

woodstockva

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I can't find any oil spec other than that link that neophyte posted from replacementparts.com.
Kinda disappointed that Makita doesn't specify what oil to use. You can buy all the spares to repair the gearbox, but you can't buy the oil?!

I will shoot them an email and see if I can get you a specific answer this week....which model number is it?
 

woodstockva

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Just heard back!

Here is the email I got....

We consulted our expert in the on-site Factory Service Center, and the Gear Oil weight is 90 in Makita Hypoid Saws (5477NB, and the Magnesium 5377MG).
 

Tweeker

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Didn't make it past the steaming pile of horses**t where you explained how automobile differentials work.
 

organ

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Didn't make it past the steaming pile of horses**t where you explained how automobile differentials work.
He didn't even come close to explaining how differentials work... he explained what a hypoid gear is and how it varies slightly from the spiral beveled gears in your car.
 

jb3426

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The problem is his statement around 8:40 that the pinion is driven through the centerline of the ring gear in "your car". Besides some obsolete antique vehicles, all modern diff gear sets are driven offset from the ring gear centerline like he says this saw does. A quick google image search will show the offset in the diff housing. Some are even offset to ride "higher up" on the ring gear for increased prop shaft clearance on four wheel drive trucks. Now it is true I am no engineer. I do not design gears for a living. I just repair the problems vehicles have due to poor engineering.
 
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madcrisis

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Except the off point rants lasting a little too long I thought this was an awesome review! You really dived down and got real world specs! Great Video!
 

Kracin

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Cool Thanks! funny they didn't mention quantities. "about that much"?

grab a new one, open it up over a pan. allow it to drain for a few hours or however long it takes, measure the amount? i typically do that for gearboxes i find that have no fill hole or any kind of documentation telling me what kind or how much, and no way to check the level.
 
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