not sure what the romance with these worm drive saw is ????
A. One word: Torque.
especially 8 years later we are still talking lube ?
Yes, 30-50 years ago they were the best thing going.........today not so much.
They big, heavy and awkward to handle one handed. Especially the old ones !!!!
A. You kinda answered your own question with the fact that so many of these old saws are still "on-the-road".
i have two skill worm drives......they sit next to my corded sawsalls........that also never get used. Yes, i could see using them upside down would be a lubricant problem.
Give me a quality battery circle saw.........that’s light weight, decent power and great site line of the blade.
A. The cordless rear handle saws weigh about the same. IIRC the latest corded saw weighs less than all its equivalent cordless competition.
None of the cordless saws have the torque of a true wormdrive, except Skil's own cordless which has that uncomfortable giant battery.
Imo, the line of site on a wormdrive is one of the best things about them.
In addition to the above benefits, at least on the older saws, the RPM's were lower and this, coupled with their power, makes them ideal for using metal cutting blades.
They are also ideal for cutting sheet goods in one pass. The extra length of the saw provides reach across a 4' sheet, something most cant do with a sidewinder.
None of the cordless saws, except maybe skil, stand up to long rips in pressure treated wood without eating batteries and possibly stalling. These same saws perform fairly poor with dull blades.
Neither are issues with a corded wormdrive. It just keeps on truckin'.
As you know, they are about the most heavy duty option out there. That comes with cons like being heavy. The few oil changes that need done in ones lifetime are actually somewhat satisfying.
This is not to mention the 6-1/2 and 8-1/4 wormdrives that are unmatched in their own ways.
Just my two cents.
