The roofers are using battery powered circular saws

[Wamsutta]

House next street over is getting a new roof. I can watch them from my easy chair. One saw is a battery DeWalt while the other saw is a battery Makita. What a disappointment. I guess modern roofers don't use the infamous Skil Worm Drive saw with the cord anymore.

 

[larry4406]

Started re-roof today at our house.

They had Dewalt cordless saws and tools.

 

[OccupantRJ]

House next street over is getting a new roof. I can watch them from my easy chair. One saw is a battery DeWalt while the other saw is a battery Makita. What a disappointment. I guess modern roofers don't use the infamous Skil Worm Drive saw with the cord anymore.

I have never seen the worm drive saw used in this area other than in cutting 1-1/8” thick cast iron with an abrasive blade. I have used mine twice in 40 years that I remember.

 

[sparky 1971]

Battery tool technology really has come that far. Wait till you see the Amish and their gas powered circular, reciprocating, and miter saws.

 

[PCustoms]

House next street over is getting a new roof. I can watch them from my easy chair. One saw is a battery DeWalt while the other saw is a battery Makita. What a disappointment. I guess modern roofers don't use the infamous Skil Worm Drive saw with the cord anymore.

 

[Wamsutta]

I have never seen the worm drive saw used in this area other than in cutting 1-1/8” thick cast iron with an abrasive blade. I have used mine twice in 40 years that I remember.

I use my Skil worm drive to cut steel plate all the time for my welding hobby. Sometimes even long rip cuts with the rip guide.

Not for the faint of heart though. I recommend some kind of a face shield with something to cover your arms and hands.

 

[The Cobbler]

Now a days I would be surprised to see a roofer with a corded saw, let a lone a heavy sidewinder.
I always thought an air saw would be the cats ticket for them

 

[RegeSullivan]

I seldom see corded tools used in construction in my area. Even some of the more stationary tools like miter saws and job site table saws are cordless.

 

[whateg01]

I'm here for the "batteries will never replace corded tools" crowd!

 

[dnschmidt]

Roofing is dangerous. Roofing is less dangerous when there aren't any cords to trip over. I bet roofers can't wait for cordless roofing nailers (common Milwaukee what's the problem?) to come out as then the wouldn't have to dance around air lines.

 

[FigN⋅m]

I can envision Wamsutta typing this out on a typewriter, snail-mailing it to the editor of the internet and having them post it for him.

 

[WWheeler]

Roofing is dangerous. Roofing is less dangerous when there aren't any cords to trip over. I bet roofers can't wait for cordless roofing nailers (common Milwaukee what's the problem?) to come out as then the wouldn't have to dance around air lines.

Wait no more ....

 

[darkzero]

I could care less what they use as long as they do a decent job. Skilsaw worm drive don't mean anything to me these days, Skilsaw & Skil are owned by Chervon now & no longer made in USA. So again I could care less what tool they use made in whatever country overseas.

And as said, I wouldn't want them up there with extension cords.

 

[Wamsutta]

Skilsaw & Skil are owned by Chervon now & no longer made in USA.

I've got two of the last USA made Skilsaws on the planet. When I took one of them into a repair center, I was afraid they were going to steal it.

 

[the intimidator]

Why would a roofer need a heavy worm drive saw? I was using a nicad dewalt circular saw 15 years ago roofing!! Sure it was slow and battery would only open up two vents per battery but it was light and it WASNT attached to an extension cord!!

 

[Shiftless]

About 20 years ago, I watched the roofers redo the house across the street.

They used a chain saw to cut plywood.

 

[AffableCurmudgeon]

I've got two of the last USA made Skilsaws on the planet. When I took one of them into a repair center, I was afraid they were going to steal it.

Never had to take my 20-year-old Chinese made, Craftsman circular saw to get it repaired. Still works great, just saying . . .

 

[Firebrick43]

Little late.

The Milwaukee 7-1/4 fuel has been out for over 8 years now. In Feb 2016 the carpenters that set my trusses and roof deck used mine to first cut all the tails.

I did all the cutting with it for the deck, 3 sheets of 5/8 osb ripped at a time. Cut till lunch on a battery and put it on the charger.

The foreman was a brother in law and next door neighbor to a good friend and said at the Memorial Day shin dig that year that the crew had three of them the next week.

They used a cordless nailer as well on the deck that have been out for more than a decade now, paslode.

The have a roofing nailer as well but like the dewalt shown good crews do not use them for new roofs, just repair jobs.

The can only fire 2-3 nails per second compared to a pneumatic nailer that can do 8. Plus the have to have another battery every 500 nails or canister for the paslode every 1000.

 

[Wolley]

What are the putting on that new age asphalt stuff. They should be using handsaws and hatchets to install cedar shingles.

 

[NakeDiesel]

I use the **** out of my 60v dewalt skill saw. Used it tonight cutting furring strips for the house. My corded one is gathering dust in the shop. Also have a 4.5" dewalt skill saw and a 3" dewalt saw.

 

[toolenthusiast]

At least Garcky gave us a little anecdote as a preamble to each of his random observations.

 

[Wamsutta]

Never had to take my 20-year-old Chinese made, Craftsman circular saw to get it repaired. Still works great, just saying . . .

Well. . . . as it turns out. . . . they couldn't find anything wrong with it.

 

[darkzero]

Well. . . . as it turns out. . . . they couldn't find anything wrong with it.

What was it doing that made you want to take it in for repair?

 

[GRN96WS6]

Jeesh, some people will b!tch about anything, good lord.

Why is that even an issue? Is the job getting done? Is it being done proper? The days of carting around cords and generators if the homeowner won't let you use their electric or if it's a new build is a thing of the past, get over it.

 

[Steve_P]

No idea why you would need a 120V saw, let alone a heavy 120V worm drive saw to redo a home's roof.

The house next to me had their deck redone and enlarged a few years ago. Guy did it all with DeWalt cordless tools.

 

[Steve_P]

Jeesh, some people will b!tch about anything, good lord.

Why is that even an issue? Is the job getting done? Is it being done proper? The days of carting around cords and generators if the homeowner won't let you use their electric or if it's a new build is a thing of the past, get over it.

He misses 1970.

 

[Wamsutta]

What was it doing that made you want to take it in for repair?

Sparking out the exhaust. . . . or the exhaust an electric motor would have.

 

[southalabama]

About 20 years ago, I watched the roofers redo the house across the street.

They used a chain saw to cut plywood.

Get er done

 

[Wamsutta]

He misses 1970.

Yes I do. 1970 was a much simpler time.

 

[demarpaint]

It makes perfect sense to me considering it reduces the fall hazard a little, along with accidentally sawing through an electrical cord.

 

[dutchgray]

It makes perfect sense to me considering it reduces the fall hazard a little, along with accidentally sawing through an electrical cord.

I have said it before but many big construction sites in the UK have a total ban on using any corded tools.

You want to work there, buy cordless.

 

[Hakeem]

It’s not ubiquitous, you’re gonna be up there with air hoses anyways, what’s a couple of power cords. A roof is generally clear and free of obstacles so there’s not much for your cord to get hung up on. Far different than working within the structure of a house.

Cordless saws seem to fall off roofs easier and get lost easier … the cord from a saw is very handy for locating it. If you rig it correctly, you can safely raise and lower the saw by the cord, so you’re not climbing a ladder one-handed. Nothing more frustrating than your battery dying up on a roof.

The biggest advantage of cordless saws is that you’re not gonna trip the breaker on the one 15a outlet the homeowner lets you use. Not an issue for new construction, where you have a couple of 20a outlets set up with the temporary service.

It’s been a few years since I framed full time so maybe things have changed.

 

[Hakeem]

I have said it before but many big construction sites in the UK have a total ban on using any corded tools.

You want to work there, buy cordless.

Correct me if I’m wrong, but I thought the corded tools were ok if the cords were contained within some type of conduit. The issue is the trip hazard I thought. Impractical and onerous to the point of effectively constituting a total ban, sure, but technically still allowed.

Am I misinformed?

 

[bobg03]

About 20 years ago, I watched the roofers redo the house across the street.

They used a chain saw to cut plywood.

All the time as a firefighter, to make a vent.

 

[KnurledNut]

No idea why you would need a 120V saw, let alone a heavy 120V worm drive saw to redo a home's roof.

The house next to me had their deck redone and enlarged a few years ago. Guy did it all with DeWalt cordless tools.

I've found them to be superior to sidewinders or cordless for cutting out for full-length ridge vent. Just one of several highly abusive tasks that benefits from the torque and ruggedness of the worm, and the older models spin slower so as not to eat blades as quick and have less kickback cutting through nails.
I've roofed (and framed) plenty of houses and have always had to be mindful of where cordless tools/batteries sit as surface temps can easily exceed 120°F+. Especially those jobs we did in southern states like Florida.

Regarding the comments about coil guns, air is easily still king. Last big job we did had probably 15 guns going at once using an air keg to supply. There is no cordless equivalent to supply that kind of constant demand and use.

 

[KnurledNut]

I always thought an air saw would be the cats ticket for them

I have an air impact driver that goes on roofing jobs. Super handy, lightweight and unphased by heat.

 

[rust in the eye]

Roofing is dangerous. Roofing is less dangerous when there aren't any cords to trip over. I bet roofers can't wait for cordless roofing nailers (common Milwaukee what's the problem?) to come out as then the wouldn't have to dance around air lines.

When a teenager I worked one summer shingling. We had these cordless nailers then. My faster colleagues could apply 10 squares/day using it, including ******* shingles. Well the ******* shingles was often done by the new guy, yours truly.

 

[dutchgray]

Correct me if I’m wrong, but I thought the corded tools were ok if the cords were contained within some type of conduit. The issue is the trip hazard I thought. Impractical and onerous to the point of effectively constituting a total ban, sure, but technically still allowed.

Am I misinformed?

Maybe, I don't know really, everyone is using cordless for everything now.
Many don't allow small gas powered equipment or generators either (fumes or fire hazard) and the sites often don't have mains power available apart from in the welfare units, so there's no power to plug a cord into anyway.

 

[OccupantRJ]

About 20 years ago, I watched the roofers redo the house across the street.

They used a chain saw to cut plywood.

When I used to help my brickmason relative a bit on my off days from my job, whenever he added a fireplace to an existing house, he would locate and drive four holes from inside the attic to mark roof location, then I used a chainsaw to cut right through the shingles and roof deck to cut the hole. Overall, it saved time and money including the saw chain which would last for several holes. The roofers following him dealt with the proper shingle removal and flashing. You should see the looks I got from the surburbanites cutting their lawns on a Saturday morning watching the madman at work.

 

[captain14]

When a teenager I worked one summer shingling. We had these cordless nailers then. My faster colleagues could apply 10 squares/day using it, including ******* shingles. Well the ******* shingles was often done by the new guy, yours truly.

I’m sure they mentioned it built character too as you carried each bundle to the roof.