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This wormdrive saw is solid and heavy , perhaps too heavy. This Makita product is a powerful well designed hand saw. Much to my dismay, it is made in China. The blade that it comes with cuts fine but isn't one of the sharpest or best quality. For the price this saw is a great value and perfect for home use but I would not recommend it for a contractor, builder or other proffessional that would use it on a daily basis due to it's weight.
And it's blue, which is cool. And as far as I'm concerned, these are all fine, capable saws. Don't know yet if I'll try and fix it or just go pick up a new saw.***END***I've been using this saw for the past 6 months on several jobsites. I'm a bit peeved.
I like the steel foot. Where ever we are on the jobsite, we reach for the saw at hand, so I guess I make my review based on those comparisons. No question.It's got better kerf sight lines than the Skil and about the same as the Bosch.Since it's a hypoid, I don't ever have to fuss with changing the oil like in a Skil.I like the nylon housing. ***UPDATE***The nylon housing broke. The numbers are easy to read because the indents for each number/tickmark fill up with dust, showing contrast against the black painted shoe.Things one needs to get used to: the handle size. Trying to give DeWalt a run for the money. I finally had enough and ordered a hook for another saw and fiddled with the thing and found a way to make it work.
Ive' used several different blades on this from steel, concrete and traditional lumber, including pressure treated, it's got plenty of power to cut through what you need it to. The other guys on the site comment on it. It's fairly large. Couple of things I like: First, the power and the fact that it gets up to speed quickly. Up until its breaking, it was the favorite saw on the jobsite, with even Mag77 guys reaching for it, praising its smooth power. It's got a thicker hand grip than the Skil or Bosch. I'm used to it and don't notice it any more.Things I modded: I added a rafter hook so I could keep this thing off the friggin' ground/floor. (I know, I know, they're tougher to start out with.which is probably true.
I know it won't crack when I drop it. Try that with an aluminum or magnesium foot. 'Gotta have a hook.(I give it 4 stars because of that and the weight issue)I run it with a Freud Diablo blade which seems to work pretty well. It wasn't even dropped. I went through too many blades setting the thing down carelessly on a cement floor.
I don't think Makita is selling a hypoid without one anymore so that shouldn't be an issue. Overall, it handles nicely, but it does have some startup torque. You know, I'll never wear this thing out. Steel is great because it bends.). We're a small crew and there are several other saws available: a Skil Mag 77, a Bosch Wormdrive and mine.
It's heavy at 15 pounds, although Makita's new 5377MG is lighter by 2 lbs. It does get bent from time to time, you know, cause it's a jobsite and all, but it's easy to true it back up in 5 minutes with a pair of visegrips, a combination square and a hammer. but if they fail, both fail catastrophically, which means they snap. If you're used to handling worm-drives/hypoids, you won't even notice it. Just get one and learn to use it well.
The lever to retract the blade guard (a cheap piece of plastic) broke off when it fell off a sawhorse once; it's not much of an issue for me, because I keep the guard wedged up (which I highly recommend NOT doing, unless you're a professional who's okay with taking that risk). However, it isn't quite as rugged as some similar saws out there.
It definitely has the power to do just about anything, as a worm-drive or hypoid should. I work for a remodeling company, so it's usually got a $5 cheapo blade on it that's been thrashed around far beyond its useful lifespan, and I can still cut down the siding on a wall, nails and all, right down the stud (why I've done this, is another story).
I've had this saw for about a year now, and I have to say, it's a little on the fragile side. I cut a cord and had to replace it, and when I took it apart, I noticed that the internal clamp that holds the cord is one of the beefiest things I've ever seen; I have no problem using it to support the saw's weight to lower or raise it from a roof.
It's easy to control, and cuts straight, once you get used to the kick - it's important to note that worm-drive saws kick sideways, if you've never used one. The blade on the left makes it really easy to see what you're doing.
While the shoe has remained straight, it has on a couple occasions developed little jagged spots that have damaged finish-grade material (yes, I do use this as my finish saw). The bevel adjustment has also drifted out of square on a couple occasions, probably from being banged around in the back of my truck, dropped, etc., and the lever on the depth adjustment seems to need to be removed and bent back into shape once a month or so to keep it from snagging on the rail.All in all, I feel like I got my money's worth from this saw, and it's paid for itself more times over than I can even guess, but my next saw is probably going to be a Mag 77 (more rugged) or a left-blade sidewinder (lighter).
I Have been involved With Construction Since 13 years old With My dadI'm Now 43. over all the years I've Have Taken many House construction projects The latest is Building My Own Garage from ground up 24'L x 22'W x 14'H I have owned many circular saws mainly heavy duty homeowner typeFor my latest project I decided it was time to invest in a saw geared more toward the profesional carpenter i did some research At AMAZON and found the makita with good ratings I purchased the Makita 52277NB Hypoid saw I bought it from AMAZON You Can't Beat Their Service if Purchasing on-line. I'm Very impressed with the smoothness, speed and low noiseI've used it for all the framing For my new garage so far it has performed great by the way I also Bought the skilsaw worm drive HD 77 which i havn't used yet because im so happy using the makita right now.
I had no idea a circular saw could work so well. I have been using circular saws since 1970. I am not a professional carpenter but I am always building something. I have never had a saw with a brake so I don't miss it. Do yourself a favor and buy this saw.
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