15 Amp Corded Electric 10-1/4 in. Magnesium SAWSQUATCH Worm Drive Circular Saw with 40-Tooth Diablo Carbide Blade

I used this saw all day yesterday and I was very impressed! It had plenty of power for a full 8 hr day of ripping down 2” thick white oak slabs and at the end of the day I really appreciated the ergonomics and comfort of the handle. I made a straight edge guide out of 3/4” ply to make life easier and it left the edge nice and smooth. If it can rip white oak slabs this easy I don’t see it having a problem with whatever you throw at this beast. Highly recommend! (Ig @zaxewoodworks if you want to see video footage of me using the saw)

We have been putting the 10 1/4" Sawsquatch SPT70WM-22 through its paces in our timber frame shop. We previously were using the Makita model and wanted to try the worm drive instead for the ripping capability and power. We are glad we did! This saw has become a favorite for tenon cutting and ripping. Pros: -Feels solid -Good weight for use in our shop at 16.45 lbs. -More power for ripping -Cuts cleanly through a 4x timber -Great for 4" tenons -Comfortable to use -Good bevel capacity Cons: -Blade guard handle does not allow a lot of clearance as it slides past the handle -It is hard to see the back side of the blade if cutting on the left side of the line We have used both the Skil blades and the Diablo blades. For everyday use, the Skil blades are preferred as they are more solid. For ripping, the thinner kerf of the Diablo blade is preferred. We recently used the saw on a project that had intricate joinery and were very pleased.

Twenty five years ago when I was a framer's helper, the only kind of saw I knew was "the Skilsaw". It wasn't the only saw we used, it was what the seasoned guys called every circular saw. Since then I've largely ignored Skil believing they were on a race to the bottom like too many once proud US companies. But when I came across the Sawsquatch at the store recently, I had to take a second look. Out of the box the saw is robust, heavy, and feels solid. First impression is good. Assembled the Diablo blade, no problem. I use Diablo blades on most of my daily tools and generally like them. I'm certainly a fan of higher end blades like the Forrest WWII, but for the daily crew use Diablo's are fine. Next on to checking the saw. Out of the box the bevel adjustment was off a few degrees, and the shoe was not square to the blade. With a hex wrench I quickly fixed that problem. However, I haven't yet figured out if I can adjust the bevel indicator to read true. Right now 1 degree on the bevel indicator is actually 0 (see photo). Didn't find anything in the manual about adjusting that either. Oil level check. The manual recommends doing this before use, and I believe mine is on the low side (see photo). I'd like to be able to top that off and no extra oil came in the box. Fasteners. Most of the hex fasteners, like the one on the wrap handle, were loose and needed tightening. Fasteners tight, lets get on with this. True depth of cut at 90 degrees as measured = 3 7/8" (see photo) I'm a timber framer and I run a sawmill, so I'm often cross cutting and ripping green rough cut, and heavy hardwood timbers. First impressions going through a southern yellow pine slab and a white oak 4x4 are good. The saw performs well without bogging down or feeling strained. We plan to start a new timber frame project soon and I'm very interested to see how this saw performs over the duration. I'm also eager to get my hands on the new Super Squatch when it's released soon. Overall if you need a wood plow to cut slabs or 4x4's under 3 7/8" deep at 90 in one pass, this may be your best bet for the price. I have to commend Skilsaw for getting back to its roots and recognizing how folks like me want dependable bombproof tools. I hope to follow up this review after I complete my next timber frame project.

recently our company got a contract to build a private waterfront wharf.. We ordered marine grade pressure treated hemlock and pine.. the beams consisted of 12x12`s, 6x12`s and 6x8 purlins. We didnt want to have really rough looking cuts by using a chainsaw so the Sawsquatch was in order. The saw performed amazing cutting through such large timbers, mind you on the larger ones i had to make multiple passes on the 12 x12"s and 8x 8's but its far better than using a regular 7 1/4 saw. the motor didnt bog down one bit cutting through the lumber, in the 3x8 pine deck boards it cut clean through with its 3-11/16" cut capacity . Though weighing in at 17 lbs the saw is very balanced and glides along nicely. a few very nice extra features i liked were the rafter hook which allwed me to hook the saw on to sawhorses keeping it in arms reach instead of setting it down on the ground. The auxillary handle which screws on and off adds additional control when i made long cuts. The 2nd best feature on the saw for me was the bevel table which has 1 degree markings all the way up to its full bevel capacity. making much much easier setting a specific angle compared to most other saws which only have markings on 5 degree increments. The only flaw on the saw that i could find has nothing to do with Skil but with the Frued 40 tooth blade.. the stock blade is a 1/16th thin kerf blade, it does cut clean but with such a thin blade it warped after only moderate usage.. had it been a full kerf blade like frued makes for tablesaws or mitre saws the warping with be a non issue. All in all i highly recommend this saw to the proffesional timber framer, framer or deck builder

Yes, this is a good work horse. The Blade is also good, but we can not find availability on the same, 2 shipment is a wrong arbor - must be a diamond, not round.

I do a ton of 4x4 and 6x6 cutting with this saw and it's a great time saver vs a 7 1/4" unit but what I've had issues with is the saw working itself into a slight bevel. Since I do quite a bit of notching for posts on 6x6 I always check the bevel vs a 12" speed square when I'm rolling out and I've found that, after about a dozen posts I need to go back and bump the fence a few degrees to get it cutting square again. Yes I check it against a square, yes everything is tight, and yes I know how to run the saw properly :) only other (and lesser) issue I have is if you're working with cedar or something that is a true 4x4 you can't make a cut with one pass. Just a fuzz short on those cuts. It would be nice if a 10 1/4 blade could pull that cut off in one pass.

For a worm driven saw this size and this price, you would think you’re getting a tool that could handle thicker material. I purchased this saw specifically to rip the live edge off of 12/4 slabs. On my second rip cut, the motor started to smoke and I was being mindful not to push the saw too hard through the rip. For this price, you’re not getting nearly the quality you would think you are getting. Save the headache and look into a different manufactuar of a 10 inch saw. At the very minimum, purchase the 24 tooth blade and only use it for cross cutting.

Rating provided by a verified purchaser

Precision cut made easily. Quickly cuts through green lumber including 4x4 in one pass. Never bogs down.

This saw is a beast, I use it to square up the ends of 3 inch thick slabs. I also used it on 2 1/2 inch thick walnut. Worked like a champ.