Skilsaw 10-1/4″ Cordless Worm Drive Marks the Next Major Move Into the Cordless Market
If you’re using a corded 10-1/4″ circular saw for bigger cuts, the Skilsaw 10-1/4″ cordless worm drive is right up your alley. It uses Skilsaw’s 48V TrueHVL as a power source and marks its latest expansion into the cordless market.
10-Second Summary
- 48V TrueHVL power source
- 10-1/4″ blade diameter
- True worm drive gearing
- $799 with two 5.0Ah batteries
- Expected launch in October 2020
Skilsaw 10-1/4″ Cordless Worm Drive First Impressions
The obvious advantage for this model over Skilsaw’s 7-1/4″ cordless worm drive is cutting depth. Like the 10-1/4″ corded Sawsquatch, you have the capacity to cut 4x material in one pass.
The big deal, of course, is that we now have a battery-powered option. We use the original Sawsquatch a ton on agricultural projects from topping fence posts to barn builds and being able to go with battery power is a huge advantage there.
From a design standpoint, the new worm drive gets a slightly tweaked gearing package compared to the 7-1/4″ model. Its brushless motor needs to keep its RPMs up in deeper cuts, so you’re looking at a bit more torque.
We had the opportunity to use the saw at World of Concrete and got an early feel of what to expect. Cutting through untreated 4 x 4 is a pretty easy task and the saw doesn’t feel overly heavy or cumbersome.
Bearing down, it’s certainly possible to get the saw to stall, but no more than using a corded worm drive. It’s very confident on rip cuts and is capable of ripping 2x faster than I want to cut.
Field Testing
We got our hands on a saw for longer testing and brought it to our family’s farm in Georgia. With plenty of fence posts to replace and top, we wanted to see if the convenience of battery power was all we were hoping for.
There were a couple of things we noticed as we compared the Skilsaw 10-1/4″ cordless worm drive to its corded counterpart. First, there’s a slight delay in how fast it gets the blade up to speed. It’s not a negative, but if you’re used to using the corded model, you’ll need to give the cordless version a split second longer to spin up.
The corded model also feels a little stronger when we’re cutting 4x. We were able to stall the cordless Sawsquatch easier. That said, the saw isn’t weak by any means. It’s more than capable of cutting through that thicker lumber without straining its brushless motor.
With the side by side comparison in the bag, we moved on with our fence posts. It was SOOOOOO much faster from start to finish. We didn’t have to drag extension cords out and we didn’t have to work them around the fence as we cut. Of course, we didn’t need to roll them up and put them away, either. Just the time savings alone makes the price of going cordless worth it in our book.
Topping fence posts to make them even is one thing. We also like to cut a decorative bevel on all four sides before painting them. That’s an area the Skilsaw 10-1/4″ cordless worm drive isn’t as helpful. Its weight and the relatively small cutting area makes that a better job for a smaller 7-1/4″ or 6-1/2″ saw.
Diablo or Skilsaw Blade?
Diablo makes a great blade, but this is one time that we prefer the Skilsaw blade. Its thicker design doesn’t have as much deflection or wobble when we’re making tougher cuts. And with the price of lumber these days, we’re motivated to make those cuts right the first time.
Skilsaw Cordless Sawsquatch Feature Set
- Brushless motor
- True worm drive gearing
- Magnesium construction
- Integrated dust extraction vac port
- Electronic blade brake
Skilsaw 10-1/4″ Worm Drive Circular Saw Price
Expect the retail price to run $699 with a charger and a 5.0Ah battery and quick charger when it hits stores in late January 2021. There’s also a 2-battery kit for $739.99.
The corded 10-1/4″ saw runs close to $400 on its own and the cordless 7-1/4″ kit is just under $400 with the same 5Ah battery.
Considering the 5.0Ah batteries for this platform run $249 each, that $799 kit price with the extra cutting capacity is looking pretty sweet. Like most of Skilsaw’s offerings, expect two different SKUs—one with a Skilsaw blade and one with a Diablo.
The Bottom Line
Corded or cordless? Even though the price is higher to go cordless, do yourself a favor and make the upgrade. The time savings make the Skilsaw 10-1/4″ cordless worm drive an easy decision for any construction Pro.
