# Vintage wormdrive Skilsaw that I havn't seen before!



## PhilStLouis (Mar 14, 2013)

So I picked up this skilsaw at an estate sale not long ago. I bought it not because I needed it, but because I couldn't resist it due to its hardware store fresh condition. This estate sale was like a time capsule back to the 60's and 70's, where the guy had clearly bought a lot of stuff that he didn't use/need.

Its a model 825. This is one of the big boys with the 8 1/4" blade vs. the more standard 7 1/4." I flushed out the original oil with kerosene and replaced it with the modern skillsaw specific oil. I also put a fresh 40t freud blade on it.

I've searched all over the internet and can't find another example like it. Based on the serial number I gather it is from the 1960's. I emailed skil but they gave me a somewhat generic response saying they stoped production of the 825 in 1960 (produced from 1945-1960), but this seems contrary to what other owners saw. What seems unique about this saw is the adjustment mechanisms and the enlarged blade cover. Its heavy and appears to be built like a tank. Based on its design, it almost seems likely that this was a saw made briefly between "body styles."

If anyone can shed light on this saw let me know!!


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## PhilStLouis (Mar 14, 2013)

I asked Skil again and they were able to verify that the type 8 825 was manufactured in 1961!


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## JayT (May 6, 2012)

Nice pickup, Phil, looks like brand new! Skil wormdrive saws are heavy duty workhorses and you should get many years of use (unless you end up putting it in a museum). What's the deepest it can cut?


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## CharlieM1958 (Nov 7, 2006)

That's a real thing of beauty. It's doubtful anything manufactured today will look that good 50 years from now.


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## WayneC (Mar 8, 2007)

Very very nice. Made the same year I was.


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## LeeBarker (Aug 6, 2010)

Nice score. I am thinking it would have value to a collector of vintage power tools. I can see it on a shelf beside one of those Rockwell sidewinders that actually had grease cups.

Kindly,

Lee


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## bigblockyeti (Sep 9, 2013)

That definitely looks beefy! I stopped fixing power tools professionally about 2004, at that time some manufacturers (Bosch I remember specifically) produced some power tools for specific agencies. Some were rebranders marketing the tools as their own and some were for the government. This certainly looks like something that could be a government specific tool, given the build design. I doubt it would be easy to confirm this as I'm not sure if Skil did that before becoming part of the Bosch conglomerate and records from that long ago might not be readily available. One of the more interesting tools I ran across was a European rotary hammer from Bosch that had a completely transparent body.


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## PhilStLouis (Mar 14, 2013)

Thanks guys for the responses!

A good finish carpenter friend of mine gave me his skilsaw 77 mag about 5 years ago and I've been hooked on them ever since. I feel way more comfortable from a safety standpoint holding a wormdrive saw than any other. My friend bought his skilsaw (the one he gave to me) in 1987 and I still use it frequently and it runs smooth.

When I found this one, it didn't even cross my mind that I would retire my other saw…instead it inspired me to fix up my beat-up saw…new handle, new cord, new brushes, and I re-alligned the foot plate. I love these things!

Anyway, the old skilsaw type 8, model 825 from 1961…I'm not sure what to do with it. I cut a few pieces of wood and it runs great. Its just so nice that I feel bad tossing it around. Perhaps a collector would like to have it.
It would definatly come in handy now and then when I need the extra cut capacity. Maybe I'll just put it on the shelf and have it make special appearances.

Phil


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## Jeff55Y (Nov 4, 2015)

Newbie here. I just dug up smolder 825, 220 V. Thing is built and weighs as much as Ironsides. The guys that slung these saws around all day on job site had arms like gorillas. Yours in pristine, good job. Wonder what it's worth ? I port cable speedmatic 89 8". I also have B&D drill motor that could turn a bldg over it has soo much torque. Does anyone know if these bestows have any real value dollar wise. Thanks for any info you can give me…


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## BurlyBob (Mar 13, 2012)

Phil, that's got to be " a Sunday go to meeting", Skilsaw. You need to put that in a glass case and display it like a treasure. It's absolutely stunning.


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## b2rtch (Jan 20, 2010)

How much did pay for?


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## rwe2156 (May 7, 2014)

Its a beast. If you got it for $75 or less you got a good deal.


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## JoeinGa (Nov 26, 2012)

That thing is a beast ! Looks like it could cut railroad ties !


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## Jhwill (Oct 13, 2015)

Your post sent me to the shop to get the saw that Dad gave me years ago. He said they bought it the year I was born 1953. I still have the oil can. This saw was use in building forms for many bridges in PA.


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## 12moons (Oct 22, 2016)

I have a model zero thinking serial number about 0356 or so can't seem to find it on the Internet pick it up years ago customize a 10 inch blade on it for beam cutting plates and raftersI think it originally took an 8 1/2 inch blade anyone ever heard of one of these


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## AdrianV (Dec 11, 2016)

Beautiful saw Phil, I know this is an old post but I am desperate! I have my dads old model 77 worm driven skill that I use all the time. However today it fell and broke the piece that attaches the base plate to the front of the saw. It has the degrees on it just like in your fourth picture. Anybody have any idea where to get one? I am heartbroken that was the thing I wanted most after my father died!


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## PhilStLouis (Mar 14, 2013)

I think I paid $7.00 bucks for it if I remember correctly…definitely not more than 10!!!



> Its a beast. If you got it for $75 or less you got a good deal.
> 
> - rwe2156


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## PhilStLouis (Mar 14, 2013)

> Beautiful saw Phil, I know this is an old post but I am desperate! I have my dads old model 77 worm driven skill that I use all the time. However today it fell and broke the piece that attaches the base plate to the front of the saw. It has the degrees on it just like in your fourth picture. Anybody have any idea where to get one? I am heartbroken that was the thing I wanted most after my father died!
> 
> - AdrianV


Sorry to hear that! It is a unique part. I bet you could retrofit one of those from another skil saw. Did you find a solution?


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## b2rtch (Jan 20, 2010)

You probably could get the broken piece welded or even get anew one made ( pricey)


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## MrRon (Jul 9, 2009)

I'll bet if you can track down an old carpenter who may still be doing carpentry that he may be interested in having that saw. It would be a nostalgic find for the right person.


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## Model12 (Jul 3, 2019)

Just this week there's a Model 825 up for internet auction here in JAPAN. Type 10, 100V; made special for Japan.
Unlike the pristine one you were lucky to find. This thing looks every bit of 60 years old and then some. 
I'd say the years have not been kind to it.
It's got a male coupling for an 1/4" air hose, mounted at the back right corner of the shoe. Assuming they had compressed air blowing debris away.
Any of y'all ever run across something like that before?


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## bigblockyeti (Sep 9, 2013)

I've seen dedicated pneumatic saws that come up for sale periodically, I've never seen a 100V model. In a snipet from an old catalog I've seen they had the option of custom input voltages, if memory serves me correctly, it was at no additional cost, unheard of today.


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## therealSteveN (Oct 29, 2016)

There are 2 ways to get an 825 that looks like that.

Buy a NIB model like you did.

Do a painstaking refurb, like this guy did.

https://www.garagejournal.com/forum/showthread.php?t=348501

Most of them will look something like the refurb saw did, before the refurb. Most owners worked them hard, long hours. Great old products.


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## Model12 (Jul 3, 2019)

I've got the SHD77 with the steel shoe and I wish I could get one of those older heavy models like the Model 825 for a second one.
I've got a question for y'all concerning that oil. For any wormdrive, word has it that Mobil SHC 636 synthetic oil will do nicely. 
Anyone know more about this? Is there any other synthetic oil that will work? That Mobil SHC 636 comes in two sizes; 5 Gallon and 50 Gallon.


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## bigblockyeti (Sep 9, 2013)

I've been using Skil branded oil in mine and it seems to do fine. I suspect there are industrial alternatives that would also work well but few industrial applications will be dealing with the same worm speed as is found in a worm drive saw. Conversely many industrial applications can see hours if not days of uninterupted running where even a professional framing carpenter might only have 1/2 run time on a saw broken up over an 8 hour shift.


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## Topcat11 (Jun 30, 2020)

I grew up using a Skilsaw like this, except it was a Model 77. My Dad bought it new in 1961 and was a Carpenter and later a General Contractor. It was a powerful and heavy saw and never quit running.


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## Model12 (Jul 3, 2019)

Got ahold of an HD-77. Saw it was Made In USA. It had barely been used at all. I swapped the cord for a 16 foot 12 gauge. I believe the oil had never been changed and this goes back to what I asked about oil. I have a terrible time getting those little tubes of Skilsaw oil sent here, so I found out some dude was using 80W Gear oil. I got a 4L can of Toyota Gear Oil 85W. Now I got that problem solved for my SHD-77 as well.
I do a lot of ripping with these saws. I like that narrow shoe. The rip fence they got for em is a joke. The metal the slotted bolt fits into to secure the rip fence is too thin. They include this spring that increases the tension on the bolt, but the whole thing is useless as the tits on a bull. So tapped out the thin metal hole to the next metric size. TIG welded a thick SS Hex nut on top of the hole. I got a Brass Hex bolt in there. It holds that rip fence tight


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## Model12 (Jul 3, 2019)

DIAMOND KNOCKOUT

Does anyone out there know if those little diamonds from the knockout blade can be put to use?

I replaced the blades more than a few times on my 7-1/4 Skilsaws.
I finally sharpened em all. I been saving the little diamonds I knocked out when I put the blades on in the first place. They sure look those bushings they sell that makes my wonder if I can just just put em back in and use these sharpened blades on a sidewinder.


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## bigblockyeti (Sep 9, 2013)

There's no reason they can be put back in the blades to use on a saw that has a round 5/8" arbor vs. the diamond knockout of many worm drive saws.


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## Model12 (Jul 3, 2019)

Thanks bigdockyeti. I reckon if something seems too good to be true it probably isn't.

I located some bushings on line to reduce the diamond to 5/8" round. But I see some warnings about thickness. Seems some of these bushings are too thin.

Anyone out there know of a brand or make of a bushing that'll work?


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## Model12 (Jul 3, 2019)

VINTAGE 825

I been keeping an eye out, but all I've seen here in Japan is the 100 Volt version; designated as 810. Last one was in outstanding condition, but I want an 825.

Skilsaw must have made a lot of these 100 Volt models.


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## JCamp (Nov 22, 2016)

Dang nice saw. I've been trying to find a reasonable used skil since the new ones are made in China now. You got a smokin deal on a nearly one of a kind saw.


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## bigblockyeti (Sep 9, 2013)

> Thanks bigdockyeti. I reckon if something seems too good to be true it probably isn t.
> 
> I located some bushings on line to reduce the diamond to 5/8" round. But I see some warnings about thickness. Seems some of these bushings are too thin.
> 
> ...


I actually meant to write there's no reason you *can't* use those bushings, thinner is better than too thick (keeping the arbor washer from properly clamping the blade).


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## Model12 (Jul 3, 2019)

Thanks bigblockyeti. I read what you say about the flange or washer contacting the blade. So diamond bushings that reduce to 5/8" and they're on the way.


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