# On The Expensive Side For What It Offers



## knotscott

Sussy - They haven't exactly made a believer out of me either. I should have known better, but the saw had lots of positive reviews and filled a niche for me.


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## MarkwithaK

The only Skil tool I've ever liked is their worm drive saws….everything else they make just seems chincy.


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## knotscott

Mark - The sad thing is that I ordered a left blade Milwaukee worm drive for $100 shipped…it was a thing of beauty but was just too big for what I wanted to do. I sold it and bought this little Skil turd….kicking myself!


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## papadan

I go with Mark and the only Skil brand tool ever worth owning is the 77 worm drive saw. I got a left blade 7 1/4" PC a few years ago and have nothing but love for it.


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## Tim_456

I've got the Craftsman version of this and was totally disappointed. I needed it to cut some aluminum siding and it works well for that because the material is thin but when i tried cutting anything mroe than 1/2 thick it really bogged down. Now that I'm done with that project I don't really see myself using this again. I wish I would've put the money into a good cordless saw that has the power and the blade options.


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## BlankMan

Nice candid enlightening review. I have the 345 and I do really like it.

I'm curious about something, why the preference for a composite shoe?


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## knotscott

Hi Curt - The steel shoe is more prone to being bent. The PC345 has ~ 50% more power than the HD5510, only weighs a couple pounds more, and only costs ~ $30 more. Plus, there are more blades available for it. I'm thinking the 345 would be a bit more to my liking, but I will definitely handle this one in person before I buy!


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## libraryman

I have to disagree with your negative reviews. I currently own large Milwaukee, Craftsman, and Porter Cable circular saws. I had a bunch of fence pickets needing cutting off at shoulder height and didn't want to heft a big saw. I bought the small Skill circular saw, installed a Max Life 5 1/2" carbide blade (using a 1/2" arbor adapter) and quickly cut um off. I then purchased some Amana Tool General purpose 5 3/8 carbide blades and over the past four years have sawn hundreds of sheets of 3/4 and 1/2" hardwood plywood with it. It's not designed for 2x lumber cutting but is perfect for breaking down plywood panels. It has real ball bearings instead of needle bearings. Sure the sole plate isn't bullet proof but I am careful with it and haven't yet bent it. I have built a zero clearance edge guide out of 1/4" hardboard and 1/2 plywood and get as good a cut as my table saw on plywood. I wouldn't trade it.


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## a1Jim

I like my Pc 6" trim saw


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## knotscott

Libraryman - With the 40T Freud blade, the cut quality is good enough, and it's good to know about the ball bearings, but at 6 amps the motor stills seems very anemic for a $100 saw. Glad you like yours…lots of folks seem to, but for $50-$70 more, there are a couple of other choices I wish I had gone with….PC and Ridgid, which offer 8 & 9 amp motors, and the Ridgid has excellent DC. For now, it looks as though the Skil is going to stay put though, as it doesn't see enough use to justify selling it and buying another.


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## libraryman

Knotscott - It's very interesting that before I purchased the Skill trim saw I tried to purchase the PC 6" saw. I can't remember the exact reasons I couldn't get one (one dealer said that PC had stopped making them?) but I couldn't purchase the PC which was my first choice. I then purchase the Ridgid Fuego? 6" circular saw, installed the blade, and began sawing. Within a few minutes I felt the blade wobbling. The arbor screw had backed out significantly - and no matter how it was tightened it would loosen up. I returned it and inspection showed that the threads were defective. Several others opened had same problem. I then ordered the Skill after lots of reading positive reviews on Amazon and finding it for sale for $98. Of course, if I had needed to saw 2X's I would have insisted on getting an operational Ridgid 6" which has great features. I'm still glad that I got the Skill trim saw - for trim work and plywood it is great. I haven't used my big one ton Milwaukee for PC saws for several years now as I just build furniture and small boats.


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## BDFan1981

I wonder if the prior, 1983-introduced model 551, which was exactly the same thing as this except for its model number (the saw became model 5510 in December 1985)?

What I want to know is whether or not the 1983-vintage 551 or the 1986 version of the 5510 was any better than this one?

Thank you,

Ben


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## knotscott

Wish I could tell you Ben, but I don't know. The 5510 doesn't look to me like it's been updated for a while.


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## BDFan1981

How many of you actually have a circa 1983 model 551 or a circa 1986 model 5510 to show us here?

Thank you,

Ben


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## knotscott

Ben - I think your question would get more exposure if you posted it as a thread instead of in a review that has much less visibility.


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