↑ (^) BEST CORDLESS WRENCH
Craftsman CMCF920B $145
We put a ¾-inch nut on a mas-
sive bolt and tightened it so
fiercely we nearly bent the
wrench. Then we applied the
20-volt, ½-inch CMCF920B.
Zip, off came the nut. Several
more tries brought us the same
result. The reason: This Crafts-
man produces a heavy-duty
275 foot-pounds of torque,
capable of meeting the work of
contractors.
↑ (^) BEST SMALL CORDLESS SCREWDRIVER
Worx WX240L $40
Four volts doesn’t sound like much. But that modest amount of power
in the motor of this screwdriver (which has three torque settings) does
more work than you’d expect. We used it for everything from driving
wood screws to removing small nuts and bolts. It’s small-job perfect.
↓BEST MID-DUTY CORDLESS
RECIPROCATING SAW
Kobalt KXRS124B-03 $109
If you wonder whether Kobalt
(the Lowe’s house brand)
24-volt power tools are as tough
as they look, you don’t have to.
We put a decent blade in the
KXRS124B-03 and easily cut
pipe and nail-embedded lum-
ber, sawing in straight and
orbital modes and finding solid
performance in both.
THE MOST PROLIFIC
CIRCULAR SAW
SKILSAW MAG 77
It’s anyone’s guess how many miles of
lumber have passed beneath the shoe
plate of the Skilsaw Mag 77.
Consider its enduring popularity,
and that it’s closing in on the century
mark in terms of age. First came a fore-
runner of the saw in 1928, which looks
remarkably like today’s product. Several
years of refinement followed, and the
77 was launched in 1937.
There are several keys to its con-
tinued success (and why we still
recommend it). First, it has a large and
powerful motor. Next is the saw’s worm-
gear drivetrain. A worm, a spiral-like gear
mounted to the motor shaft, turns the
worm wheel mounted on the output
shaft. The gearing increases the torque,
and it does so in a way that distributes
the load across the surface of the gears,
reducing stress and improving the lon-
gevity of the components. Also, the gear
geometry is such that, when the saw is
on, the worm gear can turn the worm
wheel, but not the other way around.
The saw is stubbornly relentless even
in hard, deep cuts and can give ample
warning if you approach a stall that pro-
duces a dangerous kickback. Finally, the
gearing puts the saw’s blade on the left,
where a right-handed user can see the
blade and the cut line. Its left-side bene-
fit is a solid trio of accuracy, productivity,
and safety.
The saw’s mechanical prowess helps
explain its role in the postwar housing
boom, its continuing popularity, and its
seemingly unchallenged presence on
union construction sites, particularly
where carpenters cut form lumber by
the ton to place concrete. Call the 77
“King of the Sawdust Hill.”—R.B.
64 March/April 2021
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