Big Foot SBFX BF 15 Amp 10 1/4 Inch Wormdrive Circular Saw

Customer Reviews

large capacity ,but needs some design changes

2003-05-27
I purchased this saw to cut heavy timbers for a timber frame project.It is a powerful saw with a great cutting capacity, but it needs some design changes.
-The base shoe is very narrow, making it difficult to get a square cut close to the end of a beam.
-The bottom of the shoe was not machined smooth or flat, again making it difficult to square with the blade.
-When making a full depth cut, the lower blade guard will not open as you cut, you must flip it up with your finger on the lever.

That said, I still think it is a useful saw. I'm also going to be using it to cut I-joists and 6x6 deck posts.

A great bit of innovation 2000-03-02
This 10" saw conversion beats the major manufacturers' saws hands down. It's based on the Skil77, easily the most popular power saw ever made and used by ALL carpenters and other tradesmen. The beauty of the saw is that it has worm-drive gearing, providing more than ample power to cut through all 4x material. The Makita, Milwaukee and Skil versions all have helical gears (I believe), which are nowhere as tough as worm-drive gears, thus more susceptible to binding and gear failure. A great feature is that it comes with a carbide-tipped blade, again unlike the other saws. Another feature (common to worm-drive saws) is the blade is on the left of the saw (unlike thew others), making it easier for the majority of us who are right-handed to follow that line we marked. The Bigfoot has a better ergonomic feel, again because it is based on the Skil77. The only drawback I've discovered has to do with the finish on the casting of the saw guard. It has a rough finish and very sharp edges, sharp enough that you'll have to be careful not to slice yourself. I would have gladly paid a few dollars more to have a higher quality finish on the castings. I would knock it down to four stars (or lower) for that if not for the possibility that someone would think the other saws might be better (they aren't). Besides, the only people buying this saw will be professionals and they won't be reading this anyway! (My opinions are based on 24 years of experience as a framer, carpenter and contractor) Oh, you also get a t-shirt.

Awesome beam saw 2008-03-29
We are using this saw with a Freud, 40 tooth Diablo 10 1/4" blade to cut our timber frame house. We are cutting about 3 3/4" deep in all of the big timbers with a smooth as glass finish.

But what is it really good for? 2007-12-15
There is a Worm Drive cult in the carpentry world. Grown men act like babbling little boys running for the ice cream truck whenever they hear the words "worm drive". There's no doubt that they are fine saws, and powerful, but take a deep breath. I can due virtually anything a worm drive can do with my little 10.5 Amp makita circular saw... except convert it to a 10-1/4 Circular saw.

However, who really needs 10-1/4? If you are going to be cutting green 4x4's, this saw will not cut through them. This saw will only cut through a "nominal" 4x4. So... if you want to build that log cabin or timber frame out of true 4x4's, this saw won't help you. Or, if you want to gang cut a stick framed house, this saw won't help you. You'll need at least 5-1/2 inches to gang cut the modern stick framed house. I suspect that when this conversion kit was invented, 2x4 walls were code. In those days, this saw could gang cut your studs, but no longer, unless you're not building to code.

If you want to cut through doubled plates, then an 8-1/4 inch saw will do the same for a fraction of the cost and far less weight. Makita's new 5008MGA, Magnesium 8-1/4 Inch SideWinder cuts 3 inches deep, 3/4 of an inch less than the Big Foot for twice the price. (As of writing this, Amazon still isn't selling the saw. It's relatively new.)

If you just have to have a 10-1/4 saw, then I would probably choose the Big Foot over the Makita 5201NA 10-1/4-Inch Circular Saw. I too can't resist the siren call of the worm-driven saw, even if it's going to cost me $50 dollars more.

However, if you *really* want a saw that cut's everything, the Makita 5402A or 5402NA is the saw you want. This circular saw really will cut just about all your beams in one pass and will gang cut a modern stick framed wall. The only saw that competes with it might be the Big Foot 14 Inch Circular Saw. I own the Makita. I've used the Big Foot 14 incher. The advantage of the Big Foot is that it weighs half as much as the Makita. The Makita cuts 6-1/4 inches deep, the Big Foot 14 cuts 5-3/4 inches deep.

The Makita costs less.

The Big Foot 14 inch saw looks cooler.

Choose wisely.

Performs just as I expected 2007-05-13
I'm really happy with this saw. It performs just as I expected. I've been using the Big Foot for several years now. If you're cutting 4x stock, you shouldn't be without one of these.

A Winner...Love that 10 inch 2006-06-08
A Great saw...I love this saw!
I purchased this one to square out large Wood Table Slabs, and it does the job well. Tons of power, cuts through thick Table Slabs without bogging down, clean and straight.
I must admit, I have never tried to cut anything small with this saw, and it would probably be somewhat awkward to do so.
The large cast foot keeps it very stable, it feels very solid during the cut....If you are looking for a saw of this size, this is a good choice, at a good price.

great tool 2004-02-22
This is a great tool for standard 2x4 framing. perfect for cutting 2 plates at once and for cutting all 4x headers. This saw has become a must have for me. I have the 16" makita saw for larger beams and a few 7 1/4" worm drives for everyday use but the big foot light enough to use like a skill saw and has earned its keep.