Skil 5280-01 Review

Our Skil 5280-01 Experience

When cutting through 2"x4"s, the Skil 5280-01 feels like it spins faster than other saws, as if slicing through butter. It was able to cut through materials in a single pass without any hiccups. We also really appreciated the trigger safety, which gave us peace of mind.

Our Analysis and Test Results

Bevel

If you're planning on making angled (beveled) cuts for the roof rafters of a chicken coop, the Skil 5280-01 can cut up to 52 degrees, which is more than enough for most projects. Common 45-degree angle bevel cuts are made easier thanks to the positive stop that lets you quickly find 45 degrees, no matter what angle you're set to beforehand. Other commonly used angle markings are stamped into the saw, including 0, 15, 22.5, 30, 45, and 52. We noticed that the angle measurements are unpainted and can be difficult to see in some lighting circumstances. We also appreciate that the angle-adjusting thumbscrew is conveniently accessible at the front of the saw.

A separate quick-release lever smoothly adjusts the cut depth up to 2 1/3 inches. There are four notches cut into the saw's base that are used as sight lines to guide the blade as you cut, two along the leading edge of the saw and two within a sight box further back in the base of the saw. Having multiple sight lines allows you to confidently guide the blade from the front of the saw when cutting at 0 or 45-degree angles. While the sight line is easy to see, we found it to be off slightly by about 1/32 of an inch. This slight inaccuracy is overcome when using the laser cutting guide, which is factory-set in line with the blade supplied with the saw.

Cross Cuts

Cross-cutting with the Skil 5280-01 felt like a cheat code as it sliced through a variety of materials with ease. Corded saws are still often preferred to battery saws because of their consistent and powerful cutting abilities, and this saw is no exception. The blade of this saw spins at up to 5300 RPM, which is similar to other competitors.

While this saw frequently shoots sawdust everywhere while cutting, it features an integrated dust blower, which helps keep the cut line sawdust-free. While this feature is great for framing or outdoor projects, it could work against you indoors and during the finishing stages of projects, where keeping a clean work area is key.

Ripping

Unsurprisingly, the cutting prowess demonstrated by the Skil 5280-01 in our cross-cut testing yielded a similar result when repeatedly ripping a 2"x12". It consistently ripped through 10 feet of a 2"x12" from end to end in an average of 13 seconds. This saw is a great workhorse, perfect for ripping plywood sheets that are too large or dangerous to rip with a table saw.

The built-in laser sight guide is a handy aid when ripping down materials and instills confidence and accuracy. The power of the saw also allowed us to rip through materials quickly.

Metal Cuts

The metal-cutting blade on this saw wasn't the fastest we tested, but it is more than capable for DIYers or daily-use professionals who don't cut enough metal to justify a separate saw for metal-cutting jobs. It is a great all-rounder that could be used for demolition on both wood and metal with a quick blade change.

When equipped with a 48-tooth metal cutting blade, the Skil 5280-01 sliced through a 2-inch galvanized steel pipe incredibly fast in under 9 seconds. It also sliced across 16-gauge sheet metal quickly and cleanly.

Blade Change

A simple stamped-steel blade-change tool is included with the Skil 5280-01, but while it won't fall off, it can be difficult to remove when needed. There is a metal spindle lock on top of the saw that lets you lock the blade in place for simple, convenient blade changes. Aside from the tight-fitting blade-change tool, changing blades is quite simple on this saw, making it a good fit for users who frequently change blades throughout the day.