Skil Cord Assembly

Why I reached for this cord

I’m hard on worm drive saws. They live in the back of the truck, in the rain, in the dust, and they get dragged across slabs by their cords more often than I care to admit. Eventually, every worm drive earns the same fate: a nicked jacket, a cracked plug, or an intermittent cutout right at the strain relief. Rather than retire a solid saw over a bad tail, I swapped in Skil’s 95104L replacement cord. It’s a simple part, but on a jobsite where reliability matters, a good cord is the difference between steady cuts and chasing gremlins.

What it is

This is a heavy-gauge, 120 V replacement cord with an 8-foot reach and a durable rubber outer jacket. It’s designed for worm drive saws and drops in as a maintenance part. There’s no gimmickry: two conductors, molded plug, proper strain relief interface, and insulation that takes a beating better than typical vinyl-jacket cords.

Installation: straightforward if you’ve got the right bits

Swapping this cord is a 15–30 minute job if you’ve opened a saw handle before. Here’s what mattered in my install:

• Tools: A Torx driver set is a must. On the Skil worm drives I service, a couple sizes cover the handle screws and strain relief clamp. I also keep needle-nose pliers and a small flat driver for the switch terminals.
• Prep: Unplug the saw (obvious, but say it anyway). Blow out the handle area before opening it—grit in the switch cavity is how terminals get bent.
• Photo first: Snap a picture of the factory wiring before you disconnect anything. Polarity and routing matter for switch clearance and trigger feel.
• Strain relief: The existing clamp sits in a molded pocket. Remove both halves and note the cord’s orientation. Reuse the clamp with the new cord and make sure the jacket, not the conductors, takes the bite.
• Terminations: This cord landed cleanly on the switch spades in my Skil worm drive. The leads were the right length to relieve stress without bunching.
• Reassembly and test: Button it up, check trigger travel, then do a gentle wiggle test at the handle with the saw running to confirm there’s no intermittent power loss.

If you’re fitting it to a non-Skil worm drive with a similar handle layout, plan to check the strain relief pocket size and switch connector style. I’ve installed it on an older magnesium-bodied worm drive from another brand with no drama, though I had to be particular about the cord path to avoid pinching when closing the handle.

Fit and compatibility

On Skil worm drives, the cord sits exactly the way the factory one does—no bunching, no weird bends at the exit, and the molded plug profile fits jobsite outlets and generator taps without needing three hands. The jacket is on the thicker side, which is a plus for durability but does make the handle clamp snug. That’s by design; the relief is meant to grip the jacket so the copper never sees tension.

If you’re trying to retrofit into a different worm drive, the big question is the strain relief geometry. If the tool uses a two-piece internal clamp rather than a dedicated grommet, you’ll likely be fine. If it relies on a proprietary molded grommet, measure before you buy or be prepared to adapt.

Build quality and jacket performance

The rubber jacket is the standout. Compared with the PVC tails that show up on many mid-tier tools, this jacket:

• Resists abrasion from OSB edges, sawhorse corners, and rebar ties
• Stays more supple in the cold, which reduces kinking and stress at the handle
• Handles incidental drops of oil and sawdust slurry without going gummy

It’s still a jobsite cord—don’t expect silicone-like limberness in freezing weather—but I didn’t have the stiff, “memory coil” behavior you get with hard vinyl. The molded plug is well supported with a gradual taper, and the strain relief at the tool end seats positively in the handle.

As for gauge, Skil labels this as heavy-gauge for a reason. A worm drive pulls serious current on startup and under load. This cord didn’t warm up during long ripping sessions in 2x wet lumber paired with a 12-gauge extension. That’s what I want: headroom and low voltage drop.

On the saw: what changes

A fresh cord doesn’t make the saw cut straighter, but it does change how you work:

• No more intermittent power loss when you pivot the saw off a cut. That’s the first sign of a failing tail, and it’s gone with this cord.
• Reduced nuisance trips at the breaker during starts, likely because the thicker conductors and better jacket reduce micro-movement at the terminals.
• Practical reach. Eight feet is a good compromise for a corded worm drive: long enough to keep the plug off the floor, short enough to avoid a bungee of slack. I still prefer a 25–50 foot, 12-gauge extension for runs across a slab, but the onboard length means fewer mid-cut unplug events.

Durability so far

I put the cord through a week of framing in mixed weather, dragging it across rough concrete and wet plywood. No cuts, no outer jacket whitening from over-bending, and no telltale shiny spots at the handle exit. The molded plug held up to repeated insertions in GFCI and generator outlets without loosening. The cord jacket wiped clean with a rag—sawdust didn’t embed the way it does with softer vinyl.

Long-term, the failure points on these cords are always the same: right at the handle and at the plug. The thicker rubber and the quality of the molded transitions both work in its favor. If you avoid yanking the saw by its tail and throw an extension over your shoulder instead, this cord should outlast your next set of brushes.

Practical tips to get the most from it

• Use a proper 12-gauge extension cord for worm drives. A good tail can’t compensate for a skinny extension.
• Route the cord up and over your shoulder or through a cord hook when ripping sheets. It reduces tugging at the strain relief.
• When reassembling the handle, torque the clamp screws evenly. An uneven clamp can oval the jacket and create a stress riser.
• If the handle halves don’t close flush, stop and recheck the cord path. Forcing the screws can pinch insulation.

Trade-offs and limitations

• It’s purpose-built for 120 V tools; it’s not a dual-voltage or specialty retrofit for 240 V markets.
• The heavier jacket adds a touch of weight and bulk. If you’re used to featherweight PVC cords, this will feel stouter, especially around the wrist in tight cuts.
• Eight feet is plenty for most tasks, but if you routinely cut on tall staging or across long benches, you’ll still live on an extension cord.

None of these are deal-breakers; they’re just the realities of a robust replacement cord.

Value

Compared to generic cords or DIY pigtails, this one makes sense. The fit in a Skil worm drive is correct, the jacket quality is a step up from bargain-bin replacements, and you’re not improvising with connectors that can work loose. If you value uptime and safety on a saw that sees daily use, the cost of a proper cord is trivial next to one afternoon of troubleshooting an intermittent cutout.

Who should buy it

• Contractors and serious DIYers maintaining Skil worm drive saws
• Anyone rebuilding a classic worm drive—new brushes and a fresh cord are the two fastest wins
• Users in colder climates where PVC cords turn into rigid sticks

If you’re outfitting a lightweight sidewinder or a tool that lives on a bench, you might not need the added robustness. For worm drives, though, it matches the tool’s mission.

Recommendation

I recommend this Skil replacement cord (model 95104L) for maintaining or reviving a worm drive saw. It installs cleanly with basic Torx drivers, the heavy-duty rubber jacket holds up to jobsite abuse, and the heavy-gauge conductors deliver consistent power under load. The 8-foot length is practical, the strain relief interfaces properly with Skil handles, and the overall build inspires confidence. If your saw’s tail is nicked, stiff, or intermittently cutting power, this is the right fix—simple, durable, and made for the job.