Skil 7 IN. Worm Drive Skilsaw for Concrete

Why I reached for the Medusaw

Concrete work is unforgiving. If a tool can’t hold a straight line, keep dust in check, and stay cool through long pushes, you feel it immediately. I put Skil’s Medusaw to work on slab scoring, joint repair, and a handful of paver and block cuts to see if a 7-inch, corded worm-drive saw could be a reliable daily driver for small and mid-size concrete jobs.

Setup and what’s in the box

Out of the box, the Medusaw is essentially ready to run—just add a 7-inch diamond blade with a 7/8-inch arbor. Mine arrived without a blade, which is normal for this class of tool, so budget for a segmented blade for general-purpose scoring and a continuous rim if you plan on wet cutting stone or tile-like materials.

Swapping blades is straightforward, and the multi-function wrench lives in the foot so you’re not fishing through a gang box to change wheels or service brushes. I also appreciate that Skil includes GFCI protection built into the power cord—mandatory in my book when water is in the mix.

Build quality and design

The Medusaw uses worm-drive gearing and a 15-amp Dual-Field motor rated at 5100 RPM no load. That combination favors torque and cooling over top-end speed, which is exactly what you want for concrete. The aluminum gear housing and foot keep flex to a minimum, and the corrosion-resistant brackets and hardware have held up well after repeated wet cuts and rinses.

At 16.9 pounds, it’s not light. The weight is an asset on flat work—stable, planted, and smooth—but you’ll notice it if you try to run it vertical or overhead. The left-blade layout gives better sightlines along a cut, and the integrated rolling foot with rubber wheels is more than a gimmick. Those wheels keep the saw tracking straight and reduce fatigue on long control joints.

The retractable pointer is a small detail that pays off. It flips down for layout work and tucks away when you don’t need it, giving you multiple reference points across the tool to line up kerfs.

Ergonomics and handling

Worm drives have a distinct gear whine, and this one is no exception—hearing protection is a must. The handle and trigger feel familiar to anyone who’s run a Skil worm-drive saw. My only nit was a touch of lateral play in the trigger; it never affected operation but was noticeable with gloves off.

Balance is good with the blade plunged and the saw riding on the wheels. The plunge action itself is positive. The Cut-Ready plunge lock lets you set depth and drop in repeatably—handy when you’re scoring multiple passes at a consistent depth. The return spring was a little stiff the first day and loosened up with use. There’s no electric brake, so you do need to wait for the blade to spin down before lifting out of a cut.

The 10-foot cord is serviceable on a slab but expect to run a heavy-gauge extension for most jobs.

Cutting performance

This saw’s wheelhouse is scoring and cutting up to 2 inches at 90 degrees. On control joints in a garage slab, it tracked dead straight and didn’t bog, even in harder aggregate pockets. The worm-drive gearing delivers steady torque so you can keep a smooth feed rate without feathering the trigger. It also handled plunge cuts cleanly for patch repairs—set the depth stop, drop in, and go.

On pavers and concrete blocks, the 7-inch blade size is a good match. It won’t replace a 14-inch gas saw for full-depth cuts on 4-inch slab in one pass, but that’s not its job. For slab work beyond 2 inches, you’re making multiple passes or cutting from both sides. If deep, single-pass cuts are your norm, you need a larger saw.

I also ran a few wet cuts on dense stone, where the cooling advantage shows. The motor never felt hot to the touch, and there was no hint of thermal fade. The Dual-Field design does seem to keep air moving through the windings as claimed.

Dust and slurry management

The Medusaw’s dual wet/dry dust management system is the standout feature. Dry, with a good extractor attached, airborne dust stayed impressively low. The shroud captured the plume at the source, and an adapter fit both 1-7/8- and 2-1/2-inch hoses from common shop vacs. You will still see a ribbon of fines building ahead of the blade on the floor—typical of any shrouded dry cut—but the amount hanging in the air was minimal.

For wet cuts, the water feed installs quickly with a single fastener and a garden-hose quick connect. Control over flow is right at the tool, so you can tune the slurry to the material. The wheels roll cleanly through the mess without smearing it everywhere, and rinsing the saw afterward is easy. I hose off the foot and guard and wipe down the motor housing to keep water out of places it shouldn’t be. Between the wet option and a high-CFM extractor, it’s a very practical setup for job sites with silica exposure controls.

Accuracy and control

Keeping concrete cuts straight is harder than it looks. Here the Medusaw’s wheels, pointer, and left-blade placement work together. I found three reliable alignments: the front pointer for layout starts, the kerf visibility along the left side of the blade, and a rear reference on the foot. With a light scribe and a steady push, I was getting clean, true joints without wandering.

The plunge depth lock is also genuinely useful. For repair work where I needed to remove a consistent 1/2 inch of material, I could set the stop and kerf repeatedly without playing yo-yo with the depth knob.

Maintenance and durability

Concrete tools live a hard life. After a few weeks of mixed wet and dry use, there’s no corrosion on the brackets or fasteners and no play in the wheel axles. I make it a habit to:

• Blow out the motor and shroud after dry cuts.
• Rinse and dry the foot and guard after wet cuts.
• Inspect the brush caps and keep the wrench with the saw.
• Check the GFCI trip/reset before plugging into an unfamiliar circuit.

As with any worm drive, you’ll hear a characteristic gear sound under load. That’s normal. If you hear a new grinding tone, I’ve found it’s usually debris in the guard or a damaged blade segment—swap the blade before you blame the gearbox.

Limitations and quirks

• Depth: 2 inches max. Great for control joints, scoring, and pavers; not a single-pass slab cutter.
• No electric brake: Plan for spin-down time at the end of cuts.
• Weight: Excellent on flat work; not the tool I reach for on vertical cuts.
• Corded: Reliable power, but you’re managing hose, cord, and water line if you go wet. Be mindful of routing.
• Trigger feel: Slight lateral play on my unit. It didn’t affect performance, but it’s not as tight as some pro-grade triggers.

One cautionary note: this is a concrete saw. While you could mount a wood blade, that’s not what it’s engineered for. If you need a wood-cutting worm-drive, get one that’s built for that task.

Who it’s for

• Concrete finishers and repair crews scoring control joints, making patch cuts, and trimming pavers.
• Remodelers who need a compact, guided concrete cutter that runs off house power.
• Pros who want both dry and wet capabilities without switching tools.

Who should look elsewhere:

• Crews needing frequent 3- to 4-inch single-pass cuts—get a larger gas or 10-inch electric saw.
• Users prioritizing cordless mobility—hoses and cords are part of the Medusaw workflow.

Recommendation

I recommend the Medusaw as a dependable, purpose-built concrete saw for control joints, scoring, and shallow to mid-depth cuts. Its strengths—worm-drive torque, a genuinely useful plunge system, excellent dust/slurry management, and the guided rolling foot—translate directly into cleaner cuts, better dust control, and less fatigue on real jobs. You give up an electric brake and deep-cut capacity, and you’ll manage cords and hoses, but within its design envelope it performs consistently and feels like a tool you can trust. If your work fits that envelope, it’s an easy add to the truck.