Makita made huge news when they came out with their brushless X2 rear handle cordless circular saw with worm drive styling and power. Dewalt didn’t sit back quietly but they opted to fight back with their own worm drive inspired cordless saw of their own – the Dewalt Flexvolt DCS577 60V Brushless 7-1/4″ Rear Handle Circular Saw.
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Makita needed more power than what’s available on 18V so they went with their X2 36V platform, and Dewalt also went with higher voltage on their saw by using their Flexvolt 60V platform coupled with a brushless motor. Beyond that Dewalt’s model is similarly featured as it’s also a sidewinder saw with the appearance of a worm drive without actually being a worm drive saw.
We can thank Cody Robertson for this news and for providing the picture of the new Dewalt rear handle saw!
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The Makita X2 saw is not a sidewinder. A true sidewinder has it’s blade and motor aligned on the same rotating axis. It’s not a work drive either. They use a work gear to connect motor and blade. The blade and motor in the Makita are positioned at 45°, connected via a helical gearset. Maybe it should be called a helidrive? Anyway, the vent ports on the DeWalt look like the motor is in fact positioned as a sidewinder, but that would mean a lot of wasted space between that and the handle. Does anyone know for sure what torque transfer method this saw uses?
Both Makita X2 models including their “rear handle” model are sidewinders whether you want to call them that or not. This Dewalt 60V model is also a sidewinder as it is not a worm drive. It looks like a worm drive but that is all looks as the motor and blade configuration are a sidewinder.