Case for HF Reciprocating Saw
- Thread starter Viz
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PSYKO_Inc
Well-known member
In my experience, a trash can. The plastic gears stripped out on mine the second time I used it.
bcradio
Well-known member
Sorry, no help OP, but this made me chuckle
Heck I think a corded Porter-Cable recip saw was only $56 at the local Ace Hardware near my mom's house (2,000 miles away). I bought it for a demo job there, used it, and then sold it for $50 on the local CL.
HF is not a good place to get power tools IMHO. Sure, they are a little cheaper but you get what you pay for.
Their 1/4" impact driver only puts out 1,000 in-pounds of torque and is $65 whereas for $30 more you can buy a Ryobi kit that comes with an 1/4" impact driver that puts out 1,500 in-pounds AND comes with a regular drill too. And you get 2 lithium batteries/charger and you can then buy all the bare tools in the huge Ryobi eco system.
Virgil Cain
Well-known member
- Joined
- Feb 26, 2011
- Messages
- 406
Normally I would agree with you on HF power tools, but I've got a Harbor Freight 4 1/2" electric angle grinder that I have used the hell out of and it won't die. I've run this thing for hours and hours at a time. Think I paid less than $20 for it. If it blew up tomorrow it would be square with me. There are exceptions to the rule.
southalabama
Well-known member
Was at an air show and the Air Force para jumpers were there. They had a display of all their special gear. On the table was a brand new yellow dewalt sawzall. I know reciprocating saw. I asked the soldier. He said they hadn't found anything better. He did say that they would usually spray paint the yellow body. They just hadn't yet on this one. The jump in and rescue downed pilots.
IMHO don't waste your money on a hf saw. I'd go porter cable on the cheap end or dewalt or milwaukee on the higher end.
I've got a corded milwaukee that's 20 years old. Runs great. I've also got a dewalt 18v that also runs great.
IMHO don't waste your money on a hf saw. I'd go porter cable on the cheap end or dewalt or milwaukee on the higher end.
I've got a corded milwaukee that's 20 years old. Runs great. I've also got a dewalt 18v that also runs great.
Farmall 1066
Well-known member
I've got a Mikwaukee Super, and a HF one I bought when the good one was halfway across the country. Beat the piss out of the HF one, and it just won't die. Definitely worth the $20 I gave for it.
mikeyc.
Active member
Cut down a garage with a triple shingle roof. Still g.oing strong
kctyphoon
Banned
Pretty sure it will fit fine in just about any hard case, but I like the Dewalt plastic cases. I have my Milwaukee stuff in them cause Dewalt's cases are a lot smaller.. I have one of the HF sawzalls for like 7 or 8 years now... $20 well spent.
Yeah hard cases take up a lot of room in your trunk or elsewhere. Those large contractor bags will swallow up all your tools -- recip, circular, drills, etc. and other stuff.
They come in all brands -- Ryobi, DeWalt, Milwaukee. I just checked HF and they don't appear to have large ones. I get them off ebay for like $15 for a nice large new DeWalt or Milwaukee bag.
I got my HF Angle Grinder for $11, used the **** out of it, my friend left it outside for a week in a good bit of rain, it will not die. Best corded angle grinder ever. That said, I love my Makita LXT brushless!
PSYKO_Inc
Well-known member
The blue angle grinder wasn't bad, I think I paid about ten bucks for it. My hands would go numb from vibration and it screamed like a banshee, but I got a good couple years out of it before it finally let the smoke out. I now have a Dewalt and a Metabo which are much nicer, but I got my money's worth out of the HF.
BolognaBlake
Well-known member
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- Apr 30, 2016
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- 196
I have an old Harbor Freight reciprocating saw, the orange and gray simple looking one. It's probably 10 years old at this point.
Man, I can't kill it. I have nicer saws, but I keep using the HF unit to not abuse my better saws. I had it in the yard today, jamming a large pruning blade in the ground to cut up roots.
Man, I can't kill it. I have nicer saws, but I keep using the HF unit to not abuse my better saws. I had it in the yard today, jamming a large pruning blade in the ground to cut up roots.
Whiskeymike
Well-known member
I have had a maroon HF saw for a few years and it works great. Well worth the $20.
I'd go with the bag, but I've stuffed mine in a Bosch case previously and it was fine. It was a big ole box.
I'd go with the bag, but I've stuffed mine in a Bosch case previously and it was fine. It was a big ole box.
kctyphoon
Banned
I do.. Bags don't do well around leaky gas cans or oil that seeps out from chainsaws.. They don't do much to protect tools in rough environments when they can fall off trucks or have things fall on top of them. Also, being a rectangle, you can store them on their face, or long or short sides, AND still stack things (like more cases) on top of them. Try stacking contractor bags 3 or 4 high on a single stack and it usually doesn't work so well. The contractor bags are cheaper, that's why they got popular in the tool sets. It's also opened the door for "tough boxes".
Not saying contractor bags aren't good for some people, but I still prefer the hard cases. I have the Milwuakee fuel 7/16 hex drive high torque impact that came in contractor bag. I have a bunch of sockets and adapters inside the bag with it. The tools gets more beat up from being in the bag along with all that other **** constantly rubbing and banging against it then did in the dozen or some times I've needed to use it.
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maybe for the snap-on tools, .... think most sawzall is a work tool, I keep it in a bag for easy sorting and carry. if by the time it gets its useful life of $20... I am happy with it.... Having owning a 3 craftsman, Hitachi, Milwaukee, they get the same treatment bag it and forget it. In general, I keep my electric tools away from gas or corrosive liquids anyways.
Raymond Fast
Well-known member
I've got a HF reciprocating saw. I've used it and abused it and haven't had any trouble with it. I used it a couple of years ago to cut a car up into pieces so I could stack it in the bed of my '82 Toyota Pickup to haul it to the scrap yard. (I know I could've got it towed for cheap, but cutting it up was so much fun! 
)
I've got a HF angle grinder, a circular saw, table saw, multi-tool, and others. Their corded tools certainly aren't the best, but are IMO well worth the money. I wouldn't depend on them if I was a contractor, but for homeowners and DIY-ers, they're a great value. (However, I don't think I'll ever buy another cordless tool from them. The batteries are ****.)
But, yeah, I'd definitely use a bag rather than a hard case.
)I've got a HF angle grinder, a circular saw, table saw, multi-tool, and others. Their corded tools certainly aren't the best, but are IMO well worth the money. I wouldn't depend on them if I was a contractor, but for homeowners and DIY-ers, they're a great value. (However, I don't think I'll ever buy another cordless tool from them. The batteries are ****.)
But, yeah, I'd definitely use a bag rather than a hard case.
OutsideMachinist
Well-known member
Depends what you want to cut with it, and for how long. Cutting some wood around the house? Short burts or limited durations? It will be great. Maybe even some light duty cutting of metal. If you need to cut metal I would suggest a better quality one. If you look at the better hf sawzall its like 50-60 bucks. For 20-30 bucks more you could have a milwaukee.
Mark in Indiana
Well-known member
5 years ago, I bought a $20 HF sawzall figuring to use it, maybe once every 5 years. I couldn't justify spending more. However, I put mine through hell doing in-house remodeling and pruning trees & bushes. If it burns up, I'd gladly buy another one.
