Help me pick a cordless recip saw

[bams50]

I need a cordless sawzall for cutting body panels, etc. in junkyards. I know there are different voltages, but not sure what they mean- is it power? Or battery stamina? Or both?

I won't be using it all that much, maybe average once a twice a month. Don't want to bother with junk that's going to fail me the first or second use.

Anyone have a recommendation? And, how long will a battery go on a charge?

Please educate me on what I need to know.

 

[Justin1776]

For starters, cordless sawzalls use quite a bit of power. For your use, I would consider 18 volt to be your minimum voltage. I personally own a makita 18 volt lithium ion sawzall and I love it. The only draw back is battery life (with any sawzall). One battery will not last all day, not even close. I also own a craftsman 19.2 volt sawzall which works well but requires more battery charges per job.
You have two options as far as quality.
Home owner grade (usually ni-cad batteries, lithium optional)= craftsman, ryobi, porter cable etc.
Professional = Makita, Bosch, Milwaukee, Dewalt etc. Usually lithium ion standard.

Use good blades too such as Lenox

 

[Monte]

Do you already own cordless tools ?

 

[MattPersman]

I have a dewalt and like stated it uses up batteries because of the power requirements, but have had no problems with it. would have no problem buying a Milwaukee, bosch, dewalt or makita, in no specific order

 

[RKA]

I've got a makita 18V...batteries will go about 5 min continuous. The batteries are old, but I've not noticed any issues with them in my other cordless tools, so I'm inclined to suggest this will be typical. Oh, and they will get HOT if you run it continuous like that...which will kill the batteries in short order. As suggested above, sharp blades will make all the difference. It's not the perfect tool, but if you don't have a plug nearby....

Do you have other 18V tools so you can standardize on one battery system? That would be my first suggestion.

 

[chrisexv6]

I actually like my Ridgid 18V cordless recip saw. Works well but feels a little cheaper than a Makita or DeWalt would. It DID come with a 5 piece cordless set so its not like I bought it separately to have it.

If you already have batteries for something, then go with that brand. if you DONT, then Id think about looking at the brand and tools overall (not just the recip saw) in case you want to get into more cordless stuff down the road. I chose Ridgid because of the lifetime battery warranty, but the new 20V DeWalt LithIon stuff looks interesting.

 

[loranger]

I have the 20v Dewalt sawzall and it works awesome. Make sure you get the 3ah battery instead of the 1.5ah though. It will last a lot longer. I used it to cut some frame horns off here recently and it worked perfectly!

 

[JayL]

The Metabo 18V 3.0 Li Power Extreme batteries ( made in Hungary ) reasonably last on a cordless angle grinder. Probably much more longer on a reciprocating saw.

The battery charge indicator is also a good feature. I usually check it out first before starting a job to make sure the batteries have enough juice left.

I do have the Metabo cordless recip saw but have not used it yet so can't give much feedback. It's Chinese made but a well built tool.

http://www.amazon.com/dp/B005G10OFO/?tag=atomicindus08-20

 

[PCO6]

I have the 20v Dewalt sawzall and it works awesome. Make sure you get the 3ah battery instead of the 1.5ah though. It will last a lot longer. I used it to cut some frame horns off here recently and it worked perfectly!

I have a DeWalt 20V too and agree with your comments. I am very happy with mine.

 

[cashishift]

I have a dewalt 18v.. love it.

I bought it on Craigslist.. works great.

the ability to switch the blade position is nice.. as is a unit that doesn't require you to slide something over and hold it then pull the trigger to use it.

a friend has a craftsman 19.2 set that is like this.. rubbish i tell you.

 

[waterboy12]

Dewalt

 

[bams50]

Lots of good comments. Thanks!

Good question, Monte. Yes, I do own some Ryobi cordless tools that are about 8 years old. The batteries are crapped out. Didn't have a sawzall anyway. So I'm starting from scratch here. But I'll keep in mind getting something that has other tools that can share the battery.

I'm a little confused. I figured I'd go for at least an 18v. But I see there are also 20v and 23v models. What's the difference, more power or more duty cycle?

And, it seems most of them are 18v. Of those, the prices vary widely. How does one narrow them down, brand loyalty? Some are $300-plus. What's better about those?

My general MO is to spend a little more for better quality. I'm not against HF stuff or Snap-On; I own some of each, and there's a right time for low- or high-end, depending on what the item is. I'm just not sure here. As an example, I had to buy a few $40 booster pacs that lasted a few months before I learned and bought the $300 pro unit that's been kicking *** now for close to 10 years. That's what I'm trying to decide here: decent or high end.

Thanks for the benefit of your experience!

 

[Justin1776]

20 volt "max" lithium ions are actually 18 volt batteries under load. It's a pure marketing move, same with the 12 volt max lithium ions (10.8 volt). Most brands have settled on 18 volt for medium size tools and 36 volt for large tools. 24 volt tools seem to be on the way out due to the improvements in the power available from the current 18 volt tools. I would review 18 volt tool brand line ups (circular saws, drills, impact drivers, lights etc.) and see what you like as a whole in case you want to add more tools down the line using the same batteries. Most brands offer packages of a drill with a sawzall for just a bit more than a single tool (much of the cost is consumed with the batteries and charger). As for the best value in 18 volts right now, it is hard to beat the Dewalt 18 volt ni-cad line. Lowes currently has a 4 pack set (drill, sawzall, impact, light) for $299. This is a great deal if your old drill is worn out (i believe it comes with the small batteries though). You can also look for savings with refurbished tools. Check out CPO Outlets online

 

[bluebolt]

My Craftsman 19.2 volt is several years old and still going strong. All my cordless are Craftsman 19.2 volt and overall have worked fine. I have about 5 regular batteries and one Lithium-Ion. I once cut a Miata in half with two batteries and one blade.

 

[bams50]

I appreciate all the comments. So I wanted to give an update.

I looked around some online, then went to my local Lowe's and Home Depot, and small-time hardware store. What I found was, nobody sells individual cordless tools. Well, they will, but they have to order it; and the price as compared to the set makes no sense.

So I started looking at sets. Most 18V sets come with recip saw, circular, drill, and some form of lantern, plus the charger and one or two batteries. There's NiCad and Lithium Ion batteries. My research shows Li-ion to be about double the capacity of of NiCad for these tools.

So to shorten the story, my favorite to this point is Lowes' Kobalt set. You can get the NiCad set for $169, and the Li-ion set for $269. For the extra $100 you get the Li-ion batteries, a better lantern, and until 4/15 you get a third $85 battery for free. Unless I find something better in the next few days, that's what I'm going with. You can see both sets here:

http://www.lowes.com/pl_Kobalt_4294...d_lis_ord_nbr|0||p_product_qty_sales_dollar|1

What do you guys think?

 

[kngelv]

I'm not a fan of the 4 and 5 piece sets. At least one of the tools is usually compromised as far as quality. I purchased the Dewalt 20v 2 piece Hammer Drill and reciprocating saw and also the impact driver. There was a battery promo too. The saw in the two piece has a 4-way blade while the one in larger sets is only a 2-way. I think you will regret purchasing the Kobalts.

James

 

[PCO6]

kngelv - I agree. I did more or less what you did with the DeWalt 20V tools. I bought one of the drill / driver combination sets and later a recipricating saw, a circular saw and a flashlight individually. I also noticed the 2 way / 4 way blade thing you mentioned and also that the plate on the circular saw in one of the multi peice kits was stamped metal vs. cast if you bought it individually.

In the end you probably pay a bit more for the individual tools but they do have some better features. My only complaint is that I ended up with more chargers than I need.

 

[ChrisF250]

As far as kobalt is concerned I doubt they make enough versions of tools to "dumb" down the tools in the combo kits. I've handled some of those kobalt tools in store and was not impressed, felt much like the 19.2 line from craftsman or ryobi. I really believe if your starting fresh buy one Of the better brands. Also look into hitachi and specifically big sky tool. Hitachi makes high quality tools but is less well known, also all li ion tools carry a lifetime warranty.

 

[yevangelis]

the problem with tools is that Ridgid offers a drill which is made in china by Ryobi, and also offers a sander which is made in Germany, so you cant just say one brand is better than another- its not that easy. Unless its Hilti or Festool, all their tools are great.

but ive used and like the following cordless recips in order-
bosch- the 7.3 powerstroke
makita- the duramax
.
.
.
dewalt- the 7.3 idi


buy one of the above, everything else is a waste of money either way on the scale

hilti would be a 12v 5.9 cummins
festool a 24v cummins

 

[kngelv]

kngelv - I agree. I did more or less what you did with the DeWalt 20V tools. I bought one of the drill / driver combination sets and later a recipricating saw, a circular saw and a flashlight individually. I also noticed the 2 way / 4 way blade thing you mentioned and also that the plate on the circular saw in one of the multi peice kits was stamped metal vs. cast if you bought it individually.

In the end you probably pay a bit more for the individual tools but they do have some better features. My only complaint is that I ended up with more chargers than I need.

I had the 6 piece Dewalt 18v kit. It was Ni-Cad and when the batteries went I intended to buy Li-Ion to replace them. The Dewalt 20v line had just come out. I liked the handle and battery design of the new stuff and because of that the batteries are cheaper. I ended up selling all of my 18v stuff to a friend. I always hated the giant bag that came with the six piece because I never needed to carry all of them at once. Now I have a small bag for the two-piece and a hard case for the impact. Much more convenient. Plus with the promo I have two chargers an five batteries.

James

 

[bcradio]

I have the DeWalt 36v sawzall and have to say it is definitely nice to have the extra beef or the 36v. I would say its worth it to look into 36v tool lines (Bosch Dewalt) if you will be using the tools a lot. Otherwise 18 or 20v will do. I would say you will see a definite benefit from the 36v over 18v with all the cordless tools with the exception of the drill (too big/bulky for daily use).

 

[chrisexv6]

the problem with tools is that Ridgid offers a drill which is made in china by Ryobi, and also offers a sander which is made in Germany, so you cant just say one brand is better than another- its not that easy. Unless its Hilti or Festool, all their tools are great.

but ive used and like the following cordless recips in order-
bosch- the 7.3 powerstroke
makita- the duramax
.
.
.
dewalt- the 7.3 idi


buy one of the above, everything else is a waste of money either way on the scale

hilti would be a 12v 5.9 cummins
festool a 24v cummins

Ridgid is owned by TTI, who also owns Ryobi and last I checked Milwaukee.

Just like DeWalt has their "compact" stuff (meant for homeowner use), XRP (meant for contractor use), Ryobi Ridgid and Milwaukee fall in the same. Ryobi is the homeowner brand, Milwaukee is the contractor brand.

Ridgid is somewhere in between (and that might be why Ryobi and Milwaukee have a much larger selection of tools for their batteries)

Ive been a fan of Ridgid simply because of the good deal I got on a 5 piece 18V set (NiCD), and their lifetime battery warranty.

If DeWalt would match the lifetime battery warranty, I wouldnt hesitate to switch in a minute. But I cant see paying at least 300 for a set of tools to replace my Ridgid that ends up costing more than the set itself to replace batteries down the road. I know they have a 2 year warranty, but I keep my tools a lot longer than 2 years. This Ridgid set is going on 6 yrs.

 

[onthefence777]

When I bought my house I knew I had a lot of work to do, and found a decent deal on a ryobi kit at Home Depot, about $250 if IIRC. I would have liked to get the Milwaukee kit based on friends recommendation, but at $400 I couldn't justify the added expense over the ryobi. The kit Came with the drill, Circular saw, sawzall, and a worklight. I sprung for the Lithium upgrade and sure am glad I did. Can't remember if I bought one seperate, but I have two batteries - a small and a large one.

The sawzall does indeed eat the batteries quickly. But, between the two batteries I was able to work pretty steadily - READ: not constant use. The batteries charge fairly quickly, so I would say with 3 full size batteries you could cut continuously in a cycle. However, for full time day in day out continuous use, I would recommend a wired sawzall. Some day when I got some spare cash I will start watching for a CL deal on one to add to my toolkit. Personally, I like the portability of batteries, and don't need full time cutting, so this kit worked for what I needed.

I later bought a ryobi angle grinder. That thing is a BATTERY HOG! The job I bought it for meant a few hours of grinding and was here at the house, so I went back the next day and bought a wired one too. Didn't even think about taking battery powered one back - never know when I might need it on a job away from power.

So basicially, I can recommend the Ryobi line - I felt like I put all the tools through their paces, and still work just the same today. Love the light weight compared to my old DeWalt drill, and the internal level on the drill is great too!

 

[chrisexv6]

I was lucky enough to pick up a Ryobi LithIon kit from Home Depot for 0.01 (yes, a penny)

Its the lime green stuff. I have to say Im pretty impressed. The recip saw is more compact than my Ridgid cordless and seems a little better on the batteries as well. I usually only use the battery hog cordless tools (circ saw, recip saw) for small stuff like pruning bushes, cutting a stud out of a wall, etc. Anything larger than that and Ill pull out the corded recip saw. I highly recommend picking up a halfway decent one. I have a DeWalt but have seen good sales on Bosch and Milwaukee as well. The drill is decent, worklight isnt bad. Havent used the circ saw yet.

The thing about Ryobi is that they seem to get a lot more "new design" tools. Their cordless oscillating tool can use the Ridgid interchangeable heads, but is 18V (Ridgids is only 12V). Yes its not as compact, but it provides a lot more oomph. They have a cordless grinder, Ridgid does not. Their Tek lineup isnt bad either. Smaller 4V tools, I picked up a 4 piece kit a while ago.