School me on Cordless Receporcating Saws

[~UB~]

I don't need a $500 saw. Just one that cuts straight, fast, good batt life and pretty good balance for home owner.
I have some craftsman drill's and the 19.2 batt pack ***** ***. I been through 4 of them. So I guess there saws might be out of the question???


So..
Whats the "Best Buy"???

 

[kissmeimgerman]

Edit: Guess I didnt read the title

 

[Tscott]

I decided about a year ago to standardize all my battery powered stuff to one brand and voltage. I settled on Dewalt for aver all quality and number of tool choices. I chose their 18 volt line and so far I have not been disappointed. I have a drill and reciprocating saw and both have been top notch. I yet to notice any battery life fall off, but I change them often and always leave them in the supplied charger which takes pretty good care of them.

Tom

 

[BrokewrenchLS1]

Milwaukee, Makita, DeWalt, and Hitachi all make pretty good battery-op sawzalls; that said, unless you really need the portability of battery-op, you'd be better off going with a corded version. From what I've seen in the contractor field, DeWalt and Milwaukee are pretty much the standard for recips, and for good reason.

 

[diesel research]

I was looking at starting a cordless collection that included a recip saw and angle grinder (plus impact and drill). Understanding full well that those are not optimal uses of cordless tools. The need HAS arised in the past.

The grinder eliminated SO from the mix. They do have a recip saw though. Crappy 18v drills eliminated dewalt from the mix. Slippery chucks, poor battery life, and less power are just a few of the reasons. Newer models used daily in an outdoor maintenance/industrial setting.

That left me looking at milwaukee, makita, and bosch. At a standstill right now and don't know which way I would go since I have never actually used anything other than cordless drill/impact/circular saw. Built a 10x10 building with nothing but dewalt 36v cordless.

 

[5lima30]

I've only borrowed a battery powered recip saw, I was not impressed. I have a 10 amp corded Porter Cable Tiger Saw that is beast. IMHO it is better than my Dad's old Milwaukee Sawsall.

 

[Todd.Brock]

Corded and Cordless are not the same. When you need ballz out power, its the corded model FTW. I had an 18v cordless Ryobi Kit from Home Depot that had a cordless sawzall. I never cut through metal with it(other than nails) and it hasnt let me down. Im a homeowner DIY guy, though. my experiences will be different from a pro.
I did however, get an early christmas present last week. I bought a Makita 18v cordless kit with Sawzall, impact driver, drill/driver and flashlight. I expect the same no BS results from the Makita sawzall. It is a bit heavy though. Check amazon.com and a free prime membership for shipping instead of home Depot. I saved about 80 bucks.

The Ryobi kit finished my entire basement, but after 4 years of pretty good DIY/home use, it was time for an upgrade. The NiCad batteries are toast I had even bought new batteries 2 years ago and they are starting to fade as well. The only thing I will keep from that kit is a sawzall for muddy outside work, etc...

 

[cdncowboy]

Milwaukee has been the gold standard for corded recip saws (although the Makita AVT is currently rated as the best by many now). Makita, Bosch, and DeWalt have the best battery powered tools with Makita having the best batteries IMHO. Rule of thumb is to stick with one brand once you start buying in order to simplify your life. For me, it would be Makita hands down no questions asked.

 

[pl_silverado]

I switched to all makita stuff last year and have not looked back.

 

[danski0224]

I don't need a $500 saw. Just one that cuts straight, fast, good batt life and pretty good balance for home owner.
I have some craftsman drill's and the 19.2 batt pack ***** ***. I been through 4 of them. So I guess there saws might be out of the question???


So..
Whats the "Best Buy"???

A cordless recip saw will never replace a corded version. They all **** down the batteries quick.

I have a Milwaukee 18v (the original, not the M18), and it works better on NiCd batteries than the LiIon replacements.

I used a V28, and wasn't really impressed compared to my 18v.

The DeWalts have a faster stroke, but they **** batteries faster in my experience.

Pretty hard to beat Ryobi when it comes to a price point.

I wouldn't recommend a cordless recip saw as a primary tool over a corded version.

 

[tvfd911]

The farm I worked at through college had a cordless NiCd Dewalt recip. That thing was a horrible battery hog and I'd have to take a half dozen batteries with to have a chance at making a simple cut through a stretch of 12 gauge metal. No comparison to a corded version, but stringing cord to some places I'd have to go wasn't an option.

Fast forward some years and I needed a recip myself. While I could have gotten away with a corded model, my dad has one and we typically share that kind of stuff, so cordless made sense to expand our selection. I picked up a Milwaukee M18 sawzall and holy ****. That thing has power. Real close to a corded model. Cuts things I wouldn't even dare with that Dewalt. If I push it hard (much harder than a battery machine should) it goes until until some overheat protection circuit in the battery shuts it down for a little rest.

anyone who borrows it cannot believe the performance out of it for a battery powered saw.

 

[boiler7904]

Another vote for the Makita 18V battery platform and tools if you're going cordless.

Makita also has a couple of promos going right now where you get an additional bare tool free by mail if you buy the LXT405, LXT406, LXT407 4 piece sets, LXT601 6 piece set, or LXT702 7 piece set.

Makita Promo

Occasional use would make a corded saw a lower cost option. I'd either go Makita AVT or Milwaukee in that case.

Since I've got a Bosch 12V Max driver and impact driver, I'm thinking about picking up their new mini recip saw too when I can get it locally for those smaller jobs that a full size recip saw is overkill for.

 

[Todd.Brock]

Just an FYI, That Makita bare tool promo expired 6/30/11. I downloaded the form and saw it. I called Makita to see if they would honor it b/c it was still on the site and they said no. She also didnt know why it was still on the site.

 

[Monte]

Bosch - Snap-On quality at a affordable price

 

[american lockpicker]

I think that Bosch used to be USA made.

 

[Monte]

I think that Bosch used to be USA made.

the last USA made Bosch saws were these here:

The one pictured above is and always was from China (afaik )

 

[metalgodlb]

I have used alot of them out there and I own the Hilti 18volt lithium recip saw.. but that is overkill for a DIYer.. still if you dont mind spending the money overkill is not a bad thing i do it all the time. i love knowing that im not going to have a problem of any of my tools not having enough shi#t in its britches to get the job done and its what i prefer to spend my hard earned money on. most any of the saws on here wont steer ya wrong just dont go to the store and buy the cheapest one on the rack.. that usually means ryobi, newer porter cable (that brand name has been ruined as far as cordless tools go), skil, black and decker etc. Before anyone jumps all over me im not saying these are all **** im just saying its safer to go with a lithium dewalt, milwaukee, bosch, makita hitachi hilti or whatever.. good point above about having same brand and same voltage. I absolutely hate carrying around more than one charger. I have the hilti flashlight, hammer drill, recip saw and circular saw in one big bag that i haul around and the batteries literally last forever. my second choice probably would have been milwaukee.

 

[camarotoolman]

I like my 18 volt Dewalt saw. It has lots of power and is good quality. Also There is alot of Dewaslt sruff out there used for sale so you can add other tools easy and cheap. I just missed a dril and charger at the flee for 20..00! I've sold several saw alls for 50-60 bucks. Batteries kind of ****, but can be rebuilt.

 

[KnurledNut]

we've always used (and abused) 18v dewalts. two problems with them. the switches will go bad (the same switch is in several tools and all notorious for going out) and the blade driver has a weak keyway that breaks. other than that, they will handle a lot of harm. if ya keep the batteries charged and tuned up they perform great.

 

[archirelic]

I've got Makita drills, impact drivers, circular saws, and reciprocating saws...all 18v. I use them in construction projects pretty frequently and they've never let me down. So I definitely would say you go check out their cordless recip. saw and get a feel for the ergonomics of it.

And on an aside, all the Bosch cordless reciprocating saws I've found around here are all Made in Mexico.

 

[BrokewrenchLS1]

I have used alot of them out there and I own the Hilti 18volt lithium recip saw.. but that is overkill for a DIYer.. still if you dont mind spending the money overkill is not a bad thing i do it all the time. i love knowing that im not going to have a problem of any of my tools not having enough shi#t in its britches to get the job done and its what i prefer to spend my hard earned money on. most any of the saws on here wont steer ya wrong just dont go to the store and buy the cheapest one on the rack.. that usually means ryobi, newer porter cable (that brand name has been ruined as far as cordless tools go), skil, black and decker etc. Before anyone jumps all over me im not saying these are all **** im just saying its safer to go with a lithium dewalt, milwaukee, bosch, makita hitachi hilti or whatever.. good point above about having same brand and same voltage. I absolutely hate carrying around more than one charger. I have the hilti flashlight, hammer drill, recip saw and circular saw in one big bag that i haul around and the batteries literally last forever. my second choice probably would have been milwaukee.

Having picked up a Porter-Cable combo kit at Lowes last year, I have to agree. I hadn't really read up on the brand before I bought the kit (I knew guys with older PC stuff that was solid) and after I got it home and used it a bit, I was pretty disappointed. It's ok as a homeowner-grade kit, but for anything really above that (even basic demo with the sawzall in the kit), it wouldn't work. I'm actually trying to decide between a DeWalt 18V combo or a Makita one to replace the PC kit I have.

And why they throw those great clunky battery-eating flashlights into the kits is beyond me...I guess as padding for the combo count number. I've got $5 "disposable" AA CREE lights that throw more light, and last longer, than those combo flashlight abominations.

 

[~UB~]

Well Thanks Everyone!!! But I have to say that this input can got me running scared. Sounds just like them 19.2 Craftsman tools.

So I whipped out the ole 75th anniversary Big Red Super Sawzall. That Milwaukee is a MONSTER!!! But it gets it done even though I need a 100ft of cord and watch what I was doing around the pool!!!

Somethings you just cannot change for convenience!!!




Oh..Did I say it was a bit warm out today??? Whewwww...

 

[MrMark]

I have Milwaukee corded and battery and Dewalt corded but those are all order made in USA models. The Milwaukee battery is the older 18V NiCad, which works better on these saws than the Li Ion, which I also have as the tool takes either, and that Milwaukee saw is a very good performer. It will run strong enough to do most jobs short of major continuous demo. It will cut through heavy 2" rigid conduit without much of a problem, as long as you use the Nicad battery. It won't do it very well with the Li Ion.

I would buy the Bosch if buying today.

 

[MrMark]

Bosch - Snap-On quality at a affordable price

It's funny that they make that many little changes to the basic Bosch model for Snap-on. That would seem to add a lot of expense.

 

[Monte]

The Bosch motor housing as a spare part cost 8,80€, the "handle bar set" cost 8,80€ too. If you deduct the dealer margin and the Bosch margin maybe it cost like 3€ each to manufacture (or less). So maybe for a couple of bucks extra for the engineering + mold they can make the Snap-On version at a slightly higher price than the Bosch version.

btw. here the US prices:
http://www.ereplacementparts.com/bo...-reciprocating-saw-parts-c-128_1131_7466.html

the motor housing only cost 4.24$ the handles 10.95$
so the motor housing is more like $1.- or $2.- to produce....

 

[Weps]

Not sure if it's what you had in mind, but I picked up the Bosch 12v Max as a supplement to a corded Hitachi and have been very pleased. It's not as fast and I wouldn't use it for heavy duty jobs over long periods, but for cuts in tight places it definitely come in handy. I've cut metal and wood with it and the cordless feature makes it extremely usable all around the house and yard.

 

[Danglerb]

+1 for corded, real power and much cheaper total costs.

 

[MrMark]

The Bosch motor housing as a spare part cost 8,80€, the "handle bar set" cost 8,80€ too. If you deduct the dealer margin and the Bosch margin maybe it cost like 3€ each to manufacture (or less). So maybe for a couple of bucks extra for the engineering + mold they can make the Snap-On version at a slightly higher price than the Bosch version.

btw. here the US prices:
http://www.ereplacementparts.com/bo...-reciprocating-saw-parts-c-128_1131_7466.html

the motor housing only cost 4.24$ the handles 10.95$
so the motor housing is more like $1.- or $2.- to produce....

good detective work Monte. Not so much after all.

 

[route246]

This is a bit of an understatement. If you are looking to do serious work with a cordless saw, forget it. You'll overheat batteries and run them down seriously fast. I have 2 DeWalts and they are fine for small jobs but don't expect to use them for long duty cycles the way you would with a cordless drill. It don't work that way. Corded is the only way to go for serious work. I have three corded saws and they never give me any sort of trouble.

On the other hand, I have the 12V Milwaukee Hackzall which is sliced bread and a pretty woman all wrapped into one. It overheats if you run her too long but for doing small jobs she is the cat's meow. The size and weight of the Hackzall is amazing, given the power she puts out.

A cordless recip saw will never replace a corded version. They all **** down the batteries quick.

I have a Milwaukee 18v (the original, not the M18), and it works better on NiCd batteries than the LiIon replacements.

I used a V28, and wasn't really impressed compared to my 18v.

The DeWalts have a faster stroke, but they **** batteries faster in my experience.

Pretty hard to beat Ryobi when it comes to a price point.

I wouldn't recommend a cordless recip saw as a primary tool over a corded version.

 

[diesel research]

Ok, here is the issue.

It is claimed that bosch has always been made in china. The SO is claimed to be made in the USA of usa parts. I believe it's said to be north carolina?

So other than striking similarities of the case, what exactly could be concluded?

 

[RKA]

Well Thanks Everyone!!! But I have to say that this input can got me running scared. Sounds just like them 19.2 Craftsman tools.

So I whipped out the ole 75th anniversary Big Red Super Sawzall. That Milwaukee is a MONSTER!!! But it gets it done even though I need a 100ft of cord and watch what I was doing around the pool!!!

Good job! As others said, the cordless is really for light duty work and trying to push the tool to work harder than it was intended is very hard on the batteries and will shorten their life. Incidentally, I used a Makita 18V with a 12" pruning blade to cut apart a 20 ft "branch" that was 6-8" wide. Ate discharged three batteries to do 5 cuts. It got the job done but those batteries were HOT. If I need to do that again in the next 6 mos. I'm buying a chainsaw and saving my batteries!

 

[89GLH]

My porter cable hasn't failed me yet

 

[Monte]

Ok, here is the issue.

It is claimed that bosch has always been made in china. The SO is claimed to be made in the USA of usa parts. I believe it's said to be north carolina?

So other than striking similarities of the case, what exactly could be concluded?

The Snap-On saw is "USA ASSEMBLED" (...with chinese Bosch parts...)

 

[Monte]

Snap-On

Bosch

 

[Takashi]

My vote goes for the Makita LXT series. If you look at the charger it seems to cycle the batteries better and Lithium Ion technology can store more energy per mass than equivalent NiCad. The key to good battery life is always being at appropriate temperatures (which sometimes rise on discharge) and proper cycling (which it appears the makita chargers do well). Also, the thirty minute charge time is scary fast when working, too.

 

[southalabama]

Dewalt 18 volt........but better get XRP batteries, regular batteries are about useless.

In their 18 volt line I've got their sawzall, circular saw and drill.

 

[TheGrooveking]

I have the DeWalt 18 volt cordless recip and the Hitachi 18 volt cordless recip, both a re good saws, but the Hitachi has more power and is less expensive.

TheGrooveking

 

[05CarbonDRZ]

I like how the put "Made in PRC" to cover up its made in CHINA

 

[Monte]

I like how the put "Made in PRC" to cover up its made in CHINA

That´s right !
But better than to write "USA assembled" on the tool like Snap-On does........

 

[diesel research]

I was looking at starting a cordless collection that included a recip saw and angle grinder (plus impact and drill). Understanding full well that those are not optimal uses of cordless tools. The need HAS arised in the past.

The grinder eliminated SO from the mix. They do have a recip saw though. Crappy 18v drills eliminated dewalt from the mix. Slippery chucks, poor battery life, and less power are just a few of the reasons. Newer models used daily in an outdoor maintenance/industrial setting.

That left me looking at milwaukee, makita, and bosch. At a standstill right now and don't know which way I would go since I have never actually used anything other than cordless drill/impact/circular saw. Built a 10x10 building with nothing but dewalt 36v cordless.

Looks like makita is winning in the polls so far?