I need a Reciprocating Saw... could use some advice

[Redsnake]

I'm in need of a reciprocating saw to add to my tool collection... plus I have a lot of metal parts (read old muffler and pipes... and some wood fence cutting to do) and have been wanting a reciprocating saw/sawzall for a while now.

I'm not sure if I'd prefer battery powered, but if they hold up then it'd be nice not to have to drag out the extension cord all the time, especially if I need to use the saw in the yard.

Any suggestions as to what To and Not To buy? I'd like to keep the $$ under $200 ... so I've been looking at the Dewalt DC385K 18V (sold at Lowes & Home Depot) and also the lesser priced Dewalt DW304PK corded... and then there are a couple inbetween those two. I'm not sure of the other brands you can get as I've always had good luck w/ Dewalt power tools.

Suggestions on brands or prices and where to get?

Thanks

 

[ChiXJeff]

Sounds like you have more than a casual need for a recip saw.

Think about the original Milwaukee Sawzall. A buddy of mine tells me that they have a new nose design that lets it rotate 360 degrees for cuts in any direction.

 

[Blackash132]

I just bought a Ridgid cordless since I have a ridgid drill. batteries interchange.
what kind of cordless drill do you have? that's what I would do.

ps.
lithium batteries rock.

 

[jpcherokeekid]

ive got a cordless craftsman sawzall and i love it. long battery life and it had two built in LED lights for cutting in dark places.

 

[Bugboy]

Heck for $200 you could buy a good corded one and a average battery one. then you get the best of both worlds. I have a rigid cordless. I love it as it is great to use out on the fences in the 40 acre farm i help out at, but the batteries are not the best if you have alot of cutting to do.

sean

 

[kujito]

I rocked the Ryobi brand cordless stuff for the last 2 years I was remodeling homes. The truck got broke into and my GayWalt kit was stolen. I needed something to get by with and didn't have a ton of $ for 'em as it was right close to Xmas. The guys I worked with flamed me all the time for buying "that cheap crap", but I kept up right next to the Ridgid and GayWalt stuff all day long for 1/3 the price they paid. These were not occasional use tools. I made my living with them, and used them EVERY day. I never found the need to upgrade and drop all that loot for whatever else. The standard batteries are like $50 for two. I've got around 10 of the tools, and with 6 batteries I never had to wait for the charger.
x100 on the Li-Ion battery power.
All Li-Ion tools are more $ than there NI-Cad/Nimh counterparts and worth it, the Ryobi stuff is just less expensive than most.
All tools are not created equal and occasionally the price is not a good indicator of quality.

 

[Nuke Proof]

I have Milwaukee 28v Lithion Sawzall and several brands of corded. They both have their advantages, but I usually grab the Milwaukee. The only disadvantage is it is battery powered and batteries die. But as far as power, the Milwaukee rips all my other brands apart.

Like someone else said it looks like your need is more than occasional. Do yourself a favor and buy the good brands. When it comes to corded or not, don't let extension cords determine your choice. The determining factor should be, "How many times will I need this when there is no power to plug into?"

Food for thought, Rigid and Milwaukee are made by the same company, along with Ryobi.​

 

[Daedalus454]

I just bought the cheap $40 Ryobi corded from Home Depot, it works really well and for my occasional use it's perfect.

 

[5-90]

Food for thought, Rigid and Milwaukee are made by the same company, along with Ryobi.​

Yeah - Panasonic. I had a temp spot moving a company out here (Aromat, a division of Panasonic) and saw their warehouse out here. Oddly enough, Panasonic makes damned solid power tools... I've got a 12v hammer drill from Panasonic that can almost keep up with my Bosch Bulldog.

IIRC, Black & Decker is the "home use" version of DeWalt - although I'd sooner spend the extra couple of bucks on a DeWalt (I may not use power tools often, but I do use them hard...)

Recip saw? I've got a Craftsman - and it's not too bad. It's held up to everything I've thrown at it so far. Most of getting good cuts from a saw will come back to using quality blades tho - see if you can find Irwin blades locally. They're usually blue, and hold an edge very well. I've been using Irwins in pretty much everything (boxcutter, circsaw, recipsaw, hacksaw, and I should be getting new handsaws soon as well...) My saw isn't fancy, but I give it good blades and it's co-operative.

 

[blaisetd]

I picked up a DeWalt combo with a 3/8 drill and saw in the corded version on ebay for under $100 new. I beat the piss out of them while building my house and shop. hth blaise

 

[RockMonkey]

I've had a Porter Cable Tiger saw for ten years or so. It fully rocks, although I rarely use it anymore. Almost anything it can do, a plasma cutter can do better.:cheers:

 

[beakie]

I have always been a Makita guy, but with Rigid's new LifeTime guarantee I can't see why one wouldn't get one. Even the batteries are lifetime, and the new Lithiums last a good whie, and with 2 batteries that charge in about 30 minutes max you can't run out of power if you have AC available. No power around, get an extra battery, 3 should last atleast a few hours of 'casual' use.

 

[Ray H]

Ive got a corded Dewalt recip that has worked very well for me for a number of years. Absolutely no complaints on my Dewalt.
Ive also got an 18v cordless Black and Decker recip that works well also. It doesnt have the power that the 110v recip does but it still gets the job done. I'd say it would cut through four maybe five 4X4 posts on a fully charged battery. If I could have only one (corded or cordless) im not sure which one I would choose, probably the one that best serves the next job I was planning.

 

[Redsnake]

Thanks for all the info. Gives me a lot more to think about.

 

[HaleYes]

I've got the Craftsman 19.2V lineup and love it. Sawzall is decent for the money. It's held up to everything I've used it for. I like it's portability. Makes a great saw to cut shooting lanes in the woods. Battery life is much better than I expected it to be as well. I'd buy another.