How to Choose a Cordless Recip Saw – a Toolstop Buying Guide
Posted by Toolstop Fraser on 1st Jun 2016
Reciprocating saws (sabre saws) are mainstays of the jobsite. No matter what you’re cutting, be it metal, timber, plaster, drywall, plastic tubing, and more, it’s the ideal professional power tool for quickly cutting through whatever you need to cut through. This guide is exactly what you’re looking for to help you decide on the best recip saw to buy.
The cuts from a recip saw aren’t going to be the prettiest – you’d use a circular saw, for example, if the look of the cut mattered – but the push and pull (reciprocation) action of the saw blade means you’ve got a powerful, adaptable and capable tool in your hands.
It’s a bit like having a jigsaw that you can use any way up you want…
In this guide to buying a cordless reciprocating saw, we’ll cover:
- Batteries and tools size
- Speed and Stroke
- Extra Features
- Recommended Recip Saws
In our guide, we’ve included recip saws that are powered by 10.8v Li-ion batteries or 18v batteries.Another factor that bears considering is the weight of the product.
Bigger batteries tend to mean heavier power tools, so if your main applications for your cordless recip saw are shorts bursts of cutting above shoulder height and/or in confined spaces, a smaller lighter 10.8v li-ion powered tool is probably your best bet.
We’ve listed a few of these below, check out the size and weight of the saw before you buy, making sure it’ll allow you to work safely in confined areas.
But if you’re cutting heavier workpieces and need more grunt and run time from your battery, a 4Ah 18v Li-ion model is worth looking at.
Why Does the Speed and Stroke of a Recip Saw Matter
Speed is everything when you’re cutting. The faster the blade moves, the better the cut, the more control you have over the saw and the quicker the cut takes place. Click here to see the type of blades you should use.
Variable speed on your cordless recip saw’s trigger is a useful benefit as it gives you complete control over the strokes per minute the blade moves at and is typically linked with the saw having “soft start”; you control how fast the blade moves from the first moment you depress the trigger.
Stroke length is another important specification to look at.
Stroke length is the distance the blade covers with one forward movement. The longer the stroke length, the faster the cut and the longer your saw blade with last.
Talking of blades, be sure to take some time to read our recip blade buying guide as using the correct saw blade for your application protects you and your recip saw, and means you get the job done faster.
Ultimately, the capacity of the cuts you wish to undertake will in a large way be determined by the blade you use.
What Extra Features Should You Look for on a Recip Saw
We all love extra features on our professional power tools. In the world of cordless recip saws, look out for features such as electronic controls on the motor, the ability to reverse or change the cutting angle of the blade, LED job lights are always a bonus, tool-less blade changing and the ability to use your jigsaw blades in the recip saw.
What’s the Best Recip Saw to Buy
Below we’ve listed the latest cordless reciprocating saws on the market. If we’ve got demo videos of the saw in action, you’ll be able to watch it by clicking the Demo Video button.
Dewalt DCS380N 18V XR li-ion Reciprocating Saw |
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Bosch GSA18V-LI 18V li-ion Cordless Reciprocating Saw |
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Makita DJR185Z 18V Cordless li-ion Mini Reciprocating Saw |
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Makita DJR360ZK 18V Brushless Reciprocating Saw |
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Bosch GSA18VLICNCG Compact Sabre Saw |
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