Sawzalls Reciprocating Saws what do you have and like/dislike?

Stuart Ablett

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Tokyo Japan
OK, I'm in the market for a Reciprocating saw, or a a Sawzall kind of tool.

I do not have the access to the wide variety of tools that you guys in the US have, but I do have a few to choose from.

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One of the Hitachi units, one of the newest ones out, seems to be a bit heavier than most of the others, but has a good anti-vibration function...

mmakita_jr3020.jpg
Classic Makita unit

dewalt_DW303MK.jpg
I even found a DeWalt unit for sale

Those three seem to be the most common style, the basic shape that is.

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I also found this Hilti unit, it is quite different than the others.

I'm wondering which one to go for, I think I'll get a new unit, they are about twice the price over here than what I'm seeing on the net in the US, about $250 or so.

So, if any of you have one of these kinds of units, and can chime in with good or bad points, please do.

Cheers!
 
Hi Stu,

I have two. The Ryobi 18v and the Milwaukee Super Sawsall. For the occasional quick cut, removing a window, small tree limb, etc., The Ryobi is the one I go to. Mostly because it's lighter and has no cord. However, if I'm doing more that this, like a room demo, the Sawsall is the tool of choice. It has plenty of muscle and can power through almost anything. I've used it for wood, nails, plumbing, even masonry.

I don't see the Sawsall on your list of available tools - too bad. However, I know a couple of guys who own the PC or DeWalt versions and they are happy with them and they can do anything my Milwaukee can.

Hope this helps.
 
I know that the Sawzall is the gold standard, I have not seen any Milwaukee tools here, and if they are here, I can imagine that they will be pricey...

The Hitachi looks really good, has some newer neat functions, but I do not know if they will be worth it :dunno:
 
I've had a couple of the Milwaukee Super Sawsall, one variable and a two speed. Used them for several years in drywall/commercial construction and two house remodels, both have held up great.
 
I know a couple of rehab guys that use Makita for just about all their power tools. One of their recip. saws was dropped from the second story roof and nearly hit me. Stuck into the ground like an arrow after hitting 2 stories of planks and scaffling and hit about 3 ft from me.:eek:

It was still plugged in so I tried it out and it fired right up after the fall, the blade didn't make out to well though. :(
 
I'm kind of jumping on this, I really do need this tool, I thought I could get away without one, but there are a few cuts that need doing that I really do need this saw, so I ordered one, this one.............

bosch_gsa900e.jpg
It is a Bosch GSA 900E

To quote one of the UK sites I found it on.....

Compact tool design for best handling

• Compact design and 360° rotatable front housing for convenient working, even in hard-to-reach areas
• Electronically controlled, infinitely variable stroke rate control for material-oriented working
• Bosch SDS System for convenient and fast saw blade changing

Other features
• Rubber-coated housing for a secure grip
• Swivel-mounted stop for safe support when sawing
• Metal hook for conveniently hanging up the tool between work steps, e.g. on scaffolding
• The blade can be turned 180° and inserted into the blade holder, making overhead work easier

Specifications
  • Rated power input: 900 W
  • No-load stroke rate: 0 – 2.700 spm
  • Weight without cable: 3,4 kg
  • Cable length: 4 M
  • Saw, stroke length: 28 mm
  • Length: 432 mm
  • Cutting depth in wood: 250 mm
  • Cutting depth in metal profiles and metal pipes: 20 mm
I do not think this saw is available in the US..... :dunno:

It is a BLUE Bosch, so I hope I have better luck with it than the GREEN Bosch I've been somewhat disappointed with.

The 360 swivel head looks interesting, if I were going to be doing this full time and constantly demolishing stuff, I'd most likely have stayed away from such a feature (just something more to break) but as I'm not going to be doing this full time, I figure that 360 swivel might come in handy some time :thumb:

I will pay just over $200 for it........... well, the MIL will pay that much :D

Cheers!
 
Stu,

I have a weird view on this subject. Mostly I use mine for demolition, and the last thing I want then is to worry about messing up an expensive saw. So I've got an el cheapo ridgid. I don't have any qualms about misusing it, and over the last four years I've certainly gotten 70 bucks of work out of the thing. It's getting on time to buy a new one (parts of it have broken off, and the blade change mechanism now requires both a screwdriver and a bit of persuasion). But it's been dropped, kicked, thrust into places it didn't belong, smothered in wallboard dust, as they say in Texas: rode hard and put up wet. It's time to put it out to pasture, and get another one, but since they're cheap, I don't have many regrets... ;)

Thanks,

Bill
 
Stu, I'd think the Bosch should be a good unit. You probably can't get what I use either, PC Tiger Saw. The older non pivoting head unit. Lots of power. With the right blade, it cuts through anything! Be sure to let us in on the project(s) you will be using it for. Jim.
 
...The 360 swivel head looks interesting, if I were going to be doing this full time and constantly demolishing stuff, I'd most likely have stayed away from such a feature

Stu,

My dad gave me his about 14 years ago when I moved into my first house. He was a retired finishing carpenter, so it got used on building sites some, but not ever day. I'm pretty sure it's the classic makita type. (i'm at work right now -shhh- so I can't go check). Solid. Does the job. Probably about 20-25 yrs old and no sign of it slowing down.

Dunno about the swiveling head, but mine will let me flip how I install the blade 180 degrees, so I can either have it cut down or cut up, which takes care of all my needs so far. Variable speed also.

It's great how it can just cut through studs like a hot knife through butter. Scary though. I've never ever used the trigger lock, and I kind of wish it didn't have it. I would NOT like to have this machine locked "on" by accident.

best wishes with your purchase.
...art
 
hey stu, i have a bosch, can't recall the model number but it is the bigger one they make. it is a beast....it has no trouble man handling me when it gets in a bind, and i am not small. if that one is made similar it should be great.

mine has a quick release blade thingy....you just push the blade in and it snaps and locks. not sure how other models blades are loaded.

good luck, hope it meets your expectations
 
Stu, I had a Milwakee I bought used from a retired contractor. Who knows what it went through, but I don't see to well through walls and was really hard on the blades as I was learning the ropes with this tool. Anyway, sold it after I built the addition thinking I didn't need it anymore :dunno::doh::doh:. The one thing I disliked and it was probably due to its age, it needed an allen wrench to change blades. I bought a DeWalt because it was a DeWalt :D and it had a toolless blade changing ability. That saw has been through the mill and back. You won't regret it if you buy it. Good luck and happy sawing!!:rofl::rofl: Oh, don't forget, here in the states we hide (darn well I might add) electrical wiring in the walls :dunno:, bimetal blades don't even sneeze at wiring, hot or not!!!!!:rolleyes::huh:
 
I've got a couple blue Bosch tailed tools, and I've been real happy with them. I'm guessing their recip saw should be in the same class.

I have the same Ryobi 18v cordless Rennie mentioned. I bought it to remove the old gutters from our house, and the light weight was the main reason. (I first bought a Hitachi much like the one pictured in the first post here, but decided it was heavier than I wanted, so I took it back.) After using the Ryobi, I'm impressed. It made short work of the gutter spikes all the way around the house. I wouldn't want to demo a whole house with it, but for my very occasional use, it should be fine. I know Ryobi is not considered high-end stuff, but I've got a 5" Ryobi ROS that has a lot of hours on it, and it's still running like new.
 
Stu,

I think you'll like the Bosch. I have the RS20 and like it a lot.



Nice features are the easy snap/lock blade collar, variable speed with the trigger, and Hi/Lo switch for different material, work light and the built in AC plug that allows you go put on any length cord...
 
Hard to go wrong with a Bosch.

I have a Rigid Battery. I do not like having to push an extra "saftey" button to be able to pull the trigger.

Other than that, it will go thru a battery quickly.

But, it does what I ask. Getting good using cutting 6" PVC for the dust collection install. ( I will post pictures next week. That is going to be my weekend. )
 
I had a pc tiger saw and a hitachi cordless. Both were more than up to the jobs I threw them at. I'm without one now but I'll probably go with makita as that's what I'm changing all my tools over to. That said you probably wont go wrong with the bosch.
 
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I don't have one yet, but I probably should. Recently though the need for this tool became blazingly clear. Normally I buy only corded tools, but when we were deep out in a pasture, located ½ mile from any power source I realized the value of a battery-powered sawzall.

Splitting the spine of a cow carcass you are slaughtering and putting into quarters is very tedious with a handsaw. A battery powered reciprocating saw would have been so much easier, and faster. It took 45 minutes per cow from bullet to freezer, but with a battery powered sawzall I could have easily taken 10 minutes off that time.

A battery powered sawzall is on my Christmas List this year.
 
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