Cordless reciprocating saw experience?

Hi folks,

I have a cheap Ryobi one+ reciprocating saw, and find myself reaching for it fairly often for rough cuts - however, it’s pretty gutless (as you would expect for a saw that I think cost me $100).

Thinking of replacing it and relegating the ryobi to trimming the garden (which it’s great for) - anyone got a reciprocating saw they particularly like?

I have a bit of a collection of one+ gear and I like it for the most part, so the ryobi brushless is a strong contender - anyone tried one? What did you think?

I’m considering switching from one+ to a higher-end 18V system (Milwaukee/marital/desalt/Bosch blue/hitachi/whatever), so another brand would be OK, as long as I can build up a good collection sharing batteries with it.

Also have a Milwaukee M12 driver (which is excellent) and a couple of batteries so if the M12 brushless saw is amazing I would consider that too, but I feel like a reciprocating saw is probably something that’ll be better with more than 12 volts!

Cheers,

Danny

I have a Makita 18v DJR186. Does the job but it will drain the battery. (Two 3Ah batteries in about 90 minutes of stop start cutting.)
I Have used it for demolishing a pergola, trimming/cutting down trees and cutting roots in the ground. Also cutting fire wood.

Just as important as the tool is the blade. A sharp straight blade will make cutting easier.

I have a Makita and use it "a lot".
I got a Makita because I already have Makita 3 drill drivers and 4 batteries.
At the mens shed I put a demolition TC blade on it and used it to cut through a 245mm diameter hole through two layers of Colorbond and 90 mm thick pine framing for the dust extractor trunk line.

The other good use for it is in the garden. I won't use a chainsaw up a ladder but the reciprocating saw is fine.

I have the 18v Makita one and it is far from gutless and would happily buy again. The Ryobi stuff is handyman gear so any of the other brands you mentioned will be far superior to it.

Pick a brand that you can easily access at your local supplier, personally I would favour Makita, Milwaukee,Dewalt over the other brands purely because they are easy to come by, Makita probably being the easiest as all toolshops and the big green shed carry them.
I have used the DeWalt gear and it is powerful but I find it uncomfortable to use whereas the Makita and Milwaukee gear seem more balanced and ergonomic but that is just a personal preference.

I recently bought the 2x18v Makita chainsaw and it easily matches my little MS170 Stihl. Battery gear is very impressive these days

I have the smaller Bosch Blue 18v which I've found quite good, even bought one to give to my son-in-law for his tool collection.....Cheers, crowie

Many thanks folks - sounds like so far everyone likes the ones they have tried, which is good news!

If they're all pretty good I guess I will look at which battery system I want to buy into.

I agree with Handyjack - a good sharp blade is vital with these things!

Quote:

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Originally Posted by rtyuiop

Many thanks folks - sounds like so far everyone likes the ones they have tried, which is good news!

If they're all pretty good I guess I will look at which battery system I want to buy into.

I agree with Handyjack - a good sharp blade is vital with these things!

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I received an email last week from Makita with redemption specials of free items when you buy selected goods, google Makita Redemptions and you will see what is currently on offer, I assume the other brands do a similar thing so worth checking out.

A couple of months ago Milwaukee was doing a deal where you could swap your Makita gear for the equivalent Milwaukee product. They are all keen to get you wedded to their system as it guarantees future sales.

The Redemptions also provide a good avenue for Gumtree sales as many people either do not want the saw or already have one. I purchased a brand new Makita one from Gumtree, still in plastic wrap that was a redemption for less than 2/3 new price.

This was the DRJ187 model which is Brushless, which has much better battery life than the earlier models.

Bauldy

+1 for the Makita 18v, paired with either Bosch blades (made in Suisse) or Lennox blades. For a cordless saw, it's a beast.

Quick tip on the blades.....

For the past year I have purchased 2 carbide tipped blades.... They crap all over the standard jobs! Yes, they're about 25 - 35 bucks a pops but they cut sooooooo much quicker, they last a bloody long time and because they are sharper they don't need as much pressure so prolong the battery life and also gives you a better chance of cutting in a straight line where you wanted to cut (Saber saws - oh, you want to cut here....how about I cut 10mm off that line, I'll cut on an angle and run it outta whack for you)

Quote:

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Originally Posted by Gabriel

Quick tip on the blades.....

For the past year I have purchased 2 carbide tipped blades.... They crap all over the standard jobs! Yes, they're about 25 - 35 bucks a pops but they cut sooooooo much quicker, they last a bloody long time and because they are sharper they don't need as much pressure so prolong the battery life and also gives you a better chance of cutting in a straight line where you wanted to cut (Saber saws - oh, you want to cut here....how about I cut 10mm off that line, I'll cut on an angle and run it outta whack for you)

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Any particulate brand please Gabriel??

I have the Milwaukee 18volt great piece of kit . My son also uses Milwaukee as a trady comes in handy swapping skins .

Crowie, I have used both Lennox and Diablo. The Diablo laster a good 6 months of occasional use (on building sites) but taking precaution not to hit nails....

The Lennox has been going for a couple if months now and still going strong