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Thread: Need a new recip saw

  1. #1
    Join Date
    Jan 2007
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    New Hampshire
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    Need a new recip saw

    My recip saw was a hand me down from my father. I'm not one to look a gift tool in the blade. I used and took care of it. It made hundreds and hundreds of feet of cuts for me after my father used it for years. Unfortunately it died this weekend. Surgery was attempted to revive it but it was to no avail. The autopsy showed several points of failure, all broken metal parts that are just not repairable. Unfortunately we have no paperwork and the labels are long worn away, so I have no idea what the model number is to attempt to locate replacement parts.

    I'm now in the market for a new recip saw. I stopped at HD this morning to check out what they had. The standard Milwalkee and the Dewalt on display caught my attention. I found the Milwalkee very heavy, but it looks like it has a metal case compared to the Dewalt's plastic one. This is as far as my research has gone so far.

    Which recip saw do you have and why don't you like it?

  2. #2
    the dewalt is crap the blade release dosnt work well and its not powerful at all and very sloppy my old milwalkee work very well though

  3. #3
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    Milwaukee has always been the standard. Not sure what they are like now since the parent company of Ryobi owns that brand.

    I own a Milwaukee($200) and it is a great saw but kinda sorry I purchased it. It is way more saw than I need. I bet I have not used it 3 times in 5 years or more. A $50 job would have worked for me.
    "Remember back in the day, when things were made by hand, and people took pride in their work?"
    - Rick Dale

  4. #4
    Join Date
    Feb 2005
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    My 18 volt Makita is my prefered saw. Quick release blade change is the best and also have the Makita 6-1/2" circular saw and mating drill and impact driver. Have corded versions of these tools but hardly ever use them now. The convenience is just too good. Allso have access to a Ryobi and Milwaukee recip. For the budget minded homeowner, the Ryobi would be a good option. I'd seriously look at Harbor Freight. For the money, I've gotten some great deals there and considering the cost of the tool versus sending it out for service, it's a good deal. I know of some contractors who will buy HF for a job and if it breaks or gets lost they still are ahead.

  5. #5
    Join Date
    Dec 2008
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    I assume you are talking sawzall?

    I have two Dewalts. One is commercial grade and one is Borg grade. The commercial on is good, the other not so exciting.

    I also have a PC Tiger saw, not so precise but just about as fast as a chain saw, a Makita, again a quick purchase so I did not have to go to the shop. It is a Borg model and not so spectacular. I have an older Milwalkee, not very aggressive but very controllable. When I need to do some scribing on log homes it is my choice as I can plunge cut to a line with a metal blade with amazing precision with this saw.

    If you are talking jigsaw, buy a Bosch. Best value period. I bought the Dewalt copy of the Bosch, and I gave it away after I got it back from repair. It broke the first time I used it, and it did not have the balance of the Bosch. I'll never give up my worm drive PC, but most times I want the Bosch.

    Larry

  6. #6
    Join Date
    Nov 2006
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    Maybe I just don't have a good saw to make a comparison. I thought the Dewalt I got from Lowe's was pretty nice and worked well...especially compared to the 18 volt B&D Firestorm that wasn't cutting the mustard (or anything else).

  7. #7
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    I have a corded and cordless dewalt, I bought them both used and I am very happy with both. The cordless saw is light and still cuts the mustard. If I were going to buy new I would get the high end Milwaukee with the head or grip you can pivot. All the name brand saws are pretty good, the big quality difference is in the blades.

  8. #8
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    Doing some research now. What is the orbital motion for? Is it worth the expense?

  9. #9
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    In general orbital motion on saws reduces the heat buildup and increases cutting speed (says so when you Google it), but it introduces vibration. Think that's why many jigsaws give you the option of disabling the oribital motion. Since Reciprocal saws are generally for carnage and destruction, orbital motion sounds like it would let you cut faster and make your blades last longer...

  10. #10
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    Some saws like the PC Tiger have a switch to make it orbital or not. Orbital for ripping stuff up in a hurry and non orbit for steel and stuff that you want a little more control over.

    Look at the stroke as well. If you want it for demolition get a long stroke orbital unit, if you need control get a shorter stroke, especially if you are going to have to do plunge cutting. The old Milwalkees only had a 7/8" stroke so they were slow but great for delicate situations.

    Larry

  11. #11
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    I have an old Bosch. A beast, but does it work well.

  12. #12
    The best feature, and the only good one, of A dewalt is the color, Had one that had a bent arbour. Huh?? How would that happen. All Dewalt stuff I had was crap.

    Bought a HF unit for 25 bucks. If/when it packs it in I'll do the same as with the Dewalt-throw it in the trash. Difference is I will have only lost $25 vs 150 for the dewalt.

  13. #13
    I have one of the 18 volt Makida Cordless models and really like it. I use it in the yard for smaller tree work. Have also done quite a bit of work on the rafters. The builder originally left these 2x4 rafters overlong- about 18 inches out past the gutter. I am partly through cutting them off and doing some additional cutting in many areas while up on the ladder. The cordless Makita is really handy for the ladder work. Unless you do demolition day in and day out it should handle most jobs that come up.

    Regards,
    Larry R
    Seattle

  14. #14
    Join Date
    Sep 2009
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    Euless, TX (DFW)
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    There are a lot of features to look for in a sawzall. Don't underestimate the blade change mechanism. The Harbor Freight saws typically use an Allen head screw. It requires a tool, and there are pieces that are easy to loose, the hole can sometimes strip if you get a lemon, but it is straight forward. It's tedious, but it works. Blade-free designs range form pretty good to downright useless. I used a DeWalt a while ago that required the user to spin a spring loaded nut with itty bity wings over 180 degrees inside the cage area. My Ridgid cordless sawzall has worked perfectly, but the mechanism that telescopes the stop is pure junk. The keyless blade change on my Ridgid jigsaw only holds the blade in half the time, and rarely straight. I'm sure you will find something with the right mix of power, weight, ruggedness, and value; just make sure the blade change mechanism works for you.

    Be sure to check Craigslist. The market seems to be flooded with lightly used sawzalls of all varieties.

  15. #15
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    My old Craftsman had the allen head screw. It was helicoiled atleast twice in it's life time. Dewalt has to blade change mechanisms on the market. A twist-lock which is similar to many others, except that I noticed that the holder pulls back far enough into the saw body that you may not be able to get a hold of it if it stops near the end of the pull stroke. The other mechanism is a lever on the side of the shoe which activates the lock on the holder. I may be more partial to the twist-lock style (just not on this Dewalt) as it may provide more of a positive lock that the lever actuated one that appears to be a spring-loaded lock...springs wear out.

    I have figured out that I want atleast 1" stroke, tool-less blade change (I hate looking for the correct size allen key), and an adjustable shoe. The driver for the movable shoe is two fold. It allows the depth to be reduced when you can't cut through what happend to be behind the workpiece (like a concrete wall in one job I did here at the house). Secondly, if cutting lots of thin stock, the shoe can be extended to use another (still sharp and used) portion of the blade. You can get twice the life from 3" blade and a 1" stroke by using two different regions on the blade after you extend the shoe.

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