Time to talk about reciprocating saws

[builditguy]

We've had multiple Sawzall's over the years.  Yup, I called them Sawzalls.  That's what I always call them.  Milwaukee makes the best sawzall, ever.  My opinion.

 

Since we have the DeWalt platform (because DeWalt beats Milwaukee in almost everything else) we have DeWalt sawzalls.  Now, I'm not going to rattle off multiple model numbers.  I don't like that.  When someone posts that, then I have to look up the model number, to see what they are talking about.  What I am going to do, is list the type of sawzall.  

 

We have been using the DeWalt 20v sawzalls since they came out.  I never have liked them and nobody on the crew liked them, but they fit our battery platform.  So we used them.  Even bought extras.  The reason?  The sawzalls slow down when you use them, run out of power, and overall suck.  Yep, I said it.  Everyone knows it, so why not.  I was working with a guy that had a 18v Makita and it blew us away.  He could do so much work than us, it was embarrassing.  

 

Having said that, I want to endorse a newer sawzall from DeWalt.  The brushless compact sawzall.  Now, I will never admit that it measures up to Milwaukee, but it does so much better than it's DeWalt competition, I thought it was worth making a post.

 

We have already determined the 20v and 18v DeWalt reciprocating saw is worthless.  No one can argue that.  If you try, just delete that post.

 

A while back, we bought the 20v compact brushless reciprocating sawzall.  While I won't say it is as good as a Milwaukee, I will say it is better than any sawzall from DeWalt, ever.  

The handle takes a little getting used to.  Something not quite right.  Maybe 30 years of holding a traditional sawzall, but something is different.

What it has that the other DeWalts don't have.  Power.  Sure it is rated at 2900 and the old ones say 3000.  I don't care. It is faster.  

A light.  Yep, a LED light.  That comes in handy.

Power.  It runs and runs, without overheating.  We actually have extra sawzalls, because they get to hot to hold and then they shut down.  So for, not this one.

 

As with all DeWalt reciprocating saws, it has the 4 way chuck.  This is the best thing about any of the reciprocating saws.  Other brands don't have it. Once you have it, it is worth it.  It is worth it.  We use that so much.

 

That's it for me.  If you are buying a new reciprocating saw (Sawzall).  Get this one.  It won't be quite as good as a Milwaukee, but it will have a 4 way chuck, it will work with your DeWalt batteries, and it is so much better than the other DeWalts.

[builditguy]

We've had multiple Sawzall's over the years.  Yup, I called them Sawzalls.  That's what I always call them.  Milwaukee makes the best sawzall, ever.  My opinion.
 
Since we have the DeWalt platform (because DeWalt beats Milwaukee in almost everything else) we have DeWalt sawzalls.  Now, I'm not going to rattle off multiple model numbers.  I don't like that.  When someone posts that, then I have to look up the model number, to see what they are talking about.  What I am going to do, is list the type of sawzall.  
 
We have been using the DeWalt 20v sawzalls since they came out.  I never have liked them and nobody on the crew liked them, but they fit our battery platform.  So we used them.  Even bought extras.  The reason?  The sawzalls slow down when you use them, run out of power, and overall suck.  Yep, I said it.  Everyone knows it, so why not.  I was working with a guy that had a 18v Makita and it blew us away.  He could do so much work than us, it was embarrassing.  
 
Having said that, I want to endorse a newer sawzall from DeWalt.  The brushless compact sawzall.  Now, I will never admit that it measures up to Milwaukee, but it does so much better than it's DeWalt competition, I thought it was worth making a post.
 
We have already determined the 20v and 18v DeWalt reciprocating saw is worthless.  No one can argue that.  If you try, just delete that post.
 
A while back, we bought the 20v compact brushless reciprocating sawzall.  While I won't say it is as good as a Milwaukee, I will say it is better than any sawzall from DeWalt, ever.  
The handle takes a little getting used to.  Something not quite right.  Maybe 30 years of holding a traditional sawzall, but something is different.
What it has that the other DeWalts don't have.  Power.  Sure it is rated at 2900 and the old ones say 3000.  I don't care. It is faster.  
A light.  Yep, a LED light.  That comes in handy.
Power.  It runs and runs, without overheating.  We actually have extra sawzalls, because they get to hot to hold and then they shut down.  So for, not this one.
 
As with all DeWalt reciprocating saws, it has the 4 way chuck.  This is the best thing about any of the reciprocating saws.  Other brands don't have it. Once you have it, it is worth it.  It is worth it.  We use that so much.
 
That's it for me.  If you are buying a new reciprocating saw (Sawzall).  Get this one.  It won't be quite as good as a Milwaukee, but it will have a 4 way chuck, it will work with your DeWalt batteries, and it is so much better than the other DeWalts.

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[Moore,C.]

Succinct, no bullshit, I respect it. [emoji106]

[Biggie]

Yep if you're going to stick with 20v the compact Brushless is the way to go.  I personally have gone to milwaukee and they are noticeably smoother but I really do miss the 4 blade positions.

[Framer joe]

The XR is a good upgrade over the older one,,,for a compact sawzall..but nowhere near the Flexvolt ...and of course the Milwaukee......

[framer]

i have the 60v and 20v, but prefer the 20v since it is lighter and has the 4 position blade.  plenty of power with the 20v.  60v is a monster, but too heavy.

[builditguy]

You might have a point about the Flexvolt.  I haven't tried it.  We just don't have the Flexvolt tools, yet.  I did pick it up in the store.  It's heavy.  Very heavy compared to the 20v.  

The reason I didn't consider it, is because it didn't have the 4 position blade.  Since DeWalt obviously has the patent on it, for now, why not put it on there.  It's the only thing that sets DeWalt apart from the competition.

 

What I would like to see is a variable cut option.  I don't know about the Milwaukee cordless, but the corded model can switch between straight cutting action to an orbital action.  

[Jronman]

13 hours ago, Framer joe said:

The XR is a good upgrade over the older one,,,for a compact sawzall..but nowhere near the Flexvolt ...and of course the Milwaukee......

woo hoo flexvolt represent.

It may be big but it doesn't have as much vibration as the brushless 20v so I am told.

[Jronman]

6 hours ago, builditguy said:

 

The reason I didn't consider it, is because it didn't have the 4 position blade.  Since DeWalt obviously has the patent on it, for now, why not put it on there.

My theory as to why it does not have the 4 position is because it is a full size recip. That didn't stop them from having it on older models though which is puzzling. A full size recip isn't necessarily designed to be compact. The 4 way would be better suited on a Hackzall or Makita subcompact. I wouldn't see as much of a use if it were on the one key sawzall or x2 recip. 

[Grumpy MSG]

With a reciprocating saw, as a practical matter you can only have an orbital function or the 4 way blade system. I believe that DeWALT should offer the saws with either function available, just give it a different model number. That would just allow them to get a bigger slice of the market.

[Mordekyle]

woo hoo flexvolt represent.
It may be big but it doesn't have as much vibration as the brushless 20v so I am told.

Confirmed.

I like the flexvolt because it is heavy/has less vibration.

I bought the brushless compact because the trigger quit working on the flexvolt.

Now I remember how badly the lighter saw vibrates your teeth.


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[builditguy]

3 hours ago, Grumpy MSG said:

With a reciprocating saw, as a practical matter you can only have an orbital function or the 4 way blade system. I believe that DeWALT should offer the saws with either function available, just give it a different model number. That would just allow them to get a bigger slice of the market.

 That's a good point.  I never really thought about that.  Our Milwaukee corded has it, and I always thought it would be nice.

 

I think a good place for it, might be on the Flexvolt.  

[Jronman]

I would say the gen 2 Flexvolt should get at least the stroke length of the Makita x2, minimum of 2 speeds, and orbital with a switch to toggle on or off. The gen 2 xr 20v should keep the 4 way chuck, add a new pivoting shoe that has a 2 hinge system so a guy could pivot the shoe in any of the 4 blade orientations, and significant avt cause it currently has bad vibration. 

[dillardben]

I have the Dewalt 20V platform. The reciprocating saw is the only tool I'm not happy with. The quick release gets stuck if you do any demo due to drywall/plaster dust. It gets stuck in the open position and you have to either manually force it shut or take time off to clean it out and it's not easily accessible. More demo and the process repeats itself. I've cleaned it and used graphite powder as lubricant but the dust wins. Anyhow it's about ready to call it a day as it's losing power and I can't say I'll be sorry. Maybe it's something electonical but I'm not about to throw away money to find out. I have some Bosch tools. Maybe I'll try their new reciprocating saw. 

[builditguy]

I have the Dewalt 20V platform. The reciprocating saw is the only tool I'm not happy with. The quick release gets stuck if you do any demo due to drywall/plaster dust. It gets stuck in the open position and you have to either manually force it shut or take time off to clean it out and it's not easily accessible. More demo and the process repeats itself. I've cleaned it and used graphite powder as lubricant but the dust wins. Anyhow it's about ready to call it a day as it's losing power and I can't say I'll be sorry. Maybe it's something electonical but I'm not about to throw away money to find out. I have some Bosch tools. Maybe I'll try their new reciprocating saw. 

Yes. My regular was losing power. That’s when I bought a compact. It was worth it.


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[builditguy]

Something I noticed about the compact, yesterday.  When you hold the tool level, the blade has a downward angle.  The old one didn't.  When you are cutting corners on plaster or drywall, it makes a difference.  The saw wants to constantly push and jump out of the cut.  The old ones don't do that.

 

Even with that downfall, I'm happy with the compact.  Mostly because it runs better.

[Cr8ondt]

I use the compact XP almost exclusively, my 2 corded DeWalt's  haven't been used in about a year, but once in a great while I use my brother-in-laws Ridgid x5 (there is something just beastly about orbital mode!).

[Babysaw]

I’m having a hard time making up my mind on a sawzall, maybe the fellas here can help. 

 

Option 1: wait for gen 2 flexvolt. When will this happen? Is it all for a rafter hook and 4 position? I’ve watched some testing vids and this thing fared poorly, even poorer than the compact, which leads to my next option, 

 

2) get the compact, specifically this deal: 

 

http://www.acmetools.com/shop/tools/dewalt-bare-tools-free-battery-promotion-july-2018/dewalt-dcs367b-cordless-brushless-20v-reciprocating-saw

 

both acme and HD are offering the XR compact with a 6ah 20v battery for $160. HD doesn’t offer it in store, although I’m tempted to try. 

 

Option 3) 

 

buy the flexvolt regardless of concerns. I’m reluctant, unless somebody can convince me the tool is to be trusted. 

 

Thanks for input!

[Jronman]

I have the Flexvolt, it does the job. A rafter hook could be nice but I don't mind not having it. I tend to set the saw on the ground anyways so it is not really needed. I find the shoe is excellent. It is worthy of being on a high demand tool. Toughest shoe of any recip in my opinion. I don't use adjustable shoes so that is not an issue for me. The other guys have adjustable shoes and I feel like they aren't as beefy and strong as the Flexvolt. I like the 4 way chuck but I don't think it should be on a high demand recip saw. It makes a lot of sense to be on the brushless compact recip and I am glad they decided to keep it on the compact recip. My reason for not wanting 4 way chuck on a high demand recip is because when I think of a high demand recip I think big saw with orbital. I don't know how orbital could work with the 4 way chuck unless you only use orbital when the blade is in the vertical position. DeWALT's next attempt at a high demand reciprocating saw needs orbital just to even think about competing with the other guys.

[Bremon]

Dewalt reciprocating saws are absolute trash. The XR compact is an upgrade but it will still rattle the chiclets out of your skull.

 

The FlexVolt is too unrefined and clearly built to a price point.

 

The 20v Max at work is in great shape because it’s a piece of crap that everyone avoids like the plague.

 

Milwaukees are the Sawzalls at work in the worst shape because theyre used the most and the ones everyone bicker over. 

 

I’m a big Dewalt fan, and I’ve sold my Fuel Sawzall and Hackzall to upgrade. Hopefully the new Fuel light a fire under Dewalt’s ass; unfortunately for them I’m upgrading to the new Fuel Super Sawzall and M18 Fuel Hackzall. It’s much the same as impact wrenches; in some areas Dewalt is just thoroughly outclassed. 

[Babysaw]

1 hour ago, Bremon said:

Dewalt reciprocating saws are absolute trash. The XR compact is an upgrade but it will still rattle the chiclets out of your skull.

 

The FlexVolt is too unrefined and clearly built to a price point.

 

The 20v Max at work is in great shape because it’s a piece of crap that everyone avoids like the plague.

 

Milwaukees are the Sawzalls at work in the worst shape because theyre used the most and the ones everyone bicker over. 

 

I’m a big Dewalt fan, and I’ve sold my Fuel Sawzall and Hackzall to upgrade. Hopefully the new Fuel light a fire under Dewalt’s ass; unfortunately for them I’m upgrading to the new Fuel Super Sawzall and M18 Fuel Hackzall. It’s much the same as impact wrenches; in some areas Dewalt is just thoroughly outclassed. 

 

Okay, pawnshop corded super sawzall it is until the next flexvolt comes out. Thank you 

[builditguy]

I have a Milwaukee, corded super sawzall.

Can't beat it.

Of course it's in the trailer. Not in the truck


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[Hugh Jass]

On 6/3/2018 at 3:45 PM, Bremon said:

Dewalt reciprocating saws are absolute trash. The XR compact is an upgrade but it will still rattle the chiclets out of your skull.

 

The FlexVolt is too unrefined and clearly built to a price point.

 

The 20v Max at work is in great shape because it’s a piece of crap that everyone avoids like the plague.

 

Milwaukees are the Sawzalls at work in the worst shape because theyre used the most and the ones everyone bicker over. 

 

I’m a big Dewalt fan, and I’ve sold my Fuel Sawzall and Hackzall to upgrade. Hopefully the new Fuel light a fire under Dewalt’s ass; unfortunately for them I’m upgrading to the new Fuel Super Sawzall and M18 Fuel Hackzall. It’s much the same as impact wrenches; in some areas Dewalt is just thoroughly outclassed. 

 

This. 

[Ridgeline17]

I had the old 18V DeWalt drill and light and needed a sawzall so .  The trigger failed and DeWalt said I abused it. So I thought Milwaukee was a upgrade.  Got Hammer drill/ impact brushless and a free Sawzall.  The trigger failed and it was replaced under warranty.  Lately after about 4 years from getting saw the blade release will not work.   Milwaukee said that is normal wear.    Just what sawzall will act like a timex watch - take a beating and keep on ticking??

[Jronman]

probably just needs lubrication on the blade clamp but I don't know of anyone who lubs their recip saw so probably not the issue. They will eventually fail and depending on the use 4 years may not be unusual. If it is used maybe once a week at most probably should not have failed but if it is multiple blade changes per day then might be a reasonable amount of life on the clamp?