Inexpensive Reciprocating Saw?

[Kent A Bathurst]

I have a need - first time in forever - for a reciprocating saw. This task will take maybe 4 hours to complete. I would likely find some other destruction opportunities in the future, but very infrequently.

I'm not looking for a model with a 5-hour warranty, but I want reasonable performance at an inexpensive price point. Don't need fancy features - I need it to whack through PT deck railing, etc. ******EDITED********* New, not CL, etc.

Corded is fine -probably preferable to get better performance at a lower price.

BORG has DW304PK @ $90. Var speed, 10a, 2800 strokes per min, 1-1/8" stroke length. OK? Other options?

I need to get it at a local store [plenty in ATL], or 'Zon Prime shipping - need it in a coupla days.


*****EDIT: Apology Extended*********

Rusty, Jerome, Rich, et. al:

Sorry about my rude comment on B&D. It was spill-over frustration on the whole Delta-PC-B&D thing. Certainly not my place to pass pre-emptive judgement on anything. See signature for my references.

But, primarily, it was uncalled for.

gulp. grovel. dope-slap. :(

[Rusty Eads]

Well that leaves me out, I have a Firestorm recip saw that I have used for 6 years absolutely no problems. I use only occasionally though. Paid like $50 for it.

[Jerome Hanby]

I've got that same Lowe's Dewalt and it's a hard working saw. I've also got the 18 volt Firestorm. It will do the job but the run-time (or lack there of) is a serious drawback. Maybe if I ever take the time to rebuild one of the power packs with NiMH sub-c cells...

[Rich Engelhardt]

Ditto the DW304PK & also an 18V Firestorm.
I've also got "the animal" aka the Bosch (13.5amp). The Bosch doesn't give up much to the Super Sawzall in terms of raw stupid strong.

My favorite though is the DeWalt.

That 4 position head rocks.

Even at only 10 amps, it's more than a match for just about anything around the house.

I was 60 miles from home one day - needed a recip saw, like right now, and it came down to the DeWalt or a Ryobi.
I'm glad I picked the DeWalt. It's my go to saw for anything short of a telephone pole!

HF saws also have a pretty loyal following, FWIW. I can't say - nevr tried one. Somebody else may chime in on that.

[Josiah Bartlett]

If you are talking a sawzall style, I've been really happy with my Harbor Freight variable speed saw. I've had it over 5 years. I bought it for a single use situation, and I've used it now to demolish several rooms and a large deck. I've repeatedly dropped it off a ladder, plugged it up with drywall dust, stalled it, left it out in the rain, and used it until my hands got numb, and it has yet to falter. I've had the business end so clogged with dust that it stalled the blade and made a grinding noise, but after cleaning it out it didn't seem any the worse for wear.

The HF units have a 30 day warranty and are very cheap, I think the new 6A model with the rotating handle and variable speed (66570) is on sale for $24.99 right now.

[Callan Campbell]

If you are talking a sawzall style, I've been really happy with my Harbor Freight variable speed saw. I've had it over 5 years. I bought it for a single use situation, and I've used it now to demolish several rooms and a large deck. I've repeatedly dropped it off a ladder, plugged it up with drywall dust, stalled it, left it out in the rain, and used it until my hands got numb, and it has yet to falter. I've had the business end so clogged with dust that it stalled the blade and made a grinding noise, but after cleaning it out it didn't seem any the worse for wear.

The HF units have a 30 day warranty and are very cheap, I think the new 6A model with the rotating handle and variable speed (66570) is on sale for $24.99 right now.
Damn, I smell a TV ad in the making for Harbor Freight!!! Seriously Josiah, you should contact them and offer to star in it as well. Well, co-star, as it sounds like the Recip. Saw is the REAL star here...:p
For under $30 with tax, Kent, how could you go wrong?:)

[Josiah Bartlett]

Damn, I smell a TV ad in the making for Harbor Freight!!! Seriously Josiah, you should contact them and offer to star in it as well. Well, co-star, as it sounds like the Recip. Saw is the REAL star here...:p
For under $30 with tax, Kent, how could you go wrong?:)

Well, it isn't anywhere near a precision tool, but I've been surprised by the longevity of the darn thing. Its the saw equivalent of a gooseneck bar.

[David Hostetler]

FWIW, I have a Ryobi recip saw. I have abused it much like the poster that talked about his HF recip saw... It's been a tough little saw for not much money. I think it was on sale for something like $50.00

[Kent A Bathurst]

Damn, I smell a TV ad in the making for Harbor Freight!!! Seriously Josiah, you should contact them and offer to star in it as well. Well, co-star, as it sounds like the Recip. Saw is the REAL star here...:p
For under $30 with tax, Kent, how could you go wrong?:)

Man, Callan - I've been sitting here thinking "is this, finally, at long last, the product that gets me to buy HF?" You're right - $30 bucks? Tempting. Very tempting. For all I'd use it...........hmmmmmmm.......

[glenn bradley]

I still run a HF recip saw that I bought 5 years ago to demolish the previous owners "shop" fixtures. I expected to kill it during that process. It is rough and noisy but it just won't die.

[David Helm]

Hi Kent, I'm going the other way. My Milwaukee Super Sawzall has stood me in good stead (using it professionally) for over twenty years. It wasn't super expensive, but, in my opinion, there isn't a better one on the market at any price. . . and if you go cheap, when you need it again down the road, it will likely die on you.

[Kent A Bathurst]

Hi Kent, I'm going the other way. My Milwaukee Super Sawzall has stood me in good stead (using it professionally) for over twenty years. It wasn't super expensive, but, in my opinion, there isn't a better one on the market at any price. . . and if you go cheap, when you need it again down the road, it will likely die on you.

Good point.

OTOH - The Milwaukee = HF saw plus a bottle of '06 Tignanello. Of course, with Plan B, only one of the two has the even slightest chance of seeing November, but still.........

[Mike Green]

I never buy a HF tool expecting presion or longevity. That sed, I have several HF power tools (angle grinder, rotary hammer, 14" cut-off saw and belt sander) that have been used and abused for several years. When they finally die, I'll buy a HF replacement. With HF tools you get what you pay for...don't be upset if it quits after a couple of jobs...be happy when it lasts a while. Good luck, Mike

[Shawn Christ]

I bought a Chicago Electric router several years ago (my first router) and vowed to never buy a HF power tool again.

My first reciprocating saw was a cheapie 75th anniversary Craftsman which lacked power, tool-less blade change, or variable speed. I soon upgraded to a sale-priced Craftsman "professional" which is much better. I don't do much demolition anymore, but it works great for cutting tree limbs and roots! :rolleyes:

Nowadays, whenever I'm looking for a decent, inexpensive tool that I can't find used, I typically look at Ryobi first. 98% of the time I'm satisfied with their tools. You might also consider refurbished or reconditioned tools. I've picked up some very good recon tools online; haven't regretted a single purchase.

[Jacob Mac]

I have a $25 HF sawzall and I have abused the heck out of it. I have cut down big tree limbs, cut through floor joists, you name it. And the thing just won't die. I am a selective HF user, and if you just want something for occasional demo work, the HF is a good bet.

My dad has the Milwaukee, and it is in a different class. But for your needs, I bet the HF would be just the ticket.

[Dan Karachio]

FYI, the new Bosch is designed to barely vibrate in your hands. Pricey, yes, but a night of sleep without your arms shaking might be worth it! My old Milwaukee will not die.

[Mike Harrison]

I'll have to jump on the HF band wagon here. My sawsall has gone through alot over the past 5 years with out so much as a whimper.

Buy it, You'll like it. OTOH if you are a color coordinated buyer you might not.

[Dave Lehnert]

We used a Harbor Freight at work, A very large retail store. To cut fixtures and such. Man that thing was a hunk of junk but it worked and worked well for our limited use. And we were anything but easy on it.

I got a good deal on a Milwaukee high end unit. $100 reg $249. FANTASTIC saw. But..... I wasted my money. I have used it maybe once in 10 years. Should have purchased a HF and spent the other $80 on something.

[Rich Engelhardt]

Sorry about my rude comment on B&D
LOL!
Is it rude if it's true? ;)
The Firestorm (B&D) is junk. You're wise to avoid it - for the most part & IMHO.

Odd thing here is my Firestorm cordless drill is my hands down favorite. I love that drill!
Ditto my B&D alkaline battery screwdriver. I love that thing!

[Norman Hitt]

I've had a HF 4 1/2" angle grinder AND a corded VS HF recip saw for 5 or 6 years that I just have NO idea how many grinding discs and Lenox sawblades that I have worn out and neither of those tools will die. After about a year I was so astounded at their longevity that I thought I should buy a spare for each when they were on sale, so I did, but have never had to take either of them out of the box to replace the originals. (You do have to be selective with HF tools though). The angle grinder did get really hot when new, so I opened the gearbox and cleaned out the small amount of vaseline like grease and packed it with a good grease and it cooled right down and the rest is history).

[Jerome Hanby]

LOL!
Is it rude if it's true? ;)
The Firestorm (B&D) is junk. You're wise to avoid it - for the most part & IMHO.

Odd thing here is my Firestorm cordless drill is my hands down favorite. I love that drill!
Ditto my B&D alkaline battery screwdriver. I love that thing!

I like the Firestorm sander too. It's one of those sorta triangular headed things. For something quick, sure beats stringing cords. I use the circular saw too, but only off the back of my truck when I have to break down some lumber before I can load it. Even then, I better have several batteries with me. The jig saw and reciprocating saw are both pretty marginal. All in all, I wish I had happened up on a Ryobi One sale instead of the Firestorm sale way back. Probably just a different flavor of junk, but other than my two lith-ion drills, I just don't use cordless tools that much.

[Callan Campbell]

Man, Callan - I've been sitting here thinking "is this, finally, at long last, the product that gets me to buy HF?" You're right - $30 bucks? Tempting. Very tempting. For all I'd use it...........hmmmmmmm.......
Oh Nooooooooo. Kent hits the slippery slope of Harbor Freight. Oh well, much cheaper of a fall than L-N, Lee Valley, Festool, etc:D:D:D
Anyway, as others have said, there are great Recip. Saws out there, but with your admitted 'once-in-a-blue-moon' usage habits, maybe there's some HF love for you with this low end model. Now go kill that deck!!!!:p

[Jim N Burke]

Ditto the DW304PK


I'll add an endorsement for the DeWalt. The 4-way head lets you into some tight places. I've had it for 3 years and used it to gut 4 rooms, remove my rear porch and cut my garage in half. I will say the sometime the blade release is a PIA if the head has crud in it. But I think it's a good, solid consumer-grade product.

Jim

[Kent A Bathurst]

Oh Nooooooooo. Kent hits the slippery slope of Harbor Freight. Oh well, much cheaper of a fall than L-N, Lee Valley, Festool, etc:D:D:D
Anyway, as others have said, there are great Recip. Saws out there, but with your admitted 'once-in-a-blue-moon' usage habits, maybe there's some HF love for you with this low end model. Now go kill that deck!!!!:p

Dude - don't lets get carried away here re: HF purchases.

I lived without a recipro saw all these years. Similar jobs can often be accomplished with my orbital-worm-gear-drive PC 548 bayonet saw [check out what those suckers go for on the 'bay], but this just ain't the time nor the place. Anything else in the tool/machine arena - if I have needed it over the past 12+ years, I've got it. And, if I haven't "needed" it, it is likely here also. Missed the grab rail on the LN-LV slippery slope years ago - went down that hill pretty fast.

But - I don't spend stupidly, IMO. For example, I very, very, rarely use a circular saw. So, I still have my 25 yr-old Crapsman. What a real pig - weight, ergonomics, noise, accuracy, right-hand [which I will never understand - the LH design is much easier to use for a righty] - best designed for a contortionist to use. But - it always fires up, and makes the sawdust I need made.

Sounds to me like I need to juggle some s*** around on that shelf in the deep, dark, way-back, next to the circ saw to hold an HF saw. You are dead-nuts on the "blue moon" philosophy. Glad I asked - I would never have gone there for the tool without prodding by the crowd. I really would love the DW - I still might jump there - we'll see - but the HF is sounding better all the time.

[Callan Campbell]

[QUOTE=Kent A Bathurst;1534379]Dude - don't lets get carried away here re: HF purchases.

Kent, no harm was intended.:D From your past posts, it's clear you are of sound mind and buying power. BUT, once you're in a Harbor Freight for the first time, have a look around. Take the whole scene in, and that cheap oil smell that they all seem to have from the rust prevention oil applied to all the steel and iron that's sitting in the store from where it survived the boat from China and other parts East.
I don't really buy much from HF, it probably helps that there isn't one anywhere near me. So, it could be worse, like a friend of mine who's 5 minutes away from one, and is still pissed that I get the "special fliers" in the mail from HF and he, who buys weekly from them, DOESN'T.:p
At any rate, they're firmly part and parcel of Americana now, can't imagine there not being any around.

[Terry Wawro]

I will have to vote NO on getting the $25 Harbor Freight saws. (Chicago Electric/ Item 04095 The one that looks like the Ryobi.)

I'm on my third one. The first lasted about 10 minutes and then the blade holder broke. I took that one back and got a replacement. The replacement threw sparks, started smoking and died within 30 seconds. And no I'm not hard on them. All I was doing was cutting through an old pressboard countertop in a kitchen remodel.

They replaced the second one and I have yet to even try to use the third. It is still in the box.

[Scott T Smith]

Hi Kent, I'm going the other way. My Milwaukee Super Sawzall has stood me in good stead (using it professionally) for over twenty years. It wasn't super expensive, but, in my opinion, there isn't a better one on the market at any price. . . and if you go cheap, when you need it again down the road, it will likely die on you.

+1. I have had a Milwaukee Super Sawzall for 15 years, and it has seen some extraordinarily hard use here on the farm. It still works great and no problems whatsoever.

I also have the 28V version of the Milwaukee Cordless; it works well but the battery longevity is inadequate (as compared with the drill or circular saw).

[Callan Campbell]

I will have to vote NO on getting the $25 Harbor Freight saws. (Chicago Electric/ Item 04095 The one that looks like the Ryobi.)

I'm on my third one. The first lasted about 10 minutes and then the blade holder broke. I took that one back and got a replacement. The replacement threw sparks, started smoking and died within 30 seconds. And no I'm not hard on them. All I was doing was cutting through an old pressboard countertop in a kitchen remodel.

They replaced the second one and I have yet to even try to use the third. It is still in the box.
Terry, see J. B.'s post. He must have gotten one of the "good" batches, as he can't kill his. That's Harbor Freight for you, sort of russian roulette for tool purchases when it comes to power tools. I've only bought air tools from them for the most part, never had a problem with any of my HF tools.
I have Snap-On, Matco, I-R and others, and the HF's run right along with them .

[Kent A Bathurst]

Oh Nooooooooo. Kent hits the slippery slope of Harbor Freight. Oh well, much cheaper of a fall than L-N, Lee Valley, Festool, etc:D:D:D
Anyway, as others have said, there are great Recip. Saws out there, but with your admitted 'once-in-a-blue-moon' usage habits, maybe there's some HF love for you with this low end model. Now go kill that deck!!!!:p


Callan - I know this will be a crushing blow :D, but I got the DW. Over the years, I have gotten to the philosophy of "buy what you're gonna buy, but only buy it once." In normal operations, this would have led me to follow David H and get the Milwaukee. But since usage will be light, I fully expect this will be part of the clean-out by SWMBO when I check out.

I thought hard about the HF.

But.......I......Just......Could......Not......do it. Sorry.

[Callan Campbell]

Callan - I know this will be a crushing blow :D, but I got the DW. Over the years, I have gotten to the philosophy of "buy what you're gonna buy, but only buy it once." In normal operations, this would have led me to follow David H and get the Milwaukee. But since usage will be light, I fully expect this will be part of the clean-out by SWMBO when I check out.

I thought hard about the HF.

But.......I......Just......Could......Not......do it. Sorry.
Don't feel bad. I still have my Bosch Panther Recip Saw that I bought in 1990. Never been apart for repair, still works as well as when I got it. Don't use it much, but it's an old friend that's always there for me.
It does not have the quick change blade system like the new saws do. Still work with the single allen screw for blade changes.:o

[Julian Tracy]

Pretty bad when the Dewalt is considered the premium option...

All this HF and Firestorm love is making my stomach hurt.

Buy a Milwaukee or Makita or Bosch used Recip saw on the Bay or CL and be done with it.

I'd never brag about a $30 HF saw, but I'll keep talking about a German made Hilti Recip saw I bought used for $80. ($250 retail)

I'm not sure, but I'm pretty sure the crap I've put my saws though would pretty much kill a Firestorm or HF saw.

Don't matter though, I wouldn't own either.

My name is Julian, and I AM a tool snob.

I was impressed when the blind installer on my last job showed up with a Panasonic drill...

JT

[Rich Engelhardt]

I was impressed when the blind installer on my last job showed up with a Panasonic drill...


I'm impressed too!

My fat sister in law's boyfriend hasn't worked in decades & he can see just fine!