Sawzall , Reciprocal saw

Post by **HenryJ** » Sat Nov 05, 2005 10:01 am

Many are getting ready to make the move to bigger wheel openings. The Sawzall is the only way to make that front cut.

My saw is a refurbished Milwaukee. I paid $129 for it and like it much better than either Dewalt, or Makita. Stay away from the Makita. The collar that holds the blades broke on mine and I was unable to get a replacement. The shaft bushings in the Dewalt don't seem to hold up well. The saw gets loose after a while.

I do like the quick release on the Milwaukee. No tools needed to swap blades

What do you have and like?

For blades I like the Bi-metal. They can be straightened after getting accidentally bent, instead of breaking. I have used the Dewaly yellow ones , and the Milwaukee whit blades. No real difference that I could tell from using them.

gocntry · Post by **gocntry** » Sat Nov 05, 2005 11:27 am

I Use A Porter Cable Model 737 Tiger Saw (Has A Quick Release Twist Collar). I've Had It For About 7-8 Years I Think And I Use It For A Lot Of Stuff Including Some Things I Probably Shouldn't. It Hasn't Let Me Down Yet

jeggers · Post by **jeggers** » Sat Nov 05, 2005 6:06 pm

everything i use is dewalt exept for my Milwaukee sawzall

ludwis · Post by **ludwis** » Sat Nov 05, 2005 7:31 pm

I have a dewalt sawzall. I have had really good luck with it so far and it does have quick change blades. All you have to do is lift the lever and slide the blade in.

The only reason I got it over the milwaukee is the different ways you can put the blade in. One is normal (like hte milwaukee) the other spins the blade 90 degrees so it will cut flush. When I was gutting my master bath I needed to cut out the sub floor flush with the wall joists - the dewalt was the only tool for the job.

Hopefully I get many more years out of it.

chumley · Post by **chumley** » Sun Nov 06, 2005 3:07 am

I got a Craftsman, don't remember how much it was, $70-80? Don't use it all that much but it works good and beats trying to cut something in a tight spot with just a hacksaw blade( am I the only one who has ever done this?)

adrenalnjunky · Post by **adrenalnjunky** » Sun Nov 06, 2005 6:35 am

last time I used my $120 Craftsman, was to take down a section of cyclone fence.

I was too lazy to dig the posts up, so I cut them all off at the base, and used a sledgehammer to smash the remaining pipe down below ground level enough to cover back over with topsoil for the flowerbed that replaced the fence.

Post by **HenryJ** » Sun Nov 06, 2005 6:47 am

It looks like they redesigned the Dewalt. How is the Craftsman?

I have quite a few Craftsman tools, not that I am shopping, but just curious.

adrenalnjunky · Post by **adrenalnjunky** » Sun Nov 06, 2005 10:29 am

I have no complaints, the only 2 sawzalls I have used were craftsman, so I don't have much to compare to.

I had always been a makita person, but right as my trusty 9.6V drill that I got back in highschool (14+ years ago) quit holding a charge, I got married and a buddy gave me a very nice 19.2V Craftsman drill - My parents gave me a 18V Ryobi drill at the same "Tool Shower" - afterwards, My dad and I were looking at both drills side by side and other than some cosmetic changes the Craftsman and Ryobi were identical - switches were in the same locations and batteries interchanged between the 2 drills. Dad took the Ryobi back for himself and bought me a weedeater instead.

You have to pay attention to this stuff these days anyhow - I know DeWalt is a Black and Decker brand(many of their drills will interchange batteries and accessories now, Someone just bought or merged with Milwaukee, but I can't remember who(Makita maybe?). There are some quality powertools out there, you just have to do some research first.

F9K9 · Post by **F9K9** » Sun Nov 06, 2005 10:56 am

I know this is drifting off topic but, instead of starting a new one I'll toss it in here.

Some may remember that I was having a fit over craftsman cordless drills. Replacement 18 V batteries were $54 before shipping. I was in my local little small town sears recently and I asked about the cordless tools. It seems that sears has settled on 19.2 volt and has even tied "diehard" to the batteries. Cordless tools are being sold without batteries and chargers so once you have one, you need not buy additional chargers to get a tool. I even saw batteries being sold alone under $40. I will give them another try

Post by **HenryJ** » Sun Nov 06, 2005 11:12 am

Anybody using a cordless reciprocal saw?

We carry one on the Rescue, and it has cut it's share of posts

It is a Dewalt. Low bid item, but has been doing the job.

F9K9 · Post by **F9K9** » Sat Mar 25, 2006 9:29 am

HenryJ wrote:Anybody using a cordless reciprocal saw?

We carry one on the Rescue, and it has cut it's share of posts
It is a Dewalt. Low bid item, but has been doing the job.

I guess I'll be the Guinea Pig on my Skidz flare install, if it stops freakin' snowing around here

Post by **HenryJ** » Sat Mar 25, 2006 10:40 am

Looks like a cool new tool. Is it pretty torquey?

F9K9 · Post by **F9K9** » Sat Mar 25, 2006 10:50 am

HenryJ wrote:Looks like a cool new tool. Is it pretty torquey?

I just bought a new Cordless Combo Kit, so, I don't know yet. There is a big sale on and I decided to try Craftsman cordless tools one last time since they settled on the 19.2 volt system. I don't have any experience to tell you if they are "torquey" or not once I use it.

I do know that Mrs. Hoff is gonna have a calf when she wakes up and see it

killian96ss · Post by **killian96ss** » Sat Mar 25, 2006 12:26 pm

I have their 19.2v drill and it works great.

I like my Craftsman drill better than the equivalent Dewalt or Black & Decker. The best drills are Bosch, Ryobi, and Hitachi, but they are usually much more expensive. Reed, let us know how well that Craftsman saw works out. I want to pick one up one of these days and if the Craftsman version is a good one, then it would work out great for me since they use the same batteries and charger.

Steve

F9K9 · Post by **F9K9** » Sat Mar 25, 2006 1:08 pm

killian96ss wrote:I have their 19.2v drill and it works great. I like my Craftsman drill better than the equivalent Dewalt or Black & Decker. The best drills are Bosch, Ryobi, and Hitachi, but they are usually much more expensive. Reed, let us know how well that Craftsman saw works out. I want to pick one up one of these days and if the Craftsman version is a good one, then it would work out great for me since they use the same batteries and charger.

Steve

I'll let you know, Steve. The saws are $59 if, bought by themselves (no charger or battery). What impressed me is that the 19.2 volt batteries are now $30 while the last 18 volt one I bought was $54.

F9K9 · Post by **F9K9** » Mon Apr 03, 2006 5:25 pm

HenryJ wrote:Looks like a cool new tool. Is it pretty torquey?

As I said earlier, I have no previous experience with this type of saw but, I do know that as a newbie using one, that if you don't have yourself planted correctly when you fire it up it, it will rock your world

This was it's first battery charging cycle and Craftsman recommends a couple cycles to attain it's peak longevity. I blundered through both cuts on both rears and was almost done with the first front cut (mega cutting there) before I needed a battery change. There is no noticeable drop off in the battery until it is needing a charge.. I suspect a person knowing more than me with a properly seasoned battery could do all the cuts on one battery.

I hope the info helps.

rlrnr53 · Post by **rlrnr53** » Thu Apr 06, 2006 3:29 pm

I've quit buying Craftsman tools for the simple reason that they don't seem to last as long as they used to. I started buying Porter-Cable tools due to a certain Yankee carpenter. So far i've had nothing but good luck with them. As my craftsman tools bite the dust, they are being replaced with either Porter-Cable or DeWalt.

F9K9 · Post by **F9K9** » Thu Apr 06, 2006 4:03 pm

rlrnr53 wrote:I've quit buying Craftsman tools for the simple reason that they don't seem to last as long as they used to. I started buying Porter-Cable tools due to a certain Yankee carpenter. So far i've had nothing but good luck with them. As my craftsman tools bite the dust, they are being replaced with either Porter-Cable or DeWalt.

I have said that too

Try to find someone using the new diehard 19.2 volt diehard series and quiz them before you slam the door completely. I have heard many good things about Porter-Cable from professionals.

border man · Post by **border man** » Thu Apr 06, 2006 4:09 pm

I love that Yankee guy too. He makes woodworking look soooo easy. I can only dream of someday having a shop like his

Post by **Walt** » Fri Apr 07, 2006 5:37 am

I've been using Porter Cable power tools for several years now. I was given an 18 volt PC drill for my birthday a few years back, and liked it so much I ordred one for work

Excellent drills, with alot of power. 420 in. ounces I believe. They're very durable too. My personal one has fallen off a two story roof, been backed over by a car....and it still workes like new.

Steventruck · Post by **Steventruck** » Thu Apr 27, 2006 6:24 pm

I have a 24V DeWalt sawzall. I love it. It has the same power as a corded tool. I like DeWalt and have a variety of tools (24v hammer drill, 24v circ saw, 14.4v drill) and they never let me down.

I let a friend use my 12v drill during a theatre strike (tearing down the scenery). he had a 3/8 drive adapter so we could use it to quickly remove 3/8"x 2" lag screws. He accidently left it on High speed and after a while, the motor started smoking. My friend came to me with huge eyes and was very apologetic. I asked, "does it still work?" It did. That was six years ago and it still works fine (though the newer XRP drill work better).

Steve