Good reciprocating saw?

Dificult sector of the market. There are a few 600w 'own label' ones around at the £60 ish price, then a gap between those & the £120 brand names @1000w.

Hitachi & Makita here;

I've ummed and ahhed about buying a recip saw for a while - but I've got a top notch jigsaw and found with the very long blades you can get for them, that I've always managed perfectly well.

(e.g.

You might find likewise, depending if you see the longer term as more joinery than demolition/garden work. Certainly when I used to turn all my scrap wood into firewood, the jigsaw proved the least hassle.

Agreeing with the other posts, I wouldnt bother with a recip saw. I have one, and it only ever gets used now for tree roots when I occasionally get the job of removing tree stumps. Far too brutal for cutting up anything that is going to be re-used - their only use is as demolition saws in my view. Alan.

Very happy with my De Walt like this one:

I use it for any substantial cutting for which I might also use a chainsaw - but like you, I don't fancy getting one (yet). The most substantial stuff I've used it on is full size green oak sleepers.

Yep. they cost about 6 quid from any builders merchants and are called 'cross cut ' saws - they are highly advanced portable technology, and do not require electricity or petrol to operate.

In the hands of a skilled operator they are accurate to less than 1 mm, and combine extreme ease of use with portability, and are capableof cutting faster than a p[power tool, when set up, safety and other times are taken into account. .

Or a pruning bow saw if as you later imply, its rough tree stems you want to reduce.

snipped-for-privacy@gglz.com wibbled on Saturday 27 March 2010 11:03

You know, that just didn't occur to me. A jigsaw is good one handed and my green Bosch isn't too fancy to worry about using it in the garden...

Piers Finlayson wibbled on Saturday 27 March 2010 12:57

If I run out of juice on the jigsaw, this looks a better bet than a recip saw. Still cheaper and safer than a chainsaw.

Cheers

Tim

I've got a Makita 1010w 'all purpose' saw which was well under your budget when on offer. But they're more a rough demolition than joinery tool - you'd only use it were you can't anything better. Worth having for the odd job - if you already have a decent circular and jigsaw.

If you've mentally committed some cash, consider upgrading to a pro model jigsaw. As comes up on here quite often, they are revelation, with a really strong cutting action due to a robust and well engineered pendulum motion.

I think Screwfix has Bosch GST75 on special offer. Not tried that one, but have the slightly larger GST135 and can't fault it. Actually I can, the front guide roller is wearing - but only after some quite extreme use ripping up junk timber for the fire.

And as others have said, a good handsaw really does a lot. I've found hardpoint ripsaws best on green tree limbs. Seems to cope well with the wet sawdust and not clog as smaller teeth would, yet handle better than a bowsaw does (though I would guess the bowsaw becomes preferable on thicker logs).

Have you checked the price of replacement blades for these ?

The main attraction of the "standard" recip saw to me is the ubiquitous cheap blades. A pack of silverline green wood blades from TS cost very little and rip through trees and rough wood in no time. It also does not matter if you knacker them on soil coated roots etc.

The Axminster "white" one is not bad for a budget tool - variable speed, so not quite as "mad" as some! Not a finesse tool by any description, but it has its uses.

Best tool for that is a B&D Alligator scissor-action mains electric chainsaw. Price is steep for a one off though.

I inherited this thing and thought it a joke. However on using it, I find that it's brilliant for pruning and disposing of anything up to

I just have. 'Kinell!

Andy Dingley wibbled on Saturday 27 March 2010 17:42

Yes - I came across that. Interesting to hear a good report on it.

John Rumm wibbled on Saturday 27 March 2010 16:52

Cheers John, off reading that now.

Hi Tim,

Recip saws are no good for accurate cuts. For pruning, cutting up logs and firewood, any sort of rough work, or cutting in restricted spaces, they are very useful tools. If you only have the odd job though, you are probably better off with a hand-saw!

I debated long and hard over mains v. cordless, and went for a cordless, which I think was the right choice for my use. If I had to faff around with a power cable every time I used it, or had to take the work to somewhere with power, it would lose its convenience and I doubt I would use it as much as I do.

dan.

Tim Watts wibbled on Saturday 27 March 2010 10:26

Hi,

In the end, I came across this, and bought one:

It's pretty good. Taken 2 heavy sections of hawthorn hedge out, felled one tree in sections and pruned random things and the wood blade is still going fine. Just going to take down a small (4m) ash now (big root-related threat to drain underneath). There's a combined metal/wood blade that's useful on fences and a pure metal blade that could be useful for chopping of a multitude of rusty nails in the joists upstairs (too big/well banged in to pull).

In line with John R's sentiments, the blades are cheap enough to do root cutting without worrying too much and it has some potential for low finesse lumber hackery around the house and shed.

Seems to have better than adequate power and is amenable to one handed use.

Not the fastest on a 4" trunk (which is about the limit, 5" at a push), but as fast as my not-brand-new bow saw blade and perfectly usable.

Seems excellent for branch trimming too.