Woodworker's Journal 2009-33-4, страница 32

While not considering them "pure" woodworking tools, the author makes a strong case that recip saws belong among a list of woodworkers' "must-have" handheld power tools.

The author narrowed his field of corded reciprocating saws to seven by selecting tools "around $100." These affordable seven are feature-rich and powerful enough to handle the wide scope of tasks that recip saws excel at performing.

Although we may wish it otherwise, few woodworkers only cut wood. To test this collection of saws, our author expanded the field of materials to include steel, aluminum and PVC.

Think that a

reciprocating saw is only for a guy with Popeye-sized forearms who hacks through 2x4s and ABS drain pipe during a bathroom remodel — or cuts away rusted steel flooring in the '68 Chevy Malibu he's restoring? Think again. In fact, a "recip" saw is one of the most versatile portable power tools that a do-it-yourselfer or small-shop craftsman can own. With the right blade, you can cut practically any material you can think of— plastic, metal, sheet goods, nail-embedded lumber, hardwood and more. Fit the saw with a long blade, and you can cut planks and beams thicker than the capacity of your table or compound miter saw.

Rounding Up the Participants

Recendy I collected seven corded reciprocating saws that are among the most affordable on the market: the Bosch RS7, DeWalt DW304PK, Hitachi CR13V, Makita JR3050T, Milwaukee 6509, RIDGID R3002 and Skil 9225. Except for the Skil, each saw is the least expensive model offered by the manufacturer, with prices ranging from $78 to $106 (the lowest prices I could find on the Internet at the time of writing, not including taxes or shipping charges).

To compare the performance of the seven saws, I cut a variety of materials including steel and PVC pipe, aluminum extrusions, hardwood lumber and plywood

(photo above). To evaluate power and cutting smoothness, I ran a little cutting trial, sawing through hard, dry 2x8 construction lumber (the kind you'd encounter during a typical remodel job) as fast as the tool would allow (see photo, opposite page.) Each recip was run on its fastest speed. I used a stopwatch to time how long each cut took and repeated the cuts several times with each saw, using the same kind of blade each time. I've cited the fastest cutting times here, as well as my opinion regarding how smoothly each saw ran during the various test cuts.

What makes for a good reciprocating saw? It should be powerful, yet reasonably lightweight and compact. For aggressive cutting, it should have a long blade stroke, fast speed and, ideally, a selectable blade orbit: linear for hard and thin

materials; orbital for fast cuts in softwoods and thicker stock. It should have some counterbalance mechanism to reduce vibration and make the saw more comfortable to use. A variable-speed trigger allows you to start cuts slowly, so the blade doesn't jump around, then adjust the speed to best suit the material. A blade clamp allows quick, easy and tool-less blade changes, and an adjustable saw foot that can be set in and out allows use of different sections of the blade teeth (so you get more life out of every blade). Is all this a tall order for a bargain-priced saw? Let's find out:

Bosch RS7

Packing a powerful 11-ainp motor, 1'/«" blade stroke and a raft of cool features, the Bosch RS7 is a real contender. First thing you'll notice about the saw is when you plug it in: It has dual LEDs that provide a welcome bit of illumination focused right where the blade is cutting — terrific when working in dark quarters! (Top photo, next page.) The RS7 also features a flip-out steel hook that makes it easy to securely hang the saw on a joist or ladder rung to keep the saw safe and handy.

The RS7's tool-less blade clamp has a very simple spring-loaded lever that's easy to operate. However, I occasionally found that

Woodworker's Journal August 2009

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