This is one of my favorite power tools and that was one of the reasons we did a power tool review on the Milwaukee Sawzall. I truly love everything about this and can not find one item to complain about. The Milwaukee Sawzall is a power tool used to destroy, so it is even more important to build a good quality tool as more accidents happen during tear down. The body is put through more stress and is harder on the body, which causes fatigue.
First impressions when picking up the Milwaukee Sawzall power tool is "Solid". It has some good weight to it which helps in this type of application, 8.9 lbs, so its not too heavy. The rubber grips feel nice in your hands which means your hands will stay in place and not slide around. The variable speed control is on the lower part of the "D" handle which is nice because your not going to accidentally change speeds. Another item we noticed from the start was the balance of the tool. The balance of this tool was perfect. Some weight in the front which will help the tool cut, while the back was each to move around. The Quick-Lok feature is one of the best ideas to come along in a long time. Since this tool is used to destroy, chances are you will ruin the power cord. Instead of having to open the tool up to change the power cord, you can just disconnect it and put a new power cord on. I don't know how many cords I have ruined over the years, then my tool will sit on the side line until I get time to change the cord. Not with this tool, just plug and go.
18V Cordless Reciprocating Saw
We ran this tool through a number of test including, cutting 4x4, railroad ties, a lot of black pipe, plaster walls and more. We tried to get the tool to bog down by trying to wedge the tool blade, use an old blade, putting dust in the motor and more. We could not get this tool to stop or even bog down. Yes you can tell the difference between a sharp blade and dull blade, but that doesn't have to do with the tool. We thought we could get the tool to slow down with the railroad tie because it is wood covered in Creosote and has a steel s bar in the middle of the tie. We did rip through a couple blades, but partly because we tried a wood blade for the metal because when you get to the middle of a tie, you are cutting metal and wood. We ended up ripping through the center with a metal blade and a small amount of orbital action. Another nice feature is you can adjust how much orbital action you want. The collar that holds the blade is also an awesome feature. With all we put this tool through, the blade never slipped out. We even put the blade in a vice and used a pulley system to try and rip the blade out. We ended up lifting the work bench up in the air. So we had two guys sit on the table and still couldn't get the blade to budge. After all this when we did take the blade out, I tough it might be hard to get out, but nope, just a simple turn and it came right out like it was supposed to. All in all we could not get this power tool to bog down at all, we did rip through a lot of blades, but that's about it.
After using the tool for a long time, our arms felt fine. We were not fitful due to balance or vibrations. Again this is one of the biggest keys to a tool of this type.
Over all our power tool review of the Milwaukee Sawzall is extremely impressed at this incredible power tool. This is a must own for anyone who plans on buying a reciprocating saw. There are a lot of other great manufactures out there, but the Milwaukee Sawzall truly has some very nice unique features.
Pro's
Where to start. I love everything about this tool. The Quick-Lok, the blade system, the balance, the feel.
Con's
I really can not think of any negatives to this tool. If I want to get picky, I guess the only con I can find is they should include some more blades.
Professional Power Tool Guide Rating
Value -
We believe the value for this tool is incredible, one of the best values around. When you compare what this reciprocating saw has compared to the competition, this is hands down one of the best tools. Milwaukee unique Quick-Lok and blade lock make this tool even a better value compared to its counter parts.
Performance -
The performance of the Milwaukee Sawzall is incredible. This is only an 11 amp which is more than enough power, I could only image the 13 amp. We tried to bind the tool to get the motor to stop and couldn't do it. If you are not holding on tight, it will probably come out of your hand before you can get the motor to shut down.
Ease of Use -
The Milwaukee Sawzall is extremely easy to use. The variable speed and orbital action are easy to reach and adjust. The blade lock is also easy to use and figure out. There are not tight parts that get stuck or need a lot of muscle to use.
Features -
The Milwaukee Sawzall has all the important features from a slow to extremely fast variable speed action. The orbital is truly orbital, where some reciprocating saws will only orbital a little bit, the Milwaukee has enough action to make a difference for cutting wood.
Balance -
This tool really takes two hand to use and has a very nice balance. Did have any arm or body tiredness due to the tool. The workers front hand is perfect for holding the tool while the back hand is easily used for adjusting angles.
Feel -
This is an extremely solid power tool. When you pick the tool up in your hands you can feel it right from the start. Cutting wood, metal or anything else, the low vibrations (Compared to other reciprocating saws) it a lot easier in your hands.
Overall -
This is a must own power tool for anyone. If you are a professional or home user, I wouldn't consider any other reciprocating saw. The Milwaukee Sawzall is hands down the best reciprocating saw we have used. When this tool was designed they though about everything from making the cord easy to change to the quick change blade system that truly locks the blade in place. I could go on and on about how much I love this power tool. If you all ready own it, you understand me. If you don't own this tool, once you try, you will se why I love this power tool and used this as our first power tool review.