# Best Reciprocating Saw?



## 2ndGen

I'm in between the DeWalt DW311K and The Milwaukee 6538-21 or the 6523-21 (with 360 degree rotating handle, but with less power than the most powerful sawzall in the industry, the 6538-21) Super Sawzall. 

















I've had nothing but great experience with DeWalt, 
But how could I not consider the Milwaukee? 

Advice?


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## KillerToiletSpider

2ndGen said:


> I'm in between the DeWalt DW311K and The Milwaukee 6538-21 or the 6523-21 (with 360 degree rotating handle, but with less power than the most powerful sawzall in the industry, the 6538-21) Super Sawzall.
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> I've had nothing but great experience with DeWalt,
> But how could I not consider the Milwaukee?
> 
> Advice?


I've burned up three Milwaukees and two Dewalts, the Bosch broke on day two.


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## 2ndGen




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## 2ndGen

KillerToiletSpi said:


> I've burned up three Milwaukees and two Dewalts, the Bosch broke on day two.



Well there you go...you're a plumber...aren't you supposed to use Rigid? 

:laughing:


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## thom

Had 3 Milwaukee's (they don't break just get stolen) then 3 Milwaukee cordless. Milwaukee's cordless tools are crap, but so are the others.

Bought a Makita after one of the Milwaukee's had been stolen. Made one cut with it then gave it away. Makita is worse than crap. It's a toy, not a tool.


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## 2ndGen

thom said:


> Had 3 Milwaukee's (they don't break just get stolen) then 3 Milwaukee cordless. Milwaukee's cordless tools are crap, but so are the others.
> 
> Bought a Makita after one of the Milwaukee's had been stolen. Made one cut with it then gave it away. Makita is worse than crap. It's a toy, not a tool.


I just got a light duty Milwaukee that was left behind at a site. It had a broken piece in where the blade is attached and it's said that it'll cost me about 20 bucks to fix (which I'll do). I've used them before. Like them as well. Most likely, I'm leaning towards that 15 Amp Super Sawzall...no rotating handle, but 15 Amps...:notworthy


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## wallmaxx

I used to be a Milwaukee Super sawzall fan. It died. Now I use the Makita AVT. It is AWESOME.


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## Chris Johnson

I like the Milwaukee sawsall, it has served me well

Unless you are cutting metal you don't need the super sawsall, the regular one is fine for 90% of sawsall users.


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## KillerToiletSpider

wallmaxx said:


> I used to be a Milwaukee Super sawzall fan. It died. Now I use the Makita AVT. It is AWESOME.


Tried that too, don't let it get wet.


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## 2ndGen

wallmaxx said:


> I used to be a Milwaukee Super sawzall fan. It died. Now I use the Makita AVT. It is AWESOME.


The AVT was rated best by ToolsOfTheTrade Magazine.


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## TempestV

I have the Dewalt- it's reliable, durable, easy to put the blade in, and powerful enough to get the job done, which puts it ahead of a lot of the brands, but it isn't as good as current offerings of Milwaukee or Makita.


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## dlcj

2ndGen said:


> Well there you go...you're a plumber...aren't you supposed to use Rigid?
> 
> :laughing:


sounds like he needs a STILL.:laughing:


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## 2ndGen

dlcj said:


> sounds like he needs a STILL.:laughing:


:laughing:


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## jiffy

The Makita with the AVT is *THE BEST* recip saw on the market. It out cuts all the others by a longshot. End of story.


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## J87513

i've used a milwaukee a few times and it's been really good, cordless. i like the center of gravity on it. my cordless 18v dewalt sawzaw jumps around too much. milwaukee cordless 18v is easier to control and is smoother.

i'd get a milwaukee cordless.


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## MacRoadie

Super Sawzall, hands-down.

I have a couple of Makitas, and they're Ok, but I've dropped Milwaukees off roofs, stood on them, had them soaked with water, and generally beat the crap out of them. New cord or brushes here and there, but that's it.

They do tend to get stolen more often though...


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## EricTheHandyman

My current inventory:

Milwaukee corded super sawzall--love it!!

Makita cordless 18V Li--worthless!!


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## MALCO.New.York

Who started it all? Milwaukee with the Sawzall. Go with a Milwaukee (not made any where near Milwaukee) unless you mean cordless and have a different brand.


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## silvertree

DeWalt works for me. 2 of them 10 years old and still working.


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## MALCO.New.York

quote=jiffy;390485]The Makita with the AVT is *THE BEST* recip saw
on the market. It out cuts all the others by a longshot. End of story.[/quote]

And this is based on a clinical study performed by whom?????


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## big steve

definately not the new hitatchi AVT from lowes i got 6 months ago.The whole blade/shaft mechanism feels like its about to fall out.


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## threaderman

I guess I'm old school because I never think of Ridgid power tools when considering a purchase{I think they are ugly too,though it did take years to get used to Dewalts bright yellow].Dewalt,Milwaukee,Makita,Bosch are all proven leaders.A cordless doesn't have the power I need consistently..The Makita sounds like a good one.I have the Dewalt,though I was always a Milw. man but got perturbed by how often I would have to re-place the blade holder.I bought the porter cable sawzall [the Tiger] ,when it first came out about 10 years ago and was pretty happy with its power but I had less than 15 min. running time on it when someone decided they needed their crack more than I needed my saw.:sad: And even deeper into it,I got turned off at the Ridgid Forum and just am not giving them my power-tool business.Hand tools and specialty tools and machines ,yes,not power tools!$0.02.


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## jiffy

MALCO.New.York said:


> quote=jiffy;390485]The Makita with the AVT is *THE BEST* recip saw
> on the market. It out cuts all the others by a longshot. End of story.


And this is based on a clinical study performed by whom?????[/quote]

Myself and 10 other guys and girls tried the Milwaukee, DeWalt, and Makita. The test was on a 4x4 and we all raced. The Makita won the race every single time no matter who used which saw. It didnt matter how much pressure you used on the saw either.

The corded Makita with AVT just does it better.

Have you tried more than one at a time...if you havent you should.


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## MALCO.New.York

Thank you for the "clinical study"!!!!!

I shall try a "head-to-head" some day!!

BTW there is some confusion in your quote-box. Not my words!


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## KillerToiletSpider

jiffy said:


> And this is based on a clinical study performed by whom?????
> 
> Myself and 10 other guys and girls tried the Milwaukee, DeWalt, and Makita. The test was on a 4x4 and we all raced. The Makita won the race every single time no matter who used which saw. It didnt matter how much pressure you used on the saw either.
> 
> The corded Makita with AVT just does it better.
> 
> Have you tried more than one at a time...if you havent you should.


Your study is flawed, heavily, you didn't include all manufacturers.


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## neolitic

jiffy said:


> Myself and 10 other guys and girls tried the Milwaukee, DeWalt, and Makita. The test was on a 4x4 and we all raced. The Makita won the race every single time no matter who used which saw. It didnt matter how much pressure you used on the saw either.


You didn't try the Tiger.
If my Tiger won't out cut 
the others, I bet I could 
use it to bludgeon them
to bits! :laughing::clap:


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## 2ndGen

> =threaderman;390605]I guess I'm old school because I never think of Ridgid power tools when considering a purchase{I think they are ugly too,though it did take years to get used to Dewalts bright yellow].


Yeah...I just can't get used to that "Home Depot Orange" though. 



> Dewalt,Milwaukee,Makita,Bosch are all proven leaders.A cordless doesn't have the power I need consistently..


Same here. 



> I have the Dewalt,though I was always a Milw. man but got perturbed by how often I would have to re-place the blade holder.


That's what's broken on the Mil Sawzall I was given. 

But, I'm going to go with the Milwaukee Super Sawzall...corded of course. I need consistant power when I'm sawing. I'm very "Tim The Toolman Taylor" when it comes to power. Argh! Argh! Argh!


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## blackbear

Im going to have to say the super sawzall. I used a co workers for a day and it was awesome. I cant wait for my 10amp to break so I can go buy one.


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## skylands

Boy now I feel bad. 

I'm not keeping Milwaukee or Miketa in business by buying one of those sawzalls every couple of days.

I've just had my Porter Cable sawzall for only 12 years and still going strong. 

However.

They can send a man to the moon but nobody can make a sawzall that doesn't blow in your face when you're on the last rung of a 40 foot ladder trying to cut a soffitt. (bummer)


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## jiffy

MALCO.New.York said:


> Thank you for the "clinical study"!!!!!
> 
> I shall try a "head-to-head" some day!!
> 
> BTW there is some confusion in your quote-box. Not my words!



Sorry it's not "Clinical" , but neither is asking advice on a forum. It was all the study I needed. I saw a 90lb woman out cut a 250lb man with the same blade, just different sawzalls. Multiple people had the same outcome, using a large variety of different sawzalls.


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## Joining_heads

One cut is all it takes to realize the greatness of the Makita AVT. It is sooo smooth and sooo powerful. It is by far the best sawzall I've ever used. Check out the new JLC.


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## john5mt

Yep Makita AVT is clinically proven to be the bomb!:thumbup::laughing:


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## MasterEngineer

On a job site recently, we had to install commercial ductwork (60x24) and 13 RTUs. The Trane Voyager series commercial ac sits on a curb made from 14 gauge sheet metal. We have both Makitas AVTs and Milwaukee Super Sawzalls on the jobsite. I like the Makita for vibration control, but the Milwaukee is a bad dude:thumbup:. It fights back more, but it cuts faster, especially in metal. The sheet metal mechanics (tinners) also told me the Milwaukee is way more powerful.:thumbsup:


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## grusel

My Opinion... Hilti WSR 900-PE. Half the size and twice the power of most recips.
But.... ToiletSpider is right... if you want the "best" right now it's the Makita 15Amp with AVT.
Though a Hilti will probably never need to be replaced... ever! and can run up to 110 / 120 / 220 / 230 / 240 Voltages.


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## Bill in VaBeach

Ridgid was mentioned in this post, but I'd have to say not Ridgid for recip saws. Have both corded and cordless and am not happy with either. Cordless performance is weak compared to other name brands, and the blade release on the corded has been a problem...too much play and then won't release. Completely happy with my Milwaukee, never a problem with it, although haven't tried the Makita.


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## boman47k

2ndGen said:


> :laughing:


If I had a good still, I wouldn't need a sawsall...at all.:whistling

Well, I might need it some cutting to build the still, but after it was built ina nice secluded area...........just corn, hops, sugar, water, heat... then let the pot, thumb keg, worm and condensor work:whistling Oh yeah, lot of jugs. I have seen a lot of glass and plastic milk jugs! ( Many years ago)

P.S. I have a Makita, not sure what model it is, but does pretty good for what I need. I am not even sure what all the settings are for. Very handy tool to have.


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## KennMacMoragh

The Makita AVT cuts better than any of them, but the mechanism that holds the blade is ridiculous, it wears out and breaks easy, and is not cheap to fix. 

I would probably buy a Hilti if were going to get another one. I have the Hilti 36V. cordless sawzall and it works perfect.


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## woodworkbykirk

#1 makita avt
#2 milwaukee
#3 hilti



dewalt....... how do they call themselves heavy duty when we had two of them burn up on the same day cutting the roof off a house. one month later, the motor on the new dewalt we picked up as a replacement burnt out, replaced with milwaukee, only thing that went bad on it was a handful of blades cutting plaster,

my final thought, i dont think the dewalt could handle cutting a cooked turkey let lone framing material


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## jiffy

thom said:


> Had 3 Milwaukee's (they don't break just get stolen) then 3 Milwaukee cordless. Milwaukee's cordless tools are crap, but so are the others.
> 
> Bought a Makita after one of the Milwaukee's had been stolen. Made one cut with it then gave it away. Makita is worse than crap. It's a toy, not a tool.



The Makita AVT recip saw is the best one I have ever used. It makes the Milwaukee seem like a "toy". It cuts twice as fast as the Milwaukee or Dewalt. I tested them at a show side by side and it was hard to believe. The anti vibration really works and I have one in my collection now based on my test.

It's the JR3070CT


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## jiffy

KennMacMoragh said:


> The Makita AVT cuts better than any of them, but the mechanism that holds the blade is ridiculous, it wears out and breaks easy, and is not cheap to fix.
> 
> I would probably buy a Hilti if were going to get another one. I have the Hilti 36V. cordless sawzall and it works perfect.



There is a fix for that problem. Took mine in and they put the new blade holder on...problem solved.


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## Winchester

I'd like to get a makita AVT but my dewalt just won't die.

I left it in the rain and it was rusted and the blade holder wouldn't work. I soaked it in wd40 overnight and it works again.

as soon as my dewalt dies I'll probably buy the Makita AVT


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## Inner10

> I'd like to get a makita AVT but my dewalt just won't die.


I have said for many years "when my dewalt dies I will get a Milwaukee or Hilti"....it just won't die!

The set screw for the blade has been lost and replaced a few times, sometimes you need a claw-hammer to remove/insert the blades because the useless owner (me) never gave it a shot of grease in its life.

Sounds like the new ones may not be as nice but the older ones seem just great!


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## samthedog

I have a cheapy dewalt too and have found it to be fine for what I need. I mean, if you use the right tool for the job most of the time you won't be burning things out. My dewalt is the one where you can change the blade orientation which has been a life saver and in fact the only reason I chose it over the more powerful models. Oh, and the fact that my Dewalt was made in Germany helped sway my decision too.


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## JKBARR127

i love my makita avt. i think when it does die or run away Im gonna have to take a long hard look at the Milwaukee just to see which one i like more


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## Spencer

DEWALT!!!

I am a tool junky to the highest degree and it takes a lot for me to get especially excited about a tool. The dewalt is a beast. I can't pick the thing up without grunting.

I have put it through everything and she hasn't skipped a beat. Buy one and start living...


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## JKBARR127

sawzalls by there nature are just bad and built tough. I dont care whos ur using if u dont grunt when u pick it up knowing what ur about to do ur in the wrong buisness. :thumbup:


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## KillerToiletSpider

Spencer said:


> DEWALT!!!
> 
> I am a tool junky to the highest degree and it takes a lot for me to get especially excited about a tool. The dewalt is a beast. I can't pick the thing up without grunting.
> 
> I have put it through everything and she hasn't skipped a beat. Buy one and start living...


I killed three of them in less than a year, after the third they refused to honor the warranty saying the tool was abused, because it got a little wet.


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## Inner10

> I dont care whos ur using if u dont grunt when u pick it up knowing what ur about to do ur in the wrong buisness. :thumbup:


Guess I'm in the wrong business, normally for me its "ohh crap I guess I'm going to have to do that with the saw-z-all":laughing:


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## wallmaxx

Yeah Baby!!

I resurrected my Super Sawzall (that stupid Twist-Lok cord was no good - - after I had taken the entire sawzall apart and checked all the solder points) grrrrrr

Then just a couple weeks back, someone stole my Makita AVT out of the back of a friends truck (popped open his camper shell). Strange.


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## KennMacMoragh

jiffy said:


> There is a fix for that problem. Took mine in and they put the new blade holder on...problem solved.


Did they put the same blade holder on it? I took mine in too because after about six months of use, the blade kept falling out. They told me it would cost over $100 to replace the blade holder. And the mechanism that holds it has 15 different parts to it, while the Milwaukee and most others only have about 7 parts and are bullet proof. 

They told me it's a ridiculous design and probably not worth fixing, so now it just sits on my shelf and all I use is my cordless Hilti which holds up to anything.


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## AustinDB

as far as cordless goes, the dewalt has done great for remodeling work whcih doesn't require the constant use through the day but has plenty of power to get the job done. 

not sure if all the other brands have this, but the dewalt has a 4in1 chuch so that the blade can be installed at 0/90/180 and 270 degrees-extremely useful for flush cuts in tight space.


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## KellyD&B

I loved my Dewalt but it got stolen...I just picked up a Rigid and its pretty good so far. Nice and light.


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## redwood

I've owned Milwalkee (reg & super), Dewalt, & Porter Cable(Tiger). For me, the Milwalkee's took the best licking. I just got the Dewalt back, after 2 mos. in the service center. I won't buy another DeWalt corded tool. I've just had too much bad luck with them.


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## moorewarner

Porter Cable/Tiger here.

Not the most powerful but gets places my old Milwaukee (stolen ) couldn't.

Also picked up the new one handed Rigid recently, an odd fish, still not sure what I think about it yet.


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## jiffy

KennMacMoragh said:


> Did they put the same blade holder on it? I took mine in too because after about six months of use, the blade kept falling out. They told me it would cost over $100 to replace the blade holder. And the mechanism that holds it has 15 different parts to it, while the Milwaukee and most others only have about 7 parts and are bullet proof.
> 
> They told me it's a ridiculous design and probably not worth fixing, so now it just sits on my shelf and all I use is my cordless Hilti which holds up to anything.



They put a new piece in the holder that fixed the "issue" with the original. Of course this is a Factory Service center I took mine to and not a Authorized center. They had the new part ready to go and it took care of the problem completely.


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## grusel

I just cut a Milwaukee Super Sawzall in half with my Cordless Hilti WSR 650 A.


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## Tom M

I've had 2 Milwaukees, a Bosch and am on my second Porter Cable Tiger. I like my porter cable. Dont own cordless.


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## KennMacMoragh

jiffy said:


> They put a new piece in the holder that fixed the "issue" with the original. Of course this is a Factory Service center I took mine to and not a Authorized center. They had the new part ready to go and it took care of the problem completely.


They only warranty that for a year, I wouldn't buy the Makita.


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## JustaFramer

I like the PC Tiger saw. I really liked the one they made in the 90's with the metal carry case. I miss that saw. I replaced it with the non-orbital tiger that was a pos and now sits in it's case torn down. I also have a old Milwakee before the removable cord. That thing just keeps going. 

I like the new tool smell but lately it seems 90's and later tools still work. The 2000's and newer break when the warranty is up.


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## KennMacMoragh

JustaFramer said:


> I like the PC Tiger saw. I really liked the one they made in the 90's with the metal carry case. I miss that saw. I replaced it with the non-orbital tiger that was a pos and now sits in it's case torn down. I also have a old Milwakee before the removable cord. That thing just keeps going.
> 
> I like the new tool smell but lately it seems 90's and later tools still work. The 2000's and newer break when the warranty is up.


Yeah, unless you go with a Hilti, but ya got to pay twice as much.


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