http://www.sears.com/shc/s/s_10153_12605_Tools_Portable+Power+Tools_Reciprocating+...
I have a bunch of Sears gift cards. So I am looking for one for $100 or less. Which would you chose?
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Jan. 30, 2012 5:53 p.m. 93EXCivic SuperDork
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Jan. 30, 2012 6:17 p.m. 1988RedT2 SuperDork
I bought a Porter Cable for about a hundred bucks ten years ago. It's seen a fair amount of use in those ten years and still works as new.
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Jan. 30, 2012 6:34 p.m. oldtin SuperDork
Got a 10 year old dewalt - built fences, decks, cut a couple scrap cars to recycle size - still going strong. Although around Christmas there was a little battery powered milwaukee recip around $100 - that looks handy for pick n pull duty (they allow batter reciprocals)
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Jan. 30, 2012 8:06 p.m. novaderrik Dork
i got the $100 Dewalt about 10 years ago and it is pretty damn awesome. it even came with a carrying case and a heavy duty 20ft extension cord.
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Jan. 30, 2012 8:50 p.m. SVreX SuperDork
Not the Craftsman. You couldn't pay me to take it off your hands.
Porter Cables are awesome. Looks like Sears doesn't handle them.
If your choices are the ones in that link, the reconditioned Milwaukee will put the others to shame.
I'm not a big fan of the DeWalt's plastic blade release.
The Makita is very serviceable, light and sturdy, but the orbital reciprocating action won't keep up with the PC.
I have a Porter Cable, a DeWalt, a Milwaukee, a Makita, and several Porter Cables. Only the Milwaukee and the PC can keep up with serious abuse. The others are decent homeowner models.
Except for the Craftsman.
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Jan. 30, 2012 8:53 p.m. 93EXCivic SuperDork
I went to the Sears and they had Dewalt or Craftsman. So Dewalt it was.
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Jan. 30, 2012 9:13 p.m. patgizz SuperDork
SVreX wrote:
I have a Porter Cable, a DeWalt, a Milwaukee, a Makita, and several Porter Cables. Only the Milwaukee and the PC can keep up with serious abuse. The others are decent homeowner models.
i bought a Bosch 14 amp one to replace my dead DeWalt - made in USA and powerful as hell. i'd put it against my buddy's milwaukee any day. DW quality has been on a downhill slide for the last 4-5 years. i got so fed up with breaking cordless saws that i went and bought a porter cable one.
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Jan. 30, 2012 9:25 p.m. SVreX SuperDork
I have used the Bosch. I agree. I can give that one a thumbs up.
But it won't beat the PC.
Oh, and it's not on that page linked.
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Jan. 31, 2012 6:57 a.m. Curmudgeon SuperDork
Agree with SVreX: my old Porter Cable has had the crap beat out of it and is still going strong, same with my PC framing nailer and both DeWalt drills. I had a Black & Decker 1/2" drill, junk.
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Jan. 31, 2012 7:42 a.m. Giant Purple Snorklewacker SuperDork
I have a Milwaukee Super-Sawzall - it has destroyed many, many things over the past decade+ and it is still going strong. I have cut 3/4 steel plate, chopped steel, copper and black iron tubing, removed exhausts, cut up whole cars... gutted a home... anywhere it fit it was the tool of choice. I have never given any regard to how much crap got in the thing or paid any attention whatsoever to taking care of it. It was over two hundred when I bought it in the 90s and if it died tomorrow it was money well spent (although I doubt it will ever die - it will probably need brushes I can't find anywhere though).
I would buy the exact same one again in a heartbeat.
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Jan. 31, 2012 7:46 a.m. 16vCorey SuperDork
I've got a Milwaukee that I got from my dad that's probably as old as me, and I punish it regularly. My only complaint is that stupid allen screw that holds the blade in comes loose on occasion. I did find out that the quick release that's on the new ones will retrofit to the old ones. I've heard people complain that quality has gone down on just about everything, so save some money and buy a really old one?
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Jan. 31, 2012 7:58 a.m. mguar Reader
In reply to Giant Purple Snorklewacker: I have two Milwaukee sawzall's. One is a30+ year old one and one is a decade old super that helped me build my house.. Both are still fine..
I've seen my Friend the contractor go through 6 Porter Cables in the last decade. When they'd burn out or break he'd stop over borrow my old Milwaukees and swear that's what he was getting next..
I did buy a Hilti following a demonstration where the Hilti Rep gave me a 6x6 to saw through and the Hilti did it massively quicker than the Milwaukee I had in my hands (same blade) So I put the Milwaukee back, bought the Hilti and 9 months later shipped it off to be repaired under warranty. It came back with a repair charge within $5.00 of what a new one would. Meanwhile since I couldn't wait the month it was away I had bought the Milwaukee.
I had used my charge card to pay for shipping and they simply billed that with a note that the failure had been caused by abuse and therefore not covered..
Meanwhile the one I used the most lately is the De Walt battery powered one.. (In case you're keep track I have 4 reciprocating saws)
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Jan. 31, 2012 8:00 a.m. oldopelguy Dork
I have a couple old Milwaukees from my Dad, and they are really the best out there, but I also have an older DeWalt that sees more regular usage. I like the ease of blade change in the DeWalt, and it has an 1/8" longer stroke at the same speed, so it uses a couple more teeth on the blades.
I do like the 1/4 turn and remove the cord feature on the Milwaukee, though, and wish every power tool did that.
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Jan. 31, 2012 9:53 a.m. PHeller Dork
What is the remove the cord feature your talking about?
I bought a Craftsman Lithium Ion kit with drill and Recip. Wish I had just bought a corded recip and bought the drill/battery from Dewalt. '
Oh well. It gave me a scare the other night when the battery was cold and the charger thought it was dead, but once the battery warmed up it charged fine.
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Jan. 31, 2012 9:58 a.m. Giant Purple Snorklewacker SuperDork
PHeller wrote:
What is the remove the cord feature your talking about?
The power cord is a twist lock type that comes off for storage or easy replacement.
