What Are Reciprocating saws?

Reciprocating saws are versatile, portable, hand held saws that can cut through a wide range of materials. The Milwaukee Electric Tool Corp. first invented the Sawzall brand in 1951 and many trade people generically refer to these tools as sawzalls. It's a great tool to have around when you need to cut through a variety of materials. The tool is of medium weight, and you need two hands to operate it effectively. They are long, with a "D" shaped handle at one end and a grip at the other. Here is a brief list of what a reciprocating saw can cut through:

  • Sheet metal
  • Bolts
  • Pipes
  • Wood
  • Nail Embedded Wood
  • Cast Iron
  • Aluminum
  • Brass
  • Drywall
  • Composition materials
  • Hard Rubber
  • Cement
  • Brick
  • Fiberglass
  • Plastics PVC

As you can see the list is quite extensive, and there are other materials that the saw will cut through. There are five main parts to the reciprocating saw







Blades For Reciprocating Saws

As with other saw blades, reciprocating saw blades vary depending on the material to be cut. The blades are made up of different compositions, they are:

  • Bi-metal - Some bi-metal blades are used for roughing in wood and various metal cutting.
  • High carbon steel - High carbon steel blades are generally for roughing in wood.
  • High speed steel - Heavy gauge nonferrous metals, bar and angle stock, cast aluminum, cast iron, sheet steel, hard rubber, plastics, wood, fiberglass, galvanized pipe, and tubing.
  • Special purpose or Cobalt - Fast woodcutting or extra aggressive woodcutting.







The amount of teeth in each of the blades has a direct effect on the material being cut. The TPI (Tooth Per Inch) is dictated by the thickness of the material being cut and also by how you want the workpiece to look after its been finished. A low TPI is used for fast rough cutting where the smoothness of the material being cut is not an important factor. This is typically done when the user wants to have a more "finished" look. No matter what type of a cut you are going for, ideally you should have a minimum of 3 teeth engaging the material being cut.

Anything under that and you run the risk of the blade getting caught up on the workpiece, this can easily cause damage to the blade or to the object being cut. The tooth degree in the setting can also affect how aggressive the cut will be. As a general rule the higher the degree of the set, the more rugged the cut. The lower the degree of the set, the resulting cut will be smoother. Common patterns include the alternating set, wavy set, and the raker set.

Most experts will agree that the most vital factor affecting the performance of the saw is strokes per minute (SPM). The heat generated by the saw can damage the material being cut or the teeth of the blade. In order to reduce this risk, most manufactures will agree to the following rule: the harder the material, the slower the cutting speed. Longer stroke lengths are best for demolition work, while shorter ones are good for more precise work.







Guidelines for Safely using a Reciprocating Saw

When using the reciprocating saw, remember to follow some general safety rules:

  • Always use the correct blade recommended for the material to be cut.
  • To make a plunge cut, place the shoe against the material to be cut first with the blade at a 45 degree angle. Pivot the blade is slowly into the workpiece until the blade is perpendicular. This approach greatly reduces tool vibration and allows for the blade to penetrate the material easier.
  • Never plunge into metal. To make a cut into metal, start from the edge, drill a starting hole larger than the widest part of the blade. This allows the blade to enter the material that is being cut.
  • Be sure that the blade always extends past the shoe and workpiece. Remember that the shoe is the flat part of the saw that the blade passes through to enter the item being cut. Blades may shatter or break if they come in contact with the shoe or the workpiece. This could cause shards to fly off in different directions causing serious injuries to yourself or a coworker.
  • Make sure that before making your cut into the material, the shoe is resting against the material that is going to have the work done on it. Whenever you are making the cut, keep the shoe pressed against the material firmly. This will help to avoid slippage and curvy cuts.
  • If the saw tends to bounce or the blade snags while making a cut - particularly on thin metal materials - change to a blade with finer teeth. When cutting metals it is important to always have at least three teeth engaged in the cut. Like all power tools, always wear the correct safety equipment. Goggles, gloves, aprons, hearing protection, and a dust mask.


Important Issues To Remind The Customer

When you're selling a saw to a customer, you should remind them of some important points:

1. When working with metal, you can increase blade life by setting the speed to low and coating the teeth with cutting oil. If you are working with a nonferrous material such as aluminum or brass, coat the blade with cutting wax.

2. To make cuts flush to a wall, ceiling, or floor use an offset blade adapter. The adapter takes the reciprocating action and repositions it to the side of the tool where the gear case won't get in the way.

3. Turning the blade 180 degrees makes it easier to make a flush cut. Reversing the blade also makes it easier to cut in an upward motion.


Who To Sell To

When selling a reciprocating saw, you can target a wide variety of people in our industry. The uses for this saw make it a great tool to sell for a lot of different applications. Some of the people you should look to try to sell to are:

  • Mechanical Contractors
  • Plumbers
  • Electricians
  • Carpenters
  • HVAC
  • Plant Maintenance
  • General Contractors

This group of professionals would be using the saw for different applications. Some of which include:

  • Demolition
  • Cutting Pipe
  • Cutting Wood Cutting Metals