Best 18V-24V Cordless Reciprocating Saw Head-To-Head |2022

Over 70 years ago (1951 to be exact) Milwaukee Tools introduced the first reciprocating saw called the SAWZALL. Since then technology has advanced dramatically. Currently, there is a plethora of full-size cordless reciprocating saws that are being used on millions of job sites every day!

Demolition contractors, plumbers, electricians, carpenters, mechanical contractors (both residential and commercial), and even firefighters are among the users. We can’t think of another power instrument that touches so many diverse trades than the reciprocating saw.

Cordless Reciprocating Saw Line Up

Fifteen manufacturers sent us their best cordless reciprocating saw on their 18v-24v platforms. We received the following 17 reciprocating saws for this Head-To-Head.

Craftsman Reciprocating Saw

• Model: CMCS351B
• Voltage: 20V
• Stroke-Per-Minute: 3200 SPM
• Stroke Length: 1-1/8″
• Weight: 6.92 LBS
• Price: $99.00

DEWALT Reciprocating Saw

• Model: DCS386B
• Voltage: 20V
• Stroke-Per-Minute: 3000 SPM
• Stroke Length: 1-1/8″
• Weight: 7.7 LBS
• Price: $169.00

FLEX Reciprocating Saw

• Model: FX2271-Z
• Voltage: 24V
• Stroke-Per-Minute: 3000
• Stroke Length: 1-1/4″
• Weight: 10.67 LBS
• Price: $199.00

Hart Reciprocating Saw

• Model: HPRS25
• Voltage: 20V
• Stroke-Per-Minute: 3200 SPM
• Stroke Length: 1-1/4″
• Weight: 5.0 LBS
• Price: $115.00

Hilti Reciprocating Saw

• Model: SR 6-22 #2240583
• Voltage: 22V
• Stroke-Per-Minute: 2600 SPM
• Stroke Length: 1-1/4″
• Weight: 6.8 LBS
• Price: $299.00

Kobalt Reciprocating Saw

• Model: KXRS 124B-03
• Voltage: 24V
• Stroke-Per-Minute: 3100 SPM
• Stroke Length: 1-1/4″
• Weight: 6.4 LBS
• Price: $149.00

Kobalt Reciprocating Saw

• Model: KRS 224B-03
• Voltage: 24V
• Stroke-Per-Minute: 3100 SPM
• Stroke Length: 1-1/4″
• Weight: 6.0 LBS
• Price: $129.00

Makita Reciprocating Saw

• Model: XRJ05Z
• Voltage: 18V
• Stroke-Per-Minute: 3000 SPM
• Stroke Length: 1-1/4″
• Weight: 8.2 LBS
• Price: $179.00

Metabo Reciprocating Saw

• Model: 602267850
• Voltage: 18V
• Stroke-Per-Minute: 2700 SPM
• Stroke Length: 1-1/4″
• Weight: 5.5 LBS
• Price: $179.00

Metabo HPT  Reciprocating Saw

• Model: CR18DBL
• Voltage: 18V
• Stroke-Per-Minute: 3000 SPM
• Stroke Length: 1-1/4″
• Weight: 6.0 LBS
• Price: $139.00

Milwaukee  Sawzall Reciprocating Saw

• Model: 2822-20
• Voltage: 18V
• Stroke-Per-Minute: 3000 SPM
• Stroke Length: 1-1/4″
• Weight: 6.8 LBS
• Price: $259.00

Milwaukee Sawzall Reciprocating Saw

• Model: 2722-20
• Voltage: 18V
• Stroke-Per-Minute: 3000 SPM
• Stroke Length: 1-1/4″
• Weight: 8.8 LBS
• Price: $249.00

Porter-Cable Reciprocating Saw

• Model: PCC670B
• Voltage: 20V
• Stroke-Per-Minute: 3000 SPM
• Stroke Length: 1″
• Weight: 4.35 Lbs
• Price: $62.00

RIDGID Reciprocating Saw

• Model: R8647B
• Voltage: 18V
• Stroke-Per-Minute: 3200 SPM
• Stroke Length: 1-1/4″
• Weight: 7.2 LBS
• Price: $189.00

Ryobi Reciprocating Saw

• Model: PBLRS01B
• Voltage: 18V
• Stroke-Per-Minute: 3200 SPM
• Stroke Length: 1-1/4″
• Weight: 6.7 LBS
• Price: $149.00

Skil Reciprocating Saw

• Model: RS582902
• Voltage: 20V
• Stroke-Per-Minute: 3000 SPM
• Stroke Length: 1″
• Weight: 4.63 LBS
• Price: $89.99

WORX Reciprocating Saw

• Model: WX516L
• Voltage: 20V
• Stroke-Per-Minute: 3000 SPM
• Stroke Length: 1-3/16″
• Weight: 5.52 LBS
• Price: $109.00

Note: Bosch was asked to participate in this Reciprocating Saw Head-to-Head, however, they declined.

Head-to-Head Testing Format

For our Best Cordless Reciprocating Saw Head-to-Head, our team looked at a total of 9 criteria, which are listed below. Each criterion was ranked independently, and the “Overall Best Cordless Reciprocating Saw” was determined using a combination of the test results.

We wanted to develop various speed tests related to several significant trades for this Cordless Reciprocating Saw Head-to-Head. We created tests that appeal to the following users and added to the standard testing criteria we always add in our Head-To-Head tests.

1. General Contractor / Demolition [timed cut test]
2. Plumbing / Heating Contractors [timed cut test]
3. Electricians [timed cut test]
4. Features
5. Ergonomics
6. Size
7. Noise
8. Price
9. Best Value
   

Testing Blade Information

All reciprocating saws were fitted with task-specific, brand-new Milwaukee Nitrus Carbide blades before testing, which shifted the focus away from the blades and more toward the saws.

• Timed Test 1:   Gas Pipe for plumbers.
• Timed Test 2:  Unistrut for electricians.
• Timed Test 3:  Nail Embedded Wood for Carpenters and Remodelers.

NITRUS CARBIDE teeth on these reciprocating saw blades allow you to cut longer, and faster. Compared to standard carbide tooth blades, Milwaukee claims that the NITRUS CARBIDE technology outlasts existing carbide-toothed reciprocating saw blades by 3-times. Milwaukee uses 25% more Carbide per tooth on their NITRUS CARBIDE blades.

Battery Pack Guidelines

For this Head to Head, we requested manufacturers send us two of their batteries in the 4.0Ah to 6.0Ah range. This was to even out the playing field as some of these companies have very large batteries for these saws.

Testing Format Information

For the Nail Embedded and Uni-strut testing, we suspended a 10-pound weight from an anchor strap on the forward grip of each reciprocating saw to ensure that each saw received the same cutting pressure.

The cut began with both hands on the saw, the front hand was released to let the 10-pound weight draw the blade through the cut. Also, some of these saws include a variable speed option. We performed the tests using the highest factory-applied speed setting.

Jig Information

Tool Box Buzz has spent countless hours designing, building, and tweaking our test jig which allows us to remove human error in some of our testing.

To ensure a repeatable even cut, the jig is composed of 4 extruded aluminum towers that act as vertical rails for a mounting platform that holds and constrains the saw.  At the heart of the jig is a 3D-printed fractal vise that can move around irregular surfaces of the saw to provide even horizontal clamping force.  Additional straps are used to hold the saws in place.

All of the saws were fitted with new Milwaukee 6-inch TORCH blades. ( 7 TPI with Nitrus Carbide Teeth) – 48-00-5261

A timing system is used on the jig that takes advantage of two carefully positioned micro-switches that control the start and stop time of the cut.  Our process was to raise the saws above the material with an attached rope, start the saws at their highest setting and use a Velcro strap to keep the saw trigger in the “full-on” position.  The saw is carefully lowered into the cut and the micro-switch timing starts as the cut sequence is initiated.  At this time the weight of the saw and the weight of the mounting platform ~20lbs was the cutting force exerted into the cut.

Gas Pipe Speed Test | Winner – FLEX

This gas pipe test is designed for plumbing and heating contractors.  Using 1-1/2″ cylindrical black steel schedule 40 gas pipe. We utilized the new Milwaukee Torch blades suitable for the thick metal in each saw and timed three cuts using our testing rig. We used Rockwell Jawhorses to hold the pipe at the desired height while we cut.

The winner of the gas pipe test was the FLEX 2271-Z with an impressive average time of 4.71 seconds. Second place was the Kobalt KRS-224B with a time of 5.15 seconds and third was the Milwaukee One Key 2822-20 with 5.63 seconds. The slowest saw that actually finished the test was the WORX coming in at 16.42 seconds.

This test, combined with the weight of the testing jig proved to be a challenge for some of the saws and a borderline torture test. The strong cutting force really gave the more robust saws their moment to shine.

Hart, Kobalt KXRS, Metabo HPT, Porter Cable, Ryobi, and Skil could not complete the test and received a DNF [Did Not Finish]. The Metabo HPT and Kobalt saws were overloaded and went into thermal overload, a feature designed to protect the motor, automatically shutting the saw down. The Porter-Cable and Skill saw motors were also overloaded, but do not have thermal overload protection, so the testing team stopped the test.

Unistrut Speed Test | Winner – FLEX

For electricians and mechanical contractors, Uni-strut is a standardized formed structural system used for light structural support, frequently for supporting wiring, piping, or mechanical components.  In each saw, we utilized new Milwaukee TORCH, (6″ 7 TPI w/ Nitrus Carbide Teeth) – 48-00-5261, blades and recorded the average time for three cuts. We used a 10lb weight on an anchor strap and let the weight do the cutting.

The winner of this test was the FLEX 2271-Z with a speed of 3.67 seconds. Kobalt KRS in a close second with 4.23 seconds and third place went to the Makita 18v at 4.48 seconds.

Every saw was able to complete this test. The slowest saw of the group was the Ridgid R8647B coming in at a whopping 23.42 seconds.

Nail Embedded Wood Speed Test | Winner – Makita 18V

For our nail-embedded wood test, we took three 2×10 joists, fastened them together, and added five (5) 3-1/2″ nails into each 2×10 for a total of fifteen (15) nails. We used a 10 lb weight fixed to an anchor strap at the front of each saw and then plowed through three nail-embedded 2x10s with each cut.

This simulates heavy-duty demolition cutting for carpenters, remodelers, and general contractors. In each saw, we utilized a new Milwaukee WRECKER (9″ 6 TPI with Nitrus Carbide Teeth) –  48-00-5272, blade suited for nail-embedded wood, and timed three cuts.

The winner of this test was the Makita XRJ05Z with an impressive speed of 28.69 seconds. The team commented on how easy the Makita is to install the blade and the surprising cutting speed.

Two-hundredths of a second [.02] slower was the FLEX at 28.71. Finishing up in third place was the Milwaukee Super Sawzall 2722-20 with an average speed of 29.62.

Porter Cable had the longest cut time at 129.51 seconds. Skil was the only saw that did not finish a cut in the test [DNF], stopping a few seconds in.

Features | Winner – Milwaukee 2722-20 One-Key

Comparing tool features from different brands is challenging, but  “the devil is in the details.” We feel that a feature assessment is necessary and the entire team discussed these features and scored them.  Each feature was worth 1 point. The total number of points available was 7.

1. Rafter hook
2. Orbital action
3. Blade release lever
4. LED Light
5. Shoe plate
6. Variable speed
7. Standout Features

The winner of the feature section is the Milwaukee One Key 2822-20. This saw had a total of 7 points, with a perfect score. This saw was well-balanced, and has a super comfortable grip and over molding, a solid rafter hook, and a smooth spring lever for blade changing.  The crew noted that the back-light for electronic controls needs to be brighter or a different contrast for working in sunlight operations.

There was a two-way tie for second place, the Milwaukee Super Sawzall, and the Ridgid with 5 points each.

The only saw that did not have any of these features was the Porter Cable, which resulted in a 0 score.

Rafter Hook

Almost all of the saws with rafter hooks were metal hooks and a swivel mount. The Hilti was the only exception with a narrower, ABS plastic style hook.

Variable Speed

All the reciprocating tested had variable triggers, but only five allow for an upper RPM limit setting. Of those five, the Milwaukee Super Sawzall has a variable analog speed dial. The Milwaukee One-Key reciprocating allows three preset settings on the tool and additional customization RPM controlling and settings through the One-Key AP. 

Stand-Out Features

Standout features are ones that other saws do not have and should be thought about when making a purchase.

Milwaukee ONE-KEY

The Milwaukee 2722-20 is the first reciprocating saw in its field to wirelessly link to a smartphone and track, manage, and customize a tool’s usage and location. With Unlimited Tool Customization, you can connect to the device and access preset setups for particular materials and fasteners, or you can fully customize the output speed and power for the current application. The custom profile is then saved to the tool’s memory after the desired output performance has been attained, making the connection to the smartphone unnecessary. Up to 4 unique profiles can be conveniently accessed from the tool’s memory with the touch of a button. Additionally, your personalized profiles are kept in the cloud and accessible at any time.

Using tools across your network of jobs and users is completely visible with integrated tool tracking, which ONE-KEY offers. The app will track all ONE-KEY compatible devices within a 100-foot radius of your phone.

All devices are traceable regardless of whether the battery is charged or on the tool because the capability is built into the instrument rather than the battery.

The program will automatically keep track of the last time a tool was in its vicinity, making it easier to find missing tools and improving crew responsibility. If you’re having problems finding a misplaced tool, ask anyone with the ONE-KEY app for assistance in broadening your search.

Additionally, the One-Key also has fixed orbital action. This means you can not turn it on or off. Unlike the Super Sawzall, which has a selectable orbit, the One-Key detects the best orbital action for cutting material.

HILTI On!Track

The HILTI 22V Nuron tools generate data which is then stored on the Nuron batteries and sent securely to the cloud during every charge without any operator interaction. NURON batteries have an internal memory card that can simultaneously store information from up to 12 tools.

When the batteries are plugged into the charger, the data is automatically uploaded to the cloud via cellular networks without any setup required. This allows users to make data-driven decisions based on site-specific tool usage patterns. Using Hilt’s ON! Track software on app and web customers can track this information by user or job site or leave it at a tool level, whichever they prefer.

Together with services like Hilti Fleet Management [paid subscription service] tool data can be used to reduce downtime and optimize tool cribs to boost customer productivity.

While this is an excellent feature, the team feels it needs to do more for the majority of Pro contractor users who are unable or unwilling to subscribe to the Hilti Fleet Management services.

DEWALT Flexvolt Advantage

DEWALT FLEXVOLT Batteries can unlock more power and better performance with Flexvolt Advantage 20v Max tools. The FLEXVOLT ADVANTAGE technology-equipped tools are aware of the battery’s connection and alter their power output accordingly. When combined with FLEXVOLT batteries, DEWALT 20V MAX* tools with FLEXVOLT ADVANTAGE technology give end users greater power.

Ergonomics | Winner – Milwaukee 2822-20  One-key

The ergonomics evaluation in this section is purely subjective and based on the opinions of the testing crew. After a full day of running performance tests, the team sat down and ranked each tool in several categories on a score of 1-10 [1 being the best]. For the ergonomics evaluation, the team evaluated the following criteria:

1. Subjective Vibration
2. Grip comfort
3. Ease of Blade Change
4. Ease of Shoe Plate Adjustment

The Milwaukee One-key reciprocating saw came in with a six score and never dropped below 2nd place in the four tested categories.  Hilti saw came in 2nd with an eight score. Third place went to the flex with double the points of the first two saws with a score of 15.

Subjective Vibration

Each evaluator ranked the tools based on perceived vibration for this category while performing each performance test. The average ranking was used for the final vibration ranking.

Vibration standouts:

The FLEX and Metabo HPT saws had minimal vibration.  The FLEX  saw includes active vibration control with FLEX’s “Shockshield Vibration Suppression.” According to FLEX, it reduces vibration by 40%.  In our testing, without knowing this information, the entire crew all commented that the FLEX was one of the saws with the least vibration.  Impressively it did this without bogging down or a reduction in power.

FLEX was “smooth as silk” to operate. ~ Rob

Grip Comfort

The crew collectively assessed how the grip surface, hand shape, and over-molding felt. Grip comfort is probably the hardest to score as a team due to the wide range of shapes and sizes of hands the team members have.

Grip Standout: DEWALT and Hilti

The team felt that the DEWALT and the Hilti saws had the most comfortable grip.

Ease of Blade Change

Every tool in this category included a tool-free blade change design. The comparison focused on the ease of changing blades. The entire team favored the external spring-loaded lever used to change the blade. The rest of the saw uses a spring-loaded twisting collet to change the blade.

Blade Change Standouts: DEWALT and Hart

Both the DEWALT and Hart saws use a spring-loaded lever to release or insert the blade. This lever was easy to operate with or without gloves.

The FLEX and Makita collets lock open and allow the blade to be inserted without twisting. The issue the team had with the collets was that many were difficult to grip, impossible to operate with gloves on, and the collet could sometimes get “buried” inside the housing of the tool, necessitating you to pull the trigger to reach the collet.

Shoe Plate Adjustment

Of the tools that had shoe plate adjustment the ones that did were controlled by either of the following:

• Lever  [A team favorite]
• Push button
• Allen key

It’s 2022, and onboard hex keys for shoe plate adjustments seem archaic but not having an adjustable shoe plate is silly. – TBB Crew Scott

FLEX has a push button on the front of the tool’s housing. During the testing, this button was recessed and got stuck inside the housing- making it impossible to adjust the shoe plate. Upon further inspection, there did not appear to be any debris build-up. The consensus was that the fit and finish of this mechanism needed to improve.

The two Kobalt Saws – have an ergonomically placed, single button, that adjusts the shoe easily. The shoe extends to the furthest point but does not come out of the tools.  The team liked that, but this button could inadvertently be hit while in operation.

The Milwaukee M18 One-Key saw has two buttons, on each side, to easily release the shoe plate completely. Dual controls need to be pressed at the same time, making a using mishap unlikely.

Size | Winner – Porter Cable

To compare the saws’ overall size (compactness), the length ranking and the weight ranking were added together. The tools were ranked from smallest to largest and least heavy to heaviest. Smaller more compact tools are easier to operate in tight spaces and weight is always a fatigue factor.

Let’s face it, a saw lighter in weight and packs a punch [power] transcends into unicorn status!  Weight is a huge consideration, after the performance, when using a reciprocating saw. The larger size saws translated into performance in our testing, we sure wish it were the opposite.

You often operate a reciprocating saw overhead, and the task can quickly cause fatigue. During the evaluation process, each reciprocating saw was weighed on our digital scale WITHOUT a battery. There are so many variations of battery packs on the market; some operators may choose a smaller battery pack for overhead tasks, and some may not.

Porter Cable took the size category measuring 15″ in length and weighing in at 4.35 lbs as a bare tool. Second place was the Skil which is 16″ in length and 4.83 lbs. Third went to Hart with 17-1/2″ and 5.00 lbs respectively.

The longest-length saw we tested was the Milwaukee One Key at 21-1/2″, placing it in last place when added with a weight of 8.80lbs. The heaviest saw was the FLEX, weighing 10.67 lbs which when added to its length of 18″, ranks it 15th out of 17 saws.

Noise Saw | Winner  – HILTI

OSHA allows 8 hours of exposure for noise levels up to 90 decibels, but the exposure limits drop rapidly at 95 decibels and higher. Hearing protection should be worn when operating a reciprocating saw because they are extremely loud.

We used a decibel meter to measure the saw’s dB level in a no-load situation at a set distance of the same height as a user’s ear spacing to test these saws consistently. The crucial point is that the saws were always compared against each other, despite decibel measurements being relative to any setting. We evaluated these saws in a no-load capacity; nevertheless, when the saws are loaded, the noise level increases and the cutting material dictates the noise level.

The saw that was the quietest was the HILTI Nuron at 87 dBs. The second quietest saw was the Metabo at 92.0 decibels. The loudest reciprocating saw we tested was the Hart at 102.8 decibels.

Best Reciprocating Saw Price | Winner – Porter Cable

Price is always a consideration when deciding which saw is best for a user. For each of the saws “as-tested,” we’ve given the current bare tool pricing discovered online at the time of writing.

The price of a tool can sometimes be the deciding factor in whether or not to buy it. We can all agree that price is an essential factor to consider when purchasing tools, especially for those of you who are just getting started in the trades. We also understand that most contractors are brand loyal and will prefer to stick with their current battery platform rather than branch out and build a new line of cordless instruments.

The reciprocating saw that cost the least was the Porter Cable coming in at $62.00 bare tool. The second cheapest-priced saw was the Skil at $89.99 [this is the kit price]. Both of these saws fall into the DIY category for saws.

The most expensive saw we tested was the Hilti Nuron which came in at $299.00 bare tool.

We did not include the price in our overall score as we felt the lesser-priced DIY saws would penalize the higher-priced, better-performing Pro-rated saws. We have pricing in its own section for you to use as you need to. Most of these saws may be found at your local big box stores, and almost all of them can be found online like ACME Tools or Amazon.

Best Value Reciprocating Saw | Winner – Kobalt KRS 224B-03

This category winner often resonates with almost everyone, because shines on the tool that performs well in our tests, while not breaking the bank. The best value reciprocating saw is the Kobalt KRS 224B-03, which came fifth place overall [out of 17 tools] and is the fifth least expensive saw, priced at $129.00 [bare tool].  This saw came in 4th place in Features, top 10 in the nail-embedded cutting test, second place in gas pipe testing, and fifth in the uni-strut cut test. It’s a solid-performing, well-priced tool and one that anyone would be happy using.

Best Cordless Reciprocating Saw | Winner – FLEX

It’s evident to the team that Flex is pushing hard on the gas pedal to enter the Pro market. This imposing saw is fantastic!

The Flex reciprocating saw was a clear winner in our testing process, with 37 awe-inspiring points. Flex shined in our performance testing, coming in 1st place in the gas pipe testing, 1st in uni-strut testing, and 2nd in nail-embedded wood.

It came in third in ergonomics and fourth in features. It is a large, stunningly powerful saw with low vibration; the team feels Flex has room to improve the blade change [collet] mechanism.

Second place was the Milwaukee One-key coming in with 44-points. A stand-out winner in ergonomics, with robust features and performance that never dipped below 5 in any cutting speed tests. The Milwaukee is a feature-rich, comfortable, robust saw. If the Flex is a suped-up, hyper-fast, and smooth-riding Chevy, the M18 Sawzall is clearly a Mercedes. Its only flaw was the hard-to-see controls in direct sunlight.

Third place goes to the Metabo 602267850. The Metabo performed held its own in every category, and their smaller footprint and lower decibel ratings propelled them to score higher in the ranks. This saw could use some improvement on vibration and the team was not a fan of the battery eject button, which is not easy to manipulate.

The MOST Comprehensive Information Available

Our ALL Pro contractor team put some serious time and effort into our Best Reciprocating Saw Head-to-Head evaluations to provide you with the most comprehensive information available.

These tests and evaluations are tough, take a lot of time, but are limited in scope. We cannot do long-term ROI testing that would determine longevity. However, the team does see a few of these tools “punch above their weight,” in our testing only to smoke out or leave us with questions about their longevity down the road. Many of those tools are also not considered pro brands.

We get lots of comments about how we make the final rankings. There are dozens of ways to compare tools; we share ALL the data from our tests, so you can re-rank the tools however you want. If you don’t care about an item we ranked? No problem. Remove that from the matrix above and re-rank them.

Other Head-to-Head Testing

In case you missed it, the crew at Tool Box Buzz has published four Head-To-Heads this year. If you have a moment, please check them out here:  Head-to-Head Tests.

Best Cordless Reciprocating Saw Head-To-Head Video | 2022

Best Cordless Reciprocating Saw Head-To-Head | 2022 is a post from Tool Box Buzz

Cordless Mid-Torque Impact Wrench Head-2-Head

In standard fashion, the Tool Box Buzz crew got together to plan out our Head-2-Head tests based on new tool releases and your feedback. And Cordless Mid-Torque Impact Wrenches were near the top of our list. The impact wrench is an incredibly versatile tool that provides unparalleled torque and power for working with large fasteners and bolts. We use them on the jobsite early and often! This Head-2-Head in particular provides an in-depth look at the power, performance, ergonomics, features, and more for the current range of leading manufacturer cordless mid-torque impact wrenches.

An impact wrench is indispensable to many other skilled trades workers, amateurs, and tinkerers, and is a mainstay of the mechanic’s toolbox. Furthermore, cordless technology adds simplicity and portability to a tool that was previously bound by an air-hose leash.

Our Professional contractor-based ToolBoxBuzz crew decided to evaluate the current cordless mid-torque impact wrenches to determine just how capable they really are. We put a total of nine different makes and models through a series of tough and baseline tests. This wide testing field covers everything from well-known professional brands to some surprising homeowner and value brands.

In order to get real-world and professional user feedback, we took our tools on-site; to the Dalling Construction company. Dalling specializes in large site work projects as well as utility construction and paving jobs. The Dalling family was kind enough to allow us to use their yard as well as test our cordless mid-torque impact wrenches on some of their industrial equipment. We also recruited some heavy equipment service mechanics to assist with evaluating the tools. They were pretty excited to join our crew for the Day!

Defining Mid-Torque

The range of cordless impact wrenches available right now is huge. These tools ultimately fall into one of three classes – low, medium (or mid), and high torque. A mid-torque offering is capable of handling the majority of common fasteners found on job sites, shops, and industrial settings.

When deciding on our sample criteria for this Head-2-Head, the crew realized that we needed to limit the tools tested to those within a defined range. We chose fastening torque as our limiting factor and set the acceptable range from 300-550 Ft/Lbf. This range best represented what we consider “mid-torque” while being compact and portable enough for a variety of applications. This torque range will also easily handle most common fastener applications while still being able to punch up to the occasional heavy application.

The Head-2-Head Lineup

Craftsman V20* 1/2″ 20V

• Model: CMCF900B
• Fastening Torque: 350 Ft/Lbf
• Busting Torque: Unpublished
• RPM: 1700
• IPM: 2500
• Bare Tool Weight: 4.66 Lbs.
• Battery Tested: V20 4.0 Ah
• Anvil Type: Friction Ring
• Motor Type: Brushed

DEWALT 20V MAX* XR 1/2″ Mid Range

• Model: DCF896B
• Fastening Torque: 330 Ft/Lbf
• Busting Torque: Unpublished
• RPM: 2000
• IPM: 3100
• Bare Tool Weight: 3.48 Lbs.
• Battery Tested: 20V MAX 5.0 Ah
• Anvil Type: Friction Ring or Detent Pin
• Motor Type: Brushless
• Warranty: 3 Year Limited

DEWALT Atomic 20V Max*  1/2″

• Model: DCF921B
• Fastening Torque: 300 Ft/Lbf
• Busting Torque: 450 Ft/Lbf
• RPM: 2500
• IPM: 3550
• Bare Tool Weight: 2.4 Lbs.
• Battery Tested: 20V MAX XR 4.0 Ah
• Anvil Type: Friction Ring or Detent Pin
• Motor Type: Brushless
• Warranty: 3 Year Limited

Makita 18V LXT 1/2″ Mid-Torque

• Model: XWT18XVZ
• Fastening Torque: 520 Ft/Lbf
• Busting Torque: 740 Ft/Lbf
• RPM: 2200
• IPM: 2700
• Bare Tool Weight: 5.31 Lbs.
• Battery Tested: 18V LXT 5.0 Ah
• Anvil Type: Friction Ring or Detent Pin
• Motor Type: Brushless
• Warranty: 3 Year Limited

Metabo SSW 18 LTX 600

• Model: US602198550
• Fastening Torque: 450 Ft/Lbf
• Busting Torque: 665 Ft/Lbf
• RPM: 1600
• IPM: 2200
• Bare Tool Weight: 5.5 Lbs.
• Battery Tested: CAS 18V LiHD 5.5 Ah
• Anvil Type: Friction Ring
• Motor Type: Brushed
• Warranty: 3 Year Limited

Milwaukee M18 FUEL 1/2″ Mid Torque

• Model: 2962-20
• Fastening Torque: 550 Ft/Lbf
• Busting Torque: 650 Ft/Lbf
• RPM: 2575
• IPM: 3100
• Bare Tool Weight: 3.5 Lbs.
• Battery Tested: M18 REDLITHIUM XC 5.0 Ah
• Anvil Type: Friction Ring or Detent Pin
• Motor Type: Brushless
• Warranty: 5 Years

Porter-Cable 20V MAX* 1/2″

• Model: PCC740B
• Fastening Torque: 330 Ft/Lbf
• Busting Torque: Unpublished
• RPM: 1700
• IPM: 2500
• Bare Tool Weight: 4.6 Lbs.
• Battery Tested: 20V MAX* 4.0 Ah
• Anvil Type: Friction Ring
• Motor Type: Brushed
• Warranty: 3 Year Limited

Ridgid 18V OCTANE 1/2″

• Model: R86011B
• Fastening Torque: 485 Ft/Lbf
• Busting Torque: 620 Ft/Lbf
• RPM: 2600
• IPM: 3500
• Bare Tool Weight: 3.75 Lbs.
• Battery Tested: 18V MAX Output 4.0 Ah
• Anvil Type: Friction Ring
• Motor Type: Brushless
• Warranty: 3 Year Limited

Ryobi ONE+ HP 1/2″

• Model: P262
• Fastening Torque: 450 Ft/Lbf
• Busting Torque: 600 Ft/Lbf
• RPM: 2800
• IPM: 3200
• Bare Tool Weight: 3.75 Lbs.
• Battery Tested: 18V One+ 4.0 Ah
• Anvil Type: Friction Ring
• Motor Type: Brushless
• Warranty: 3 Years

Selecting the Proper Accessories

We realized that adequate automotive-grade impact-rated sockets were essential for extracting the absolute peak performance from this equipment. When it comes to getting professional-grade results on a project, choosing the right blade or drill bit is crucial, and the same goes for sockets. Impact wrenches apply a tremendous amount of force and punishment to the sockets to which they’re attached. To fully utilize the tool’s power, the torsional force, as well as the impact of the anvil, must be adequately delivered to the bolt or fastener.

A non-impact rated standard socket will round off, deform, or possibly shatter and explode when exposed to this amount of force. Impact-rated sockets are forged from high-grade steel, with thicker walls, and improved geometry. This protects the fastener and the tool from being damaged while also ensuring the safety of the user.

The crew selected the Milwaukee SHOCKWAVE Impact Duty 1/2″ 6-Point sockets to be our testing sockets for all of the tools. These sockets are optimized for performance in Heavy-Duty applications. Each tool was outfitted with a matching Milwaukee socket during testing to ensure consistency in performance. Overall these sockets are of excellent quality with large easy to read ink-filled markings. The dual-hole design also made it easier to switch out sockets on our tools with detent pin anvils.

Cordless Mid-Torque Impact Wrench Scoring Criteria

1. Power – Measured breaking torque capability under high demand.
2. Speed – Timed breaking torque performance application.
3. Torture Test – High demand performance fastening torque application.
4. Ergonomics
5. Features
6. Decibel Output
7. Price

Breaking Torque

The bread and butter of impact wrenches is their ability to break a stuck or corroded fastener loose. This keeps an individual’s knuckles from getting busted using a wrench or having to put lengths of pipe on a breaker bar for extra leverage. The convenience and portability of cordless make this an even easier task to accomplish. In order to put this power to the test, we created some special test jigs.

To give us a solid, repeatable, work surface, we made a portable jig that could be secured in a vise on-site. This jig is made from a large slab of steel with cutouts for bolts to pass through as well as a chamfer on the backside to lock the nuts in place. We paired this testing jig with a set of heavy-duty Grade 8 steel bolts, nuts, and washers. The bolts are 1 1/4″ in diameter by 3 1/2″ long with a 1 7/8″ hex head. A bolt this large is capable of withstanding 1,875 Ft/Lbf of force. We chose such a large bolt in order to withstand the repeated application of torque during testing, while still fitting our test rig.

In order to torque these bolts to the desired spec, we used a B-RAD Select BL cordless torque system. This digitally controlled tool is capable of applying the desired amount of tightening torque to a bolt effortlessly. The digital torque gauge allows the user to dial in the torque spec in ten-pound increments. By using a 1″ drive impact socket, the RAD tool then applies the torque with the assistance of a steel counterbalance lever. The RAD then automatically stops once the torque spec is achieved. It was a really cool experience using this tool!

During the test, a bolt was assigned to each tool and placed in the jig. The bolt was then torqued to the published breaking torque spec for each tool. Unfortunately, Craftsman, DEWALT, and Porter-Cable do not publish this value so it took some trial and error. Once the bolt was torqued, our impact wrenches were fitted with a 1 7/8″ impact socket and switched to their highest setting. We then applied breaking torque to the bolts with the impact wrench for ten seconds to see if the tool could break it loose. If it was unsuccessful, the bolt was loosened and the torque value lowered ten pounds, and reapplied with the RAD.

We chose to limit each run to ten seconds after discussing the test with several heavy service mechanics. They all agreed that if the tool couldn’t perform the task in ten seconds, then they would stop and switch to a larger or traditional pneumatic tool.

Our top-performing tool in this category is Makita. While the Makita has a published breaking-force torque of 740 Ft/Lbf, we were able to successfully break loose the bolt at 700 Ft/Lbf. This variation in the numbers is consistent with the extra-large hardware and accompanying impact socket. Despite that, the Makita powered through our test! Not only was the Makita our strongest performer, but it also broke the 700 Ft/Lbf bolt loose in well under ten seconds. This was remarkable to our entire test crew.

Metabo took second place breaking loose 660 Ft/Lbf which was within five pounds of its published spec. The Metabo is definitely large and in charge. While larger and heavier than every other tool tested, it hits with authority. After performing the test, the Metabo became our admin tool to reset the jig every time due to its smooth and powerful performance.

Milwaukee took third place breaking loose 610 Ft/Lbf, which was forty pounds less than its published spec. The Milwaukee was a consistent performer and a crew favorite throughout the testing process.

Craftsman, DEWALT, DEWALT Atomic, and Porter-Cable all finished towards the bottom of our test pool. Ridgid and Ryobi threw up some impressive numbers, but they were far less than the published spec. Additionally, the Ridgid overheated during the testing process severely. It shut down completely and was set aside for almost an hour before it was able to function again and finish the test.

The Ryobi tool died unexpectedly. While performing the test, the tool shut off after impacting for approximately six seconds. All of the lights flashed and the tool wouldn’t work again. We switched batteries, allowed the tool to cool, and still experienced the same issue. The tool then randomly started working again later on. Ryobi replaced this unit for us, but we experienced the same malfunction a second time. The tool was still able to complete the test and break loose 510 Ft/Lbf, but unfortunately, the Ryobi does not appear to be able to withstand demanding heavy use with a socket this large.

Performance Breaking Torque

When you are in a construction yard with a lot of big iron laying around, lug nuts are in great supply. That’s why we chose a timed removal of heavy truck lug nuts as our test for breaking torque performance. With heavy equipment, the forces placed on bolts, particularly lug nuts, are so extreme that they will often seize in place or be over-torqued in the field using a large air tool. Fortunately for us, a large MACK tractor cab was available with lug nuts capable of withstanding 500-600 Ft/Lbf of torque.

The front wheel of the truck had a total of ten lugs. We choose to do a timed removal of eight in order to keep the wheel in place and act as a makeshift test rig. Each lug was removed, oiled to prevent seizing, and then reapplied with the RAD Tool to exactly 500 Ft/Lbf. This process was repeated eight times to test each tool. Unfortunately, the DEWALT Atomic was not available in time to perform this test. Therefore it will not be included in the scoring. The Atomic is also not marketed as a true mid-torque tool and this task is better suited for the larger DEWALT DCF896B, which was tested.

Ryobi completely smoked this test with a time of 22.44 seconds. After completing the run, the whole crew did a double-take and then started laughing. Ryobi has made great strides to produce better and more powerful tools and this performance was a great example of that new mindset.

Ridgid came in a close second at 23.6 seconds. Again, these two “value” brands are continuing to push the envelope of performance. Milwaukee took third place at 25.5 seconds and Makita in fourth at 26.1. These were the top performers amongst our traditional Pro brands.

DEWALT was a big surprise to us as our slowest tool finishing the test in over a minute and a half. One of our test crew members, Trevor, is a road mechanic servicing a fleet of trucks and earthwork equipment. Trevor shared with us that removing truck lug nuts is a job that he always defaults to air tools for the sake of time and productivity. However, after getting hands-on experience with our cordless mid-torque impact wrenches he was extremely impressed with their ability to break loose all eight bolts and to do it quickly.

Performance Fastening Torque

While impact wrenches are most commonly associated with the mechanical trades, they are invaluable at times in the carpentry world as well. With the current popularity of timber frame construction as well as the increasing presence of laminate-type materials, large lag-type fasteners are a job site standard. A cordless mid-torque impact wrench is the most efficient tool for these larger fasteners due to its ability to apply massive amounts of torque compared to a quarter-inch impact driver.

We decided to truly stress our tools by performing a timed lag bolt drive into a wooden beam. The bolts selected were 1/2″ diameter x 8″ long hex head galvanized lag screws. Driving one of these lags is a good representation of the power of each tool. However, we decided to drive five with each tool. It gets better. The beam that we drove the lags into was constructed using five layers of 2X10X10 Doug Fir framing lumber with a layer of 1.75″ LVL sandwiched in the middle. We pre-drilled through the first two layers of material and partially into the LVL in order to set the lags, however, we left all the other layers undrilled to test the tools even further.

This was an extremely demanding test. In fact, a job such as this is likely outside the scope of what a mid-torque tool is designed to perform. But with all the technology advances present in the majority of our tested tools, we as a crew really wanted to bring that performance to the ragged edge of failure and see how they held up. We were pleasantly surprised to find that all nine tools successfully completed the test. All five lags were driven until the surface of the wood began to deform. Upon completion, a temperature reading was taken of the tool body housing, the battery, the exterior of the socket, as well as the surface of the anvil. The battery was also checked to see power consumed during the test.

In first place was the Ryobi! The Ryobi completely dominated the test, finishing a full 25 seconds ahead of our second-place finisher. Upon completion of the test, the operator summed it up perfectly, “This thing is an Ox!”.

Ridgid took second place beating out Milwaukee (3rd Place) by just eight seconds. In 4th place, the Metabo is heavy but has very little felt vibration. Porter-Cable also surprised our crew with its performance in this test. It was described by the operator as being balanced in the hand and easy to control.

Makita came in 6th place, which was a bit of a surprise. The Makita seemed to slow down and self-adjust more than any tool, even while in the highest power setting. The Makita’s computer system optimizes battery efficiency and protects the motor and battery packs. This became a bit of a hindrance during this test because it caused the Makita to lose time.  DEWALT finished 7th overall with Craftsman in 8th place.

Overall we found interesting data trends during this test. Most of the tools used half of a battery charge to complete all five lags. The Metabo, with its brushed motor, consumed 75%.

The temperature range was also very spread out. Five of the test tools had a socket surface temperature of almost 200° F. While the battery temperatures measured were only surface temperature readings, three tools were over 100° F, including our 1st and 2nd place finishers. In real-world conditions, a rest period for the tool after performing a task like this would be strongly advised to preserve your battery cells and internal electronics.

Ergonomics

How a tool interfaces with the user and the level of comfort that it provides is a huge consideration for most users. The repetitive nature of the daily tasks associated with a lifetime in the construction industry can lead to long-term fatigue and even injury with an uncomfortable or unbalanced tool. However, ergonomics are often very subjective.

In order to rank our tools, we chose a total of twelve categories. The tools were given a point value for each category, from one to five. One being the best and five being the worst. If a tool completely lacked that feature, it was given a six for the category. These points were then added up to give us our rank structure with the lowest score winning.

Makita took first place in this category. The Makita’s contoured grip, high-quality switches, and controls, as well as minimal felt vibration made it a crew favorite. While not the lightest tool we tested, the Makita packs a ton of power and performance into a sleek package.

The DEWALT Atomic with a 1 7/8″ impact socket attached. AKA the Noisy Cricket.

The DEWALT Atomic came in second. This mighty little powerhouse is extremely comfortable and compact in the hand. Unfortunately, the small size and light-weight translate into more felt vibration for the user during demanding tasks.

The full-size DEWALT came in third with an extremely comfortable design and very minimal felt vibration. Ryobi finishes fourth with a grip that is well suited to larger hands. Ridgid came in fifth with generous overmolding and texturing.

A trend we noticed amongst all of the tools was a preference from our crew for the compact tools with brushless motors. Both DEWALT models, Makita, Milwaukee, Ridgid, and Ryobi all feature compact tool head designs that are balanced and proportionate with the overall footprint with a battery inserted. The larger and more bulky tools were more unpleasant to use because they felt unbalanced and cumbersome.

Cordless Mid-Torque Impact Wrench Features

Our sample body of tools offered a broad range of feature options. From barebones bolt busters to tools with so many different modes you need an engineering degree to understand them. Consequently, the entire crew worked together to sort out what features are great and desirable and which were poorly executed or unnecessary. The features we examined were modes, special settings, ability to dial in torque, and quality of the LED work light.

The Makita featured the most special settings of any of the tools. With three forward and three reverse auto stop modes, the XWT18XVZ is capable of dialing in the torque value for any fastener. Additionally, there are four different selectable IPM and RPM modes as well as a full-speed mode. All of these modes are easily selected by the push-button controls, but they were a little confusing at first to the test crew.  However, we quickly warmed up to them and appreciated the level of adjustability available. You can read more about the Makita features in one of our recent ToolBoxBuzz reviews.

Makita also included a vibration-resistant coupling at the base of the tool. This protects the battery pack from absorbing excessive felt vibration, which saves the contacts and prolongs the life of the battery. For all of these reasons, the Makita was our overall winner in the features category.

Second place went to the DEWALT Atomic. This mini powerhouse features an excellent triple LED light system in the face of the tool. The controls are also easy to use with large push-button controls for the two-speed settings as well as the dedicated lag screw mode, LED light control, and auto spin-out mode which slows the tool once a faster has come loose to prevent it from flying across the room. The push button and easy-to-identify pictures were all appreciated by us knuckle-draggers on the crew.

In third place, we have a three-way tie between Milwaukee, Ridgid, and Ryobi. All three of these tools feature a triple LED light system on the face of the tool, as well as three forward and three reverse speeds and an additional Auto mode.

The Milwaukee and Ryobi use digital push button switches at the base of the tool while the Rigid uses a manual switch located on the top. The auto mode stops the tool during fastening as soon as it begins impacting in order to prevent over-tightening. In reverse, they will slow to prevent throwing a loose fastener. The Auto mode of these tools was extremely helpful to our test crew when we snug up fasteners in our testing jigs before performing the tests.

The fourth place was DEWALT with the best non-halo style work light located at the base of the tool. The DEWALT also features an easy-to-reach, positive, manual mode selector switch. Metabo finished fifth with an excellent variable speed trigger, but lacked any special modes and has a pretty terrible work light. Craftsman and Porter-Cable tied for the sixth place spot due to lacking any special modes or features and very average work lights and variable-speed triggers.

Overall, our crew found an overwhelming preference for the tools with triple “halo” style LED work light systems located on the face of the tool. The DEWALT Atomic, Milwaukee, Ridgid, and Ryobi all featured this style of light. We found it superior to any other style due to the fact that it illuminates more of the work area clear and directs the beam at the socket or fastener. The Milwaukee was the best of all of these tools, with the brightest and widest spill of any of the tools. Some of the tools, like the Ridgid, feature a dedicated light switch to activate the light without pulling the trigger. This felt unnecessary to our crew and we chose to omit it from consideration when determining our rankings.

Decibel Rating

The sound of a pneumatic impact wrench is unmistakable. Our cordless impact wrenches sounded less like their pneumatic counterparts and more like impact drivers on steroids. During the lag bolt drive, we measured the at-ear decibel levels for each tool under load. The under-load level was most important to us to truly gauge the potential for hearing damage in the field.

Our decibels readings showed almost the completely opposite results of our speed and performance tests. The quietest tool was the Craftsman (73.4Db) followed by DEWALT in second (74.6) and Porter-Cable in third (75.8).

Our faster and more powerful tools produced more noise during use, which directly correlates to their high RPM, IPM, and torque specifications. Ryobi, Ridgid, and DWALT Atomic were our loudest tools. With Makita and Milwaukee in the middle of the pack.

While all nine of our tools were under the OSHA mandated hearing protection level of 85 decibels, this test was conducted outside in an open space. We strongly recommend hearing protection while using any of these tools. Especially when working indoors or in confined spaces.

Cordless Mid-Torque Impact Wrench Pricing

Pricing is often one of our most difficult categories to consider. With the multitude of online retailers currently, a massive scatter-plot chart has to be made for each tool to figure out pricing. Kit vs. bare tool pricing also rears its ugly head when sifting through this data as well. Because of all this, we choose to rank our tools based on bare tool pricing, however, pricing is not considered when determining our overall winner.

As of the time of publishing this article, Porter-Cable is our lowest price tool at $120.00 as a bare tool. Craftsman is the next cheapest and Ryobi comes in third. Metabo is our second most expensive tool at $249.00 and Makita breaks the bank as our most expensive tool at $289.00. The high price tag of the Makita is no surprise given the multitude of technology and features it comes with.

Below are Buy Now links where you purchase many of the tools featured in this Head-2-Head from some of our favorite retailers.

Overall Value

The overall value category is one of our crew favorites. This category is where we directly compare out-of-pocket expense to raw performance. Users currently invested in a cordless battery platform may not value this award, but it caters to the first-time buyer.

Our pick for the best overall value is the Ryobi. The Ryobi took first place in both our performance fastening test (lag bolts) and performance breaking torque (lug nuts) tests, by a considerable margin. Additionally, it tied for third place in features and took fourth place in ergonomics. All of this while being our third most affordable tool. The Ryobi built up an impressive pedigree during our testing and greatly impressed the crew overall. The Ryobi One+ HP impact wrench is a great example of the future of Ryobi tools. While we did experience some issues with our testing samples, the performance was undeniable.

Best Cordless Mid-Torque Impact Wrench

At the end of the day, our goal is to determine which cordless mid-torque impact wrench is best overall. This is a decision not based on conjecture but on real-world quantified data and testing. After completing all of our testing and analyzing the results, we found that we have a tie for first place between Makita and Ryobi.

Makita was first in breaking torque as well as ergonomics and features. Overall the crew felt that the Makita is a hi-tech, sleek, and outstandingly well-built tool. It was powerful during all of our testing, although the built-in safety and preservation features hurt it slightly during the lug nuts and lag bolts tests. We all expected a show stopper with the Makita, and it delivered.

The Ryobi really threw us for a loop. The power and speed of this tool dropped a lot of jaws on testing day. Landslide victories go to Ryobi in both of our performance tests, while maintaining a top-five finish in all but one category, and being named best value! We were expecting a lot out of this tool, but it blew all of our expectations out of the water. The Ryobi earned a first-place rank in our Head-2-Head based on performance, but we did experience some durability issues. The One+ HP impact wrench is incredibly powerful, but the thermal overload protection built into it stopped it dead on two occasions during our use. When considering this, the Ryobi may not be best suited for daily professional-grade use, such as with a service mechanic.

Tie Breaker

With a tie in the first place, we omit second place to rank all nine participating tools. Therefore, Milwaukee drops into the third-place slot. The Milwaukee mid-torque impact wrench was a consistent performer. Finishing top-five in every single category.

Ridgid finished in fourth place. ToolBoxBuzz has always referred to Ridgid as one of the absolute best values in tools. The Ridgid Octane’s performance lived up to its reputation. Metabo finished fifth and was a hard worker. While it lacks some of the bells and whistles that other brands provide, it simply works.

The new DEWALT Atomic was a late entry to the competition and had impressive features, which brought it to sixth place. The original legacy DEWALT mid-torque was also extremely comfortable to use and finished seventh. Rounding out the bottom end of our lineup was Porter-Cable in eighth and Craftsman in ninth.

With this Head-2-Head, our goal was to develop testing protocols that blended specifically calibrated vacuum scenarios, as well as real-world applications. During the process, we made all of our data as transparent as possible. This way readers, consumers, and professionals can select a tool that best meets their needs. While we crowned what we consider to be the best cordless mid-torque impact wrench, we encourage you to use our findings to help make the decision that best meets your individual needs.

Best Cordless Mid-Torque Impact Wrench Head-2-Head is a post from Tool Box Buzz

Comparing Manufacturer’s Warranties

Comparing warranties between manufacturers has always been difficult, if not practically impossible.  Yet we all have the same few basic questions with regard to each brand’s warranty.   So here at Tool Box Buzz, we decided to ask the vendors themselves to answer those basic questions for you in plain English.  And they did!

Here are the questions we asked

We figured that there are 14 questions that cover the bases as far as what we really need to know.  So here’s what we asked each brand:

For each category o power tools that you sell (if there’s more than one), including batteries:

1. How long are the warranty periods for?
2. How do you require registration to be done, if at all?
3. How long a time from purchase does the customer have to register?
4. Must the receipt be kept?
5. What do the warranties cover?
6. Is the customer responsible for part of the repair/replacement expense?
7. What are the exclusions?
8. What will void the warranty?
9. How do you get service (bring the tool to store, bring it to a dealer, send it to a repair center, etc.)?
10. If to a service center, how many certified repair facilities are there in the US?
11. Who determines if the tool is covered under warranty, and how do they do that?
12. If the customer has to send it somewhere, who pays shipping charges?
13. If the customer brings the tool to a store or dealer, will they get an immediate replacement?
14. Is there an average turnaround time?

The Brands Covered

We got responses from 15 brands to which we sent those questions.  We asked the vendors to respond in a standard format, and their actual responses are linked to by each of their names below (numbers after a brand name link to separate documents of the response).

• BLACK + DECKER
• Bosch
• CRAFTSMAN
• DEWALT
• Festool
• Hart
• Hilti
• Makita
• Metabo HPT
• Milwaukee
• Paslode (1) (2) (3)
• Porter-Cable
• Ridgid
• Ryobi
• Skil (1) (2) (3) (4) (5)

IMPORTANT NOTE What follows is our necessarily very brief few-word synopsis of the vendors’ responses.  It is not the complete vendor response. Nor does it cover all the details and subtleties.  For that, you’ll need to click through the hyperlinks above.  In some places, we put an asterisk (*) after a point to indicate that additional detail is found in that vendor’s response when that answer was complicated.

How long are the warranty periods for?

This is the most basic question and the starting point for most of our consideration.  Of course, the devil is in the details, and the rest of the questions address them.  But here’s where we all start.

BLACK + DECKER  2 years for tools and batteries

Bosch  Corded tools – 1 year | cordless tools – 3 years | chargers (made after August 2020) – 3 years | batteries – 2 years | measuring tools – 1 or 2 years*

CRAFTSMAN  90-day money-back | 3-year limited

DEWALT  90-day money-back guarantee, 1-year free service, 3-year limited warranty on most tools.  Batteries have 2 or 3-year warranties

Festool  3 years wear-and-tear

Hart  3 years

Hilti  20 year warranty | 2 year wear-and-tear

Makita  3 years Lithium-Ion Tool, Battery, Charger, and Pneumatic Nailer | 1-year general product warranty | 2 years emissions-related components

Metabo HPT HPT Materials and workmanship only, not wear-and-tear.  Depending on type of tool: limited lifetime, 5 years, 2 years, or 1 year*.  90 or 30-days for accessory-type items.*

Milwaukee  Power tools – 5 years | Equipment – 2 years | Batteries – 3 years

Paslode  Cordless Two-Year Bumper to Bumper Warranty. Pneumatics (including Duo-Fast) 1-year Limited Warranty. Five years on molded parts for both (see * for details).

Porter-Cable  Power tools – 3 years | batteries – 2-3 years

Ridgid  3 years | most items eligible for LSA

Ryobi  3 years | 40-volt tools – 5 years

Skil  Corded handheld – 1 year | Benchtop – 3 years | Cordless/OPE/measurement – 5 years | batteries & chargers – 2 years

How do you require registration to be done if at all?

Registration — specifically failing to do so — has been the bane of many busy pros.  We see here that most brands don’t require registration these days.

BLACK + DECKER  Not required

Bosch  Online or phone

CRAFTSMAN  Not required

DEWALT  Not required

Festool  Not required (in the USA)

Hart  Not required

Hilti  Not required

Makita  Not required but online recommended

Metabo HPT HPT  Not required

Milwaukee  Not required

Paslode  Not required but recommended, online

Porter-Cable  Not required

Ridgid  Online or by mail

Ryobi  Not required

Skil  Not required but encouraged

How long from purchase does the customer have to register?

While registration isn’t required by most brands, it is always a good idea and making a habit of registering new tools is best practice.  We highly recommend keeping a folder for each expensive tool with the warranty, registration, and receipt…and anything else that might be needed down the road.

BLACK + DECKER  N/A

Bosch  Corded and corded tools – anytime during warranty period | measuring tools – within 8 weeks from purchase

CRAFTSMAN  N/A

DEWALT  N/A

Festool  Not required, but within 30 days is best

Hart  N/A

Hilti  N/A

Makita  N/A

Metabo HPT  N/A

Milwaukee  N/A

Paslode  Anytime during the warranty period

Porter-Cable  N/A

Ridgid  90 days

Ryobi  N/A

Skil  Generally within 30 days to get full warranty

Must the receipt be kept?

Many manufacturers don’t require a receipt to be kept, and in many cases the tool’s date of manufacture will be considered the start of the warranty period.  But see the note above about keeping a folder for each significant tool–it’s just good business sense!

BLACK + DECKER  Preferred, but not necessary

Bosch  Yes

CRAFTSMAN  Yes

DEWALT  Preferred but not necessary

Festool  Yes

Hart  No, but recommended

Hilti  No

Makita  No, but recommended

Metabo HPT  No, but recommended

Milwaukee  No, but recommended

Paslode  No, but recommended, otherwise serial # is coded with date of manufacture and dictates warranty period.

Porter-Cable  Preferred but not necessary

Ridgid  No, but recommended, especially with LSA

Ryobi  No, but recommended

Skil  Yes (one-time exception)

What does the warranty cover?

Ahh, here’s where we get into the devil’s details.  Note that most warranties cover defects in the manufacture of the tool, but a couple go significantly beyond that.

BLACK + DECKER  Defects in materials and workmanship

Bosch  Materials and workmanship

CRAFTSMAN  Defects in materials and workmanship

DEWALT  Year 1: Maintenance and parts are worn due to normal use | Years 2-3: Defects in materials or workmanship.

Festool  Everything except consumables

Hart  Materials and workmanship

Hilti  20 years material & workmanship | 2 years wear-and-tear

Makita  Materials and workmanship

Metabo HPT  Materials and workmanship

Milwaukee  Materials and workmanship

Paslode  Cordless – Everything (even if it falls off a roof) during the first 2 years; 5 years molded parts. | Pneumatics – One year on non-wear parts complex; 90 days on normal wearing, see table*

Porter-Cable  Year 1: Maintenance and parts are worn due to normal use | Years 2-3: Defects in materials or workmanship.

Ridgid  Materials and workmanship | LSA covers wear and tear

Ryobi  Materials and workmanship

Skil  Materials and workmanship

Is the customer responsible for part of the repair/replacement expense?

In all cases the customer isn’t responsible for part of the repair expense if the tool is covered under warranty…as it should be.

BLACK + DECKER  No

Bosch  No if covered under warranty

CRAFTSMAN  No

DEWALT  No

Festool  No

Hart  No

Hilti  No

Makita  No

Metabo HPT  No

Milwaukee  No

Paslode  No

Porter-Cable  No

Ridgid  No

Ryobi  No

Skil  No

What are the exclusions?

More of the devil’s details.  There are significant differences between brands here, but note that most vendors disallow coverage if the tool is misused or abused, but some Paslode covers their tools regardless of what you do to them.

BLACK + DECKER  Abuse, accidental damage, unauthorized repairs

Bosch  Misuse, careless handling, misrepair

CRAFTSMAN  Abuse, accidental damage, unauthorized repair

DEWALT  Abuse, accidental damage, unauthorized repair

Festool  Purchase outside USA

Hart  accidents, misuse, abuse, neglect, alteration, modification or repairs by other than Authorized Service Centers

Hilti  Wear-and-tear excludes abuse or non-intended use and some accessories

Makita  Normal wear-and-tear, alterations, unauthorized repair, abuse, misuse improper maintenance, the improper operation*

Metabo HPT  Unauthorized repair, non-conforming parts, normal wear-and-tear, abuse, inappropriate use, neglect, accidents.

Milwaukee  Normal wear-and-tear, and abuse

Paslode  Cordless – none | Pneumatics – see table*

Porter-Cable  Abuse, accidents, unauthorized repair

Ridgid  accidents, misuse, abuse, neglect, alteration, modification or repairs by other than Authorized Service Centers

Ryobi  accidents, misuse, abuse, neglect, alteration, modification or repairs by other than Authorized Service Centers

Skil  Warranty not transferrable

What will void the warranty?

There are some significant differences here; note that purchase outside the United States will void some warranties.  We always recommend buying from an authorized dealer no matter your geographic area.

BLACK + DECKER  Modifications, use outside a home environment

Bosch  Misuse, careless handling, misrepair

CRAFTSMAN  Modifications

DEWALT  Modifications

Festool  Modifications, misuse, use inconsistent with the intent of the tool

Hart  Misuse, abuse, neglect, alteration, modification, or unauthorized repair

Hilti  Abuse

Makita  See above

Metabo HPT  See above.

Milwaukee  See above

Paslode  Cordless – non-U.S. purchase, improper use, non-authorized nails. | Pneumatics – see table*, also non-U.S. purchase

Porter-Cable  Modifications

Ridgid  Misuse, abuse, neglect, alteration, modification, or unauthorized repair

Ryobi  Misuse, abuse, neglect, alteration, modification, or unauthorized repair

Skil  Abuse, modification, unauthorized repair, purchase through unauthorized or third party seller

How do you get service?

The big differences here are mostly whether you can take the tool to a retail dealer or if you have to get it to a service center.

BLACK + DECKER  Factory or authorized repair center

Bosch  Ship to or drop off at Bosch service center

CRAFTSMAN  Take to retailer

DEWALT  Factory or authorized repair center

Festool  Repair center in Indiana

Hart  Get to repair center

Hilti  Ship to repair center or bring to Hilti store

Makita  Return to the repair center

Metabo HPT  Bring or ship to the service center

Milwaukee  Initiate service online or by telephone

Paslode  Bring to authorized service center – or send back to Paslode.

Porter-Cable  factory or authorized service center

Ridgid  Get to repair center

Ryobi  Get to the repair center

Skil  Get to the service center

How many repair centers in the U.S.?

Most brands have hundreds of authorized repair centers in addition to factory service centers.  The services you can get at a non-factory-operated center will of course vary considerably.

BLACK + DECKER  20 factory, 700+ authorized

Bosch  4 Bosch service centers | 400+ authorized service centers

CRAFTSMAN  N/A

DEWALT  20 factory, 700+ authorized

Festool  1

Hart  214+ independent

Hilti  4

Makita  12 factory | 1500+ authorized

Metabo HPT  800+ authorized

Milwaukee  20 factory  | hundreds authorized

Paslode  300+ authorized

Porter-Cable  20 factory | 700+ authorized

Ridgid  330+ independent | Home Depot tool rental centers

Ryobi  330+ independent | Home Depot tool rental centers

Skil  140+

Who determines if the tool is covered, and how do they do that?

In all cases someone at the service center itself determines if a tool is covered.  Of course, there’s no way for us to determine, or even properly ask, just how strict or forgiving that person will be…on that particular day.

BLACK + DECKER  Service center review

Bosch  Bosch Service technician

CRAFTSMAN  Retailer review

DEWALT  Service center review

Festool  Festool employees

Hart  Technician

Hilti  Serial number provides information

Makita  Service center

Metabo HPT  Technician

Milwaukee  Technician

Paslode  The service center

Porter-Cable  Service center review

Ridgid  Technician

Ryobi  Technician

Skil  Customer service, technician

Who pays shipping charges (if under warranty)?

This is an important detail.  If you have to pay for a heavy tool to get to a service center, it may be easier/cheaper just to scrap the tool.  Whatever the vendor’s policy, you always want duplicates of tools that will grind a job to a halt if they go down.

BLACK + DECKER  Customer pays to ship to the service center

Bosch  Bosch pays if, under warranty, the customer pays return charges if not covered by warranty

CRAFTSMAN  Customer must bring to a retailer

DEWALT  Customer pays shipping to the service center

Festool  Festool

Hart  Customer pays inbound

Hilti   if under wear-and-tear coverage

Makita  Customer (one exception)*

Metabo HPT  Metabo HPT

Milwaukee  Milwaukee

Paslode  – Paslode pays both ways |  Pneumatics – must bring to the service center, if sent to Factory, Paslode pays for return only

Porter-Cable  Customer pays to ship to the service center

Ridgid  Customer pays inbound

Ryobi  Customer pays inbound

Skil  Will recommend service location within driving distance; otherwise shipping pre-paid

If the customer brings the tool to a store or dealer, will they get an immediate replacement?

Most brands will offer a refund or replacement within 30-90 days of purchase.  Some brands differ.  We regard a refund as the same as a replacement since you can simply return a tool you’re unhappy with and buy a new one on the spot.

BLACK + DECKER  Most retailers have a 30-day return policy

Bosch  Yes within 30 days |  180 days for PROFACTOR rotary hammer*

CRAFTSMAN  If under warranty, yes

DEWALT  30-day returns to retailers | 90-day returns for most tools at the service center

Festool  No

Hart  No

Hilti  Yes for batteries, chargers, and some tools

Makita  30 days replacement or refund

Metabo HPT  30 days

Milwaukee  No

Paslode  Pneumatics – Store/dealer discretion

Porter-Cable  30 days at retailer | 90 days at the factory service center

Ridgid  90 day return to retailer

Ryobi  90 day return or refund at the retailer

Skil  Depending on circumstances

Is there an average turnaround time?

All brands offer reasonable, if not extraordinary, turnaround times.  Of course, these don’t include the shipping transit times.  Again, make sure you have, or can easily get, dups of vital tools.

BLACK + DECKER  5 business days

Bosch  5 business days

CRAFTSMAN  N/A

DEWALT  5 business days

Festool  48-72 hours

Hart  No

Hilti  Same day in, same day out

Makita  3 days

Metabo HPT  48 hours

Milwaukee  7-10 business days

Paslode  3 days

Porter-Cable  5 business days

Ridgid  No

Ryobi  No

Skil  Goal of 5-7 days

Conclusion

We were surprised by how similar most warranty terms are, and of course very happy to see some of the extraordinarily generous terms of some brands in some areas.  It seems that the manufacturers realize how important warranties are to most pro purchase decisions.  As you would expect in a competitive industry, at similar price points the terms are reasonably close.  Warranty terms aren’t the only characteristic that’s important in a decision to buy, but they can often make or break a decision to invest long-term in one brand rather than another.

Comparing Manufacturer’s Warranties is a post from Tool Box Buzz

Best Cordless Jigsaw – Comparison Testing

A jigsaw is worth it’s weight in gold due to the ability to quickly customize shapes and sizes of lumber for seamless fit-ups and emergency fixes. When our team of PROs got together recently to plan out our newest Head-2-Head, cordless jigsaw competition, we knew our PRO followers and subscribers were curious about many of these same design and performance considerations.  After careful planning a range of uniquely crafted tests and jigs, and cutting hundreds of board feet ¼ inch at a time, we’ve delivered very detailed “Best Cordless Jigsaw” data you’ve come to expect (and crave) from our Tool Box Buzz team of PROs.

Best Top-Handle Jigsaw Evaluation Format

For this Best Cordless Jigsaw evaluation, several categories were developed including; Precision & Accuracy, Performance (speed/power), Features, Ergonomics, and Price.

Each of the categories were ranked individually and used to determine the Best Top-Handled Cordless Jigsaw based on the combined results.

• Accuracy– The accuracy of the jigsaws was compared including the ability to follow a shape, blade drift, and ease of cutting along irregular paths.
• Performance [Power / Speed Test]-We looked at cutting speed as an indicator of saw motor performance.
• Features– An overall comparison of features and specifications.
• Ergonomics– Ergonomics are really important to users and an important category to consider when purchasing any power tool. In addition to traditional ergonomics, we also included functionality in this category.
• Vibration – we recorded and analyzed the vibrations of the tools during our speed testing.
• Price– Price is always an important factor in determining which saw is best for a user. We’ve included the current pricing found online for each of the saws “as-tested,” at the time of publication.
• Best Value Saw – Often times this category winner tends to resonate with most folks as it tends to perform well in the tests but feels good on the wallet

Cordless Jigsaw Specifications

Black & Decker

• Model: BDCJS20C
• Strokes Per Minute: 0-2,500SPM
• Stroke Length: 3/4″
• Weight: 4.3lbs
• Tool-Free Blade Change
• Accepts both U and T shank blades
• Built-in dust blower
• 45° bevel shoe capacity for angled cuts in both directions
• Variable Speed Trigger

Bosch

• Model: JSH180B
• Strokes Per Minute: 0-2,700 SPM
• Stroke Length: 1″
• Weight: 4.1lbs
• One-handed blade insertion and ejection for convenience and ease of use
• LED light for illuminating cut line
• Adjustable footplate for bevel cuts of up to 45°
• Built-in dust blower
• Variable Speed Trigger

Craftsman

• Model: CMSC600D1
• Strokes Per Minute: 0-2,500 SPM
• Stroke Length: 3/4″
• Weight: 4.35 lbs
• Beveling shoe for bevel cuts of up to 45°
• Variable speed trigger
• 3 orbital cutting settings
• Key-less blade clamp
• Built-in dust blower

DEWALT

• Model: DCS334P1
• Strokes Per Minute: 0-3,200 SPM
• Stroke Length: 1″
• Weight: 5.2 lbs
• Brushless Motor
• Integrated dust blower
• All-metal, keyless shoe bevel with detents at 0°, 15°, 30°, and a positive stop at 45°
• 4-position orbital action
• LED light
• Variable Speed Trigger
• Accepts t-shank jigsaw blades

Festool

• Model: 576535
• Strokes Per Minute: 500-3,800 SPM
• Stroke Length: 1″
• Weight: 5.29 lbs
• Variable speed motor blade automatically adapts to the style of cut
• Tool-free multi-base platform and inserts
• Carbide blade guidance system for perpendicular cuts
• Stroboscopic LEDs freeze the blade in operation
• Brushless motor

Hilti

• Model: 2133672
• Strokes Per Minute: 0-3,000 SPM
• Stroke Length: 1-3/32″
• Weight: 5.41 lbs
• Variable-speed trigger with lock for continuous sawing
• Keyless “push in, click” chuck
• LED light
• Built-in dust blower
• Adjustable footplate for bevel cuts of up to 45°

Kobalt

• Model: KJS 324B-03
• Strokes Per Minute: 0-3,000 SPM
• Stroke Length: 1″
• Weight: 5.2lbs
• Brushless Motor
• 4-position orbital action
• Tool-free blade changes
• Tool-free shoe adjustments; bevel left and right at 45°
• Dust blower
• Built-in LED light

Makita

• Model: XVJ02Z
• Strokes Per Minute: 800-3,500 SPM
• Stroke Length: 1″
• Weight: 5.8lbs
• Brushless Motor
• 3 orbital settings
• Variable 6-speed control dial
• The no-load speed reduction feature automatically reduces SPM for more accurate cutting starts
• “Tool-less” blade change system
• 0°- 45° left or right bevel capacity

Metabo

• Model: STAB18LTX100
• Strokes Per Minute: 0-2,800 SPM
• Stroke Length: 1″
• Weight: 5.8lbs
• Selectable shaving blower function ensures free view of cutting line
• 4 Orbital Modes
• 0°- 45° left or right bevel capacity
• Changing saw blades without tools and with automatic ejection

Metabo HPT

• Model: CJ18DAQ4
• Strokes Per Minute: 0-2,500 SPM
• Stroke Length: 1-1/32″
• Weight: 4.2lbs
• 4 cutting modes
• LED light
• Variable speed trigger
• Tool-less blade change
• Splinter Guard
• Dust Blower
• 45º left and right adjustable base

Milwaukee

• Model: 2737-20
• Strokes Per Minute: 0-3,500 SPM
• Stroke Length: 1″
• Weight: 4.85 lbs
• On/Off cut line blower keeps the cut line clear of debris, and allows user to turn off blower when using dust extraction
• Accepts T-Shank jigsaw blades
• 4-position orbital cutting
• Tool-less shoe bevel with positive stops allows for quick and accurate shoe adjustment with detents at 0°, 15°, 30°, and 45°
• LED light
• Brushless Motor
• Variable Speed Trigger

Porter-Cable

• Model: PCC650B
• Strokes Per Minute: 0-2,500 SPM
• Stroke Length: 3/4″
• Weight: 4.2lbs
• Dust Blower
• 3 orbital settings
• Beveling shoe provides the ability to cut 0 to 45-degree bevel cuts
• Tool-free blade release
• Variable speed trigger

RIDGID

• Model: R8832B
• Strokes Per Minute: 0-3,500 SPM
• Stroke Length: 1″
• Weight: 4.15lbs
• Line Start Mode creates a more efficient, controlled cut by increasing speed after engaging material
• Adjustable Orbital Action
• Variable Speed Trigger and Variable Speed Dial
• Brushless Motor

Ryobi

• Model: PBLJS01
• Strokes Per Minute: 0-3,500 SPM
• Stroke Length: 1″
• Weight: 4.0lbs
• Brushless Motor
• Easy release blade lever for quick blade changes
• 4 Orbital Settings
• Variable Speed Dial
• Tool-free bevel adjustment for easy bevel changes, with locking detent at 45° left and right
• Die-cast metal base for increased durability with included non-marring shoe
• LED Light

Skil

• Model: JS820202
• Strokes Per Minute: 0-3,000 SPM
• Stroke Length: 1″
• Weight: 4.74lbs
• Brushless Motor
• 4 Stage Orbital Action
• Dust Blower
• Tool-Free Blade Change

Cordless Jigsaw Accuracy

For the accuracy category each of the jigsaws was ranked on accuracy in the following areas:

• Line of Sight 
• Blade tracking
• Bevel accuracy when set to 45 degrees.
• Cross-cut accuracy when set to 90 degrees (how perpendicular the cut is to the surface)

The major factors that affect the accuracy of jigsaw cuts are: How well you can see the line of cut and how well the saw’s blade stays square to the workpiece (or at a fixed angle during bevel cuts). Generally, a jigsaw with less of its body overhanging the blade is easier to use, especially when you’re working in cramped quarters or trying to follow a curved line, for example cutting out a scrollwork pattern.

Diablo Jigsaw Blades

To be consistent, all the jigsaws were equipped with a new DIABLO 3-1/4″ 20-TPI scrolling blade and a DIABLO 4″ 10-TPI Fine Finish Wood blade.  Each jigsaw was tested at 90-degree, 45-degree, and also with a scrolling blade for pattern work.

Pattern Cutting (Curves)

For the pattern cutting (curves) each saw was set to maximum speed with zero orbital action. A scrolling template was used to trace all the boards consistently, and each jigsaw was used to make numerous cuts in 3/4′” Poplar.

Finish carpenters and woodworkers use jigsaws for fitting and installations.  A jigsaw’s ability to make an accurate cut is crucial and even a slight misalignment or bevel issue can cause compounding errors on a project.

Clean Cutting

Getting clean jigsaw cuts with only light splintering, tear out, and surface chipping is chiefly a matter of selecting a blade that’s designed for the job. All the saws were evaluated on how clean the saws cut.  The team was pleasantly surprised to see three lesser-priced saws [RIDGID, Ryobi, and SKIL] cut as nice as the higher-priced Festool. These were the cleanest edge, cutting saws with the least tear-out. This “clean-cut result,” was also due to using the same Diablo blades along with the operator’s skill set using the tools.

Blade Deflection

Every cut was measured and evaluated for blade deflection at 45-degree and 90-degree cutting. On the 90-degree cuts Festool, Milwaukee, Metabo and Makita ranked the best. On the 45-degree cuts, Festool was the best followed by Milwaukee.

Blade Tracking

Tracking was evaluated by following lines to see how easy or hard it was to follow the line. The Festool, Metabo, RIDGID, Ryobi, and SKIL were the best tracking jigsaws. Again we were surprised to see a more economic brand rank side-by-side with the higher-priced German-engineered saws.

It’s worth noting that when scoring the line-of-sight, points were awarded based on the operator’s ability to consistently see the blade cutting through the popular.  Points were not awarded based on the cut-line deviation from the template cut-line. This ensured that operator error was minimized as a primary scoring factor in this evaluation area. 

Best Cordless Jigsaw Accuracy Winner – FESTOOL

Festool shined in all 4 test categories with a perfect score of 4 points.  It had dead-on accuracy for both 45 and 90-degree cuts. It has a good line of sight and a strobe light system that allows you to see the blade while cutting.  It consistently produced clean cuts and its blade tracked extremely well, with minimal blade deflection at 45 and 90-degrees.

The Milwaukee came away with the second-best score – a total of 6-points. It tied with the Festool for near-perfect 45 and 90-degree blade deflection and an excellent line of sight. Milwaukee’s score was 1-point lower in the tracking and clean cuts categories.

A three-way tie for third-highest score went to Metabo, RIDGID, and Ryobi all with 7-points each.

Performance Testing (Power/Speed)

An obvious question when comparing the performance of different jigsaws is “which saw cuts the fastest?”  This test also equates to power and power equates to cutting thicker, harder-to-cut materials.

Recognizing that using jigsaws requires the operator to make dozens if not, hundreds of minuscule adjustments during each cut we decided to try to eliminate the human variable. To test the power, we built a jig to hold the saws and pull the saws into 3/4″ plywood using a weighted pulley system.

In the TBB jig, we supported the 3’ pieces of plywood on a frame that in turn was held to the workbench by clamps. The frame allowed for the clearance of the maximum depth of the jigsaw blade. We also used a hold-down clamp on the far edge of the frame and secured the plywood to the frame with three screws each time we made a cut.  That replicated the way a piece of material would be secured in the field. Each saw was fitted with a DIABLO 5″ 6-TPI Fast Cutting Wood blade, designed specifically for fast, rough cutting.

We designed the height of the fixture to be such that the bottom of the sled holding the saw just touched the plywood material. We wanted no gap between the sled and the workpiece because this would introduce additional vibration and is not the manner in which one uses a jigsaw. To cut down on the friction of the larger sled base, we installed an HDPE slick strip surface onto the bottom of the sled. This meant that each run would have consistent friction between the sled and the material. Also, this closely emulated the way the tool is commonly used.

We used this jig to remove as much human variation as possible to allow for the fairest capabilities-based test possible. We used natural, constant force (via the weight) to provide a straight, equal frictionless track to allow the saws the chance to cut as fast as they could.  The saw’s motor power provided consistent strokes per minute (SPM) speed. 

The pulling force was provided by a weighted pulley system which pulled the jigsaws through the material with consistent force. This approach has 2 main benefits:

1. First, it allows a constant force to be applied to each jigsaw in the same way that an operator tries to apply a constant force while cutting.
2. Secondly, by allowing for natural resistance (as opposed to forcing a constant cutting speed via mechanical motors) it allows the saw to cut at its natural maximum speed based on the maximum strokes per minute and the power of the motor. This also underscores the importance of using the same blade types on all saws as without it this test would not truly measure the natural maximum cutting speed. 

The sled fixture held the saws securely and the aluminum tracks kept the saw moving in a consistent and parallel fashion. The saws were in contact with the sled and the sled in contact with the workpiece. During the course of testing, this fixture performed with no issues.

Performance Testing (Power/Speed) – Winner MILWAUKEE

Normalization by Watt-hours

Editor’s Note: An error was found in the calculation for this section and the updated results pushed Milwaukee to the top spot and moved Hilti down to 4th place. Updated September 2022.

These saws came with a different sized “energy power plant” or a combination of battery voltages and Amp-hour ratings. As you can imagine, the saw with the greatest watt-hour battery theoretically has a leg up on its competition with regard to performance. For most of our cordless tool comparisons, we level the playing field by normalizing the results based on total watt-hours. In this way, the reader can see which saw has the most effective combination of battery technology, stamina, and motor power on a per-watt-hour basis.

In this H2H, the batteries were all 18v (under load), with the exception being the Hilti and Kobalt which operate at 22V and 24V respectively. As you can see in the attached table, we derived the watt-hours by multiplying the load voltage by the amp-hours. The following table shows the results of the performance test when normalized.

The saw with the best score for inches/sec/Watt-hr was the Milwaukee with a result of 0.0394. It was closely followed by the second-best score from DEWALT at 0.0386. Festool recorded the third-best score with 0.345.

It is interesting to note that these three saws had the three fastest timed runs for the entire group. Clearly, by both measures, these three saws are the top speed/power saws.

During the Speed/Power test, we noted that a few of the saws had difficulty completing the test. The Black & Decker and Craftsman saws could not finish this test and we listed them as DNF (Did Not Finish). During the run, they could not hold the blade in their blade follower and the blade skewed to the side so badly the saws stopped.

The Porter-Cable saw had the same tendency, but the saw managed to muscle through to the end of the plywood board. You can see that the Porter-Cable average cut time was more than 50% longer than the saw above it in the table. The average cut time indicates the difficulty that it had completed the test. It is interesting to note that these three saws have a very similar design.

Bent blades from the DNF saws

One other saw exhibited difficulty in the Speed/Power test. The Metabo saw had the blade come free of the grooved roller wheel in each run. While the Metabo’s blades did not heal over sideways, the blades did show a wear pattern that the side of the blade ran along the outside of the wheel, not inside of the wheel with the grooved track. Such behavior was undoubtedly the reason the Metabo saw finished in the middle of the pack for Speed/Power.

While we do not know and did not explore the reasons why these four saws had issues while the other eleven did not. We can say that when a person is operating a jigsaw, the user will make immediate and minuscule adjustments to the path, speed, and force they apply in using the saw. That way, if the saw starts to wander or drift, the user can intervene. In this test, once a condition started, the sled made no adjustments and the saws/blade combination proceeded on and the issue compounded on itself – to the point where at least two of the saws’ blades were so skewed to the side that the saw could no longer pull the blade through the wood.

Best Cordless Jigsaw Features – Winner  RIDGID

Comparing tool features from multiple brands is never easy but the devil is in the details, so a feature comparison is certainly warranted. We looked at 10 different features on these saws and rated them 1 through 5 for each saw. [1 being best]

1. Handle and Trigger
2. Soft Start
3. Variable Speed [Trigger and Dial]
4. Selectable Blade Orbit
5. Blade Guide System
6. Blade Change Clamp
7. Shoe plate – Tilting
8. Dust Blower / Collection
9. LED Light
10. Power Lock-on

The RIDGID took first place in features with 17-points, followed by the Festool with 18-points, and Makita and Milwaukee tied for third place with 21-points. DEWALT followed with 23-points to finish fourth. 

The RIDGID consistently showed up in this test as a jigsaw NOT to be ignored. While not considered a higher-end saw, by most pros, the RIDGID has a feature set that many expect in a high-end saw. 

“RIDGID is the hidden gem”  ~ Scott Arnold TBB Crew

Handle and Trigger

A good handle is important on a jigsaw for user comfort and also because a solid grip is essential to controlling the movement of the tool during cutting. In general, over-molds are softer to the touch than hard plastic, provide a more secure grip and even dampen tool vibration slightly.

Note – The pommel at the front of the DEWALT’s handle was unique and allowed a two-handed grip — we found it helpful when cutting in awkward positions.

Wider triggers offer you more gripping options and control, whereas narrower jigsaw triggers can be clumsy and hard to grip while cutting. A jigsaw’s most important operational feature is its trigger that switches the tool on and off.

Note – Ryobi trigger is hard to pull and for a 1/4″, requiring an over-pull, and then the tool activates. This made using the saw with precision difficult.

Festool went to sleep on this handle, it’s too smooth, too narrow, and the rise in the handle is awkward. It feels toy like ~ Ethan Bickford TBB Crew 

The team favored the larger size triggers on the Festool, Hilti, Makita, Metabo, and Milwaukee. We also liked the dual-trigger system on the Festool that locks the saw on or allows you to control the variable speed with a trigger pull.

The team was split with the trigger safety feature on the Makita that required you to turn the power on or off. The crew members that had recently used Makita tools were used to it and knew that it was a consistent feature on their new tools. Other team members felt like it was an unnecessary additional step and did not like having to press a button before the tool started.

Soft / Auto Start 

The Makita jigsaw has “soft-start” motor electronics that start the motor at a slow level and stays at a low speed until the tool starts to cut material. In general, a soft start can prevent the saw from suddenly jerking if you start cutting with the blade in contact with the material. Once the saw engages material the RPMs ramp up.

The RIDGID has a “line-start” feature on the variable speed dial. This feature starts the blade at a lower RPM until engaged in the wood – allowing you to start your cut.

The Festool has an “A” symbol on the variable speed dial that also starts the saw at a lower rpm speed and speeds up when the blade engages the material being cut.

Variable Speed

All of the jigsaws with the exception of the Ryobi have a variable-speed trigger to allow you to vary the speed of the saw according to how hard you pull the trigger or where the speed adjustment wheel is set. Variable triggers that let you ramp up the speed of the blade gradually, up to the maximum set on its variable-speed dial. This is useful when starting cuts in very hard and/or splintery woods as well as materials prone to chipping, like tile and plastics.

The DEWALT, Hilti, Festool, Makita, RIDGID, and Ryobi were the only saws with variable-speed dials that allow you to set the upper limit of motor speed and, hence, the number of blade strokes per minute. This makes a jigsaw a more versatile cutting machine.

Selectable Blade Orbit

This mechanism moves the blade forward slightly during the upstroke cut, resulting in a more aggressive cutting action than if the blade simply reciprocated up and down. The mechanism also moves the saw blade back slightly, so it clears the kerf during the return downstroke and saves wear on the teeth. Adjusting the amount of blade orbit makes the saw cut more or less aggressively. Most saws have four-orbit settings: 0 (no orbit) or 1 for cutting metals and plastics; 1 or 2 for fine and curved cuts; and 3 (maximum orbit) for faster, rougher cuts.

All of the saws, with the exception of the Black and Decker, have selectable blade orbits.

Blade Guide System

Most of the saws use a grooved wheel blade guide system. The groove guides and keeps the blade in alignment. The Festool has a true “blade guide” system. It has a smooth wheel and a v-shaped metal guide that contacts and stabilizes the backside of the blade and keeps it from deflecting during cutting.

All the jigsaws featured had tool-free blade change systems, which allow you to safely and easily change out blades thanks to a spring-loaded lever and clamp.

Blade Change Clamp Lever

All of the jigsaws allow tool-less blade changes, employing a lever that opens the blade clamp on the end of the saw’s plunger — the part that moves the blade up and down. Tool-less blade clamps make changing the tang-style saw blades each model uses quick and easy. But each clamp is different and some are easier to work with than others. They were all easy in their own way – these three saws stood out.

• The Festool’s “Fast Fix”.
• The Makita also has a terrific mechanism with a spring-loaded lever
• The Bosch’s “One Touch” blade change system

This can save you from burning your fingers trying to pull a hot blade out of the clamp after a prolonged cutting session.

DEWALT rattles when you back up the blade and hit the workpiece. Most blade clamps use a twist lock so when pressure is applied to the back of the blade generally the worst thing that happens is it might jump out of the blade guide. But the blade clamp on the DEWALT releases with a linear action that is in line with the blade. This means that when the blade is pushed backward (like when making complicated cuts and making relief cuts) it starts to release the blade clamp, and pushes on the blade clamp release lever, and makes an alarming rattling noise. I could definitely see these causing problems when aggressively moving the saw around to make a tight cut.

Tilting Shoe Plate

Adjusting the angle of a jigsaw’s shoe plate allows the saw to make bevel cuts, say for the edge of scribing baseboard. While all these jigsaws have tilting footplates, only the DEWALT, Kobalt, RIGID, Ryobi, Milwaukee, and Skil allow tool-less angle changes. The rest of the saws require an ALLEN wrench to adjust the base.

The best adjustable tool-less lever was the DEWALT, Milwaukee, and Skil.  These saw levers were easy to manipulate and the tilting base released, adjusted, and locked easily and quickly.

The Festool comes as a fixed base. If you want to bevel this saw you need to purchase an accessory kit. This kit has an adjustable base controlled by a knob.  Because of this, we scored the Festool a 3 [mid-range]

Festool has an accessory beveling base plate that is certainly unique. It is split and bevels in a butterfly fashion with a split down the middle. This is fine for bevel cuts in the middle of a large workpiece but can be a problem when back beveling near the edge of a workpiece as the baseplate will frequently hit the workpiece.

Dust Blower / Dust Collection

Jigsaw blowers don’t impress us much – most of these saws still require you to blow the dust away from the dust, but that doesn’t mean that all blowers are equal.

Milwaukee, Kobalt, Metabo, Skil, Ridgid, and Kobalt have a selectable blower switch giving you an option to turn the blower on or off. The Bosch, Hilti, Craftsman, Black and Decker, Metabo HPT, Porter-Cable have ‘always-on” blowers. All the saws feature a dust blower that uses air channeled from the motor fan to blow dust away from just in front of the blade. The blowers overall do a “just ok” job at removing dust.

Built-in LED Light

All but the Black and Decker, Porter-cable, Craftsman, and Metabo have LED lighting.

The Makita and RIDGID are the only two saws that allow you to activate the LED without engaging the blade.

The best LED was the Milwaukee saw with a bright, full circle halo that surrounds the saw with no shadow line. The Festool was similar in brightness but did not throw out the same size halo. The Festool had a really large halo, not as bright and full of shadows due to its guard. All saw included a built-in LED light. A built-in LED light is a particularly welcome feature on any jigsaw since the overhanging body tends to cast a shadow in the area of the blade.

Power Lock-On

Only four saws have a lock-on feature. The Festool, Makita, RIDGID, and Ryobi have the ability to lock the trigger in the on position.  Makita, RIDGID, and Ryobi are set up for right-handed users with a lock-on button positioned for use by the right thumb. The Festool has an ambidextrous slide switch on both sides of the saw, positioned lower on the saw head.

Ergonomics Winner – HILTI and Milwaukee

Ergonomics is the science of designing and producing tools that improve a worker’s efficiency while reducing discomfort, fatigue, and risk of injury.

In laymen’s terms, ergonomics is the interface between the user and the tool. How’s it feel when using it? For this ergonomic section, we considered the following factors, rating them 1 thru 5. [1 being best]

• Grip
• Trigger
• Adjustments and Switches relating to right and left users.

HILTI and Milwaukee had a tie for the best Ergonomics score. Bosch, Metabo and DEWALT had the second-best scores in Ergonomics, followed by Makita and Skil. The Festool has a trigger safety is on the left side of the tool making it difficult for a left-handed user to actuate.  The Makita, RIDGID, and Ryobi have a trigger lock on switches on the left side of the tool making it difficult for a left-handed user.

Vibration –  Winner  Makita

Regardless of how fast a jigsaw cuts, the less vibration it produces, the better. All jigsaws employ some sort of counterbalance system to reduce the up-and-down shaking created by the reciprocating plunger and blade, and some work better than others.

During the speed/power test, we wanted to collect data on the relative difference for the vibration that each saw produced. To accomplish the data collection during actual runs, we attached a fixture to hold an iPhone firmly onto the sled. This phone has a built-in set of accelerometer sensors and we installed an app that not only created an image of the vibration but provided the average and peak vibration readings in G’s for each run.

The data between the average vibration and the peak vibration were close in the rankings. This validates the results of the readings recorded for the individual saws.

Based on our testing the top three saws with the least vibration were Makita, Festool, and Skil.

Dust Collection

From carpenters working in finished spaces, to shop workers who want to reduce the amount of airborne dust in their environment, knowing how well a saw will integrate with a vacuum is an important measure of performance for any user.

We did NOT test for dust collection since all of the TTB crew members agreed that they do not use dust extraction on a jigsaw.

During our discussion, we agreed that we usually use jigsaws for scribing, finishing cuts from a table or circular saw, and cutting openings. All these cuts are critical and the hose can drag the back of the saw around and mess up the cut. Plus the generally infrequent use means that the time and inconvenience isn’t worth it for the small amount of dust made.

The Hilti comes with an integrated air dust channel, the Festool has a dust chute that inserts into the base plate directly behind the blade. The Milwaukee and RIDGID come with a dust port that inserts into the base plate and collects from directly behind the blade guide.

Many of the other saws, like Bosch, Makita, and  Metabo, can be connected to dust collection but do not come standard with a dust port.

Price

Below we’ve included the current pricing (at the time of publication). Pricing is based on the bare tools where available. We chose the bare tool because the jigsaw is typically a secondary tool to one’s tool arsenal.

The best-priced cordless top-handled jigsaw was the Black and Decker at $ 49.00.  Second place was the porter cable priced at $55.25  followed by Craftsman at $ 116.55

The highest price saw in this testing war the Festool Carvex which sells for $ 349.00 The Festool Carvex machines (all versions – corded and cordless) come in a Systainer with or without a battery.

The TBB Crew chose a huge range of jigsaws to test, from DIY quality to professional grade. Because of this, we did not include pricing in our final scoring.

Best Cordless Jigsaw Winner –Festool

The competition for the best cordless jigsaw went to Festool with 18-points.

The Festool came tops in both the accuracy and feature categories and 2nd in vibration. It’s a superbly cutting saw and super precise. We critiqued Festool because the user needs to buy an accessory kit if they want to bevel cut with the saw.

Makita tied for 2nd with Milwaukee and scored tops in the vibration category, second in features, and third in ergonomics.  The TBB Crew found the Makita to have good power, liked the soft-start feature, and really appreciated its low vibration. It has a compact footprint and is truly a nice cutting saw. Similar to Festool, we critiqued Makita’s lack of tool-less beveling. The user requires a tool to bevel the saw base. Makita also scored in the very middle for accuracy/precision. 

Milwaukee tied for second place with 19-points followed by RIDGID at 26-points and Hilti at 27-points, , and DEWALT with 28-points.

Milwaukee had a solid showing with a first-place tie with Hilti in ergonomics. It scored first place in power and third place in features.  The crew all said it was a powerful, nice cutting saw requiring minimal effort to operate.

The Hilti tied with Milwaukee for the first place rank in ergonomics – the entire team commented about how comfortable this saw was to use. It’s a nice feeling saw but was hard to see the cut-line through the dust hood.

RIDGID scored second place in features and fourth in vibration. It scored in the middle of the pack for all other categories which secured its close win over the DEWALT.

Best Value Top-Handle Cordless  Jigsaw – Winner Milwaukee

The best value is the  Milwaukee jigsaw.  The Milwaukee saw came in 3rd overall in this testing and priced mid-pack at $ 168.00 [bare tool]  It was a solid performer and is offered at a good price making this saw the best value jigsaw.

Conclusion

The MOST Comprehensive Information Available

Our ALL Pro contractor team put some serious time and effort into our Best Cordless Jigsaw Head-to-Head evaluation to bring you the most comprehensive information available.

These tests and evaluations are very difficult, take a lot of time, and ultimately limited in scope as we’re not a professional testing company and we’ve got limited time to evaluate the tools. We cannot do long-term testing that would shed light on durability and we can’t possibly test every application that you might use one of these saws for.

We get lots of comments about how we make the final rankings. As we’ve stated, there are hundreds of ways to compare tools. The good news is we’ve openly shared ALL the data from our tests, and you can rank the tools however you want. Don’t care about an item we ranked? No problem. Simply remove that from the matrix above and re-rank them. Hopefully, you’ll find this Head-To-Head useful when comparing compact cordless miter saws.

If you have a moment, please check out our other Head-to-Head Tests.

Best Cordless Top-Handle Jigsaw Head-To-Head is a post from Tool Box Buzz

Full-Size Pneumatic Framing Nailers

Head-to-Head Testing

Pneumatic nailers first started gaining ground in the construction world in the 1950’s. While the underlying technology hasn’t changed much; features, size, weight, and function have all been improved drastically. Even though pneumatic nailers can’t replace hammers on the job-site, they have become just as common.

Newer building materials like engineered lumber put today’s nailers to the test. Users can become frustrated when they have to follow up a pneumatic nailer by hand-banging “proud” nails into LVL headers. Whether you’re looking to avoid this frustration and want a nailer that is powerful enough to penetrate engineered lumber, or your new to the game, and need a “do-it-all” framing nailer this Head-to-Head will guide you on the proper choice. This test will give you the information you need to choose the best full-size framing nailer.

Full Head, Full-Size Framing Nailer Specifications and Features

For this Head-to-Head evaluation, nailers were chosen based on the following criteria: Capable of firing up to 3-1/2″ full-head framing nails, full-size tools (nothing from the compact category), and capacity to hold at least two full strips of nails.

The challenge for any Head-to-Head is developing the testing and evaluation criteria to create a valuable comparison for Pro users. There are many different tests that could be performed. However, with limited time and resources, this evaluation focuses on real world tasks found on many of the jobs we work on. These tasks have measurable and realistic applications to give you a good baseline on performance and expectations.

We included the following framing nailers in the Head-To-Head test:

Bostitch F21PL 21º Full Round Head 3-1/2” Framing Nailer

• Collation Type:                        Plastic
• Depth Adjustment:                 Yes
• Dry Fire Lockout:                    No
• Fastener Length:                      2″ to 3-1/2″
• Fastener Type / Gauge:          21º
• Firing / Actuation Mode:       Sequential with Additional Trigger Included
• Magazine Capacity:                 60
• Magazine Loading:                  Bottom load
• Operating Pressure:                80-120 psi
• Power Source:                          Pneumatic
• Height:                                       14”
• Length:                                      20-3/8”
• Width:                                       5-1/4”
• Weight                                      8.1 lbs.
• Bostitch F21PL

Craftsman CMP21PL 21º   3-1/2” Framing Nailer

• Collation Type:                        Plastic
• Depth Adjustment:                 Yes
• Dry Fire Lockout:                    Yes
• Fastener Length:                     2″ to 3-1/2″
• Fastener Type / Gauge:          20-22º
• Firing / Actuation Mode:       Tool-free selectable trigger
• Magazine Capacity:                 60
• Magazine Loading:                  Bottom load
• Operating Pressure:                70-120 psi
• Power Source:                          Pneumatic
• Height:                                       14.76 in
• Length:                                      21.65 in
• Width:                                       4.72
• Weight                                       8.2 lbs.
• Craftsman CMP21PL

Makita AN924 21º   3‑1/2″ Framing Nailer

• Collation Type:                        Plastic
• Depth Adjustment:                 Yes
• Dry Fire Lockout:                    Yes
• Fastener Length:                      2″ to 3-1/2″
• Fastener Type / Gauge:          21º
• Firing / Actuation Mode:       Switch – tool free
• Magazine Capacity:                 73
• Magazine Loading:                  Top load
• Operating Pressure:                70-120 psi
• Power Source:                          Pneumatic
• Height:                                       13-3/4”
• Length:                                      22”
• Width:                                       4-5/8”
• Weight                                       8.3 lbs. 
• Makita AN924

Metabo HPT NR90AD(S1) 21º  3-1/2″ Paper Collated Framing Nailer

• Collation Type:                        Paper
• Depth Adjustment:                 Yes
• Dry Fire Lockout:                   No
• Fastener Length:                    2″ to 3-1/2″
• Fastener Type / Gauge:         30º
• Firing / Actuation Mode:      Tool-free selectable trigger
• Magazine Capacity:                86-94
• Magazine Loading:                 Rear
• Operating Pressure:               70-120 psi
• Power Source:                         Pneumatic
• Height:                                      13-3/4
• Length:                                     18-3/16”
• Width:                                      4-15/16”
• Weight                                      7.0 lbs
• Metabo HPT NR90AD(S1)

Milwaukee 7200-20  21º 3-1/2″  Framing Nailer

• Collation Type:                        Plastic
• Depth Adjustment:                 Yes
• Dry Fire Lockout:                    Yes
• Fastener Length:                      2″ to 3-1/2″
• Fastener Type / Gauge:          20-22º
• Firing / Actuation Mode:       Tool-free selectable trigger
• Magazine Capacity:                 64-72
• Magazine Loading:                  Rear
• Operating Pressure:                70-120 psi
• Power Source:                          Pneumatic
• Height:                                      14-1/4”
• Length:                                      21-3/8”
• Width:                                       4-3/4”
• Weight                                      7lbs. 12 oz
• Milwaukee 7200-20

Paslode PowerMaster Plus 30º F350-S 3-1/2”  Framing Nailer

• Collation Type:                        Paper
• Depth Adjustment:                 Yes
• Dry Fire Lockout:                   No
• Fastener Length:                     2″ to 3-1/2″
• Fastener Type / Gauge:         30º
• Firing / Actuation Mode:      Yes
• Jam Clearance:                       Yes
• Magazine Capacity:               84
• Magazine Loading:                Rear
• Operating Pressure:              80-120 psi
• Power Source:                         Pneumatic
• Height:                                     13-1/2
• Length:                                     19.3/8”
• Width:                                      5-1/8
• Weight                                     8.4 lbs.
• Paslode PowerMaster Plus

Porter-Cable FR350B 22° Framing Nailer

• Collation Type:                     Plastic
• Depth Adjustment:              Yes
• Dry Fire Lockout:                 Yes
• Fastener Length:                  2″ to 3-1/2″
• Fastener Type / Gauge:      22º
• Firing / Actuation Mode:   Tool-free switch
• Jam Clearance:                    Yes
• Magazine Capacity:            60
• Magazine Loading:             Bottom load
• Operating Pressure:           70-120 psi
• Power Source:                     Pneumatic
• Height:                                 14.76
• Length:                                 21.65
• Width:                                  4.72
• Weight                                  8.25 lbs.
• Porter-Cable FR350B

RIDGID R350RHF 21° 3-1/2 in.  Framing Nailer

• Collation Type:                 Plastic
• Depth Adjustment:          Yes
• Dry Fire Lockout:             Yes
• Fastener Length:              2″ to 3-1/2″
• Fastener Type / Gauge:  20-22º
• Firing  Actuation Mode: Tool-free switch
• Jam Clearance:                Yes
• Magazine Capacity:         60-70
• Magazine Loading:         Bottom load
• Operating Pressure:        80-120 psi
• Power Source:                  Pneumatic
• Height:                              15.25”
• Length:                              22.44”
• Width:                               4-3/4”
• Weight                              7.3 lbs
• Ridgid R350RHF

Senco FramePro 752XP 3 1/2″ Framing Nailer

• Collation Type:                Plastic
• Depth Adjustment:         Yes
• Dry Fire Lockout:            Yes
• Fastener Length:              2″ to 3-1/2″
• Fastener Type /Gauge:   20º
• Firing/Actuation Mode: Sequential with Additional Trigger Included
• Jam Clearance:                Yes
• Magazine Capacity:         60
• Magazine Loading:          Bottom load
• Operating Pressure:        70-120 psi
• Power Source:                  Pneumatic
• Height:                              14.1/4
• Length:                              20”
• Width:                               4-3/16
• Weight                              8.7 lbs.
• Senco FramePro 752XP

Best Features

WINNER – Milwaukee

There were a few stand-out features that affect performance and safety.  Each tool was ranked, using a 1 thru 5 score, 1 being the best, to determine the tool with the best feature ranking. A list of some of them are included below.

The Milwaukee took first place with Makita close on their heels. The team felt that the two nailers were almost equal with the Milwaukee having a slightly better contact tip.  Third place was the RIDGID and Senco.

Nail Loading

During this evaluation there was no consensus on a preference for top-loading vs. bottom loading nailers.  For top-loading, the team chose the Paslode and felt that the two steel guide rails facilitated smoother nail loading and were more durable. For bottom loading, the team felt the Milwaukee was superior and its nail pusher release button was the easiest to use and most accessible.

In this head-to-head, 3-1/2″ full, round head nails were used. All but the Metabo HPT used plastic collated nails. The Metabo HPT tested, used paper tape Paslode RoundDrive nails. These nails are full-head, offset nails, as opposed to full-head concentric. The offset is due to the angle of the magazine, which is 30 degrees vs. 21-degree full-head concentric nail.

Contact Tip

Having a well-designed contact tip ensures the nailer does not slip and prevents nails from being installed incorrectly. The best contact tip in this test was the Senco. The Senco stood alone in this pack; it provided 360-degree coverage around the firing head and had more complex tangs to grip material without limiting access to tighter spaces.

Other nailers with great contact tips are the  Milwaukee, RIDGID, and BOSTITCH. Rounded and aggressive, these contact tips quickly gripped all the materials tested and were consistent in their performance.

During the testing, we noticed that the Metabo HPT contact tip didn’t grab well at steeper angles when toe-nailing. The Craftsman and Porter-Cable, have identical tips, with tangs that are flat and not ground to a sharp point. We found them to slide on harder materials like the AdvanTech sheathing and LVL framing lumber.

The BOSTITCH is the only nailer that comes with a replacement tip that is a positive-placement nailer tip for metal connectors.

Depth Adjustment

The Makita, Milwaukee, and RIDGID stood out with the best placed, smoothest-to-operate depth of drive knob adjustment. On the Makita, we liked the visible scale that allows you to see the adjustment range.  The Milwaukee and RIDGID both have a large adjustment wheel, but it’s hard to tell where in the depth adjustment you are compared to the other nailers. The Senco’s big knurled knob adjustment was the easiest to operate, and adjustment is smooth. It’s only negative is that it is directly in the line of sight.

An onboard Allen wrench is necessary for depth adjustments on the Paslode nailer. This method is an old-fashioned approach, and the Paslode nailer’s scoring suffered as a result.

Almost all of the nailers now have a tool-less adjustment dial. The BOSTITCH sports a unique tool-less “SLIDE” adjustment, which gives the user the benefit of speed, especially at extreme changes. We found the BOSTITCH adjustment easy, the tip completely slides in and out, but this could eventually be a concern due to the tip eventually falling out and get lost. The team felt that the nailers with a dial adjustment, a tried-and-true design, were more rugged and sensitive to minor tweaks, compared to the Bostitch slide model.

Clearing Jambs

Most jams are caused by a fastener, or part of a nail, jamming between the driver blade and the nail guide. Fastener strips with an incorrect collation angle or the wrong fastener type, (such as clipped head fasteners) may also cause continuous jamming.

To clear the jamb for all the nailers, except Senco:

1. Disconnect the air supply
2. Remove fasteners
3. Insert a screwdriver or pin punch into the nail guide to push back the driver blade
4. Once the driver blade is back in position, remove the nail or nail fragment with needle-nose pliers, if necessary

The Senco has a single-bolt, magazine removal procedure, for clearing stubborn nail jambs. An adjustable wrench or pair of pliers allows the user to loosen the bolt (not remove it), and the magazine slides out of the nose of the gun, allowing access to clear a jamb. This unique feature was simple and easy to do for jam clearing.

Sequential / Bump Fire Mode

All the nailers are capable of single fire mode, and sequential [bump] firing. For applications that have a consistent and repeating nailing pattern, like strapping or sheathing; bump-fire saves time and requires less effort on the part of the user.

Milwaukee had the best combination of  “ease-of-use,” and safety and Makita followed in second place. Both nailers switch between firing modes by rotating switch. Milwaukee has a locking, rotating switch [push and twist], Makita has a simple switch with no lock or secondary actuation on the rotating mode switch.

The Craftsman, Porter-Cable and RIDGID have has a push-button, on one side of the trigger, that releases the selectable trigger knob and allows it to rotate. The only drawback is that it requires a two-handed operation.

The Craftsman and the Porter-Cable also have a trigger lock out.

Swapping Out The Trigger

The Bostitch, Paslode, and Senco tools require that the trigger be swapped out, to change firing modes, between sequential and bump fire. While this isn’t ideal for a “do-it-all,” framing gun, it’s typical for full-time framers who use task-specific guns and operate in mostly the bump firing mode.  

Rafter Hook

Three nailers tested have metal rafter hooks: Paslode, Senco, and Makita. The team felt that Paslode has the BEST hook. Paslode’s spring-loaded hook has a 2-1/2″ opening. This hook is not reversible, has a 180-degree swing, and three detent positions [it locks in a stored position, at 90 degrees, and also swings against the magazine.]

The Senco 2-inch rafter hook is smaller profile and rounded, and seems more suited for a ladder rung – it almost seems like it was an afterthought. The Senco hook is a 180-degree swivel and is not reversible.

MAKITA has a fixed metal hook that is reversible by removing screws. It has two fixed-width options; 1-1/2″ or 2-1/2″ wide. The team found Makita’s hook sturdy,  durable, and reliable.

I like this hook (Makita) it’s solid, and you know exactly what to expect!   ~ ROB

While not fans of plastic hooks, the Milwaukee and Bostitch were the best. MILWAUKEE’s hook is beefy, with a 1-1/2 opening.  This hook has some flex but swivels easily. Bostitch is a shorter hook, with locking indents, positioned high on gun, and is easy to use.

The Metabo HPT nailer, we tested, does not come with a rafter hook, a feature we feel is a MUST on a framing nailer (other Metabo HPT nailers do come with a hook). The RIDGID’s rafter hook is easy to swivel, but the team felt that the hook was too narrow, barely fits on 2x lumber. It also seems thinner and less durable.

Dry Fire Lockout

This feature prevents the nailer from firing when out of nails. Many manufacturers include this feature because it avoids unnecessary wear. It also eliminates the frustration of firing the nailer and discovering that the user has not set a nail. Bostitch is the only nailer without a dry fire lockout and was marked down for this. The team felt that lock-out is an important feature that Pros prefer.

No-Mar Tip

Our crew members do not use a no-mar tip on a framing nailer – ever! If you were building a deck or dock using PT decking or maybe installing that horrible T-111 siding, maybe you would want to protect the wood surface. That said, the nailers with no-mar tips stored them in such a way as to guarantee they will get lost. As a result we decided not to score this category.

Weight And Size

WINNER – Metabo HPT

The length, width, and height of the nailers were used to determine their cubic volume, and the rank was assigned based on volume and tool weight. In the accompanying graph, the right column is the size ranking of the nailer, and the left column is the weight ranking.

The Metabo HPT was the smallest and lightest nailer we tested and its size was a favorite among the team. Coming in second was Milwaukee followed by Makita.

Nail Magazine Capacity

WINNER – Metabo HPT

For a full-size framer, most folks will agree that you want the nailer to have a two-strip nail capacity. All of these nailers hold two strips. Some had a slightly higher capacity.

Noise/Decibels

We measured the decibel levels during the LVL header testing and recorded the results at a consistent, waist-high distance.  Decibels were recorded at peak levels. As you can see below, these nailers are very close so we did not rank them. It’s important to note that all of these nailer require hearing protection.

Noise is a severe hazard in construction. So any tool that offers lower sound signatures is essential to know.  OSHA requires a hearing conservation program in place if workers are exposed to a time-weighted average (TWA) noise level of 85 decibels (dBA) or higher over an 8-hour work shift.

Ergonomics

WINNER – Makita and Milwaukee

The nailers are essentially the same from an ergonomic standpoint, but three nailers stood out as top contenders; Makita, Milwaukee, and Metabo HPT. We looked at how the tool interfaced with the user concerning the following five categories:

1. Grip
2. Rafter Hook
3. Ease of Firing Mode
4. Ease of Depth Adjustments
5. Balance

Each tool was ranked on each category above. The team used a 1 thru 5 score, 1 being the best, to determine the tool with the best ergonomic ranking.  

All three nailers had superior nailing mode selector switches. The Makita and Milwaukee had easier to use depth adjustments. The Metabo HPT has a clear line of sight, but the awkward placement of the depth adjustment is the trade-off. The location of the depth of drive does results in this nailer having the BEST sightline in our test.

The Metabo HPT has a beautiful line of sight ~ STAN

The Makita and Milwaukee tied for first place in ergonomics and were well ahead of the pack. They came in seven points ahead of the Metabo HPT, nine points ahead of Paslode, and 10-plus points ahead of the rest.

Toe-Nailing Evaluation

WINNER –  Senco

When toe-nailing, a nailer is held at approximately 60 degrees. Many framing nailer contact-tips slip in these situations, and the nailers with the most aggressive contact tip will toe-nail better. For toe-nailing framing applications, we used 3-1/2” nails to fasten 2×4 KD framing stud at an angle.

The Senco has the best tip. It has a “claw-like,” super aggressive tip that toe-nails well, with plenty of power. Milwaukee also has an aggressive tip, was powerful with solid and fully consistent toe-nailing. The Bostitch nailer has plenty of power, and it’s aggressive one-piece, cast-tip gripped well. The Makita nailer was “smooth!” It sank toenails consistently and is a powerful nailer. We’d like to see a more aggressive tip for toe-nailing.

The Metabo HPT nailer is smaller than the rest and easily fits between studs. The contact-tip was aggressive and gipped the wood well. The team found that the Metabo HPT was slightly underpowered, with inconsistent toe-nailing penetration.

The RIDGID nailer did not perform well in our toe-nailing test. Power wasn’t the issue, and this nailer did well in our other tests. However, the RIDGID nailer was not able to sink toe-nails even at a maximum-depth setting and with the nose of the gun firmly buried in the wood.

Heavy-Duty Framing LVL Application – Power Test

WINNER – Senco

For this application, we used 3-1/2” framing nails to fasten LVL headers together. We placed two 1-3/4″ thick LVLs together, with a 2×8 underneath and face nailed.  Each nailer installed a series of 10 fasteners, to compile an average measurement for nail penetration. We used the same compressor on all nailers and cycled the compressor to achieve maximum tank air pressure, prior to starting each and every test.

During the evaluation of Power (depth of drive) the nailers were evaluated in two different ways:

1. Test 1: Testers set the nailers to approximately the “mid depth of drive” setting to get a sense of the average depth of drive.
2. Test 2: This test was used to rank the nailers. Each nailer was set to it’s maximum depth of drive and the average depth of drive was measured for each.

The tests were run multiple times, and the results were compiled and an average determined. The chart below gives the average depth of drive in inches, with the nailers set to their maximum depth of drive.

The SENCO had the best power and was able to consistently “over-drive” fasteners on every nail.

The SENCO walked away with the power test! ~ Stan Durlacher [TBBCrew]

The RIDGID in terms of power performed extremely well coming in second. Following closely in third place was the Milwaukee which had very low kickback and impressed the team.

The advantages of pneumatic nailers are clear regarding power, productivity and capacity. The disadvantages commonly expressed among tradesmen are weight, compressor, hose, and maintenance.  ~ Stan Durlacher [TBBCrew]

Medium Duty Framing Application – AdvanTech 3/4″ Sheathing Over LVL Studs

For this subjective application, we used 2-1/2” long framing nails to fasten 3/4″ AdvanTech sheathing to engineered studs (LVL).  We did find that all the nailers were able to perform this task and achieve full penetration with very few nails that were not fully seated.

The Makita, Metabo, Senco and Paslode performed slightly better than the rest of the pack, but not enough to create a score ranking.

Framing contractors switch to a coil nailer for most sheathing applications like sub-floors, walls, and roofing. However, many carpenters own and operate ONLY one framing nailer. For those contractors, having the ability to adjust fastener depth when transitioning from framing walls to sheathing is important. In this situation, depth adjustment hurts the older style tools that require an Allen wrench depth adjustment over using a tool-less adjustment.

“I just want to keep on firing nails with this (Senco) gun!” -Ethan Bickford [TBBCrew]during the sub-floor test

Overhead Fastening Application

WINNER – Metabo HPT

For the overhead application, our intent was to assess performance and ergonomics in an overhead application. 3/4″ Pine strapping was fastened to LVL studs with 2-1/2” ring shank nails. No performance issues with fastening were noted.

The Metabo HPT due to its lightweight design, was easier to position and maneuver and will obviously cause less shoulder and neck fatigue. All the other nailers were heavy for this task. The nailing pattern of two ring shank nails per joist/strapping connection makes for quick work with the advantages of a bump fire mode. However, one issue that does stand out for this task is the added weight of the other nailers, especially the Bostitch and Senco. The extra weight of these nailers can be a significant factor for user fatigue when using the tool for extended periods of time like nailing ceiling strapping.

Pricing

WINNER – Metabo HPT

Pricing fluctuates constantly so keep in mind the pricing listed here was at the time of this publication and may be different. Pricing listed is from independent retailers that we trust for great service so keep that in mind, some lower prices may be out there from less reputable retailers. There was a tie on pricing for this test but the nailers were different enough that we were able to rank one above all others based on the quality of the tool and outstanding value!

Metabo HPT and Porter Cable tied at $199.00. The team felt that the BEST nailer of the two, in almost all other tests, was the Metabo HPT and awarded it first place in this category. Coming in at third place was the Bostitch and Craftsman both listed at $219.00.

It’s important to understand that price is only one criterion in choosing the best nailer, with over-all performance topping that list.

Best Full-Size Framing Nailer

WINNER – Milwaukee

Each tool was ranked in each category above. All of the categories ranked were then totaled to determine the total score to determine the Best Full-Size Framing Nailer.

The Milwaukee nailer is not new, and its stellar performance surprised the team. When it comes to pneumatic full-size framing nailers, the Milwaukee 7200-20 surely ranks at the top of the list when power, performance, ergonomics, and features are concerned. It came in at a total of 16 points, which was 6-points ahead of the second-placed Metabo HPT, and 7-points ahead of the third-place Makita.  [See Chart Below]

Final Thoughts – Best Full-Size Framing Nailer

We get lots of comments about how we make the final rankings. As we’ve stated, there are hundreds of ways to compare tools. The good news is we’ve openly shared ALL the data from our tests, and you can rank the tools however you want. Don’t care about the price? No problem eliminate that from the matrix above and re-rank them. Hopefully, you’ll find this Head-To-Head useful in comparing a wide range of full-size pneumatic framing nailers.

Did You Know …..

Interesting Fact On Nailer “Kickback”

Kickback is a product of a few factors, tool weight, the density of the material being nailed, size of the fastener, and the speed with which force is applied to the fastener. Kickback was a difficult problem to overcome in the early days of pneumatic nailers. In short, manufacturers needed to be able to overcome kickback, resulting in a few solutions developed around the same time but in the end, a “pop-it” valve developed for ejection seats on fighter planes was adapted for use in nail guns and that is essentially the same technology used in pneumatic nailers today.

Source:  Tools of The Trade –A Brief History of Portable Nail Guns by Don Carlson

Best Framing Nailer Video Review

Best Full-Size Framing Nailer – Head-To-Head is a post from Tool Box Buzz

Best Benchtop Thickness Planer

Benchtop thickness planers are an essential piece of equipment for any woodshop. These planers are an excellent option for small home woodshops and contractors that need a portable option. While not big and powerful as full size shop thickness planers, benchtop thickness planers are still very capable of effectively planing a wide range of wood products. Thickness planers allow users to purchase a wider range of raw wood materials (often at cheaper prices) and mill the wood to the exact dimensions needed for a project.

Thickness planers perform 3 important tasks for woodworking and carpentry:

• Smoothing rough stock
• Making the faces of a board parallel
• Bringing stock to a consistent and specific thickness

Thickness planers are primarily a woodworker’s tool, however they are also often used by finish and trim carpenters in the shop and occasionally in the field. With sharp knives the surface of a planed board is often smooth enough for paint or even clear finishes. For our testing we chose the following planers (follow links for manufacturers page on each planer):

• Delta 22-555
• Delta 22-590
• DEWALT 734
• DEWALT 735X
• Makita 2012NB
• Porter Cable PC-305TP
• Ridgid R4331
• Triton TPT 125

For this head-to-head test we focused on planing several different wood species, the surface finish, the power, and pricing. Below is a detailed discussion of our testing and evaluation.

Features and Specifications

Portable thickness planers have to squeeze a lot of power into a small footprint that can be reasonably moved around a shop or to a job site. But even within this limitation there are some substantial differences in size and weight of the machines we’ve tested. But every machine is capable of planing boards 12 to 13 inches wide and 6 inches tall. The specifics and the differences are show in the lists below.

• Delta 22-555
  • Weight: 58 lbs
  • Capacity (width): 13″
  • Max depth of cut:3/32″
  • Max stock height: 6″
  • No-load speed:9400 RPM
  • Number of cutter knives: 2
  • Feed rate (feet per minute):28
  • Outfeed table length: 6-7/8″
• Delta 22-590
  • Weight: 76 lbs
  • Capacity (width): 13″
  • Max depth of cut: 1/8″
  • Max stock height: 6″
  • No-load speed: 10000 RPM
  • Number of cutter knives: 3
  • Feed rate (feet per minute): 26
  • Outfeed table length: 12-1/2″
• DEWALT DW734
  • Weight: 80lbs
  • Capacity (width): 12-1/2″
  • Max depth of cut: 1/8″
  • Max stock height: 6″
  • No-load speed: 10000 RPM
  • Number of cutter knives: 3
  • Feed rate (feet per minute): 24
  • Outfeed table length: 11-1/4″
• DEWALT DW735X
  • Weight: 92 lbs
  • Capacity (width): 13″
  • Max depth of cut: 1/8″
  • Max stock height: 6″
  • No-load speed: 10000 RPM
  • Number of cutter knives: 3
  • Feed rate (feet per minute): 14(low) 26(high)
  • Outfeed table length: 9″
• Makita 2012NB
  • Weight: 62 lbs
  • Capacity (width): 12″
  • Max depth of cut: 1/8″
  • Max stock height: 6-3/32″
  • No-load speed: 8500 RPM
  • Number of cutter knives: 2
  • Feed rate (feet per minute): 27.9
  • Outfeed table length: 9″
• Porter Cable PC305TP
  • Weight: 64.8 lbs
  • Capacity (width): 12-1/2″
  • Max depth of cut: 3/32″
  • Max stock height: 6″
  • No-load speed: 8000 RPM
  • Number of cutter knives: 2
  • Feed rate (feet per minute): 26.2
  • Outfeed table length: 6-7/8″
• Ridgid R4331
  • Weight: 79 lbs
  • Capacity (width): 13″
  • Max depth of cut: 1/8″
  • Max stock height: 6-1/8″
  • No-load speed: 9000 RPM
  • Number of cutter knives: 3
  • Feed rate (feet per minute): 23.5
  • Outfeed table length: 12″
• Triton TPT 125
  • Weight: 64 lbs
  • Capacity (width): 12-1/2″
  • Max depth of cut: 1/8″
  • Max stock height: 6″
  • No-load speed: 17500 RPM
  • Number of cutter knives: 2
  • Feed rate (feet per minute): 19.7
  • Outfeed table length: 7″

Thickness Planer Testing Procedures and Evaluations

For this evaluation we used several types of wood in order to get a good perspective on performance. We used the following boards in our testing:

• 1×4 Mahogany decking
• 1×6 White Oak
• 1×6 Hard Maple
• 1 x 8 Poplar

For this bench-top thickness planer head-to-head we evaluated several categories including:

• Pre-Test Inspection and Adjustment – We looked at how level the infeed and outfeed tables were, we adjusted them, and noted how easy or difficult the process was.
• Feed Rate (Speed) – We measured the no-load feed rate of each planer and compared that to the feed rates under load for different material types. In our opinion this provides a sense of how powerful the motors are.
• Maximum Depth of Cut Performance – For this evaluation we measured the amp draw for each thickness planer under load planing several different types of wood. Again in our opinion this helps compare the strength of the motors during the planing process.
• Depth of Cut Accuracy – For this evaluation we wanted to look at how accurately the planers remove a specified depth. Each planer has a dial that when turned a specified amount will theoretically remove a given depth in a single pass. We compared how accurately each planer was able to remove a fixed depth based on the dial.
• Snipe Evaluation – Snipe is fairly common with thickness planers, especially benchtop models like the ones in this evaluation. We compared the length of snipe for each planer and material type.
• Surface Finish Evaluation – Ultimately the surface finish is really important, especially if the finish reduces the time to prepare the work piece of paint, stain and or clear finishes. We applied blue chalk to the surface of the boards  in order to improve our visual inspection combined with a physical inspection (feeling the surface) to rank the surface finish for each planer.
• Blade Change Evaluation – Lastly we measured the time to do a blade change on these planers. Changing blades is a necessary task for any thickness planer so we wanted to see how they compared.
• Warranty Coverage – We summarized all the warranties.
• Pricing – We list the current pricing at the time of publication.

Pre-Test Inspection and Adjustment

Prior to testing day, we unboxed the bench-top thickness planers and set up the equipment with dust collection manifolds (if so supplied) and put on accessories. In particular, we adjusted the in-feed and out-feed tables to ensure each were level with the planer bed.

It’s extremely important that the in-feed and out-feed tables are level in order to have consistent and representative tests. The as-shipped accuracy of the tables varied between the different models.We adjusted the in-feed and out-feed tables separately and then checked for level across the entire machine. The worst measured vertical deviation from flat at the edge of the outfeed table nearly 1/8” above the surface of the planer. All of the machines except the DEWALT DW735X needed minor adjustments to reach a level surface.

Most of the planers utilize a bolt to adjust the table vertically with a captured nut to hold the adjustment bolt in place. All of the units had a similar table adjustment but one. We were very impressed with the Makita planer and its setscrew adjustment. The Makita machine had, by far, the easiest adjustment method of all of the planers. The four setscrews were easy to reach and we found it easy to dial in the proper adjustments.

We’re not going to rank this category as we feel a bench-top shop tool like this will always require some setup and fine tuning. Of the 8 planers Makita definitely has the best system for making those adjustments.

Dust Collection

While we didn’t rank dust collection it’s worth discussing briefly. Thickness planers produce high volumes of wood chips and dust, probably more so than most any other tool in the woodshop. All of the planers (with the exception of one) comes with a dust shroud so the planers can be attached to a dust collector. The Porter-Cable does not come with a shroud (a subscriber on our YouTube channel says one is available for the PC from Delta, Delta part number 50-359 , so maybe you can find one). So anyone that is interested in this model should plan on lots of clean up after planing. All of the other planers tested worked well when attached to the shop dust collection with little variation in performance among the different models.

Feed Rate (Speed) – Winner DEWALT DW735X

We recorded the no-load feed rates for each planer. To do this, we adjusted each planers depth until it contacted the wood but had not reached the depth where the cutter blades hit the wood. In order to record the no-load feed rate for a section of wood 45″ long (same length of the samples we’d be running through the planer), we used a longer board (60″) with two marks near each end that were 45″ apart. This allowed us to visually time the 45″ section as it passed by a reference point on the planer. For each planer, we ran this test three times and used the average of these times for a comparison between the no-load and fully loaded feed rates of each machine.

The graphic above shows the no-load feed rate for each machine along with the feed rates of each machine for each sample of wood. We were looking to see which planers had enough power to sustain the no-load feed rates throughout the different boards that were planed.

Above you can see a graphic showing the ratio of the no-load feed rate compared to the average loaded feed rate (average feed rate for the materials we planed). This just gives a good relative comparison of how the motors performed under load. The DEWALT 735X and the Triton TPT125 were able to keep the feed rate much closer to the no-load rate compared to the rest of the field.

We did rank this category as it’s a great way to evaluate the power of the planers. The top three included the DEWALT 735X, Triton TPT125 and the Delta 22-590.

Maximum Depth of Cut Performance

We wanted to know how each machine performed at maximum loads (which results from cutting at the maximum depth in a single pass that the manufacturer recommends). More specifically, we wanted to know which planer pulled more power (maximum amp draw) and which one had the best feed performance relative to its no-load condition.

During this test, we set each planer to its maximum depth of cut (as recommended by the manufacturer) – usually 3/32 inch. We ran four species of wood through the planers and recorded the time for the cut and the amperage profile for each cut. Each wood sample for each machine was 45” in length. This was the same length of the no-load speed test. Our team set up a FLUKE 3001 FC recording ammeter that measured values on a one second interval and sent the data via wireless link to our computer for later analysis.

The wood samples we used in this test were 1×4 Mahogany decking, 1 x 8 Poplar, 1×6 Oak and 1×6 Maple. We knew that the 1×8 Poplar at a maximum cut depth would tax the power of these planers. We also wanted to see how the different hardwoods would exercise the planer capacity.

While we’re not ranking this category we do feel the data is interesting and informative. As you can see above the DEWALT DW735X pulls some serious amps under load. It points to the much more powerful motor in that unit. The power difference was clear during the planing operations as it didn’t seem to care what we ran through it. But it’s important to note if you’re going to buy the DEWALT DW735X you MUST have a dedicated 20A circuit as it’s not going to run well on a 15A circuit.

Depth of Cut Accuracy – Winner DEWALT DW734

Bench-top thickness planers have a dial used to move the cutting heads up and down to set the depth of cut. On each model the dial indicates how far the heads move up and down per revolution of the dial. We used calipers to measure the average thickness of each wood sample before and after a pass to remove 3/32″. We then compared how accurately each planer was able to do that and listed the average deviation from the 3/32″.

As you can see above, the DEWALT DW734 performed the best with an average deviation from 3/32″ of just under 2 one-thousandths of an inch. The DEWALT DW735X came in second with just over 4 one-thousandths of an inch followed by Ridgid R4331 at just over 5 one-thousandths of an inch. Last place was the Triton that averaged just over 3 hundredths of an inch deviation.

Snipe Evaluation

We tested how much material would be ‘lost’ to snipe. We had already adjusted each planer’s tables to be flat, and level to the planer bed, prior to the snipe test.

The TBB Crew selected the maple wood for the snipe test. We thought the lighter color and tight grain structure of maple might show the location and the depth of any snipes better than the other woods. For this test, we set all of the planers to a uniform depth of 3/32”. Each piece of wood was started at the first roller of the planer and we left our hands off the sample until it stopped past the outfeed roller. Next blue chalk powder was rubbed onto the last 6” of the board in order to make the snipe condition stand out visually. Finally we marked the ‘ridge’ of each snipe cut so that we could measure the amount of material that each planer produced for waste if the snipes were cut off to use the uniform thickness material.

What’s interesting about this data is how well the snipe length correlates to the distance of the rollers inside the planers from the cutting heads. The length of snipe on all the models we tested nearly mimic this distance. The nice thing here is the snipe should be predictable for each model and allow users to plan accordingly. Users of the DEWALT DW735X will ultimately “waste” more material over the life of the planer. However, with all the planers having relatively the same amount of snipe we’re not ranking this category either but rather letting you see how they all compared.

Surface Finish Evaluation – Winner DEWALT DW735X

Another consideration when evaluating bench-top thickness planer performance is the surface finish. Bench-top thickness planers use a set of rotating blades to “shave” off the surface of the board being planed. As a result of the rotational blade movement, “small bite size” chunks are removed as each blade contacts the surface, resulting in very slight ridges that can be left on the surface of the planed board (often referred to as milling marks).

Planers can also tear out small chunks (scallops) from the surface. Between the milling marks and scallops the board could require more or less sanding to create a finished surface that will take paint, stain or clear finish well.

We applied blue chalk to the surface to highlight the milling marks, and scallops, for a visual inspection. We also evaluated the smoothness by simply feeling the surfaces. While very subjective, we ranked the planers based on the samples of Maple shown below.

While all the planers produced a “smooth” finish to the touch, there was quite a variation of smoothness resulting from the milling marks and scallops. The DEWALT DW735X was by far the best finish of all the samples we planed. The amplitude of the milling marks was consistently smaller and there was very little “scalloping” of the surface compared to all the other planers. This is likely attributed to the powerful motor and excellent blades. In addition, the 735 has three blades in the cutter head. Coming in 2nd place was the Triton TPT125 followed by the Ridgid R4331 in third place. Both the Triton and Ridgid had similar results. Coming in 4th was the Delta 22-590 with minimal milling marks but noticeably more scalloping.

Blade Change Evaluation

Is it easy or difficult to change out the blades on any given machine? Our crew took each machine and armed with the instructions and the tools in our workshop changed out each blade on each machine. Obviously, the planers with three blades would take more time than the machines with two blades. But is this process easier on some machines that others?

As you can see above the times required to change the blades on the planers varied from just over 11 minutes to just over 25 minutes. The reality is a user might change blades once or twice a year (twice would be heavy use) so the difference from 11 to 25 doesn’t seem enough to warrant why you might buy one over another model. Therefore we’re not going to rank this category, simply share the data so you can see that blade changes are not overly complicated.

Warranty

Warranties are really important to some users, and many of you have asked us to include them in our reviews.  Below is a list of the warranties applicable to the planers we tested. While ranking the warranties might seem simple, we’ve decided to just list them rather than rank them. Ultimately, warranties can be a tough issue, and how easily you can get warranty service is likely to be as important as how many years the coverage is. We’ll let you make your own determination on which warranty appeals to you.

Price Evaluation – Winner Porter-Cable PC305PT

Price is often a huge part of the equation when determining what tool is best for you. There’s a huge difference in pricing in this test from the low $300 range up over $600. We are ranking these straight on the lowest to highest with prices available at the time of publication. We realize there is a “value” proposition that many will look at, but that will factor into our overall ranking when price and the other categories are combined. Finishing with the best price is the Porter-Cable PC305PT at $320 and rounding up the most expensive is the Makita 2012NB at $650.

Overall Winner, Best Benchtop Thickness Planer – DEWALT DW735X

Here we are again trying to rank the tools in our Head-to-Head and give you a winner. The more of these we do, the more we learn, and in this evaluation we’ve taken a slightly different approach. Some of the categories that we set out to evaluate we decided not to include in the final ranking. However, we did provide information from that category as we feel it’s valuable to some readers.

Also, the more we do these the more some folks comment about how they would weigh different categories differently. That’s all great feedback, ultimately we need to come up with a winner (our winner) but each of you can take the data we’ve presented and weigh the results differently to best match your needs and come up with your own winner.

Below is a table showing how each of the 8 planers stacked up in the 4 categories that we counted in our final evaluation. Finishing in first place by a large margin was the DEWALT DW735X. This wasn’t a surprise to us as several of us have used this planer for quite some time and it’s really the best benchtop thickness planer on the market without a doubt. What did surprise us was the 2nd and 3rd place finishes of the Triton TPT125 and the Ridgid R4331. If you’re looking for a good performing affordable planer the Triton is certainly worth noting. Ridgid has a nice line of woodshop tools that go unnoticed often and it was nice to see them perform so well in this category.

While the Delta 22-590 finished near the end in this evaluation, the team felt it was also a nice planer to consider. The Makita is a very well-built planer with some nice features but the price wasn’t as competitive and the surface finish, at least on the materials we tested, wasn’t nearly as good as some of the other models.

Best Benchtop Thickness Planers – Head-to-Head Video Review

Best Benchtop Thickness Planer – Head-to-Head is a post from Tool Box Buzz

New tiles saws ideal for professionals and DIYers

TOWSON, MD (January 2, 2018) – PORTER-CABLE® announces new, innovative cordless and corded table top tile saws for professionals and DIYers. Both the 20V MAX* Table Top Wet Tile Saw (PCC780LA) and 7” Table Top Wet Tile Saw (PCE980) feature a sliding cart, providing accuracy and stability through every cut. Easily transported from worksite to worksite, each tile saw has a 17-inch on-table cut capacity and is ideal for installing backsplashes and shower tiles.

The 20V MAX* Table Top Wet Tile Saw offers cordless convenience for users seeking to limit cords and the need for as many available outlets. The saw has excellent water containment to keep the work area clean and boasts 154 straight cuts of 3×6” ceramic tile per charge**. The saw is lightweight at just 27 pounds with the battery, and with its unique carrying handle the unit is easily transported and stored. Sold as a kit for $249 MSRP, the 20V MAX* Table Top Wet Tile Saw includes a 4.0Ah battery, charger, 7” porcelain tile blade, miter square, blade wrench, and blade/splash guard.

The corded 7” Table Top Wet Tile Saw features many of the same benefits as the 20V MAX* Table Top Wet Tile Saw. It is lightweight, powerful, and has the same unique carrying handle. Benefiting the user who doesn’t require as much portability yet still demands performance, this corded unit is powered by a 1.0 maximum Hp motor and provides consistent and steady power on every cut. Also sold as a kit, the 7” Table Top Wet Tile Saw is available for $199 MSRP and includes a 7” porcelain tile blade, miter square, blade wrench, and blade/splash guard.

Available in early 2018, these new tile saws will come with a three-year limited warranty, one-year service, and 90-day money-back guarantee.

*Maximum initial battery voltage (measured without a workload) is 20 volts. Nominal voltage is 18.

**Using PCC685L 4.0 Ah battery pack (applies to PCC780LA only)

Porter-Cable Announces New Tile Saws is a post from Tool Box Buzz

Porter Cable 20 Volt 2-Gallon Vacuum PCC795B Review

Porter Cable recently introduced the Porter Cable 20V Max Wet-Dry Vac (PCC795B) adds into a growing line of 20V MAX tools.

Today, tool manufacturers are introducing new cordless tools into their product lines for tools we would normally use a corded tool.  Once we saw Porter Cables introduction of the Wet-Dry Vac (PCC795B) we were thrilled and immediately new we had to get one.  Having a tool like the PCC795B makes clean-up so much easier, and quicker on handyman and punch list jobs.  Think about how much time you save with a small cordless vacuum like this.  It is more versatile and lighter, which makes it easier to go in clean up and not have to drag around a corded vacuum.  Huge time saver!

Porter Cable 20V Max Wet-Dry Vac Features

This new vacuum, PCC795B, is an extension of the PORTER-CABLE 20V MAX* System.  If you are not familiar with Porter Cable they have a range of widely-used and affordably priced cordless tools created for professionals working in residential construction.

The 20V MAX* Lithium-Ion 2 Gallon Wet-Dry Vacuum is the first cordless wet-dry vacuum from PORTER-CABLE and operates on any PORTER-CABLE 20V MAX* Lithium-Ion battery. The 20V MAX* battery is a slide pack design that is super easy to install and replace batteries.

• Cordless operation powered by 20v MAX battery
• 7’-8” hose with wraparound storage solution
• On-board accessory storage
• 2-Gallon tank capacity

Specifications

• System: 20V MAX*
• Tank Size: 2.0 gal
• Max CFM: 34.0 CFM
• Hose Length: 7.67 feet

Great Addition

Having used the Porter Cable 20V Max Wet-Dry Vac for a few months now and for both wet and dry applications.  This little vacuum is impressive. The 2 gallon capacity keeps it light, small and easy transport around the house or to and from the truck. This is definitely a tool for the any trade working in a finish space.  This unit has lots of power and easily sucked up sawdust, water and debris.

• The hose and attachments store on the unit very well.
• The filter is easy to change and effective.
• The 1-1/4″ diameter hose is durable and didn’t clog easily with debris and sawdust

In conclusion, I really like the Porter Cable 20V Max Wet-Dry Vac. It has plenty of power and offers us a really great lightweight/portable solution for dealing with dust and cleanups. If you do small jobs, punch list work, plumbing repairs, etc, then this is an excellent option that will certainly lighten the load and speed up your cleanup. Priced at 79.99 as a bare tool I think it’s a great value.

Porter Cable 20V Max Wet-Dry Vac is a post from Tool Box Buzz

BEST Cordless Reciprocating Saws – Head-to-Head

One of the most widely used power tools in the construction industry would be the reciprocating saw. The first reciprocating saw was introduced by Milwaukee in 1951 with their SAWZALL® Reciprocating Saw. Today, over 65 years later, we find the industry filled with full-size cordless reciprocating saws used on millions of projects on a daily basis. Users include demolition contractors, plumbers, electricians, carpenters, mechanical contractors – in both residential and commercial industries –  and even firefighters. Next to the drill, we can’t think of a power tool that touches so many different trades.

In our latest head-to-head, we invited tool manufacturers to send us their top-of-the-line cordless reciprocating saw that utilizes a single battery in the 18 to 22 volt arena. There are other larger voltage reciprocating saws out there (Makita has a 36V, which takes two 18V packs), and DEWALT has the 60V FlexVolt version), but we wanted to keep the group of tools at least in the same general voltage category.

The entire Tool Box Buzz crew, which is comprised of guys who cover the gamut of typical reciprocating saw users, participated in the test. Our colleague, Chris Ermides, (Editor at Tool of the Trade and Senior Editor at JLC) also participated as a guest tool-tester.

Cordless Reciprocating Saw Lineup

The following brands and models were tested in this head to head. They include:

• Bosch GSA18V-125K14
• DEWALT DCS367P1
• Hilti WSR 22-A
• Hitachi CR 18DBL
• Makita XRJ05
• Metabo ASE 18 LXT
• Milwaukee 2721-20
• Porter-Cable PCC670
• Ridgid R8643 – This is a new tool that’s due to be released in the first quarter or 2018
• Ryobi P517 – This is a new tool that’s due to be released at the end of 2017

Cordless Reciprocating Saw Specifications

We’ve listed the basic specifications for these tools, a link to their web page, and the batteries that were used in the test.

• Bosch GSA18v-125k14: Brushless Motor, 18V Lithium Ion 6.3 Ah CORE Battery, 1-1/4″ Stroke, 0-2,500 SPM, 7.7 lbs, Hard Plastic Case, Fast Charger
• DEWALT DCS367P1: Brushless Motor, 20V MAX 5.0 Ah Lithium Ion Battery, 1-1/8″ Stroke, 0-2,900 SPM, 5.0 lbs (bare tool weight), Soft Zipper Bag, Charger
• Hilti WSR 22-A: Brushed Motor, 22V Lithium Ion Battery – We tested with the 5.2 Ah battery packs, 1-1/8″ Stroke, 0-3,000 SPM, 8.4 lbs, Soft Zipper Bag, Compact Charger
• Hitachi CR 18DBL: Brushless Motor, 18V Lithium Ion Battery – We tested with the 6.0 Ah battery packs, 1-1/4″ Stroke, 0-2,500 SPM, 7.5 lbs, Hard Case, Battery Charger
• Makita XRJ05: Brushless Motor, 18V Lithium Ion Battery – We tested with the 5.0 Ah battery packs, 1-1/4″ Stroke, 0-3,000 SPM, 8.2 lbs, Hard Case, Battery Charger
• Metabo ASE 18 LXT: Brushed Motor, 18V Lithium Ion Battery – We tested with the 6.2 Ah battery packs, 1-3/16″ Stroke, 0-2,700 SPM, 7.9 lbs, Soft zipper bag, battery charger
• Milwaukee 2721-20: Brushless Motor, 18V Lithium Ion Battery – We tested with the 5.0 Ah battery packs, 1-1/8″ Stroke, 0-3,000 SPM, 7.4 lbs, Hard Case, Battery Charger
• Porter Cable PCC670: Brushed Motor, 18V Lithium Ion Battery – We tested with the 4.0 Ah battery packs, 1″ Stroke, 0-3,000 SPM, Not kitted
• Ridgid R8643: Brushless Motor, 18V Lithium Ion Battery – We tested with the 6.0 Ah Blue Tooth battery packs, 1-1/8″ Stroke, 0-3,200 SPM, Not kitted
• Ryobi P517: Brushless Motor, 18V Lithium Ion Battery – We tested with the 4.0 Ah battery packs, 7/8″ Stroke, 0-3,100 SPM, Not kitted

Head-to-Head Testing / Evaluation

For this Cordless Reciprocating Saw Head to Head we wanted to develop several speed tests relevant to several core trades. We developed tests we felt would resonate with the following users:

1. Plumbing/heating contractors
2. Electricians
3. General construction/demolition.

The tests that we developed included:

• 3/4″ Gas Pipe – This test is relevant specifically to plumbing and heating contractors. We used new 6″ Lenox 14TPI blades designed for thick metal in each saw and took the average time for 5 cuts.

• 1/2″ EMT Conduit – In this test we simulated a task that electricians perform on a regular basis. We used new 6″ Makita 14TPI industrial bi-metal blades in each saw and took the average time for 5 cuts.

• Nail Embedded Wood – Here we nailed four (4) 2×10 joists together and then installed five (5) 16d nails in each 2×10 for a total of twenty (20) nails. So for each cut we plowed the blade through four nail-embedded 2x10s. This simulates heavy-duty demolition cutting for carpenters, remodelers and general contractors. We used a new 9″ Milwaukee AX carbide-toothed 5TPI blade designed for nail-embedded wood in each saw and took the average time for 5 cuts.

In an effort to obtain similar cutting pressure applied to each saw we hung a 10 lb weight from a rope situated on the forward grip of each reciprocating saw. Testers started the cut with both hands on the saw, then released the front hand to allow the 10 lb weight to pull the blade through the cut. This method was used for all the tests.

Also, some of these saws include a variable speed option. We performed each of these speed tests at the highest speed setting. The Milwaukee One-Key® allows users to adjust the speed settings on the saw. We performed the tests using the highest factory applied speed setting.

Cordless Reciprocating Saw Test Results

3/4″ Gas Pipe Testing Results – Winner: Milwaukee 2721-20

As you can see from the results Milwaukee produced the fastest average cut speed of 3.7 seconds followed by Makita at 4.2 seconds and Ridgid at 4.4 seconds. The leaders are around twice as fast as the back of the pack and much faster than the Hilti.

It should be noted that the three slowest saws in our test all use brushed motors, which is older technology, whereas the fastest seven all use brushless motors, which is the latest technology. Hilti was a bit of a surprise to us, so we inquired about the results with Hilti, they told us that this model is a much older saw; it hasn’t been updated in quite some time compared to the field of brushless models we tested.

1/2″ EMT Conduit Testing Results – Winner: Milwaukee 2721-20

Milwaukee finished in first place again with an average time of 0.61 seconds followed by Bosch at 0.65 seconds and Ridgid, with an average time of 0.71 seconds. There was a clear difference between the top five tools and the bottom five for this test.

Nail-Embedded Wood Testing Results – Winner: Milwaukee 2721-20

Milwaukee won this test with an average cut time of 36.6 seconds followed by DEWALT with 37.8 seconds and Ridgid at 42.3 seconds. Metabo, Ryobi and Porter-Cable all failed to make 5 cuts due to thermal overload on the tools – a built-in “switch” meant to protect the tool from long-term damage. Metabo managed to make 4 cuts with an average of the four at 67.9 seconds. Ryobi only managed 2 cuts with an average of 70.2 seconds, and Porter-Cable only made one cut at 84.6 seconds. This test shows us that these last 3 tools are not able to sustain extreme demolition tasks similar to this test.

Test Results Compared to Published Specifications

When we do our head-to-head testing we often get questions about the actual tool performance compared to published “specifications”. For this article, we wanted to look at how these cordless reciprocating saws performed compared to their published results. Reciprocating saws have two major variables; speed (strokes per minute), and stroke length (distance the blade travels). Theoretically saws that go the fastest and have the furthest blade travel should cut material quicker than saws with lower values. For this assumption to hold true, the saws would need to have the same power output from the motor.

Below is a chart showing the Stroke Length in inches multiplied by the Stroke Speed in strokes per minute to define the Total Stroke Length per minute. One very important note about this chart; the speed of the saw is from published data for no load on the tool (in other words no pressure from cutting material).

The next chart shows the total ranking of the 3 tests we performed. This was calculated by adding up all the scores for all three tests. Milwaukee got a score of 3 because it placed 1st in each test (1+1+1=3). The lower the total score the better the tool did overall in the three tests. This is just a relative ranking to show how they did on speed tests.

If you were to rank the tools based on the published numbers, the top three performers for cutting speed should have been Makita, Ridgid and Hilti. However, in our testing the results were quite a bit different. The clear winner in our testing was the Milwaukee followed by the Ridgid, and then a three way tie for third place between Bosch, DEWALT, and Makita. Probably the most surprising tool in the group was the Hilti that tied for 6th place with Ryobi.

It’s very important to note that we only performed 3 different tests and there are arguably thousands of tests you could perform on reciprocating saws and those results would vary from ours. But what is important is realizing that the published specifications on a tool don’t always result in the same performance when used on the job site.

Our take away from this data is how important the motor is on the final performance. Clearly the brushless motors had a big advantage over the brushed motors. With the brushless motors comes the need to electronically control them and it’s clear the Milwaukee saw has a great combination between the motor, battery, and electronics.

Cordless Reciprocating Saw Ergonomics

The ergonomics of power tools is vitally important to performance and user productivity. We ranked the top three saws with regards to ergonomics from comments provided by our group of testers after using the tools during the tests above. We included both positive and negative comments that are very subjective but important in any comparison. The group evaluated the size, configuration, weight, balance, grips, blade changing and other features for the top three tools.

1. Milwaukee 2721-20– The Milwaukee saw was the most powerful and fastest of the saws tested. The group liked the easy-to-see LED fuel gauge placement on the battery and the ease of battery removal and installation, although a few testers commented that the push button might be hard to use with a glove. The front over-mold was well-liked and the vibration felt by the operator on the Milwaukee 2712-20 was less than most of the saws tested. The Milwaukee is the only saw to provide the unique One-Key® smart phone application to monitor its location and performance. A few testers commented that the blade release was hard to use, needing two hands. The rafter hook and shoe adjustment mechanism rated very favorable comments.
2. Rigid R8643 – The testers commented that the over-mold on the front of the Rigid saw was the best fitting, most substantial of all the test units. The blade release is a two-hand operation with a twisting action and was graded down in comparison to other, easier blade releases. The unit weight was often brought up as being one of the heavier units tested. Despite its weight, the tool felt the ergonomically balanced unit when using it with two-hands. The variable speed trigger and the vibration were rated as a positive features. The vibration was less than at least 50% of the units tested. The group felt that this tool could use a rafter hook to complete its feature offering.
3. Makita XRJ05 – This saw had features that were well liked and some that were equally disliked. The blade changer drew universal praise for its stay-open-after-the-blade-removal twist lock feature that made blade replacement the easiest of all tested saws. The blade changing is assisted by a spring ejection feature. On the other hand, the over-mold was observed to be less comfortable and less quality than most other units. The Makita RXJ05 was a well-balanced saw and includes a rafter hook. Many reviewers were not fans of the LED fuel gauge placement being out of easy sight by the operator.

It’s also worth noting that both the Bosch and DEWALT models are significantly different in size and shape compared to traditional reciprocating saws. Both of these saws are compact and designed to get into tighter locations. The Bosch was extremely smooth with minimal vibration.

Cordless Reciprocating Saw Costs and Value

It’s always hard to compare the pricing of cordless tools especially when each manufacturer packages them differently with kits, bare tools, and then varying size batteries.

• Bosch GSA18V-125K14: This was a kit with one battery, and a hard case. We added a second battery to this for a total price of $527 ($399 kit plus $128 for additional battery).
• DEWALT DCS367P1: This was a kit with one battery, and a soft zipper bag. We added a second battery to this for a total price of $378 ($279 kit plus $99 for an additional battery).
• Hilti WSR 22-A: This was not a kit, this included the tool, a soft zipper bag, two batteries and the charger for a total price of $490 ($179 tool, $133 each battery, and $45 for the charger).
• Hitachi CR 18DBL: This was a kit in a hard case with one 6.0 Ah battery, but it’s not available on the market quite yet. The MSRP will be approximately $408 ($300 for the kit, $108 for an extra battery)
• Makita XRJ05: This was a kit in a hard case and two 5.0 Ah battery packs with a charger. This kit is priced at $408.
• Metabo ASE 18 LXT: This tool came as a tool only in a soft bag, we added two 6.2 Ah battery pack and a charger for a total price of $498 ($178 for the tool, $133 for each battery and $54 for the charger).
• Milwaukee 2721-20: This kits comes with a soft bag, two 5 Ah battery packs and a charger for $449.
• Porter-Cable PCC670: This tool comes as a bare tool only, we added two 4.0 Ah battery packs and a charger for $216 ($50 for the tool, $64 for each battery and $39 for the charger.
• Ridgid R8643: – This is a new tool that’s due to be released in the first quarter or 2018. We’re estimating the total cost to be $486 ($149 bare tool, $129 for each 6.0 Ah battery pack, and $79 for the charger). It’s very likely this tool will be included in a kit that makes it far more affordable when it’s finally released.
• Ryobi P517: This is a new tool that’s due to be released in the end of 2017. We’re estimating the total cost to be $278 ($119 bare tool, two battery packs for $119, and $40 for a charger).

When it comes to pricing and value we have to rank the DEWALT DCS367P1 the best value. This saw tied for 3rd place in our performance testing and finished just outside the top three in ergonomics. Priced under $400 this is the best value for anyone looking for a contractor grade cordless reciprocating saw. Honorable mention needs to go to the Hitachi CR 18DBL priced at $300 considering it finished in 4th place for the performance testing. For the home owners we’d highly recommend the new Ryobi and expect it to show up in really affordable kits once it’s on the market.

Overall Winner – Best Cordless Reciprocating Saw

First Place – Milwaukee M18 FUEL SAWZALL® Reciprocating Saw w/ ONE-KEY

The best Cordless Reciprocating Saw is hands down the Milwaukee FUEL 2721 with One-Key®. This reciprocating saw dominated the playing field and maintains it’s legacy as the SAWZALL. This cordless recip saw is every much as powerful and fast as it’s older corded models and offers technology that makes it even more versatile than ever. The ability to match blade speed to the cutting application sets this tool above all the competition. This combined with it’s awesome performance and compatibility with an extensive line of M18 tools make it the easy winner.

Second Place – Ridgid 18V Brushless Reciprocating Saw

The real surprise for our testing team was the Ridgid R8643 18V Brushless Reciprocating Saw. This is a brand new saw that hasn’t hit the street yet but it is a beast and sure to make a huge impact for Ridgid. Not only did it clearly finish in 2nd place in our performance testing, but it also finished in 2nd for ergonomics. While the pricing seems high for a Ridgid tool, this has to do with using suggested retail pricing, pairing it with 6.0 Ah battery packs that will likely get sold for less money in double packs at some point, and the fact that it’s not currently available in a kit. We have a feeling the pricing will be down around $300 once this gets rolled out.

Third Place – DEWALT 20V MAX* XR® Brushless Compact Reciprocating Saw

Third place was really difficult and close. For us, the fact that this is a compact design, and how well it did in the demo testing combined with its great pricing edged it over the Makita ever so slightly. Priced at just $378 for this kit, with solid performance this is a kit that’s tough to ignore. While the new “compact” design may leave some guys scratching their heads, the proof is in the pudding so to speak and this saw doesn’t disappoint.

Final Thoughts – Cordless Reciprocating Saw Head to Head

65 years ago Milwaukee released the first SAWZALL and today they are still the king of reciprocating saws. The Milwaukee FUEL M18 2721 Reciprocating Saw with One-Key® ran away with this competition. It performed better than the rest of the tools and offered the best ergonomics.

The top 5 cordless reciprocating saws (Milwaukee, Ridgid, DEWALT, Makita and Bosch) are all excellent options and any of them would be a great addition to your tool box, especially if you’re already in that battery platform.

The big take away from this testing is the fact that most of these cordless reciprocating saws perform at a level consistent with older corded reciprocating saws. Cordless reciprocating saws have finally cut the cord and we can all benefit from that! If you haven’t bought one yet, it’s time to cut that cord and free yourself to move about the job site with ease!

Cordless Reciprocating Saw Head to Head Video Review

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Cordless Reciprocating Saw Head to Head is a post from Tool Box Buzz

Porter Cable PCC790B 20V 18Gauge Brad Nailer Review

PORTER-CABLE PCC790B 20V MAX Lithium 18GA Brad Nailer (Bare Tool Only)

3.5/5

Manufacturer: Porter Cable
Model number: PCC790B
Price: 144.98
Power source: 20V MAX
Motor size: N/A
Weight: 5.1 lbs with 1.5AH Battery

We tested the Porter-Cable PCC790B

Porter Cable Brad Nailer 20v Features

• 100% battery power with no need for a compressor, hose or  gas cartridges
• Motor design provides consistent firing power into various materials and climate conditions
• Tool – free settings
• The nailer is light weight with a optimal center of gravity end result is reduction in fatigue
• Dual LED lights illuminate work area plus provides you with error indication

Specifications

• Fastener lengths  5/8″ to 2″
• 100 brads magazine Capacity
• Magazine loads for the side
• Jam clearing is tool free
• Tool free depth setting with an adjustable wheel
• Integrated belt hook
• Size 10.5″ height x 3.9” width x  12.5 length
• Tool weight 5.1 lbs
• Trigger lock off switch
• Sequential firing mode only

Tool Free Adjustments

Includes

• PCC790B cordless brad nailer
• Owners Manual
• Belt clip
• 2 non-marring tips

~  Side note: Porter Cable sent 2 1.5 ah batteries and a charger for the review.

Fastening with the Porter-Cable PCC790B

We had mix reviews on fastening with the cordless brad nailer.  We were using 2″ 18 Ga stainless steel brads to assemble post pressure treated base trim.  On average 2 nails per a post had to be reset with a nail set.  The Porter Cable brad nailer was maxed out on depth of drive  and was easy to dial the depth in.  Fastening into pressure treated lumber was the only time we were left with proud nails.  When the brad nailer was used on various other projects, depth of drive was not an issue.  The various other projects included PVC cove molding, stain grade pine colonial casing and repairing a Christmas nutcracker.

We did not experience any nail jams with the PCC790B.  The nailer has a jam clearing latch or stall release lever. The Jam clearing latch gives you the perfect view of the magazine were the driver pin depresses the nail.  The stall release lever resets the the tool and allows the driver blade to reset to its ready to drive position.

The PCC790B has 2 non-marring tips that are bright red making them easily seen.  One is already at the the contact tip and the other one is on its holder attached to the back side of the magazine.

Another feature was the belt clip. The belt clip is a great size, screws onto the tool securely and had no problems hanging from my tool belt or step ladder.

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Ergonomics

The over molded grip was comfortable and is  textured  to reduce slippage. Porter Cable added over-mold to the top of the housing for added protection from drops or protecting your work.  Balance, was front heavy toward the nose, were it should .  We did find it to be heavier to the right side of the tool were the motor sticks out.  We would have like to seen more of a stream line housing.

Illumination

The 2 LED (Work Lights) are on a slight angle towards the driver pin.  Unfortunately  we fouhnd more shadowing from the LED’S around the driver pin than assisting you.  Also, the driver pin safety needs to be depressed to trigger the lights on.  The LED lights only stay on for 10 seconds.  The work lights are multi-function, meaning when they flash and shut off indicates low battery.  When they flash continually that means a jammed nail.

Cost

The cost of the 16 gauge nailer is ($203.72 kitted)  and it can be found online here:  PCC792LA 16 Ga Straight Finish Nailer Kit

The cost of the 18 gauge brad nailer is ($169.99 kitted) and it can be found online here: PCC790LA 18 Ga Brad Nailer Kit.

The cost of the 18 gauge narrow stapler is ($130.45 kitted) and it can be found here:   PCC791LA 18 Ga Narrow Crown Stapler kit 

Suggested Improvements

The work lights on these nailers could be better placed, as we mention under Illumination.  Another improvement would be to add LED power indicators on the batteries, instead of having the tool’s LED flash for low battery.

Final Thoughts on Porter Cable PCC790B

Overall the 20V cordless Porter Cable brad nailer was convenient and we were able to get through the day on one battery.  This cordless brad nailer never jammed once and most of the time we were driving 2″ Stainless Steel brads. The PCC790B offers many features and if your on the Porter Cable 20V platform then this would be a great addition to your cordless arsenal.

Porter Cable 20V Brad Nailer is a post from Tool Box Buzz