Best Cordless Blower | Head-To-Head

What would the perfect cordless leaf blower be? Wait…can we even call them leaf blowers? I certainly don’t use mine for leaves, I use them to blow sawdust on my job sites, my tools, out of my van and tool shed, or to clean off my patio and porch. They’re just blowers!

Comparing 15 Blowers

Fifteen manufacturers sent us their best handheld cordless blower. The majority of these blowers can be found in kit configuration and are sold at most common and online retailers. In past testings, we’ve received comments that we should include Harbor freight tools, so in this head-to-head test, we’re happy to welcome Harbor Freight’s Atlas blower to this test.

ATLAS

Model – 56994
Voltage – 80V
Battery Watt Hour – 288 Wh
Max Air Speed (MPH) – 150
CFM’s – 605 CFM’s
Length – 35-⅜”
Weight – 4lbs, 6oz
Price – 274.99 (when added kit components)

CRAFTSMAN

Model – CMCBL730P1
Voltage – 20V
Battery Watt Hour – 100 Wh
Max Air Speed (MPH) – 110
CFM’s – 410 CFM’s
Length – 33-½”
Weight – 5lbs, 7oz
Price – $149.00

DEWALT

Model – DCBL772X1
Voltage – 60V
Battery Watt Hour – 180 Wh
Max Air Speed (MPH) – 125
CFM’s – 600 CFM
Length – 36-¾”
Weight – 6lbs, 2oz
Price – $299.00

ECHO

Model – DPB-2500
Voltage – 56V
Battery Watt Hour – 252 Wh
Max Air Speed (MPH) – 158
CFM’s – 549 CFM’s
Length – 36-¼”
Weight – 5lbs, 6oz
Price – $199.99

EGO

Model – LB7654
Voltage 56V
Battery Watt Hour – 280 Wh
Max Air Speed (MPH) – 200
CFM’s – 765 CFM’s
Length – 36-½
Weight – 4lbs, 11oz
Price – $329.00

GREENWORKS

Model – BLB489
Voltage: 80V
Battery Watt Hour – 180 Wh
Max Air Speed (MPH) – 170
CFM’s – 730 CFM’s
Length – 37-1/8
Weight – 5lbs, 8ozs
Price – $342.99

HART

Model – HLB07VNM
Voltage: 40V
Battery Watt Hour – 180 Wh
Max Air Speed (MPH) – 155
CFM’s – 600 CFMs
Length – 37-⅜”
Weight – 6lbs, 12ozs
Price – $138.00

KOBALT

Model – KLB 1040A-03
Voltage 40V
Battery Watt Hour – 160 Wh
Max Air Speed (MPH) – 120
CFM’s – 520 CFM’s
Length -33-¾”
Weight – 5lbs, 4ozs
Price – $169.00

MAKITA

Model – GBU01M1
Voltage 40V
Battery Watt Hour – 160 Wh
Max Air Speed (MPH) – 143
CFM’s – 565 CFM’s
Length – 33-1/2″, 35-1/2″, 37-1/2″ (ADJUSTABLE)
Weight – 5lbs, 5ozs
Price – $439.00

MILWAUKEE

Model – 2824-20
Voltage 18V
Battery Combined Watt Hour – 288 Wh
Max Air Speed (MPH) – 145
CFM’s – 600 CFM
Length – 37-⅜”
Weight – 6lbs, 1oz
Price – $707.00 (not kit)

RIDGID

Model – R01601K
Voltage – 18V
Max Air Speed (MPH) – 130
Battery Watt Hour – 288 Wh
CFM’s – 510 CFM’s
Noise dB – 83.1
Length – 34-¼”
Weight – 5lbs, 7ozs
Price – $241.53

RYOBI

Model – RY404100
Voltage – 40V
Max Air Speed (MPH) – 190
CFM’s – 730 CFM’s
*Battery Watt Hour – 144 Wh
Noise dB – 84.6
Length – 37-⅞”
Weight – 6lbs, 4ozs
Price – $269.00
*Wh based on one battery

SKIL

Model – BL4713-c-11
Voltage 40V
Battery Watt Hour – 100 Wh
Max Air Speed (MPH) – 193
CFM’s – 500 CFM’s
Length – 36”
Weight – 4lbs, 3ozs
Price – $159.00

STIHL

Model – BGA 86
Voltage: 36V
Max Air Speed (MPH) – 154
Battery Watt Hour – 337 Wh
CFM’s – 459 CFMs
Length – 38-½” (ADJUSTABLE)
Weight – 6lbs, 5ozs
Price – $839.97 (not kit)

TORO

Model – 51822
Voltage – 60v
Battery Watt Hour – 216 Wh
Max Air Speed (MPH) – 157
CFM’s – 605 CFMs
Length – 37-½”
Weight – 5lbs, 8oz
Price – $290.03

Cordless Blower Testing | 7 Criteria

Our goal was NOT to verify marketing claims, instead, we used ANSI testing standards as a guide, to create consistent, repeatable, and measurable data that you can make intelligent decisions on.

Our team scored the blowers on seven criteria, each ranked independently, and the “Overall Best Cordless Blower” was determined using the combined test results.

We include but did not rank price and best value categories, but list them here for your own informational purposes.

7 Scoring Criteria

1. Pitot Tube Run-time Testing – Directly measure air speed with a pitot tube and calculate MPH and CFM during a runtime performance test
2. Weighted Sled Test – tested the thrust performance with a sled rig on rails.
3. Ergonomics and Features – Ergonomics is really important to users and an important category to consider when purchasing any power tool.
4. Balance – Measured the balance and resulting rotation in the off and full throttle states.
5. Noise -Measured Decibels at full throttle
6. Best Value – Not ranked.
7. Price – The kit price at the time of publishing. Not ranked.

Anemometer | Pitot Tube Air Test

I’ll be honest, I had to ask Jeff what a Pitot tube was. Jeff, also a helicopter pilot, explained that a pitot tube probe measures the pressure difference of an air stream and can calculate fluid flow velocity. The Pitot Tube was invented by a French engineer, Henri Pitot, in the early 18th century.

Pitot tubes are widely used to determine the airspeed of aircraft, the water speed of boats, and the flow velocity of liquids, air, and gasses in various industries.

When manufacturers test their blowers to come up with the MPH and CFM values they follow an American National Standard (ANSI) procedure to measure the force or thrust. This is effectively an electronic scale that measures the force in Newton’s 5 inches from the blower nozzle.

Using fluid dynamics theory and measured environmental parameters like temperature, pressure, and humidity, the average and peak MPH and CFM values can be calculated.

We replicated this ANSI procedure to validate the measured MPH values gathered from our pitot tube instrument. Both measurements aligned. Here’s a summary of that procedure:

1. We used a 13.8 in ± aluminum plate as a force plate for our electronic scale.
2. We vertically mounted and centered the blowers in our rig and off the force plate 5”.
3. The blower was operated for 10 seconds, and the result was recorded.
4. Three tests were performed for an average measurement.
5. Barometric pressure, temperature, and humidity were recorded
6. Used ANSI blower performance equations to calculate theoretical peak and average blower speed

Anemometer and Pitot Tube | Testing

The Pitot Tube was set up 5 inches from each blower in the center of the air stream. Batteries were fully charged and measurements were taken at full throttle. The data was collected at 1 Hz sample rate or once per second until the battery was drained.

An ExTech HD350 Pitot Tube Anemometer was used to perform this test. The chart below shows data for all 15 blowers.

Using this data we were able to determine and calculate 4 important metrics for each blower, ranked them separately, and also combined them for an “Airflow Performance” winner.

1. Run-time in minutes
2. Average Speed
3. Average CFM
4. Total air moved

Run-time | Sustained Performance Winner | Stihl

You can see from the chart that the Stihl ran the longest, at 25.4 minutes. Second place was ECHO with 19.4 minutes, followed in third place by Milwaukee at 16.7 minutes.

This is a good time to talk about open and closed-loop battery control and how it relates to sustained performance. One of the biggest complaints with cordless blowers is their poor run-time and tendency to suffer a drop in sustained performance over time, as the battery discharges.

Three blowers Makita, Milwaukee, and Stihl all have closed-loop control on the battery output enabling them to run at a consistent [not peak] speed, for the life of the battery. While these blower batteries may have more power that could be drawn from them, these closed loop controls limit the output so an expected level of sustained performance can be delivered over a longer period of time. This is a feature that appeals to Pro users.

In contrast, most of the blowers, we tested, showed open-loop control.  Their peak performance was delivered within the first few moments of battery discharge, and then a variable level of declining performance results, as the battery discharges.  For example, the Ryobi blower showed a 22% drop in performance when comparing a fully charged battery to one that is half “empty”.

The three closed-loop control blowers we tested, all handle the dwindling voltage of their batteries a bit differently:

• Makita ran at a consistent speed until it quit.
• Milwaukee ran at a consistent speed for over 90% of the battery life before rapidly fading.
• Stihl ran consistently for over 80% and then when the voltage began to drop, it forced a reduction to 75% peak power to continue on for an additional 5 minutes.

As pro tool users, we feel that having a blowers power stay consistent, and maintain its performance over the entire battery charge is really important.

Average Speed Winner | Stihl

Speed is measured in miles per hour and measures air velocity, or more specifically, the rate at which air passes through the blower’s nozzle.

A higher mph rating, results in the ability to push more dense or sticky debris like gravel or wet leaves. One interesting fact is that many tool companies market their blower’s performances by their PEAK measurement. We used average recordings to give you the MOST realistic and honest measurement.

The Stihl performed the best with an average speed of 124.5 mph. Second place was Milwaukee at 119.8 mph and closely followed in third place was Makita at 119.5 mph.

Note – The chart shows the EGO with the highest initial peak speed, but its average performance over time dropped, resulting in a fourth placement.

CFM Winner | EGO

Cubic feet per minute or CFM was calculated by taking the measured speed data and combining it with the area of the nozzle opening, to calculate the volume of air moved per minute.

The EGO came in first with 659 CFM. Second place was Makita with 643 CFM, and third was HART with 628 CFM.

The higher the CFM value, the more air your blower produces, resulting in a wider area cleaned in a shorter time.

Total Air Moved Winner | Stihl

The winner of this category is a combination of run-time and average CFM. This is an indication of the total amount of work performed on a battery charge.

The Stihl performed the best, coming in at 11,550 cubic feet, followed by ECHO with 11,126 cubic feet. Third place was Milwaukee with 10,032 cubic feet.

Overall Airflow Performance Winner | Milwaukee

It’s important to note that two of the above categories are power performance values, and the other two are indications of battery size and runtime. In order to level the playing field between tortoises and hares we combined all four categories to see how the blowers performed in totality.

The winner was Milwaukee, followed closely by EGO and Stihl.

Weighted Sled Test | Power Test Winner | EGO

Who doesn’t like a strong-man contest?  We’ve touched on the importance of MPH and CFM, but the importance of where these two values intersect is the overall “force or thrust” that a blower can produce.

Manufacturers measure this force in Newtons in their development and testing. We developed a test rig to indirectly measure thrust and provide a good visual understanding.

We built a weighted sled that rides on low-friction wheels attached to inclined rails.

Sled Procedure

Prior to each blower test the rails and wheels were cleaned and lubricated with silicone. To perform this test we placed each blower’s tube onto a v-shaped rest, mounted to the sled. We placed the blower body onto a tool rest setting the blower in the same plane as the sled rails. Once set, we ran each blower for a 10-second count and recorded the sled movement on a measuring tape mounted to the sled. Three tests were completed for an average measurement. All blowers were tested with a 5.5 weight placed on the sled rig.

Two blowers maxed this test out, they were the EGO and Ryobi. We then added a second 5.5. lb plate and retested both blowers. The Ryobi was able to move the sled approximately halfway, while the EGO maxed out the rig a second time!

The sled topped out at 70 inches. Our chart below does not account for the additional weighted tests for EGO or Ryobi. EGO was the clear winner, Ryobi was second followed by Harbor Freight’s Atlas blower which was able to move the sled 66 inches.

Blower Nozzle or No Nozzle | What’s Best?

We wanted to see the direct impact of the nozzles on our weighted sled rig. The nozzles are designed to narrow the opening of the chute and increase the speed of air coming out.

Many people don’t realize that manufacturers will often use a nozzle to measure higher peak MPH values and will use the wider chute opening without the nozzle to list their peak CFM number. The same blower, but tested with different configurations.

Most manufacturers supply a nozzle because many users feel it increases performance, and they ask for it. The reality is that adding a nozzle may increase the localized air stream speed, but the added friction and constriction reduce the overall performance.  [E.g Milwaukee reduces from 17.5 to 17 Newtons, but increases from 145 to 155 mph]

Our sled test results showed that adding a nozzle to the blower drastically reduced the blower’s performance on the sled test. For example, the Ryobi which was able to max out the test sled at 70-inches without a nozzle, was only able to achieve 58-inches with a nozzle. Similar results were observed with EGO and Milwaukee nozzles.

Ergonomics and Features Winner | EGO

This category is compiled from the combined opinions of the TBB crew after using the tools. Grip, throttle, battery removal, intake placement, and adjustable chute length were evaluated.

The EGO eked out a win with 10 points, followed closely by Makita and Milwaukee which tied for second place each with 11 points.

Grip

While all blowers had relatively comfortable grips, both the EGO and Milwaukee stood out. They have base stands that can double as a two-handed hold for overhead use or off-balance use.

Throttle | Trigger | Power On

When it came to evaluating the blower’s throttle, the TBB crew favored blowers with a single point of activation. Unfortunately, most blowers employ a boost button, which we feel is an unnecessary hassle and a marketing gimmick.  Some of the blowers, like the Craftsman, have boost features that can be locked on – we preferred that to having to hold the button down. Pro users definitely do not want to have to engage a second button.

The Milwaukee throttle stood out with ambidextrous use and had a very responsive throttle control and no boost button.

Lastly, some blowers have a power-on switch, or safety feature, in order to power on the trigger. Most of the crew found these features frustrating.

Battery Insertion and Removal

When considering the battery removal and installation, the crew really liked those blowers, like the Kobalt, that offer a spring-loaded ejection.

Milwaukee lost points in this category by being the only blower to employ dual batteries.

Adjustable Chutes

Makita, along with Stihl offers an adjustable chute, with several configurations. We felt this may appeal to users who might want to adjust their blower chute to their height.

Air Intake Location

Intakes were also evaluated. The team favored rear-mounted over side-mounted intakes due to side-mounted intakes sucking in the user’s pant legs when held close to the body.

Balance and Rotational Force Winner | ECHO

Too much rotational force can result in a blower that you’re constantly fighting to control, or worse results in a wrist injury like tendonitis. Wrist tendonitis is frequently caused by activities requiring sideways motion of the wrist while gripping. Activities such as using a blower in a side to side motion can lead to Dequervain’s tendonitis.

Rotational Force Rig

We built a rig to hold each blower’s handle to simulate a neutral grip position. The rig allowed the blower to rotate freely on this axis.

We used some image analysis to capture the angle of the blower chute relative to the horizon. The angle at rest with the blower powered off was measured, followed by the blower in the full throttle state.

We considered two values to be the most important when analyzing this data and used their individual rankings to determine the blower with the best balance.

1. Angle under load
2. Difference between no-load and full load

The first was the angle under load relative to the horizon. We found the most strain on the wrist was felt when the blower wanted to pitch down directly at the ground, forcing the user to pull the blower back up to a useful working angle.

The blowers we tested pitched down between a comfortable 40 degrees, to a very uncomfortable near vertical 89 degrees.

The second value we considered important was the change or Delta between the blower at rest and under load. A well-balanced blower should have minimal change in pitch when the throttle is activated. A bower that swings a large amount is likely to be harder to control. The smallest delta observed was 15 degrees and the highest was 57 degrees.

The ECHO took the best Balance category. The Echo had a no-load balance of 19 degrees and deflected to 40 degrees down under full throttle. This comfortable 40 degrees nose-down attitude coupled with the relatively small change of just 19 degrees scored it top marks.

Craftsman came in second with a  no-load measurement of 31 degrees and a full load of 46 degrees. Stihl followed in third place with 19 and 41 degrees.

Cordless Blower Noise Winner | Stihl

OSHA sets legal limits on noise exposure based on a worker’s 8-hour work day. For noise, OSHA’s permissible exposure limit is 90 dB.

To measure relative decibels mounted the blowers. back into our rotational rig, and mounted a decibel meter 24” away from the blower to simulate the distance between a user’s ear and wrist. Three readings were captured and an average was recorded.

The blower that was the quietest was the Stihl coming in at 81.5 dB. The second quietest was the RIDGID averaging 83.1 dB followed by the RYOBI averaging at 84.2 dB.

The blowers that were the loudest were the DEWALT and ECHO averaging 97.9 db.

Best Price Winner | Hart

When purchasing tools, price is unquestionably a crucial factor, particularly for those of you who are just beginning out in the trades or are DIY/Homeowners just starting out.

We ranked pricing as *kits and with blowers that weren’t sold in kit form, we included a battery(s) and charger to even the playing field.

* Ryobi kit comes with 2 batteries.

At the time of testing, the best-priced blower kit was the Hart coming in at $138.00. The second lowest price was the Craftsman at $149.00 and the third was the Skil at $159.00.

The most expensive blower we tested was the Stihl BGA 86, coming in at $839.97.  The majority of these blowers can be purchased at ACME Tool or your local big box store.

Best Value Blower Winner | Hart

Price and quality will continue to be the top deciding factors for consumers. In today’s economy, consumers are looking for ways to stretch their dollars further, and tool companies need a solution to deliver a well-made, powerful tool at a competitive price, without sacrificing quality.

As we have indicated, we do not include pricing in our overall scoring, but we include it and always suggest our pick for best value.

The Hart was an easy decision for us, it performed exceptionally well in our testing, and is priced the lowest, guaranteeing a seat at the “best value” table. Hart scored in the fourth place in noise, and mid-pack on pretty much all the other categories scored, finishing in 6^th place.

Best Cordless Blower Winner | Milwaukee

Milwaukee 36-volt cordless blower came in first place scoring a total of 20 points. It scored tops in airflow performance, second in features and ergonomics, and fourth in balance.

The Milwaukee operates easily in either user’s hand and has a responsive trigger. Its sturdy base plate doubles as a secondhand grip, and the heads-up battery display is a nice touch. The crew appreciated that there was no boost or turbo button to engage, everything you need comes from the trigger. Milwaukee did suffer in the ergonomic battery scoring category due to the fact that it was the only blower in the lineup with two batteries.  That second battery, while inconvenient, clearly helped push the power and runtime up where it needs to be.

The formidable EGO came in second place with 22 points. EGO scored tops in both ergonomics, features, and the sled thrust test. The EGO was clearly the most powerful of the blowers out of the gate.  The open loop battery control and resulting performance drop over time coupled with the mediocre balance numbers pulled the EGO down from walking away with the top spot.

The EGO is a powerful blower but some users will find that they have to fight to hold it in position, it has a recessed throttle control which the team appreciated. Like Milwaukee, the EGO has a base stand that allows the user to place a two-handed hold for overhead use. Ego also has a nice spring-assisted battery removal feature, which one would not appreciate unless you were testing 15 blowers!

Stihl took third place with 25 points. Stihl took tops in noise and third place in both balance and airflow performance. The Stihl is a robust tool with a nicely designed spring-assist battery removal setup. The team liked that it has an adjustable-length chute, but did not like having to manipulate the awkward safety lever to power it on.

Closing Thoughts

If you’re considering purchasing a blower you should first think about the application, you’re using it for, and then performance. A lot of these blower measurements we shared result in a compromise, so if you want our advice, we feel you should choose a blower that is “stronger for longer.”

Our Head-to-Head tests take time to complete and we are ultimately limited in scope as we’re not a professional testing company. We cannot do long-term testing that would shed light on longevity or durability, and we can’t possibly test every application that you might use a blower for.

We receive a lot of comments about how we arrive at our winner.  We’ve openly shared ALL the data from our tests, and you can rank the tools however you want. In this article, if you hover over the line or column in our graphs, you’ll be able to see the actual values. Hopefully, you’ll find this Head-To-Head useful when comparing compact cordless blowers.

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

Best Cordless Blower | Head-2-Head Video | 2023

Best Cordless Blower 2023 | Head-To-Head is a post from Tool Box Buzz

Best Cordless Impact Driver

There’s no doubt that Impact Drivers have completely changed the construction industry and drastically improved both productivity and quality. Impact drivers allow users to install screws, structural fasteners and small bolts more efficiently than a drill. Impact drivers drastically reduce broken fasteners, stripped screw heads and costly delays. An impact driver relies on a hammer and anvil mechanism to deploy rotational force when fastener resistance is encountered.   

In our Best Cordless Impact Driver Head-To-Head test, we’ve selected 19 full-size impact drivers from a wide range of manufacturers. We invited all of the major manufacturers to participate, with some brands sending multiple impact drivers.

 

Features Qualitative Scoring Results
MFG	Score	Rank
Bosch	1	1
Makita 18v	2	2
Makita 40v	2	2
Skil	2	2
Festool	3	5
FLEX	3	5
Kobalt	3	5
Metabo HPT 18DC	3	5
Metabo HPT 18DBD	3	5
Metabo HPT 36v	3	5
Milwaukee	3	5
Ridgid	3	5
Ryobi	3	5
DEWALT	4	14
Hilti	4	14
Metabo 18 LT	4	14
Metabo 18LTX	4	14
FEIN	5	18
Hart	5	18

WP DataTables

Best Size and Weight | Winner DEWALT

Size matters to users, in this case, they want a smaller, compact impact driver that still has the power for the applications they need to deploy it in. Compact also means that the tool can be used in more situations, think of tight spot applications like sistering floor joists with a 5 or 6-inch fastener,  in between joist bays. We felt the two most important factors for an impact driver were the weight and head length.  Having a lightweight tool when working overhead, coupled with a compact size that can fit into small openings is a huge win.

To determine a final ranking for size and weight, each driver was weighed without the battery and the head length, from bit holder/collet to back was measured.  Each of these values were ranked separately and then combined into a single factor to determine the winner.   The DEWALT was the most compact impact driver of the bunch. It measures 3.9″ and weighs 2.1 lbs and is 1/2″ smaller than the 2nd place Metabo HPT 18DC  which measures 4.51 inches and measures 2.0 lbs.  Third place was the Makita 18V measures 4.53  inches and weighs 1.9 lbs.

An interesting fact is that all of the tools weigh from 1.9 lbs. to 3.3 lbs.

MFG	Length (in)	Weight (lb)	Rank
DEWALT	3.94	2.10	1
Metabo HPT DC	4.51	2.00	2
Makita 18v	4.53	1.90	3
Milwaukee	4.48	2.20	4
Makita 40v	4.77	2.20	5
Metabo 18V LTX	5.10	2.10	6
Ridgid	5.02	2.20	7
Festool	5.17	2.12	8
Metabo HPT 36v	4.52	2.50	8
Hilti	5.44	2.20	10
Skil	4.92	2.47	10
FLEX	4.68	2.70	12
Kobalt	5.27	2.40	12
FEIN	6.00	2.20	14
Metabo HPT DBD	5.04	2.90	15
Hart	5.82	2.50	16
Ryobi	5.60	2.55	16
Metabo 18 LT	5.64	2.60	18
Bosch	5.82	2.60	19

WP DataTables

Best Cordless Impact Price  | Winner Skil

Price is undoubtedly an important consideration when buying tools, especially for those of you who are just starting out in the trades. We can certainly agree on that and also agree that the majority of contractors have strong brand loyalty and would rather continue with their current battery platform than venture out and create a new line of cordless power tools.

We did not include the price in our scoring criteria but included bare tool pricing for you to use as needed.

The best-priced impact driver was the  Skil coming in at $69.99 bare tool. The second lowest price was the Hart at $77.85 and the third was the Bosch at $99.00. The team all agrees that the Skil and Hart impact drivers fall into the DIY category for users.

There are several pro-grade impact drivers in this test, I’ll use the Festool as an example. In their research and testing Festool found that the most frequent failure point on impact drivers was the anvil mechanism, so they adjusted the shape and material hardness of their anvil to increase the lifespan of the tool. They also decreased the internal strike speed (BPM) so it was less likely to break.

Festool also incorporated a longer trigger which allows for finer control of the variable speed trigger making it easier to manually control slow speed on hardware attachment. The moral of the story here is that pro-grade tools are designed to last longer, for us PROs a tool is an investment that is needed for our livelihood – invest wisely!

Best Cordless Impact Driver Head-To-Head | 2023 is a post from Tool Box Buzz

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 Lawn Mower Head-To-Head | 2022

Like Ricky Bobby says ” If you ain’t first then you’re last.” While we love the spirit of that statement, we feel that does not hold true when it comes to the Best Cordless Mower. We feel that there is a place for cordless mowers, whether it is in a small backyard, large backyard, or even a commercial field!

Cordless Lawn Mowers continue to be the most popular OPE (outdoor power equipment) in retail stores. The buzz is real and everyone is competing for a seat at the top when it comes to best in class. The field is ever-changing, even in the 2 years since our last 2020 Cordless Mower Head-to-Head there have been new models and technology improvements.

In this best cordless lawn mower head-to-head we compared 16 cordless mowers from 14 manufacturers. We put these mowers through specific tests against each other to crown the Best Cordless Mower.

Benefits Of A Cordless Mower

Gas-powered mowers require a lot of maintenance, such as oil changes, fuel filters, spark plugs, and air filters. Not to mention rising gas prices. Let’s be honest, most people don’t properly maintain their gas mowers, and put off service until the mower won’t start! Anyone who has had to get a small engine fixed understands how inconvenient and time-consuming it can be.  All of the above-mentioned maintenance, as well as last-minute fuel purchases, are eliminated with cordless mowers, which are also quieter to operate.

Cordless Lawn Mowers Tested

We reached out to 14 of the top cordless lawn mower manufacturers and asked if they would like to participate in our best cordless mower head-to-head article. The models we tested included:

Black and Decker

Model: CM2043C
Voltage: 40V
Deck Size: 20″
Max Cutting Height: 4″
Min Cutting Height: 1-1/2″
Number of Blades: 1
Weight: 47 Lbs
Price: $265.95

DEWALT

Model: DCMWSP255Y2
Voltage: 20V x 2 (40V)
Deck Size: 21-1/2″
Max Cutting Height: 4″
Min Cutting Height: 1-1/2″
Number of Blades: 1
Weight: 92 Lbs
Price: $669.00

ECHO

Model: DLM-2100SP
Voltage: 56V
Deck Size: 21″
Max Cutting Height: 4″
Min Cutting Height: 1″
Number of Blades: 1
Weight: 69.5 Lbs
Price: $499.00

EGO

Model: LM2156SP
Voltage: 56V
Deck Size: 21″
Max Cutting Height: 4″
Min Cutting Height: 1-1/2″
Number of Blades: 2
Weight: 68 Lbs
Price: $799.00

Greenworks

Model: 2533402
Voltage: 80V
Deck Size: 21″
Max Cutting Height: 4″
Min Cutting Height: 1-1/2″
Number of Blades: 1
Weight:  74 Lbs
Price: $749.00

Hart

Model: HLPM061US
Voltage: 40V
Deck Size: 21″
Max Cutting Height: 4″
Min Cutting Height: 1″
Number of Blades: 1
Weight: 89 Lbs
Price: $498.00

Kobalt

Model: KMP6080-06
Voltage: 80V
Deck Size: 21″
Max Cutting Height: 4″
Min Cutting Height: 1-1/2″
Number of Blades: 1
Weight: 87 Lbs
Price: $599.00

Kobalt

Model: Model KSPM-1040A-03
Voltage: 40V
Deck Size: 20″
Max Cutting Height: 4″
Min Cutting Height: 1-1/4″
Number of Blades: 1
Weight: 65 Lbs
Price: $429.00

Makita

Model: XML11CT1
Voltage: 18v x2 (36V)
Deck Size: 21″
Max Cutting Height: 4″
Min Cutting Height: 1-1/4″
Number of Blades: 1
Weight: 88.5 Lbs
Price: $499.00

Makita

Model: XML08Z
Voltage: 18v x2 (36V)
Deck Size: 21″
Max Cutting Height: 4″
Min Cutting Height: 1-1/4″
Number of Blades: 1
Weight: 94 Lbs
Price: $699.00

Milwaukee

Model: 2823-22HD
Voltage: 18V x2 (36V)
Deck Size: 21″
Max Cutting Height: 4″
Min Cutting Height: 1″
Number of Blades: 1
Weight: 80.5 Lbs
Price: $999.00

Ryobi

Model: RY401210
Voltage: 40V
Deck Size: 21″
Max Cutting Height: 4″
Min Cutting Height: 1.5″
Number of Blades: 2
Weight: 74 Lbs
Price: $799.00

Skil

Model: SM4910-10
Voltage: 40V
Deck Size: 20″
Max Cutting Height: 4″
Min Cutting Height: 1-1/2″
Number of Blades: 1
Weight: 60 LBs
Price: $449.00

Snapper

Model: 1687982
Voltage: 82V
Deck Size: 21″
Max Cutting Height: 4″
Min Cutting Height: 1-1/2″
Number of Blades: 1
Weight: 71.5 Lbs
Price: $658.36

Stihl

Model: RMA 510 V
Voltage: 36V
Deck Size: 20″
Max Cutting Height: 4″
Min Cutting Height: 1″
Number of Blades: 1
Weight: 64 Lbs
Price: $699.99

Toro

Model: 21566
Voltage: 60V
Deck Size: 21″
Max Cutting Height: 4″
Min Cutting Height: 1-1/2″
Number of Blades: 1
Weight: 81 Lbs
Price: $799.00

Best Cordless Lawn Mower Head-to-Head Comparison

While this isn’t a professional testing facility and we are not a professional testing crew, we did gather measurements, analyze each mower in a variety of categories, and rank them against one another.

We always strive to figure out how to make our Head-To-Head tool tests uniform, reproducible, and fair when we start putting them together. In order to give you the Best Cordless Lawn Mower, we looked at the following 10 categories.

1. Noise
2. Run-Time
3. Speed Test
4. Ergonomics and Features
5. Handle Comfort & Adjustment
6. Amount of Grass Mowed
7. Maneuverability
8. Deck Height Adjustability
9. Compact Storage

Cordless Mower Cut Quality

There was no BIG discernible difference in the cut quality of the mowers. The grass we mowed was field-quality, green, and approximately 6-7 inches high. As a result, the grass plant type was not particularly uniform. This made the cut quality hard to determine, and since we did not have a sod-quality lawn, we did not rank this category.

Editor’s Note – Both the Ego and Ryobi have multiple cut blades which enhance the quality of the cut. All the other mowers that we tested had single-blades.

Ego has three blade sets included in your purchase. A set of Mulching Blades for shredding grass into fine bits. For all-around performance, the extended runt time blades set provides a perfect blend of cut quality and duration. Finally, they include their “High Lift Bagging Blade” set, which provides greater suction for bagging and leaves your yard free of clippings.

The Ryobi mower comes with stacked, two crosscut blades making the quality of the cut better, by creating smaller grass clippings.

Quietest Cordless Mower Winner  – Stihl

One of the most often asked topics concerning cordless mowers seems to be how much noise they make.

To gain a relative comparison of noise, we ran a basic decibel test to measure the loudness of the mowers in a controlled environment. The test consisted of running each mower in our barn, on a concrete surface with the deck lifted to its full height. Each mower was tested in the same spot on the floor, and the decibel meter was at the same height and relative position as an average user.

Note: the mowers were tested on top of a concrete slab. In practice, when utilized on a lawn, these mowers are significantly quieter.

When the ECO mode is selected, the mower operates at a lower RPM for situations requiring less power. This increases energy efficiency and battery runtime as well as reduces the noise of the mower. To switch the ECO mode on, swing the battery cover open and hit the ECO select button, and then close the lid.

We ran the test for enough time to have the mowers reach a maximum and stable rpm speed. Many of the mower motors start at a high RPM and then cycle down to a slower speed to save energy. The quietest mower we tested was the Stihl which measured in at 79 decibels.

A three-way tie for second at 80 decibels was Greenworks, Snapper, and Toro. Coming in the loudest mowers were the Ego and Makita XMLCT1 at 88.5 decibels.

There are five mowers that have a turbo feature which increased the noise decibels between 3.5 to 5.0 DBS.  Milwaukee, Echo, Stihl, Greenworks, and Toro. When in turbo mode, which Milwaukee calls “High lift mode,” the Milwaukee was the loudest mower we tested at 90.0 decibels. High lift mode uses a higher blade speed to achieve additional airflow and increased grass lift to deliver better quality mulch or bagging results.

Cordless lawn mowers allow you to cut your lawn efficiently and quietly, with none of the noise, gas, oil, or maintenance that comes with gas-powered solutions ~ ROB

Gas vs Cordless Mower  | Noise

For comparison, the average gas lawnmower produces 95–100 decibels. The noise measurements for our test mowers averaged 82.6 decibels. When compared to a loud gas mower, these cordless mowers cut sound energy by over 20 times when compared to a 100 dB noise level.

Many towns have enacted noise ordinances that limit the times of day you can mow with a gas mower. Cordless mowers are unaffected by these ordinances.

Most Grass Cut | Cordless Mower Run-time

Run-time used to be a big question in the minds of people considering the purchase of battery-powered tools. Huge advancements in battery technology have made cordless mowers a viable option for users. The million-dollar question on everyone’s mind is how much grass will a cordless mower cut on a battery charge?  Mowing run time will vary greatly depending on the height of grass, the thickness of grass, and the type of grass.

Best Cordless Mower Run-time Procedure

We measured and marked mowing lanes for each mower and kept track of the time and total distance that each mower traveled.

Grass Conditions: The grass we mowed was field-quality, green and white clover, and approximately 6-7 inches high. Every mower was set at its highest cut setting, 4″. We set each mower to its maximum speed if it were self-propelled. We asked the operators of non-self-propelled mowers to move at a comfortable pace. It was interesting to note that a 40-year-old man in good shape pushing a mower was faster than most of the self-propelled mowers.)

If any mower completed mowing its entire marked lane, we lowered the mower deck by one additional inch and re-cut that lane. Once the mower stopped running, we used a measuring wheel to measure its final resting spot.  Some mowers have dual batteries that will operate separately. In this instance, if the batteries were provided in the kit, we doubled the calculations to come out with our total distance mowed.

Most Grass Cut | Run-time Winner – Milwaukee

The winner of the most grass mowed in this year’s Best Cordless Mower Head-to-Head goes to Milwaukee.  The M18 mower runs on two 18V 12 Ah batteries.  These power banks propelled Milwaukee to run for 14,936 feet or 2.83 miles.  The total cutting area was 26,138 square feet, a truly impressive amount of grass for a battery-powered mower. The final ranking is based on the area the mower can cut with the total batteries on board. We also showed a column of data on area per watt-hour just as additional information. Ultimately what users are most interested in, is how much area can I mow on a single charge.

Just behind Milwaukee was the Kobalt 80V, mowing a distance of 14,017 feet and 24,540 square feet in our test. The Kobalt is powered by a single 6 Ah battery.

Rounding out the top three was the EGO mower. A single battery powers the EGO like the Kobalt and this kit came with a 10 Ah battery.  The EGO was able to run for 10,868 feet or 2.06 miles, cutting grass over a 19,000 square foot area.

Watt-Hours

It’s important to note that all 16 of these mowers have different battery Amp-Hour, capacities, and voltages.  Comparing one tool’s battery capacity to another by referencing “Amp Hours” is a common practice but an inaccurate and misleading one.  Watt-Hours is calculated by multiplying the voltage (actual load voltage, not the MAX that some companies advertise) by the battery pack Amp-Hours. This calculation allows us to compare the total energy available to do the work based on both the voltage and size of the battery pack (amp-hours).

For example, we can take a look at the two leaders of the runtime/area mowed test, Milwaukee and the Kobalt 80V.  The Milwaukee uses two batteries at 18V and 12 Ah a piece.  Each battery has 18V*12Ah equaling 216 Watt Hours capacity.  Adding both batteries together yields 432 WH onboard and supplied with the kit.  The Kobalt has a single 80V Battery rated at 6Ah with a Watt-Hour capacity of 480.  The takeaway here is that even though the Milwaukee has two batteries each with an advertised 12 Amp Hour, and the Kobalt has a single with “only” 6 Amp Hour, the Kobalt has a larger/more energy-rich battery.

Since we already gathered the data we went ahead and calculated the Area (sf) / watt-hour mowed for each mower kit in the test.  This value is a crude measurement of the efficiency of the mower at cutting grass given its battery capacity.

While an interesting exercise that helps explain how some mowers with smaller batteries outperformed those with larger ones, we feel that this data and any kind of battery normalized performance is irrelevant in this case.  We set out to find which mower “Out of the Box” could cut the most grass.  If you already own batteries of a particular mower platform, this could greatly swing your decision to invest in a particular mower if run-time and cutting area is a concern.

Speed Test – Winner – Milwaukee and Toro

After performing our runtime test, many of the mower operators shared that they wished that their mower moved faster. We decided to test the highest setting propelled speed of the mowers. We set up a 100-yard dash to see who was the fastest. Two crew members were assigned per mover; one operator and one to record the time.

Because many of the mowers require several feet to ramp up speed, we started every mower 6 to 8 feet in front of our timing line. Once the wheels hit the orange line the timer started. Once the wheels hit the 100-yard mark the timer stopped. We tested each mower twice and recorded the average time. There were two mowers that were not self-propelled, the Black and Decker and the Kobalt 40V. These mowers did not compete in this test.

Milwaukee and  Toro tied as the fastest mowers, with an average time of 51 seconds.

ECHO and Ryobi tied for third place, with an average time of  57.5 seconds, and the turtle in the race was the Snapper mower coming in at 78 seconds.

Ergonomics and Features– Winner Ryobi

All 16 mowers have fairly similar features, we considered the following features for this category…

1. Handles
2. Propulsion
3. Controls
4. Foldability / Storage
5. Deck Adjustment
6. Mulching
7. Bagging

For the ergonomics/features, we evaluated seven areas. These included the adjustability of the handle, the effort of maneuverability, human factor in the ease of foldability and storage, deck adjustment, ergonomics, and propulsion/control ergonomics.

The Ryobi shined in this category with 10-points. This 40V HP brushless whisper series 21″ all-wheel-drive mower, has a super easy push-button start, and an onboard lever to choose from: mulching, or bagging.  The 7-position single point height adjustment quickly changes the height from 1″ to 4″. We thought the handle was super comfortable with no hot spots or pinch points. The self-propelled paddle lever being adjustable is a nice feature allowing the user to pick their desired setting. The variable speed control is in a perfect position to adjust on the go without having to take your hand off the handle.

The external fuel gauge ensures was clear and easy to see the battery charge and the one-touch aluminum folding handles store this mower horizontally or vertically into a more compact package.

EGO came in a close second place at 11-points, with its simple and intuitive adjustments and controls. EGO provides an excellent user experience. Most of the control and adjustment buttons or levers are bright green making them easy to find. Our crew also liked how quick and easy the mower handle folds for storage, as well as, the comfortable rubber over-mold handle grip.

Echo came in third with 13-points, with simple, intuitive, and ambidextrous controls. The contoured handle, while comfortable does not allow multiple gripping positions, and the crew noted that while the controls were easily accessed, they were spread out a bit, requiring the operator to remove the hand from the handle. There is NO variable speed paddle, and it has a separate on/off the headlight switch.

Notable Mentions

The DEWALT mower has an “average ” 45-degree pronated grip. The propulsion control lever has little to no modulation. Fine control is difficult to achieve and appears to be a mechanical clutch mechanism. The auto-adjusting speed slows down the mower blade over easy-to-cut grass, and because the propulsion is based on a mechanical clutch it also slows down your pace (at exactly the time when you want to speed up). Slow speed necessitates the operator to extend and hold their fingers, which is awkward and causes hand fatigue. When walking over gravel while pushing the mower, it cannot be propelled without the blade spinning, which could result in a flying item hazard.

The Makita (not PRO) has excellent controls that are easily accessed on the top of the handle assembly. You do however have to move your hand from the handle to access them. It does have an easily adjustable deck height and the handle is all metal making it very durable.

In the last two years, the biggest upgrade to mowers seems to be in the lower tier mowers – Ethan

The Makita Pro has similar features as the other Makita but is way more solid a build. The crew noted that the speed control is a bit off the reach, making awkward adjustments on the fly.  It has excellent controls, easily accessed on top of the handle assembly, you do have to remove your hand from the handle.

Overall the crew felt that the Makita Pro was easy to use, maneuvered fine and the self-propulsion can be left on its turn as the mower speed is slower.  The mower is a bit slow on the speed-up – ramp-up speed which is one reason many of the crew users did not turn off the self-propulsion on turns.

The crew noted that the mower bogged down in 7” inch clover set at 4” deck height.  Operating on two batteries, this mower has a compartment for 4 batteries with a switch between the 2 with a knob on the motor, so you do not have to open the lid to access it. A battery led shows all 4 battery charges at the same time.

When set at mid-range [or lower] we noted that the front right wheel was not touching the ground. The crew all felt that in terms of cut quality it would have a negligible difference on the cut, as this measurement off was 1/8” strong.

The Makita Pro has two handle height adjustments that require a tool to set.   This is a heavy machine, with front and rear lift points, it is truly built for daily Pro use.

The TORO has what they call a “Personal Pace” self-propel drive, which is a  sliding handle grip that slides along with the handle frame – as you push it forward,  it starts propulsion and controls it. It definitely takes some getting used to. The arched [rounded] shaped handle is unique looking, and comfortable but has side-to-side slop possibly causing it to rack. Other than the propulsion system this mower is no-frills and could use an upgrade. (Cannot be propelled without the blade spinning, requires each wheel lever to adjust the deck height Handle does not telescope).

The SNAPPER has a self-propelled sliding handle similar to the Toro, Snapper calls it “step-sense” The Snapper has a variable speed that is built into the Step-sense handle feature. Unlike the Toro, the variable speed can be locked out with a locking knob on the handle deck. Lightweight. This is a no-frill mower, with no lift points.

Maneuverability Winner – Black and Decker and Kobalt 40V

Because they were not self-propelled, the Black and Decker and Kobalt 40V mowers were more maneuverable than the others. To move tightly with self-propelled machines, the user must disconnect the propulsion. The operator must press against the propelling mechanism to turn the mower tightly.

The Black and Decker is super light, very maneuverable, and great for smaller framed people or folks who might have issues with a heavier mower. Because of the weight and no propulsion, this makes trimming around gardens and trees incredibly easy.

The same can be said about the Kobalt 40v, due to the not having a self-propulsion, this mower is geared to smaller yards or a yard with lots of maneuvering around planting beds.

Milwaukee took 2nd place and was the best maneuverability in the self-propelled mowers. This was due because of the short wheelbase front to back. The mowers with the longest wheelbase ranked towards the bottom.

The maneuverability of push mowers is especially important when trimming around gardens, trees, and other landscaping features. The ease with which the mower turns is largely due to the wheels and mower weight.

EGO took third place, and the crew noted that by applying pressure with your palm you can easily engage the self-propelled system. When mowing, users discovered that easing up on the drive button made for smoother, tighter turns.

The Hart mower lost a wheel on one of our maneuvering tests. It looks like the nut /washer on the wheel could benefit from a Nylock nut. Based on this, Hart received a low score in the fit and finish the scoring. The mower itself once repaired maneuvered well.

Deck Height Adjustability Winner – Kobalt 40V and Kobalt 80V

All of the mowers, with the exception of one, we tested include a single-lever, deck height adjustment feature. This sure does beat adjusting each wheel like the old-style mowers we grew up with.

The winners of this category were the Kobalt 40V and 80V due to a combination of their large lever, they both have a strong return spring and are easy to engage. They both feature a 7 deck-height adjustment option, ranging from 4″ at its highest to lowest at 1-1/4″ setting.

Ryobi, Milwaukee, and Stihl came in a close second due to their large handle levers, spring-assisted, and easy-to-use lifting and lowering levers.

The only mower that still has individually adjustable wheels is the Toro. Due to this, we had no choice but to put it in last place for deck adjustability – that’s just archaic.

“Come on Toro! Individually adjustable wheels? Nobody has time for that… it’s 2022!” – SCOTT

Notable Mention

The crew liked the EGO deck adjustment height lever. It has a nice handle but agreed that it was tough to actuate. We assume in time the spring might loosen up and might be easier to raise and lower. 

Some mowers had knuckle-busting setups that would cause the user to hit the lower part of the handle assembly when adjusting the mower for taller cutting.

Compact Design & Storage Size Winners – EGO and Ryobi,

Garages tend to get taken over by mowers, trimmers, and tools throughout the summer, so foldability and storage are crucial to some people. Furthermore, cordless mowers CAN be stored upright without the worry of spilling gas or filling the engine cylinder with oil.

The entire crew considered factors such as; telescopic handles, pivot points, grab handles, and the ability to stand upright on its own while evaluating how easy it was to set up and fold down each mower.

We examined these aspects and attributes as a group and then scored them on a scale of one to five, with one being the best.

There was a three-way tie for the most compact mower in this category. When folded, the EGO, Ryobi, and Hart have the smallest storage space. They are incredibly compact and can easily be stored vertically or horizontally.

EGO

The EGO mower is easy to fold and store compact. You can hang it from the front handle or store it upright. The handle can be telescoped in and out using two side levers. To fold the handle down horizontally, simply pull a large, easily accessed lever. If needed, the EGO additionally has two handles for easy carrying.

Ryobi

The Ryobi mower has a single pull lever to open to fold the handle. Once folded it is very compact and easily stands vertically. The Ryobi had one rear carrying handle the no telescoping features.

HART

The “fast-fold” feature on the Hart mower is a lever that pulls up for a quick, smooth handle fold. There is no need for a telescoping feature because of the short handle, and it folds up extremely compact.

The one mower that does not fold is the Makita PRO grade. We believe that commercial mowers are not meant to store. They are put in a trailer and come off at every site. With that being said the Makita Pro mower has front and rear lift points and is truly heavy duty! A workhorse for sure!

Best Cordless Mower Price Winner – Black and Decker

One of, if not the most sought question is going to be how much money are these mowers.  We always mention that one big factor is what battery platform you are working off of. Well, we think that for cordless mowers that might not be the case. There are several brands on this list that do not manufacture power tools and the majority of the ones that do have larger voltage systems for their mowers.

At the time of publication, these prices are mowers that come in a kit form. Some of these mowers can be purchased in big box stores, or on the web at Acme Tools, or other retail websites. Below is a chart of how these mower kits are sold and the components in each kit.

Coming in at the lowest cost is the Black and Decker CM2043C which will run you $347.0.0 and is a great mower for someone who is mowing a smaller area. The mower deck is plastic and is a “no-frills” mower that will get the job done for your average homeowner. Cutting at roughly 1/4 acre on a single charge, this mower can handle your weekly lawn cut!

With a price of $399.00, the Skil mower comes in second place as the lowest-priced mower. Powered by Skil’s PWRCORE 40V battery, this mower covered a lot of grass on our tests! Covering more than 1.5 miles of mowed grass, this Skil finished mid-pack. It is lightweight and has a telescoping handle for great storage.

The Kobalt 40V mower is the third-ranked lowest-priced mower at $429.00. This mower also has a steel deck and provides about 45 minutes of continuous cut on a 40V 6.0Ah battery. This is a good choice if you are already using other 40V Kobalt Outdoor Power Equipment!

On the flip side, the Milwaukee 2823-22HD comes in at the highest mower and will run you $999.00. That being said, it shined in our area mowed testing, it won the fastest mower test and has some sick features like multiple LED lights. This mower ships with (2) M18 12.0 Ah batteries which probably make up half the cost of the mower!

Best Cordless Mower – Milwaukee

These tests and evaluations are very difficult, take a lot of time, and are ultimately limited in scope as we’re not a professional testing company. We also cannot do long-term testing that would shed light on durability. In order to choose the best cordless mower, all six [6] evaluated categories were scored and ranked 1 through 16, to define the winner. We then tallied those category numbers to come up with a total number. The lower the number the better.

The Milwaukee M18 21″ Self-Propelled Dual Battery Mower took the crown on Best Cordless Mower of 2022. This mower is powerful, running on (2) M18 12.0Ah batteries! It was super fast in our speed test and it covered over 14, 936 feet mowed. That is 2.83 miles of mowing. It ran at full speed for over 44 minutes which is up at the top of the pack when it comes to run time. The team really appreciated its great ergonomics, foldability, maneuverability, and nicely thought-out design!

The team was impressed with the fit and finish of the handles, controls,  steel deck, and overall durable design of this mower. The rear wheel self-propelled drive allowed this mower to move fast and maneuver well.

Many of the crew members who used the mower commented on how quick the throttle to the motor reaction was.  

Milwaukee claims that its optimized steel deck design, higher blade speed, and airflow deliver increased lift which reduces missed grass blades and clumps for better quality grass cutting. Our team noted that the mower’s higher blade speed helped, and did not stall the mower in taller grass.

The blade and propulsion reached full throttle in under 1 second. The throttle or “Active Speed Management Paddle,” as Milwaukee refers to it allowed us to easily adjust mower speed to walking pace. The Milwaukee delivers 10 ft-lb cutting torque and a variable speed self-propel: 0 MPH – 4 MPH.

Many of the crew liked and commended the futuristic 4 location LED light design, although we all agreed that lights on a mower are not an important feature.

As a Milwaukee cordless tool user, I immediately recognized that the two 12Ah batteries with this unit separately cost $500, and can be used in my other high-demand tools. That makes this mower much more attractive to me and puts it in the $400 range. ~ ROB

Lastly, the single-point height adjustment, 2-point carry handles, and easy vertical storage allowed this mower to rise quickly to the top.  As professional contractors, we also like that the Milwaukee mower batteries will run Milwaukee tools.

Our hats go out to The EGO POWER+ 21″ Select Cut XP Self-Propelled Mower which continues to crush its competitors when it comes to outdoor power equipment. This mower is no slouch and it finished right under the winner. It has great ergonomics, cut just over 2 miles at 10,868 ft on a single 56V 10.0Ah battery. This machine will cut anything you throw in front of it. Having the ability to turn off the self-propel feature avoids accidental flying hazards while moving the mower over non-grass areas. 

The team liked that you can engage the “Touch Drive” self-propel function with the touch of your palm, and control the variable speed with a dial with your other hand.  The Ego delivers 8.3 ft-lb cutting torque and a variable speed self-propel: .9 MPH – 3.1 MPH

The Ego also has a 7-position cutting height adjustment from 1.5″- 4″ and bright LED headlights. Ego’s Select Cut Multi-blade Cutting System is equipped with three, interchangeable lower blades; the Mulching Blade, High Lift Bagging Blade, and Extended Run-time Blade.

Ryobi and Stihl tied for third with 30-points.

The Ryobi was the only all-wheel-drive lawn mower. It features two interactive battery ports, and a fast and easy  7-position single-point height adjustment from 1″ to 4″. The crew appreciated the external fuel gauge, LED lights, and one-touch folding handles but were impressed by the integrated mulch plug which engages with a simple one-handed lever.

The Stihl RMA 510 V performed exceptionally well in all of our tests with exception of the speed test. Users wished that this awesome mower self-propulsion was a little faster.

The Stihl was highly maneuverable with an easy-to-use variable speed setting control, allowing mowing speed between 0.6 mph to 2.8 mph. Our crew was impressed with this mower’s fit and finish, especially the durable, 10-inch rear wheels and 8-inch front ball-bearing wheels.

Our team liked that it offers seven adjustable cutting heights, and the handlebar adjusts to three height positions for user comfort. The Stihl is priced $100 less than the Ego and Ryobi, and $300 less than the Milwaukee.

Best Cordless Mower Value Winner – Greenworks

The ECHO mower is our best value winner. This mower competed with the big boys for sure. It scored 6th in the overall finish scoring and came in 5th with a cost of $499.00.

The ECHO scored top three in the fit and finish speed, and ergonomics categories.  It has simple, intuitive, and ambidextrous controls. This machine gives you seven adjustments for cutting increments between 1 and 4-inch cutting heights and an auto-switch dual-battery dock.

Overall the team thought you would get the best bang for your buck, or should we say “cut for your green.”  

Final Thoughts

The noise, odor, and maintenance that come with owning a gas-powered mower are no longer an issue for cordless mower owners. Coupled with other cordless outdoor power equipment, you can now keep the gas to your cars. Cordless outdoor power equipment has come leaps and bounds since its inception and it continues to impress us.

Gas mowers have been around for over 100 years but with powerful lithium-ion battery technology, they are really competing with gas-powered mowers!

Thanks for following and please check out our other Head 2 Head tests!

Best Cordless Mower 2022 | Tool Testing Review Video

Best Cordless Mower 2022 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.