A couple years ago I was doing some work around the house. Actually, I am always doing work around the house. But I was replacing the moldings around the windows. There was one spot where I needed to cut some nails that were hard to reach. I decided a reciprocating saw with a metal cutting blade would work the best. I usually try to buy high quality tools. I really like Dewalt. Or for a reciprocating saw, I could maybe buy a Milwaukee Sawzall. But I rarely have need for a reciprocating saw, so I didn’t want to spent a lot. I found that Harbor Freight had a Central Electric reciprocating saw on sale for $19. How can you beat $19. As long as the thing seemed reasonably made. Well it did seem solid. So I bought it. It worked great for the couple things I needed to cut. The blade that it came with seemed a little cheap, and it bent pretty much right away. No biggy though.
As I said, I rare have need for a reciprocating saw, but I have used it on occasion, and it continues to do what I need. For less than $20, it was a fantastic deal. I see on Harbor Freight’s website that it has gone up a few bucks, but it is still ridiculously cheap. I would recommend this tool to anybody looking for a reciprocating saw. I doubt it would hold up to commercial construction type usage. But for around the house, go for it. Be aware that a reciprocating saw it most useful for destroying things. It is not great for making precision cuts. For those, you might want a circular saw, or a jig saw. A reciprocating saw is good for taking things apart. It can also be useful for cutting things that a jig saw, or circular saw can’t easily reach. Still, a useful tool to own.

Posted by Rob in Whatever on February 20th, 2009 | 1 Comment