The UK's bestReciprocating Saws2022 Review

Needing little introduction, German tool giants Bosch make two distinct levels of kit. You can get the blue Professional range or the green DIY range, depending on your budget and what you need the tool to do. This PSA 700E corded sabre saw falls into the green DIYer category, but it doesn’t mean it’s a toy. This is a solid and capable piece of equipment.

Starting with what Bosch do really well, the rear handle is supremely comfortable. Like a lot of Bosch tools there’s a rubberised lip at the top of the grip section. This small addition really helps to keep your rear hand in the optimum cutting position. The front grip section features acres of rubber and another lip to help you apply the correct amount of pressure to each cut.

The 710 Watt motor drives the blade up to 2,700 spm. Although the stroke length is only 20 mm, it can tackle decent sizes of timber and even mild steel pipe. You get a fair amount of cord to play with too, 2.5 m is enough for some jobs without resorting to an extension cable.

Japan’s premier tool brand Makita doesn’t need much of an introduction. DIYers and professionals around the world know that they make some of the best reciprocating saws available right now. The DJR186Z 18V cordless reciprocating saw is big, powerful, and provides unbeatable cutting power.

One of the best uses for a reciprocating saw is for demolition, so it’s a good thing that this beast is built like a tank. It’s not going to win any awards for being lightweight at 3.5 kg without a battery, but it’s incredibly good at what it’s designed for. And that’s making rough cuts in tight spaces that other cordless reciprocating saws can’t reach. It’s rugged, hard-wearing, and has an excellent stroke length of 32 mm.

Designed to be comfortable to use even with big work gloves on, I was pleased to see a large grip and substantial two-finger trigger. It makes variable speed control easy, especially if you’ve got big hands like I have. The rest of the rubberised grip is comfortable too. It also feels well balanced, even with a large 5.0 Ah battery on board.

This is the best reciprocating saw for professional tradespeople on my list. The tool less blade change makes it simple enough for any DIYer to get the hang of though. You can’t really go wrong with this cordless reciprocating saw, it’s capable and comfortable to use. I love it!

Boasting a decent range of power tools and even robotic lawn mowers, WORX are no strangers to quality tools for decent prices. The WX500.9 cordless reciprocating saw is light, easy to handle, and comes with a battery, charger, and soft carry case.

Starting off with the design, you get a large rear handle that can accommodate large hands even when they’re in gloves. The trigger’s a bit on the small side but you can still control the blade speed quite easily. The front of the saw is encased in a rubber boot, which helps to keep down vibrations and makes it comfortable to hold too.

There’s a handy adjustable footplate on this reciprocating saw too. You can use the onboard lever to change the length of the blade that sticks out of the end of the tool. This could help extend the life of your blade and give you more control over how you cut materials like metal, plastic, or wood.

Weighing in at a mere 2.1 kg, this is a lightweight bit of kit that should be usable for any DIYer and is even light enough for one-handed use if you’re feeling confident. It might not be the heaviest duty demolition saw out there, but it’s more than enough for most jobs around the home and garden.

German tool brand Einhell have made their mark on the cordless power tool scene with their Power X-Change 18 Volt battery system. The lightest and smallest reciprocating saw on my list, the Einhell TE-AP 18 Li-Solo is wonderfully easy to handle and can get into tight spots that the competition can’t reach.

Decked out in Einhell’s recognisable red, this reciprocating saw features a comfortable rear handle that helps to keep some of the vibrations down. The front of the saw doesn’t have quite as much rubber compared with the WORX WX500, but it’s still a rugged-looking bit of kit.

Einhell’s patented Triathlon motor powers up this saw to 2,600 spm. Combined with the reasonable 22 mm stroke length it’s capable enough for a cordless saw at this price. And you don’t need to fork out for any extras as they’ve included a reasonable size 2.5 Ah battery and charger too.

Moving up a level in capability and power, the Bosch Professional GSA 1100 E makes up part of their blue line of tools. This is a step up from the Bosch PSA 700E thanks to some clever features and unbeatable build quality.

Supplied with a chunky but basic rear grip and large two-finger trigger, there’s space for big hands in thick gloves. The front section is covered in rubber and well-shaped to provide an excellent amount of grip and vibration control.

Featuring the same quick blade release mechanism as the Bosch PSA 700E, you can easily switch between wood and metal cutting saw blades. The big 1,100 Watt motor puts out 2,700 spm and had a stroke length of 28 mm. This gives this saw an impressive 230 mm maximum cut depth in wood, and you can even tackle up to 20 mm thick metal plate! This must be one of the best demolition saws currently on the UK market. It’s big, but it’s also incredibly powerful.

Producing all types of clever kit from cordless drills to leaf blowers, WORKPRO have found the balance between budget-friendly and reliable DIY kit. The Workpro 710 Watt corded reciprocating saw is a good example of that. It won’t break the bank but still produces a decent level of output.

The rear handle setup is quite basic, it might not have as much rubber grip compared with the WORK WX500, but for the price, it’s not terrible. There’s plenty of rubber on the front of the saw to keep vibrations down and give you something to hang on to though. The 710 Watt motor puts out a notable 2,800 spm, which should make up for the rather ordinary 20 mm stroke length.

It’s handy that WORKPRO have included four blades to get you started. It’s an ideal place to start for DIYers who don’t want to overspend on a single job. It might not be as capable as the big saws on my list, but it only weighs 2.5 kg. It’ll cut through a maximum depth of 115 mm in wood at a push.

VonHaus’s recognisable orange tools have been finding themselves in the workshops and sheds of DIYers all over the place in recent years. The Manchester-based homewares brand make capable but wallet-friendly kit for everything in and around the house.

Packing a slightly bigger motor than other budget reciprocating saws on my list, there are 800 Watts to play with under the hood with this VonHaus reciprocating saw. This produces 2,800 spm and allows the 20 mm stroke length to cut a maximum depth of 105 mm in wood.

The rear handle might be a bit basic, but there’s a big enough rubber boot on the front to make it comfortable to hang on to. You can also adjust the cutting speed with the little wheel embedded in the trigger. Like the WORKPRO, you can adjust the shoe plate angle and length to get the most out of the two supplied blades.