Every Major Cordless Reciprocating Saw Brand Ranked Worst To Best

A reciprocating saw can be invaluable no matter your profession or what project is on your home improvement to-do list. Whether you're cutting pipes, trimming trees, or even tackling rebar, there's a reciprocating saw that's perfect for the job. Yet casual users don't necessarily need something very high-powered (or expensive).

What brand has the best reciprocating saw for home use? Here's every major cordless reciprocating saw brand ranked from worst to best based on features, reviews, and ease of use. Note that even the worst-ranked cordless reciprocating saw brand isn't necessarily a bad one, depending on your needs. We've considered price, consumer feedback, features and specs, and more to come up with this ranking. You can read more about our methodology at the end of this article.

Unless otherwise specified, all the cordless reciprocating saw brands mentioned have the same technical specs; 1-inch stroke length, up to 3,000 SPM of cutting power, and tool-free blade changes, so the brand comparison is as direct as possible. All products mentioned are tool-only and require separate purchase of a battery and charger, so reported weights are for bare tools without considering battery weight.

Porter-Cable might be a lesser-known brand, but it's actually a subsidiary of Black and Decker. Unsurprisingly, each brand under Black and Decker manufactures its own tools, including cordless reciprocating saws. Quality seems to vary among the different brands, despite potentially similar manufacturing processes.

For example, Porter-Cable's corded reciprocating saw missed taking the gold when compared to better-known brands. As one of the cheapest cordless reciprocating saws on the market, Porter-Cable's tool is generally well-reviewed, but it may not offer the level of performance that many DIYers or professionals are looking for.

A common complaint from consumers is the limited battery life on the 20V model. Though Porter-Cable's cordless saws are available at most retailers (including Amazon, Home Depot, and Lowe's), they don't appear to be the absolute best choice on the market. Porter-Cable reciprocating saws are generally easy to use and could be a smart choice for small and infrequent projects.

A Porter-Cable 20V cordless reciprocating saw is about $65 on Amazon. The 20V model weighs ‎3.75 pounds and measures ‎16.19 inches long x 3.5 inches wide x 7.63 inches high.

Skil is a well-known brand, but it's not necessarily one of the best power tool brands on the market. Consumers tend to praise the brand for offering reliable tools that won't break the bank, and Skil's cordless reciprocating saws seem to meet most users' needs.

A Skil cordless reciprocating saw comes with features like a work light, an adjustable pivoting shoe, and the promise of double the battery life of competitors. Skil's temperature management system increases battery life, a claim that consumers seem to agree with.

Despite being widely available (online at Amazon plus at Lowe's and Home Depot, to name a few retailers), SKIL reciprocating saws aren't widely reviewed. We can't assume much from that, other than that perhaps consumers aren't either happy or unhappy enough to leave a review, despite buying and using the tool.

A Skil 20V cordless reciprocating saw is about $63 on Amazon. The 20V model weighs 3.8 pounds and measures 16.29 inches long x 6.65 inches wide x 2.87 inches high.

Black and Decker owns the Craftsman, DeWalt, and Black and Decker brands, but each line of tools has different offerings. That said, Craftsman does tend to stand apart as being affordable and reliable and its cordless reciprocal saws receive high marks in consumer reviews.

However, battery life is a common concern with many Craftsman cordless saws, which isn't a huge surprise given that most battery-powered tools don't offer endless hours of use. For the casual user who may already have Craftsman tools (Craftsman offers a wall organization system for storing your tools), compatibility might drive the buying decision.

A Craftsman battery-powered reciprocal saw isn't a bad purchase, but it might not be the absolute best. Plus, Home Depot doesn't appear to carry Craftsman products, which could limit your buying options unless you're shopping online.

A Craftsman 20V cordless reciprocating saw costs about $74 on Amazon. The 20V model weighs ‎4.5 pounds and measures 15.2 inches long x 2.5 inches wide x 6.6 inches high.

Like many other popular cordless reciprocating saw brands, Worx has generally positive reviews on most retailers. However, consumers have some reservations about the products — specifically two-in-one models meant to be more useful than standalone tools.

Given that Worx manufactures a two-in-one jigsaw-reciprocating saw, it does seem that the brand's focus is on budget over quality. After all, a jigsaw needs to be stable in order to cut properly, so it seems as if one function would be sacrificed for the other, as a reciprocating saw needs some wiggle room.

That said, Worx does offer a standalone reciprocating saw; a Worx 20V cordless reciprocating saw costs about $59 on Amazon. At 3.7 pounds, the 20V model is a lightweight competitor and the lightest among the major cordless reciprocating saw brands. It measures ‎16.69 inches x 6.65 inches wide x 3.46 inches high, making it one of the larger models on this list despite its low weight.

Maneuvering in small spaces could be tricky with a Worx saw. Yet at this relatively low price point, it might be worth a try if your projects don't involve working in close quarters. Plus, you can pick one up at most home improvement stores (like Lowe's and Home Depot) and online.

Like other cordless reciprocating saw brands that are higher on our list and therefore lean more toward worse than best, Makita has a lot going for it. However, the price point takes the reciprocating saw down a few notches in terms of recommendations.

While Makita claims it can offer users up to two times more work with extended battery life, you'll pay for the privilege. Not only that, but a standard 18V cordless reciprocating saw from Makita is quite a beast size-wise. The tool measures 18.94 inches long x 4.61 inches wide x 8.62 inches high and weighs 7.8 pounds, more than double many of its competitors. Makita's full-sized reciprocating saw is the largest overall of any cordless reciprocating saw we checked out, so it's ideal for heavy-duty jobs (and heavy-duty users).

Makita does offer both full-size and compact tools, so there are options. However, for the best battery life and power ratings, consumers might be better off shelling out the $200 for a super-powered tool.

A full-size Makita 18V cordless reciprocating saw is about $200 on Amazon. A compact reciprocating saw is about $80 on Amazon. The compact model is still larger than competitors at ‎17 inches long x 4 inches wide x 7 inches high, but it weighs only 3 pounds, so it's much smaller than the full-size cordless saw — but also far less powerful.

Another set of sibling tool brands, Ryobi and Milwaukee tools may cross paths in the factory, but the two brands have very different reputations. Milwaukee ranks higher on our list due to thousands of positive reviews, but that's not to say Ryobi manufactures bad tools by any means. At a lower price point, the brand is somewhat of a budget option when it comes to cordless reciprocating saws.

That said, Ryobi's reciprocating saws are some of the best-rated of its tools at Home Depot (and is available at other retailers, though apparently not at Lowe's), so when pitted against its other tool lines, these saws perform decently enough. In terms of other consumer reviews, there aren't a whole lot of complaints. Interestingly, Ryobi's entry-level cordless reciprocating saw gets decent battery life, but there are some not-so-great reviews out there, too.

Many consumers complain about the durability of Ryobi's cordless reciprocating saw, with various reviewers alleging that the saw head is flimsy and breaks easily. Given that a Ryobi 18V cordless reciprocating saw costs about $56 on Amazon, it may be worth the investment if you're prepared to accept that it won't live a long life in your toolbox.

The 18V PCL515B cordless reciprocating saw from Ryobi measures 16 inches long x 3 inches wide x 7 inches high and weighs 3.72 pounds.

With many years in the industry and many brands under its brand umbrella, Black + Decker is one of the better choices for cordless reciprocating saws. At a highly competitive price point, Black + Decker offers the same power and ease of use as other brands and has racked up far more positive reviews than other brands. Consumers tend to praise how powerful, versatile, and easy to use Black + Decker saws are.

There are some concerns about battery life, as is the case with nearly every other saw, so you might take that complaint with a grain of salt. However, something that consumers don't complain about is the price of a Black + Decker saw, which is interesting given that its subsidiary Porter-Cable ranks at a similar price point (some models are even pricier) but its tools are far less beloved than Black + Decker-labeled models.

A 20V Black + Decker cordless reciprocating saw is about $59 on Amazon. The tool measures 15.63 inches long x 3.44 inches wide x 7.13 inches high and weighs 3.9 pounds.

One of Bosch's most affordable power tools is a cordless reciprocating saw, which isn't surprising if you've heard about Bosch's reputation. The brand's cordless tools generally earn positive reviews for having decent battery life and being quite utilitarian.

When shopping for a cordless reciprocating saw, my husband and I gravitated toward Bosch because we've owned other tools from the brand, and they seem to live far longer than the rest of our collection. To date, our Bosch cordless reciprocal saw has been used for cutting pipes and wood and performed admirably.

The one caveat is that Bosch's most affordable reciprocal saw is big and heavy. If you've used smaller models before, or ones that weigh in under this tool's 6.35-pound heft, it might feel too big to comfortably handle. The size is also larger than similar models at 17.7 inches long x 4 inches wide x 6.8 inches high.

A Bosch 18V cordless reciprocating saw costs about $96 on Amazon, which feels like a bargain considering how well it seems to perform. It's also worth noting that the CRS180B tool has a 1⅛-inch stroke length; most other models we looked at were only 1 inch.

DeWalt is one of the most popular tool brands available on online retailers, and the brand's cordless reciprocating saw even earned Amazon's best-of tag. Consumers tend to agree that DeWalt's cordless reciprocating saws offer ample power, are easy to use, and have proven reliable over time.

There are some complaints about battery life which, again, is a given with any cordless power tool. Despite that, DeWalt's reciprocating saws have earned thousands of positive reviews across multiple retailers. They are also easy to find, with models in stock at Lowe's, Home Depot, hardware stores, and Amazon.

A 20V Dewalt cordless reciprocating saw is around $158 on Amazon and offers the same 1⅛-inch stroke length as the Bosch model we checked out. This saw measures 14.5 inches long x 6 inches wide x 7 inches high and weighs 5.4 pounds. It's not the lightest-weight cordless reciprocating saw, but it is the most compact length-wise. However, it also loses a bit of power, generating slightly fewer SPM than other models at 2,900.

For the purists out there looking for an actual Sawzall, it will have to be a Milwaukee. Milwaukee manufactured the original Sawzall, and as far as build, it does things a bit differently than other brands. Its saw is rather compact at 15.1 inches long x 7.1 inches wide x 23 inches high, but weighs 7.4 pounds, so it's on the heavier side.

Most consumers who review Milwaukee tools tend to agree that the brand makes excellent products, and the few complaints appear to be one-off issues like not receiving the appropriate product while ordering online. Fortunately, you can find Milwaukee Sawzalls at Home Depot (though apparently not Lowe's in the U.S.) and Ace Hardware in person, in addition to online stores like Amazon.

Choosing the right blades makes all the difference, even with the original Sawzall, but consumers report being able to cut all manner of materials while working on various household projects. Perhaps thanks to the rave reviews, Milwaukee's Sawzall is one of Amazon's bestsellers.

A Milwaukee 18V reciprocating saw costs around $125 on Amazon.

In ranking each major cordless reciprocating saw brand from worst to best, we've considered overall product reviews, availability online and in stores, the ease of use, and power, where applicable. We sought out and compiled consumer reviews on a variety of platforms (Amazon, Home Depot, Lowe's, and Google shopping), then compared prices, features, and tool sizes.

Given that I have firsthand experience with a Bosch cordless reciprocating saw, I feel confident ranking it higher than other models with various consumer complaints. Of course, your mileage may vary!