Milwaukee Sawzalls

One item Milwaukee Tools is best known for is the Sawzall. While that's a trademarked term, other manufacturers also make them (going by the name recip saws, which is short for reciprocating saws). But what is really interesting to me is the number of models that Milwaukee makes of this type of tool. But what is the reason for making so many unique SKUs of sawzall? I'll examine the top selling models a little closer today to show what the main differences are.

Saws of interest

The models I'll be looking at today are the 6536-21 13 amp Super Sawzall, 6523-21 360° Rotating Handle Super Sawzall, 6519-22 10 amp Sawzall, 6509-22 10 amp Sawzall, and the 6509-20 10 amp sawzall.

First things first - Amps

The first thing that people usually look at with a Sawzall is the amp rating. Of these, 3 are 10 amp and 2 are 13 amp. But what does that mean? Most people think that the amp rating states how much power the tool has, but that's not necessarily the case. Matt already wrote about this, so I'll just quote his blog entry on the topic.

You know that amp rating that so many consumers use to determine how much {insert manly growl} power a tool has? It really means very little. The rating process is kind of silly. The testing labs get a tool from a manufacturer and are told "We would like to be rated for 12.0 amps". The testing lab then puts heat sensors in certain areas of the tool, and then apply the requested current to the tool... as long as the sensors do not get above a set temperature in a set amount of time, then the lab says "Hey this is a 12.0 amp tool!"

Thanks, Matt. So now that we know that amps aren't that much of a difference, what should we look at now?

Price

Price seems like something that most people would be at least somewhat interested in. Arranging these by price, we get a range from about $109 to $189. That order looks like 6509-20, 6509-22, 6519-22, 6536-21 and 6523-21 is the highest. But that doesn't really tell us what the differences are yet, now does it?

Cases

One thing that can be noticed by looking at the "Standard Equipment" on each of these tools is that the 6536-21, 6523-21, and the 6509-22 all come with a carrying case. The 6519-22 and the 6509-20 do not. In fact, the only difference between the 6509-20 and the 6509-22 is the case. For $10, it seems that many people don't want the case. Choose wisely.

Stroke Length

One of the actual differences is the stroke length. The 6509 models are 3/4" stroke, the 6519 is 1-1/8", and the 6536 and 6523 are 1-1/4" stroke lengths. What that means is the in-and-out motion is 3/4" to 1-1/4" depending on model, which leads to the ability to cut smaller / larger materials easier. For most jobs, the longer stroke length is actually a plus. If you're cutting into a wall and don't want to poke out the other side or cut hidden wires, you may want the shorter stroke. That's just something you'll need to decide.

Orbital Action

If you've used a sawzall much at all, you'll quickly find out if it has orbital action or not. When cutting wood, orbital movement allows for the cutting motion to move a bit front-to-back, which allows the sawdust to fall from the material being cut. This speeds up cutting and adds to the life of the blade. The 6509's and 6519 don't have orbital action, while the 6536 and the 6523 include this feature.

Cord Type

On the 6509 and 6536, Milwaukee uses a fixed cord. Most people prefer the Quik-lok cord available on the 6519 and 6523 models. This makes it possible to replace a cut / frayed cord without opening the tool - even at the jobsite. As with any saw, the cord can easily be cut by accident, so this is a nice feature if you'll be using the saw quite a bit.

Keyless Blade Clamps and Shoes

All of these models have a keyless blade clamp. All of the models except the 6509 also include a keyless shoe adjustment. Since most people don't even know what the shoe is for, that probably doesn't make much of a difference. If you're one of the people that understands it (hint: it allows you to use other segments of the blade), then the keyless is a nice feature to look for.

Rotating Handle

The 6523-21, while it has all of the nice features listed above, also goes one step further. It also includes a rotating handle. This is designed to make the sawzall even more versatile by allowing the handle to rotate and lock at 45° increments. It can even rotate all the way around without going back to the starting position. That's just dandy, but why would you want that? Simple - flexibility. If you're cutting and want to go right-to-left instead of top-to-bottom, rotating the handle makes that much more comfortable. It also helps keep that pesky cord out of the way when cutting in cramped areas.

V28 Cordless

While these are all electric, It'd be silly not to point out that Milwaukee also offers their V28 Cordless Sawzall for those that just can't cope with a cord all the time. I personally prefer the idea of cordless, but it's a much higher pricepoint if you're not going to be using it very often. For a couple hundred dollars less, that 6523-21 looks awfully nice to me.

Reciprocating Saws

Reciprocating saws, also known as sawzalls, are a very useful tool. They can cut most anything you want, from 2x4's to steel studs. Depending on the blade and your skill level, you could make just about anything with one. It can be used similar to a jig saw or for demolition. That's just an awesome tool. Oh, and they can be used to cut cars in half. That's just cool. This one was cut with a Lenox blade and a Milwaukee V28 cordless recip saw at our annual tent event last summer. It took just 1 minute and 45 seconds to cut this car in half. What an awesome demonstration of cordless technology.

Many of these saws have an adjustable shoe. My Makita JR180DWD has one, but I never understood why. When Makita was demonstrating their new LXT model for us (it will be available soon), they explained the logic behind making the shoe move. Quite simply, this allows you to use different parts of the blade when cutting to extend blade life. It can also be used to limit the depth of a cut, but that wasn't the original reasoning behind the adjustment.

Now that I understand the reason for having an adjustable shoe, I'll probably be using it a whole lot more. The Makita models are, for the most part, a tool free shoe. Many of the others are getting there, but some still require a wrench to adjust the shoe. With the reasoning behind moving it, I can't imagine a wrench would be a good way to go.

I also now understand why so many people call asking for parts for the Makita JR3000's shoe. Unfortunately, that part has gone through almost 14 variations during the product's lifetime. That's why we have a note on our site to take it to a Makita Service Center. Makita won't even help you over the phone with those. They require seeing it to determine what the correct parts are. At this time, we have a few of the JR3000VX1 left, which includes a free pair of gloves. It's been a great tool, which is why it's been so long in existence without moving to a new model.

Currently, the only way to get the Makita LXT Recip Saw is to buy the LXT 4 piece kit. There is a rebate until March to get a free recip saw with that kit. For the price, that's an awesome deal. If I didn't have a kit already, I'd be jumping all over it. But I don't use them enough to justify spending that much for a new one.

For an electric recip saw, my preference is the Porter Cable Tiger Saw. The rotating handle is just cool. As a geek, I like toys like that. It becomes very comfortable in some applications when sideways. Other times, up and down is more appropriate. The rotating allows you to decide based on the job. It also has a keyless blade change and shoe adjustment. Again, very cool and well worth the additional few dollars over some of the lower end models.


My next project is going to be building a desk similar to this producer's station. I'll be cutting an aluminum rack for my equipment to mount on each side. I'm sure I'll be able to use my recip saw for that, and I'm looking forward to it. I'll also get to use my circular saw, miter saw, jigsaw, brad nailer, air compressor, and my drill - both as a drill and as a driver. I'll be sure to post some pictures when I have it completed. I don't know too many geeks that build their own desks. I guess that makes me a unique geek.