Need a good Sawzall for demolition (Sort of OT)

[hoffman]

Well, the machining is on hold now while I do a remodel of a house I just bought. I have demolished an add on and I need a good saw to rip through the tin roof and the plywood sheathing so I can get it into the dumpster. My B&D is a consumer model and I need something to take a beating and cut fast. Any advice on the best TPI blades etc. for this kind of thing? Maybe something I haven't thought of?

Thanks guys.

[gunsmith]

The best machine out there is the "Super Sawzall" by Milwakee. I have one and so does our fire department. Best of the Best.

[hoffman]

Thanks. Just got one!

[Rustybolt]

How's that plasma cutter workin for ya? I'm considering gettin one.

[JRouche]

Yep, Milwaukee sawzall with variable speed when cutting sheet metal or a house in half. It has never failed me.

Now, when yer in the yard "trimmin up" the Dewalt 18v cordless has saved me the cord un-wrap and re-roll drill. Real nice to be able to just grab it off the shelf, slap a battery in and cut off a chunk of steel in the garage, oh yeah, quick change blade change helps too.

But if I'm gonna rip down a wall or two on the house so I can bump her out abit I would grab the Milwaukee first, then grab a neighbor and give them the Dewalt to help out JRouche

[Samuel]

at work we use one of these ... I like it , as well as the lifetime service

http://www.us.hilti.com/holus/module...jsp?OID=-16450

Samuel

[John Garner]

M K Morse blades seem to work better and last longer for me than other brands, but I don't honestly know if the difference between the Morse and other major brands is more "anecdotal" or "statistically valid".

[hoffman]

I got a "Super Sawzall" off ebay. Should come in pretty handy.

@ Rusty: The plasma is still holding up and I don't know how I went so long without one! I'm always finding some weird use for it.

[john hobdeclipe]

You won't go wrong with the Milwaukee brand.

Lenox makes good blades, including a 9" "demolition" blade that will go right through nails, etc. You can do some rough flush cuts with a long blade, taking advantage of the flex. You can put on a fine tooth blade and cut your 3/0 copper service entrance cable ( be sure it's not energized!) You can cut your rebar, you can cut the opening for a skylight in the roof, you can make cuts where no other saw can reach.

You'll soon wonder how you ever lived without one.

[motorcyclemac]

Blade oscillation and demo blades

My Milwaukee Super Sawzall has a feature that I don't have on my Porter Cable Tiger saw. The Milwaukee has an adjustment for making the blade oscillate in a vertical circular motion to lift the blade on the foreward stroke. This really matters in that I can cut much faster with the red saw vs the grey one.

As for blades...I have some that are sold thru Milwaukee I belive. They are horrible looking. The blade is about 8 inches...marketed under the name.."THE AX". Uh...they ain't joking. That blade has about 4-5 teeth to the inch and is really hard at the tip of the tooth. Um...lets see ...I have cut 20d nails with it...water pipe...lag bolts....rebar... etc. Oh...when cutting steel etc...it throws blue chips that are smoking hot. One of these blades turns an otherwise awesome Super Sawzall into the construction materials eating beast of the year. It will eat thru a 2x6 in about the same time as a chainsaw. No joke. Hoffman..your car can go from hard top...to convertable...in 5 minutes.

You are gonna love that saw.

-Bill

[Herm Williams]

I have a heavy duty skill saw carbide blade that I use for those jobs. Hangs up sometimes but it is fast.
re

[Ausserdog]

You're really going to like your Sawzall! I've beat the ever-liven crud out of mine and it still works like new. Get the Milwaukee blade assortment pack. It has half a dozen or so blades in it of different types. That way you can pick the right one for the job. I've tried some other brands of blades and always go back to the 'real ones'. They last a lot longer AND take tremendous abuse. I've been able to straighten ones that have almost bent over double (several times) without them breaking.

[Wirecutter]

Great. Now you've all gone and convinced me that I need a tool that I didn't know I needed. Thanks, fellas.

[Evan]

Yeah, me too. I have to tear up and replace my back decks this summer. I also am planning to take out a wall to expand our bedroom. I think I better have a look at one of those.

[TECHSHOP]

My Sawzall is used on almost all my projects, metal or wood. It is a great demolition tool, just have plenty of blades, they bend, break, and strip teeth, partway through the task. The "AX" blade mentioned is a rescue blade (read expensive) if IIRC, and has a good reputation in that line of work.

Milwaukee makes a few different models (all are good) of Sawzall at different price points , with different features, motor size etc; so make sure you are comparing the same model when you are comparing prices.

I also have a Bosch "inline" saw that uses the t-shank style jigsaw blade, to fit in the smaller spaces that the bigger Sawzall just won't fit. I don't know if this saw is still in production, or imported to the states (Swiss made IIRC). The "bendy in the middle" type recip saws are taking its place in the market.

In recip saws, I think "brand" choice is important, but that is just my humble opinion, YMMV.