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After three months of use we really only have one Makita reciprocating saw that doesn't throw blades AND has kept its parts together.On most of them the switch on the left side, in the black area, that changes them to 'orbital' cutting has broken (and those broke pretty early - either not being able to hold position, or just falling off).The metal guard on the front to adjust cutting depth has broken off on one of our saws, and inspection showed the metal it was made of to be thick - but seemingly a cheap type of metal (perhaps cast steel). wow, what a nightmare. We really like the speed control on these, when they work, but beyond that they have just been problematic.To be honest, we have one Ryobi reciprocating saw (plug in, none of our saws are rechargeable) that I would give three or four stars for, over this Makita, and that's for honest and tough use in construction.My suggestion is to take a good look at Milwaukee sawzalls if you want a saw for every-day construction use. I can't believe I have to give Makita a 1-star on a review. We cut a good amount of metal framing, door frames, wood framing and drywall with them.Before I started working with this company they used Porter Cable 'sawzalls.' We still have one or two left that rarely go out on jobs due to the side-to-side play that the worn Porter Cable blade-mechanisms allow. For general cutting they will still do the job, but for making straight cuts across drywall, or precise metal cuts, it's time to grab something else.Since I've been working there we've used Milwaukee Sawzalls, and we've had pretty good luck with those (they lasted about two years).But these Makitas. The thinner guards on the Milwaukees are a real steel, and while we've bent them, we have never had a Milwaukee's guard break like the Makita's did. For home-use I suggest you even consider buying the Ryobi - ours has been a surprisingly good saw.
I own and use an 18V Makita drill that has served me pretty well (though I did have to take it to a service center and they replaced the 'transmission,' under warranty, with an updated one).I currently work for a construction company that uses reciprocating saws, and uses them a lot. From the get-go we had one that threw blades out. But I cannot recommend the Makitas for even light-duty use after seeing ours all go south (except for the one - though we did have to use a screw to wedge even that one's 'orbital' switch to stay in the "off" position two days ago). Two of the others developed this tendency within the first month of use.
We use it to cut cars in the used auto parts business. Usually lasts up to 3 months of really heavy duty service, which is better than the Milwaukee. And they discontinued the parts that you would need to fix it. This is by far the best heavy duty reciprocating saw on the market. There is only one week spot and that is the blade locking mechanism. That anti vibration technology is pretty good as well. 90% of the ones I've bought so far, and that's almost 30 of them break there.
We just finished up deconstruction of a fairly large house and this was there from the beginning. I can tell easily when the orbital is off because it starts cutting at the same speed as other reciprocating saws. We have filled 10+ 30 yard dumpsters worth of materials and it is still just as strong as and as favored as the first day it was on site.The variable speed and orbital action are really great. This is the best reciprocating saw that I have ever used. We have had around 12 guys working on this house everyday for the last few months with around 10 or so reciprocating saws on site. The handle feels great, however, it is a slight bit heavy and that is the only downfall. This is by far the best one on site as voted by all those carpenters.
Both will do the job, one just has more finese.In useage I found this to be smoother and quieter than the Milwaukee. It is a great saw. The shoe however is not.(as others have pointed out, it is very loose). For years, there has only been one manufacturer that offered a reciprocating saw that had a counterbalance, orbital action and a steel case. Milwaukee debate. I own a Milwaukee 6321-21 11 amp orbital with counterbalance. Granted,this is new and the Milwaukee is a few years older.The blade change on the makita is slightly better. I wont say it is better than the Milwaukee offerings, but it is on par at least.Home Depot had these on Clearance for 99 dollars.
That has all changed with this saw.I wont get into the Makita VS. This saw to me is just as good.A milwaukee is like a hummer. I got mine for 75 because it was a display and did not have the paperwork, case or blades. This is like a Cadilac Escalade.
The one short coming is the front shoe and the shoe holder. I would be willing to accept a more robust shoe holder in exchange for the `inconvenience' of having to use a wrench to adjust it. Buy with caution. I used this tool for 6 months during a major renovation. A good motor and good blade change mechanism are offset by the shoe mechanism rendering the saw inoperable after only 6 months.
All started well and I was very impressed with the saw. The mechanism that holds the shoe became looser and sloppier, causing the blade to cut into the shoe as it would rotate. The entire shoe support mechanism eventually just fell apart, rendering the saw unusable. Something a little more substantial is needed.
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