Milwaukee 2620-22 M18 Sawzall Reciprocating Saw Review

Manufacturer:
Model: 2620-22
Price: $349
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The Milwaukee M18 Sawzall (2620-22) is just plain fun to use. It’s cordless, which opens up a wide range of opportunities for use, and weighs just
shy of 8 lbs with the battery. The weight puts it surprisingly close to its corded
brethren. What it gives up in power (and lack of orbital action) it
makes up in strokes per minute. In fact, it has more SPM than the
corded 11-15 amp models Milwaukee offers. Since it lacked orbital
action (which reduces its effectiveness at demolition work) overall cutting progress was considerably slower
than a corded or even cordless orbital model. It’s a trade-off – slower
cutting vs. extended battery life. It honestly seems like it could go
either way, and we probably would have preferred an orbital option. 
Another thing that impressed us was the generous stroke depth – a
full 1″  – which was just 1/4-inch shorter than the typical corded Sawzall
Reciprocating Saws, but a little less than much of the cordless competition.

If you haven’t yet figured this out, Milwaukee made this cordless
model to get as close as possible to the same power as its corded offerings. That’s a tall
order, so it was with great anticipation that we hit the test bench and
lined up some wood and other materials to cut. We started with a
standard 2×4. The M18 Sawzall took to it with gusto and sliced off
piece after piece. With this tool, the blade is going to make all the
difference. We preferred the rougher, demo blades when cutting through
2×4 studs for demo work, but a finer general-purpose blade
(included with the saw) was better suited for handling PVC and even slicing
through 1/4″ plywood sheathing. The M18 Cordless Sawzall Reciprocating Saw even
made mincemeat out of some old growth pine and allowed us to hack our way through some finish nails that had been
nestled in a trim board we were slicing through. We recommend the first thing you do is buy a handful of blades,
including one for metal, and this saw will work wonders for most
applications.

We liked the variable speed trigger – if only because it allowed us to ease into our work. The lack of an adjustable depth shoe, however, meant that our blade use was less efficient and specific depth settings were out of the question. Blade changes were quick and easy and it took just a flip of the lever to have our old blade out and the new one in.

Noise output was more than acceptable with the M18 2620-22 Sawzall, and we only
measured 89 dB at our traditional distance of 3 feet (be prepared for this to increase when you cut into building materials). Those looking to do a ton of demo
work will still want to stick to a corded orbital model simply because
it offers a bit more stroke and power for extensive jobs where you
don’t want to be interrupted.

The Milwaukee 2620-22 Sawzall Reciprocating Saw Kit is a tool that performed very well with consistent results. Because it lacks some of the features we’d expect in a flagship cordless reciprocating saw, like orbital action and an adjustable shoe, this particular tool fails to truly stand out among its peers. For our Value rating, we gave the M18 SawZall a 5/10 because the competition really gives it a run for the money. Performance was a different story altogether. Although your results will vary based on the blade selection you use, the M18 Sawzall really took to its work, and we ranked it an 8/10 to reflect its aggressive cutting ability. For $350, this isn’t a tool for the average homeowner, but construction professionals should feel they are adding a substantial tool to their arsenal. For those who are doing a lot of demo work, you may want to stick to a corded model or take a look at some of the competitive cordless products on the market.

Specs

• No Load SPM: 0-3,200
• Stroke Length: 1″
• Weight: 8lb (with XC battery)