Ryobi 18V Reciprocating Saw: A nice addition to your power tool collection.
Written: Dec 30 '05 (Updated Jan 25 '06)
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Product Rating:
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Pros: Easy to use, powerful, balanced, cordless.
Cons: Needs extra batteries for large jobs, ergonomics are only average.
The Bottom Line: A good tool for do it yourselfers.
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| yakkowarner's Full Review: Ryobi P510 18V Variable Speed Reciprocating Saw |
This is basically an electric saw. It runs off of an 18V battery that also works for the other Ryobi 18V tools. The blades are interchangeable depending on the job you are doing. And at 18 volts, it is a powerful cordless tool.
What the Ryobi 18V reciprocating saw came with
-Case.
-The main unit with attached Allen wrench.
-Battery
-Battery charger
-A couple of blades
-Manual
How it works.
First thing you need to do is install the blade. To do this you need to use the attached Allen wrench. This wrench is attached to the plastic part just under the back grip/trigger. A nice little design feature so you don’t lose it, and boy do I lose things easily. Just loosen the screw in the inside front (very easy to do), and take out the blade if one is in there. Then just slide in the new blade between two metal plates. The blade has a hole at the end and this slides into a protrusion on the larger of the two blades. Then tighten the screw using the Allen wrench again so that the two metal plates securely clamp the blade into place. The blade should have little to no movement. If it moves a lot then it is not tight enough. Use the long part of the Allen wrench as the handle to give you more leverage.
The newer version has a toolless feature that gets rid of the need for the Allen Wrench.
The unit has a safety on it. You just push the safety with your thumb (it does not matter if you are right or left handed.) Then pull the trigger. The trigger is a variable speed trigger with about 10 different speeds and can do 3000 strokes per minute.
Now it depends on what you are sawing but I recommend resting the front of the main body on the object you are sawing, use your non-dominant hand to steady the front of the blade, and pull the trigger. You will then begin sawing.
You choose different blades depending on what it is you are cutting. A fine teeth blade for dense objects and course teeth blade for wood.
Why I got it
I originally got this as a necessary tool to replace my windows with double pane. Well that hasn’t happened yet. But I have gotten plenty of use out of it with odd jobs around the house and yard.
My experience
-My front tree- A big pain (see below). Because the tree is so dense it takes a long time to cut through it.
-2x2 piece of wood- Depends on the density of the wood but 30-60 seconds. It made quick work of some scrap wood I had.
-Nails and other metal- If you have a fine blade then it will cut through these fairly easily. When you replace windows you will (or so I’ve been told) cut through some metal nails. Always make sure you have the right blade for the job.
-Small palm trees- Cuts through fairly easily.
-Ice plant- Cuts straight through, but kind of a silly use.
-Small branches of shrubs and citrus- Cuts through like butter.
Ergonomics
While not bad it isn’t perfect. The balance is good and you do not have to put a lot of effort to make it work. But without a handle in the front of the unit you are forces to hold the front with your non-dominant hand in an awkward manner, and there is not much to grab onto. My fingers also get a bit tired holding onto the trigger for long periods of time because the trigger does have a lot of resistance. I would give this a B, I think there is room for improvement overall.
About the blades
The blades are interchangeable depending on the job at hand. The blades are not proprietary so several companies make these. You would use a course blade on wood/trees. A find blade would be for metal and very dense substances that a course blade would get caught in. A medium-fine blade is what I need for my windows since I am cutting through part of the house and the nails that are holding the window in place. Basically they make blades for any need, both depth of the teeth and length of the blade. Just look at the label and the blade package will usually spell out what it is used for, it isn’t hard to figure out.
Some of my experiences and the battery life
I was busy cutting through a 6-inch branch with a medium sized blade. It took about ten minutes total to get through it (but had I had a courser blade at the time it would have been faster.) The battery basically gave out in 7 minutes. It would still work it’s just that the torque was not there for the blade I had and it would freeze when it came into contact with the wood.
A few weeks later I went ahead and cut an 8-inch branch. It took about ten minutes but this time I got a course blade that was designed for wood. It was a whole lot easier with the new blade. The battery started to show signs of dying at 8 minutes and became useless in about 13 minutes. Keep in mind that this is a dense deciduous log. It will be good for a nice campfire next spring.
Expect battery life to last 13 continuous minutes with a good battery. For a typical project you should have around 1.5 hours of use before you get your backup battery. That is unless you are continuously cutting down branches. In that case a powerful chainsaw, from a rental place, is a better choice.
In my opinion, who is this for
Any do-it-yourselfer that does odd jobs around the house and yard. I am amazed at how much I have actually used it on pieces of wood and basic yard work. It is a lot easier and faster than using a hand saw. This tool can also get into a lot move places that a circular saw can as well as do more delicate work. And it will pay for itself if you need to do some major remodeling. I would feel comfortable recommending for a construction site but I am sure there are better models out there for a fulltime construction worker. For the home user it is perfect.
Dimensions and weight
All measurements taken at the maximum distance and with the battery installed, just as if you were using it.
Weight: 6 lbs, 1/8 oz
Length: 14 inches
Width: 2.75 inches
Height: 8.5 inches
Problems
I have had no problems with it as of this posting. My only complaint is that I wish it was more powerful and I wish the battery lasted longer. Of course I always want more power.
Summary
This is a reciprocating saw, which I basically call a cordless electric saw. It can take the place of a handsaw for most tasks. And with the ability to change out to different blades, you can cut anything from metal to wood. This model is also cordless which means you are forced to use battery power. So if you have a large project you better have some back-up batteries on hand. But for small projects around the home it is a nice little addition to your tool collection.
Other Ryobi 18V tools I own.
Ryboi 18V drill.
Ryboi 18V hand vacuum.
Ryobi 18V flashlight
Recommended:
Yes
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