RSC 18 Cordless Reciprocating Saw

[squall_line]

This is one particular tool that I wouldn't "invest" in, but that's just my use-case situation. I see a recip saw as a very crude demolition tool...... I occasionally trim/prune trees/shrubs with it.  [scared]

I agree.  Used mine yesterday to cut tree roots when digging a hole.  That is probably how I use it the most.

That's the only reason I still have my brother's Bosch sitting in my garage; I'm still dealing with the roots from multiple felled trees in our backyard and trying to plant new ones or dig gardens.  Although with the drought this year and their age since the stump was ground (about 2 1/2 years ago), they're finally starting to split and pull fairly easily with a cutting mattock.

 

[woodbutcherbower]

I took delivery of a Hilti SR4-A22 recip saw last week - all my cordless tools are on their 22v battery platform. It’s something I’ve never needed or even contemplated before. But my current job consists of building and installing 12 new windows for a schoolhouse built in 1897 (the smallest 6-casement one is pictured - the biggest one has 18 casements and will likely be a four-man lift). They’re unusual insofar as that only the bottom small casements actually open - and then only partially, by tilting back a few inches. So getting the old ones out will be a PITA. The only realistic way is to drill a hole in the corner of each section of the main casement frames, and then cut out each casement with the recip. Once these are out and the outer frame is fully exposed, I’ll make the usual cut through the vertical jamb and crowbar out as usual. I’ll hang onto the saw for the other uses that folks have mentioned. Plus - a separately-owned section of the schoolhouse also has 8 more of these windows which are just as rotten as these - so the saw might well see some future repeat action.

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Kevin

 

[salbrechtnh]

Thank-you ToolHut for pointing out the saw is manufactured in China.  [eek] Unfortunately, I just bought one. ALL of my earlier Festools are EXCELLENT. Before now, I had assumed Festool was a German tool manufacturer and could be relied upon for precision and dependability that I have depended upon for a very long time. Now that their tools might be manufactured in China tells me a great deal about the future of this great company. I will now have to read the label for country or origin because every China made tool I have ever owned has gone out of alignment or broken within a few years which makes them unusable for my work.  :-\ This brings a great deal of sadness to me. My entire woodshop is gray, blue and green. They just opened the door for other manufacturers going forward. Very sad.

 

[woodbutcherbower]

Thank-you ToolHut for pointing out the saw is manufactured in China.  [eek] Unfortunately, I just bought one. ALL of my earlier Festools are EXCELLENT. Before now, I had assumed Festool was a German tool manufacturer and could be relied upon for precision and dependability that I have depended upon for a very long time. Now that their tools might be manufactured in China tells me a great deal about the future of this great company. I will now have to read the label for country or origin because every China made tool I have ever owned has gone out of alignment or broken within a few years which makes them unusable for my work.  :-\ This brings a great deal of sadness to me. My entire woodshop is gray, blue and green. They just opened the door for other manufacturers going forward. Very sad.

I think it's probably short-sighted to write off an entire range of products based solely on their country of manufacture. All of my Hilti 22v tools were manufactured in China. They've been tortured on a daily basis for 6-7 years with zero failures, and their performance and durability are absolutely stellar - no different to the Hilti corded equipment I use which was all made in Europe.

The chances are that your post was made on either a Chinese-made phone, or typed out on a Chinese-made keyboard as you were looking at a Chinese-made screen. You'll likely take a break for coffee brewed in your Chinese-made coffee machine, before settling down for the evening in front of your Chinese-made TV. Sure - the country still produces boatloads of 'built down to a price' garbage - but in my experience, they also produce high-quality products which equal those of their European counterparts. 

I'd dearly love to fill my van with UK-made tools, just as I'm sure that US or European citizens on here would equally all love to equip solely using products made in the US or in Europe. But the reality is that apart from things like Joseph Marples squares and various other small hand tools, everything else comes from outside the UK. We don't have any companies producing routers, saws, planers, sanders etc. It's just 2023 economic reality.

 

[Cheese]

So if there's little love on the FOG for a recip saw...what does everyone use for demolition work? I'm serious because I couldn't function without mine. From timbers to studs to black iron & cast iron pipe to 4" pvc pipe to exhaust systems on cars and finally to tree pruning and root removal.

I can't think of a better method than a recip. I have 2 Milwaukee Sawzalls, a corded and a cordless and my wife has her own cordless Sawzall.

I was actually quite interested in picking up the RSC 18 hoping the vibration level would be lower than the Milwaukee products. When I recently picked up the AGC 18, I noticed it was smoother and quieter than the comparable Milwaukee RA grinder. I was hoping for the same with the RSC 18.

This weight thing though is goofy, Milwaukee's were right around 9 pounds but that was 20 years ago when they were 90% cast aluminum. The current models are under 7# and getting lighter. Holding 9# over your head is not where I want to be. 

 

[wwb119]

After following this thread for a few days, I looked at a bunch of recip saw reviews, just ordered the Bosch GSA 18V-110.  About $290 at Lowes w/ 8 A-hr battery.  I'm already on the Bosch 18V platform.  I was tempted by the Hilti, though.  The SR6-A22 is a sweet looking unit.
I have two Milw Sawzall's, the newest from 2015.  Time for a change.
The weight of the FT is a deal-breaker for me.  At the end of the day, that extra couple pounds makes a difference, esp with overhead work. 
Kevin - the 1897 schoolhouse looks like a great project ! 

 

[Ron B]

So if there's little love on the FOG for a recip saw...what does everyone use for demolition work? 

It is not that I am against recip saws-I just do not want to treat a Festool like I do a recip saw.  I don't mind using my "off-brand" recip saw in a trench but I do not want to treat a Festool like that.  Same thing with 4 1/2" grinders.  I have four of them-one is a Harbor Freight one that I paid $10 for.  If I leave it on a tractor wheel and drive over it-no big deal. 

 

[Michael Kellough]

Weight of a reciprocating saw…isn’t a heavier tool going to dampen vibrations more than a lighter weight tool?

 

[Cheese]

Weight of a reciprocating saw…isn’t a heavier tool going to dampen vibrations more than a lighter weight tool?

Yes, the heavier weight would help dampen the vibrations, but for overhead use weight is an issue. That's the reason Milwaukee has been slowly paring away the weight of their Sawzalls. Slowly, over the last 20 years Milwaukee has reduced the weight every 3-4 years while also installing internal anti-vibration systems similar to what automotive producers use but on a smaller scale. I upgrade the Sawzall every 5 years or so and have noticed significant improvements. Contrast that to a drill and you'd be hard pressed to notice a difference over 10 years.

 

[Cheese]

So if there's little love on the FOG for a recip saw...what does everyone use for demolition work? I'm serious because I couldn't function without mine.

Going back to this query, I needed some thin EPDM sheet today to place between some square fence posts and a Bessey clamp to permit removal of some fence posts without damaging them. I kept a roll of this EPDM in the garage but it seems the squirrels decided it looked and smelled like licorice so they helped themselves. I'm sure after eating the stuff it didn't take long for them to go toes-up.  [smile]

So once again I resorted to my trusty Sawzall to trim the beavered-off end from the rest of the roll. These things are just so handy there's a reason I keep one in the garage and 2 in the house. I appreciated the [member=72457]Yardbird[/member] answer...that makes sense  [smile] but I just really enjoy working with quality tools too much to deny myself the pleasure when working in difficult/dirty situations.

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[mino]

It is not that I am against recip saws-I just do not want to treat a Festool like I do a recip saw.  I don't mind using my "off-brand" recip saw in a trench but I do not want to treat a Festool like that.  Same thing with 4 1/2" grinders.  I have four of them-one is a Harbor Freight one that I paid $10 for.  If I leave it on a tractor wheel and drive over it-no big deal.

Umm. Then I must be weird.

I bought all my Festool power tools (and other high-end/pro tools) so I do not have to think about the tools destroying themselves.
Be it from under-specced gearboxes on drills where the "hard" torque of brushless motors destroys it (hey Makita!), vacs "melting up" from undersized motor cooling (hey Parkside!) or the bending of an under-specced saw frame when a blade hits something (hey Makita!). Then for precision, lack of vibration etc. Overall I pay more so I can think LESS of the tool and more of what I am doing.

Buying "cheap" for hard work stuff seems almost sado-masochistic to me.

On topic:
IMO the RSC is a complementary product for those who already are on the Festool 18V platform. Lots of people asked for it for a long time in the US with all those wooden houses, so Festool obliged. It is reasonably priced for a Festool (considering the warranty etc.) so I do not see any issue with it. All I will ask of mine is to be reliable.

===
The way it is going, I will be on Festool 18V, Bosch 12V (lasers etc.) and Ryibi 20V (nailers + the low-use stuff).

In that setup, a medium-power-but-reliable recip saw makes a lot of sense the moment the Ryobi one stops cutting it. Pun intended.

 

[salbrechtnh]

I realize this is about the RSC 18, but I thought woodbucherbower's assumption that I have many Chinese products should not go unanswered because it would let someone believe Chinese products are inevitable. My first trip to China was in 1985 for business; I have a little experience. My coffee maker is German (Miele). Everything in the kitchen USA (Wolf, Subzero), German, Italian or Swiss . etc., etc., All purchased on function and quality not country of origin. The future? Who’s John Galt? I’m done and off the air.

 

[Crazyraceguy]

[member=44099]Cheese[/member] What did that poor K-body do to you?  [scared]
I could see clamping a block to the post....and jacking on the block, but not directly on the clamp itself.

 

[Cheese]

What did that poor K-body do to you?  [scared]
I could see clamping a block to the post....and jacking on the block, but not directly on the clamp itself.

Unfortunately, [member=58857]Crazyraceguy[/member] that K-Body just became a victim of time.  [sad]

The garage demolition was put on a schedule and I expected to fabricate some pretty functional/clever wooden adapters for the eventual EPDM/Bessey post removal.

Suddenly, I was asked if they could demo the garage 5 days earlier, and who doesn't sign up for that program considering Minnesota seasonal changes. So it was all hands-on-deck and the Bessey clamp was the last chair out.  [smile]

I will add, these posts were always anticipated to be removed for the new garage so I "Planted" them with pea gravel instead of concrete so that the pea gravel would act like ball bearings and allow the easy withdrawal of the posts. The aluminum posts are $120 each so Sawzalling (he's always Sawzalling everything) 5 of them down to the ground was not an option for me.

I might add that the posts were temporarily installed 10+ years ago so I'm very happy with the results...and the pea gravel posts were within 85%-90% the strength of the cement posts.

 

[Ron B]

It is not that I am against recip saws-I just do not want to treat a Festool like I do a recip saw.  I don't mind using my "off-brand" recip saw in a trench but I do not want to treat a Festool like that.  Same thing with 4 1/2" grinders.  I have four of them-one is a Harbor Freight one that I paid $10 for.  If I leave it on a tractor wheel and drive over it-no big deal.

Umm. Then I must be weird.

I bought all my Festool power tools (and other high-end/pro tools) so I do not have to think about the tools destroying themselves.

In that setup, a medium-power-but-reliable recip saw makes a lot of sense the moment the Ryobi one stops cutting it. Pun intended.

I am not worried about tools destroying themselves-more like I destroy them.  I have farm property over 300 miles away, and I just take a truck load of tools not knowing exactly what I need-I may need a chainsaw or shovels or log chains or a post hole digger, I just do not know what I am going to get into.    So I do not want my Festools rattling around in the back of the truck.  My junk tools are Porter Cable so they go into a plastic bucket, that gets zip tied into a garbage bag so I do not worry too much about someone grabbing something out of the back of the truck if I am in the bathroom.  So I have a bunch of plastic trash bags in the back and even I forget which bag has what.  Also, if I drop my Porter Cable impact when I am 20 feet up in a tree trying to hang a no trespassing sign up, that is one thing.  If it was my Festool, I would probably jump with it and try to have it land on me to break its fall.  So for me, having a line of junk tools work better under certain circumstances.  I did use a machete and pliers to cut a tractor tire off of a tractor wheel one time, but that was a special circumstance.  Also used the 4.5 HF grinder to cut a tire off of a tree that had grown up inside of it.  The grinder was smoking by the time I finished.  Don't want to do that with a festool.  You don't want to loan me your tolls when I am in the back 40. 

 

[woodbutcherbower]

I did use a machete and pliers to cut a tractor tire off of a tractor wheel one time, but that was a special circumstance.  Also used the 4.5 HF grinder to cut a tire off of a tree that had grown up inside of it.  The grinder was smoking by the time I finished. 

Thanks for putting a big smile on my face In that case, the extra weight of the Festool recip will be a big advantage. It will do a much better job when you’re using the tool body to knock in framing nails when you realise you’ve left your Estwing at home.

 

[Crazyraceguy]

I think we have all used a tool improperly in a "that's all that was handy" type situation, but there are limits... [big grin]
Screwdrivers are prybars and even chisels, but the battery of your drill is NOT a hammer  [scared] though I have seen it done.

 

[Ron B]

I think we have all used a tool improperly in a "that's all that was handy" type situation, but there are limits... [big grin]
Screwdrivers are prybars and even chisels, but the battery of your drill is NOT a hammer  [scared] though I have seen it done.

My wife asked me to plant some bulbs for her, but I guess I was not fast enough.  I later found her in the yard digging a hole using one of my wood chisels to plant her own bulbs.  I knew better to say anything, bit my tongue and now hid my good chisels.

 

[PaulMarcel]

Screwdrivers are prybars and even chisels, but the battery of your drill is NOT a hammer  [scared] though I have seen it done.

That's why ages ago I contacted Dave Jeske of Blue Spruce Toolworks and suggested he should make a paint can opener, but with his gorgeous chisel handle. I think he did a couple runs. Put that in your chisel drawer near the top so anyone looking for a makeshift can opener will find it first before, say, those pretty fishtail chisels.

 

[gamblin01]

You need to have at least one Chinese made recip from a Hong Kong company for those medieval occasions. Don't forget systainers for the blades.

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