Bare-Tool Milwaukee 2625-20 M18 18-Volt Hackzall Cordless One-Handed Reciprocating Saw (Tool Only, No Battery)

• The product is easy to use
• The product is durable
• The product is manufactured in China
• One-handed design provides superior control and versatility over a standard reciprocating saw
• Compact size allows for cutting in tight spaces, and light weight makes overhead work easier
• QUIK-LOK Blade Clamp offers fast, easy tool free blade changes for SAWZALL Blades and HACKZALL Blades
• Built-In LED light illuminates the work surface while cutting
• Compatible with M18 XC High Capacity LITHIUM-ION Batteries and M18 Compact LITHIUM-ION Batteries

The HACKZALL M18 Cordless One-Handed Recip Saw features a compact and light weight design for superior control and versatility. The powerful motor delivers 0-3,000 strokes per minute and a 3/4-Inch stroke length allows for fast cutting through a wide range of material such as wood, metal and PVC. The dual gear anti-vibration system increases control and accuracy. The 2625-21CT also features a QUIK-LOK blade clamp which offers fast and easy blade changes.

                                     

By J. Lucas

I bought this as a part of a package deal with a hammer drill and two batteries. At the time, I was more interested in the drill but have since used the Hackzall far more often.

I was skeptical about the durability of this tool and the life of the batteries given the way I've used it. I have to say, it's exceeded my expectations every time I use it! The tool is balanced and easy to use with one hand, although I tend to use both hands most times.

I have used this tool (and many blades) to cut up an entire car in a storage space that does not have power available. I managed to get the car cut into 3' x 3' pieces in three days (2 batteries used per day). Given all of the reinforced metal in a car, I'd say that's impressive!

The batteries are very durable and tend to last quite a while under continual use and they charge up pretty fast. The only downside is that they are expensive (but have a great warranty).

Overall, I'm impressed with this tool (and the drill) and will more than likely buy additional M18 tools and a couple of batteries.

By Benjamin Vincent

This beast is awesome! It has the power to cut through anything a 18v sawzall will do, but can be operated with one hand. Having your other hand free to grip the piece you are cutting is great! And for cutting thicker materials or things that really don't need a hand on them to keep them steady, your other hand (the one not on the trigger) fits comfortably and firmly either on top of the motor (there are vents on multiple sides and the end so you won't block all of them), or down on the front of the tool much like a traditional sawzall. I've heard that it makes cuts a hair slower, but I couldn't really notice and even if that's true it's a small price to pay for one handed operation. I'd trade 2.5 sec instead of 2 sec flat to cut through a 2x4 if it means having this smaller, lighter saw that you can use with one hand any day. I haven't had to use this for extended periods making a huge amount of cuts on any one day, so can't really comment on battery performance. Haven't owned for that long, so can't say much on duribility, but it's made by Milwaukee - the inventor of the sawzall. Seems solid and I'm not worried about it. Did seem a little quieter though.

PROS: small. light. powerful. ONE HANDED OPERATION. LED light. takes standard sawzall/recip blades. Will run on either the compact or XC battery (never felt unbalanced, but balance was a bit better for me with the XC battery for what it's worth).
CONS: foot is not adjustable, but hasn't really effected me thus far.

By David L. Johnson

This saw is excellent. I can manage the saw as well with one hand as I could an old "sawsall" with two hands. It is very easy to manage and keep the blade where it needs to be. Battery life seems excellent so far. The balance is better than I thought it would be when I first saw it.

By Jim Lowney

I recently bought this saw when it was on sale here at Amazon - since I have 2 Milwaukee batteries (older 1.4 Amp-Hour units) and plenty of Sawzall blades lying around, it was a great deal. I figured I'd at least get some use out of it for small jobs where pulling out an extension cord would be more work than the actual job itself. While that certainly turned out to be true, this saw is so handy and versatile that I've found myself using it on plenty of bigger jobs too (still DIY homeowner-type stuff).

The first thing I did was throw in a pruning blade (Milwaukee 48-00-1301) and start cleaning up some old storm damage around the yard. While I need a hex key to change blades on my Sawzall, this saw has the "QUIK-LOK blade clamp" - a quick twist and the blade was in and ready to go. The clamp seems to hold the blade nice and tight too. I cut several smaller branches (1" or so in diameter) and was impressed to find that I could usually finish the cut in 5 seconds or less. The bigger branches (2"-3" diameter) generally took 10-20 seconds, while the 'big stuff' (6+ inches) took 45 seconds or so. The smaller stuff was easy to cut with one hand, but I tended to use both hands for the 6" branches. Overall, I was very happy with how powerful and easy to use the saw was out in the yard.

Then I came inside and tried some other blades (and again appreciated the quick change mechanism). I used a hacksaw blade to cut through some PVC and some metal (nails, bolts, etc). Then I put in a demo blade and cut some old lumber. In every case, the Hackzall cut just about as fast as my Sawzall would have, and, mainly due to the pistol-grip, was much easier to use.

Battery life was OK, but as I noted, I'm using old, 1.4AH batteries (48-11-1815) - I'll be looking to pick up the M18-XC battery (48-11-1828, which is 2.8AH) as soon as it goes on sale. For quick jobs around the house/yard, the cheaper 1.4AH batteries are fine - but if you're going to be cutting away for hours at a time, you'll want the 2.8AH battery.

Another nice feature is the LED : if you depress the trigger just a little, an LED located under the blade illuminates your work area. Most of the time you won't really need this feature but it is handy when you are using the saw in an area with less-than-ideal illumination.

In summary - this is a great saw, powerful and well-built yet lightweight and easy to use.

PROS :
- Lots of power
- Cordless convenience
- The pistol grip (which makes it easy to use with one hand)
- The tool-less blade change system
- Backward compatibility with SOME older batteries (including the M18 units I have on hand!)
- Works with the various Sawzall blades I've accumulated over the years
- Very solid - feels like it should last a long time
- The LED

CONS:
- None so far - but I've only had the tool for a few weeks, so ...

I will update this review if anything changes.

By M. Kulessa

I mainly use this saw to prune our trees and cut firewood for our firepit and it does the job better than any other saw I ever had. One battery (the small kind) lasts about a half hour of constant sawing.

By Larry T

I've truely enjoyed this saw. It quickly cuts through material and is great for single handed operation. I've used it heavyly doing framing jobs and for drywall sheet fitting of complex cuts. It does alright with the compact 18volt batteries but I should have purchased the extended verision of the 18v battery.

By Giovanni

It's a very good tool it works very well, I'm an electrician and I use it to cut electrical mettalic tube on the job, it beats using a hack saw or using the big reciprocating sazall.

By Carl Wellman

I have been upgrading my portable hand tools with great Milwaukee hand tools, they are excellent quality!
I needed a portable saw for pruning trees, cutting PVC and steel during different projects. Even though this saw isn't as powerful as a true recipricating saw, it does a great job for those smaller projects like taking out a 2x4 in small space, PCV projects and steel pipe, this saw handles those with ease!
I used this saw along with a pruning blade to trim 5 of our large trees this weekend. The saw worked great, cut through the limbs quickly and the 18v battery lasted all day with power to spare.
The only suggestion I have is when using the saw with flexible items such as smaller tree limbs or PVC, etc., it works best to keep the item you are cutting right next to the blade guard other wise, the item will vibrate wildly with the blade strokes. Larger items are not a problem with vibrations.
That's it, great tool, great quality and long lasting battery power no matter what you are cutting, this tool will do a great job for you!

By C. Edrington

I purchased this 18volt one handed hackzall because of all the negative reviews of the 12volt version being underpowered.I feel my choice was justified as this saw as performed well on the various projects I have used it on.

By Daniel M. Boggia

Delivered well before the estimated date, and in great packaging & condition.

Used it today. Great little tool. Power to spare with the XC battery, and was very comfortable to use. Feels hefty and very well made.

Certainly not a direct replacement for a corded sawzall if you plan on doing lots of cuts all day, but a very powerful and useful tool if you're working in an area (like an attic) without access to power, or need to make a few cuts but don't feel like dragging out the cords.

I imagine this will become a well-worn tool in my arsenal.