Milwaukee V28 Sawzall Review 0719-20

 The Milwaukee Sawzall is one of the all time great power tools, and this review covers this amazing power tool.  This V28 Sawzall came in the Milwaukee combo kit we purchased through Tylertool.com.  The kit number is 0928-29.  You can also buy this sawzall seperately, the model number is 0719-20.

The Milwaukee V28 Sawzall harnesses a lot of power and comes with some of the same features you are accustom to with their corded version.  Some quick specs are - 0-2000/0-3000 SPM, Keyless shoe adjustment and the famous Quik-Lok blade clamp.  The stroke lengh is 1-1/8″ and weighs only 7.1lbs.  Over all, when you pick up the V28 Sawzall, it doesn’t feel any different than the corded version.  The saw has a great balance and feels good in your hands.

Since it has a lot of the same features as the corded version, we figured we would put it through a test and compare the Milwaukee V28 Sawzall to the corded Sawzall model number 6521-21, which is the 11 amp version.  For this test we just wanted to check the cutting action, vibration in hands and over all performance.  So we took two solid oak 2×4’s, we embedded some nails and put a metal stake in between the wood.  My intial thought was the corded verion would perfom much better, but the power tool test would tell us the truth.

We ran the test using the V28 Sawzall.  The first thing I noticed was how easy it was to cut through the material.  I didn’t have to put a lot of pressure on tool.  I could tell from the start that the sawzall was doing the work and not my arms.  I was extremly suprised how fast and effiecient it cut through the material.  When I was done, I didn’t feel any vibration in my hands or arms.  Not once did the Sawzall bog down or even give a little, it stayed strong the whole time.

Next we took the corded verision and cut the same material.  We knew the corded would do a great, because we have tested this tool before, but we wanted to compare the speed and ease, so we could understand how the V28 did.  As you can see by the video below, the corded version ripped through the cut quick.  Now that we had a comparision, we had a better understanding that the V28 is one tough saw and even though it is battery opererated, it has the feeling and power of a corded Sawzall.

We gave the Milwaukee V28 Sawzall a 5 blade rating as we found out that everything we love about the corded version, now comes in a battery version.  Even though we are giving up a cord, we are not giving up any power or performance. 

Milwaukee Introduced New M18 Line

 Milwaukee announced their new power tool line of 18V called the M18.  Some of the new tools are the:

• M18 Sawzall - 2620-22
• M18 Circular Saw - 2630-22
• M18 Impact Driver - 2650-22
• M18 Hammer Drill - 2611
• M18 Drill/Driver - 2610
• M18 Work Light - 49-24-0171

These are all powered by Milwaukee’s 18V Lithium Ion Batteries. 

Here are a couple key points about each tool.

1. The saw has a 3,500 motor.  A little slower than we would like to see, but will still cut some serious materials.
2. The Milwaukee hammer drill can produce 650lbs. of torque which is more than their 28V, pretty impressive.
3. The Milwaukee M18 Work Light has a head that will rotate 135 degrees.
4. The impact driver looks like it has an LED light on it, not sure if this will be good or more of a distraction. 

Overall the new line looks pretty cool. 

This new line of Milwaukee M18 power tools looks to compete with the other 18V Lithium Ion tool manufactures out there.  We hope too test these tools in the near future. 

Milwaukee Sawzall Power Tool Review

Specifications - Milwaukee Sawzall Model - 6521-21

Amps - 11
Watts - 1,300
Volts - 120
Stroke Lengths - 1-1/4 in.
Strokes Per Minute - 0 to 3,200 SPM
Cord Length - 10 Ft. (Quick-Lok)
Weight - 8.9 Lbs.

Other Features
Ball and Roller Bearings
Orbital Action
Linear Counterbalance (Reduces Vibrations)
Tool Free Blade Change
Adjustable Shoe
Carrying Case

This is one of my favorite power tools and that was one of the reasons we did a power tool review on the Milwaukee Sawzall.  I truly love everything about this and can not find one item to complain about.  The Milwaukee Sawzall is a power tool used to destroy, so it is even more important to buy a good quality tool as more accidents happen during tear down.  The body is put through more stress during tear downs, which can cause fatigue quickly without the right tool! We went to tylertool.com and bought this Sawzall.

First impression when picking up the Milwaukee Sawzall power tool is “Solid”.  It has some good weight to it, but not to much, (8.9lbs) which helps in this type of application.  The rubber grips feel nice in your hands which means your hands will stay in place and not slide around.  The variable speed control is on the lower part of the “D” handle which is nice because your not going to accidentally change speeds.  Another item we noticed from the start was the balance of the tool.  The balance of this tool was perfect.  Some weight in the front that helps the tool cut, while the back was easy to move around.  The Quick-Lok feature is one of the best ideas to come along in a long time.  Since this tool is used to destroy, chances are you will ruin the power cord.  Instead of having to open the tool up to change the power cord, you can just disconnect it and put a new power cord on.  I don’t know how many cords I have ruined over the years, causing unnecessary down time for the tool. Not with this tool, just plug in a new cord and go.

We ran this tool through a number of tests, including, cutting 4×4, railroad ties, a lot of black pipe, plaster walls and more.  We tried to get the tool to bog down by wedging the tool blade, using an old blade, putting dust in the motor, and more.  We could not get this tool to stop or even bog down.  Yes, you can tell the difference between a sharp blade and dull blade, but that doesn’t have to do with the tool.  We thought we could get the tool to slow down with the railroad tie because it is wood covered in Creosote and has a steel s bar in the middle of the tie.  We did rip through a couple blades, but partly because we tried a wood blade for the metal because when you get to the middle of a tie, you are cutting metal and wood.  We ended up ripping through the center with a metal blade and a small amount of orbital action.  Another nice feature is you can adjust how much orbital action you want.  The collar that holds the blade is also an awesome feature.  With all we put this tool through, the blade never slipped out.  We even put the blade in a vice and used a pulley system to try and rip the blade out.  We ended up lifting the work bench up in the air.  So we had two guys sit on the table and still couldn’t get the blade to budge.  After all this when we did take the blade out, I thought it might be hard to get out, but nope, just a simple turn and it came right out like it was supposed to.  All in all we could not get this power tool to bog down.  We did rip through a lot of blades, but that’s about it. 

After using the tool for a long time, our arms felt fine.  We were not fatigued due to balance or vibrations.  Again, this is one of the biggest keys to a tool of this type.

Over all, our power tool review of the Milwaukee Sawzall is EXCELLENT. We were extremely impressed with this power tool.  This is a must own for anyone who plans on buying a reciprocating saw.  There are a lot of other great manufacturers out there, but the Milwaukee Sawzall truly has very nice unique features.  Take a look at tylertool.com if you are interested in getting this or another reciprocating saw.

Pro’s - Where to start. I love everything about this tool. The Quick-Lok, the blade system, the balance, the feel.

Con’s - I really can not think of any negatives to this tool. If I want to get picky, I guess the only con I can find is they should include some more blades.

Professional Power Tool Guide Rating
Value

We believe the value for this tool is incredible, one of the best values around. When you compare what this reciprocating saw has compared to the competition, this is hands down one of the best tools. Milwaukee’s unique Quick-Lok and blade lock make this tool even a better value compared to its competition.

Performance

The performance of the Milwaukee Sawzall is incredible. This is only an 11 amp tool, and more than enough power, I could only image the 13 amp. We tried to bind the tool to get the motor to stop and couldn’t do it. If you are not holding on tight, it will probably come out of your hand before you can get the motor to shut down.

Ease of Use

The Milwaukee Sawzall is extremely easy to use. The variable speed and orbital action are easy to reach and adjust. The blade lock is also easy to use and figure out. There are no tight parts that get stuck or need a lot of muscle to use.

Features

The Milwaukee Sawzall has all the important features from slow to extremely fast variable speed action. The orbital is truly orbital, as opposed to some reciprocating saws that only orbital a little bit. The Milwaukee has enough action to make a difference for cutting wood.

Balance

This tool really takes two hands to use and has a very nice balance. There was no arm or body fatigue due to the tool. The workers front hand is perfect for holding the tool while the back hand is easily used for adjusting angles.

Feel

This is an extremely solid power tool. When you pick the tool up in your hands you can feel it right from the start. Cutting wood, metal or anything else, the low vibrations (Compared to other reciprocating saws) it a lot easier in on your hands.

Overall

This is a must own power tool for anyone. If you are a professional or home user, I wouldn’t consider any other reciprocating saw. The Milwaukee Sawzall is hands down the best reciprocating saw we have used. When this tool was designed they thought about everything from making the cord easy to change to the quick change blade system that truly locks the blade in place. I could go on and on about how much I love this power tool. If you all ready own it, you understand me. If you don’t own this tool, once you try it, you will see why I love it and used this as our first power tool review.