When it comes to useful tools for cutting things up and shaping them, two tools come to mind; saws and jigsaws. If you need to destroy something instead of building you could still use a saw but you need a particular type.

What is a reciprocating saw?
A reciprocating saw or a recip for short are hand held saws that are used when other tools are not appropriate. Recip saws are used for demolition work so they get used if something like a hammer isn’t doing the job. When something needs cutting through in this situation then you would use a reciprocating saw. The saw is powered by a motor and is handheld. The blade moves forwards and backwards cutting through whichever material it is used on.

What are they used for?
Recip saws are also known as sabre saws. They can make fast work of traditionally difficult work. They can use a large variety of different blades to make them able to slice and cut through all types of materials including metal, plasterboard and wood.

As written above they are used for demolition work. So when someone is removing old fittings such as window frames and doors they can use a reciprocating saw. These tasks are generally slow and take up a lot of time. A reciprocating saw speeds this process up. A good saw will produce more than 2700 spm (strokes per minute). Imagine trying to come anywhere near to this with a normal saw.

When should you use a reciprocating saw?
There are a variety of applications for reciprocating saws. Here are some useful and common reasons for using them.

Pruning trees
If your trees have branches that are overhanging or overgrown then you might want to trim them. A reciprocating saw is hand held and this makes it light and portable. Using it in the garden then is very easy. It cuts through wood easily and

Demolition and building work
As already mentioned a reciprocating saw makes light work of tearing down old fixtures. What hasn’t been mentioned is that they can be used for creating things too. They can make straight and curved cuts and so they can be used for trimming. If you are a DIY enthusiast then there are many power tools that you need and a reciprocating saw could be handy for the rough stuff. They are not like jigsaws though and you couldn’t use one to make intricate shapes. You can however use various attachments such as a wood rasp to help shape wood.

Window and door frames
just as they help remove old windows they can help put new ones in. The saw can be used to help make frames. They cut wood without chipping on smaller pieces. When it comes to detailed work though you would want to switch to a scroll saw or jigsaw. A reciprocating saw though can trim down the frame area if it is too small instead of having to rip down the brickwork.

Plumbing work
One of the main reasons these types of saw exist is because they were developed to help with plumbing and HVAC systems. Very often when a plumber is working he or she is in a very tight uncomfortable space. This makes large tools impractical but they still need to be able to cut pipes and fix problems. Reciprocating saws can come in small sizes and allow the plumber to easily maneuver the saw and remove pipe ends without much space.

They are useful for working in crawl spaces, insides of walls and heater closets too. There are plenty of cordless options so they are extremely portable.
Other uses of reciprocating saws

They are not just useful for demolition and cutting down tree branches. They can also be used in rescue and emergency situations. Where someone is trapped inside a car they can be used to cut through the metal and other materials quickly to free the trapped passenger or driver.

Final notes
They come in a variety of prices to suit all budgets and you can check this page to see some. They start as low as $30 and go up to $1000 and your purchase would depend on what you are using it for. A professional plumber would have different requirements than a home DIY enthusiast for instance. Blades come in different sizes and lengths and there is a huge variety to choose from. You can get cordless or corded versions although the cordless is by far the most popular and practical.

Cleaning and maintenance is important to extend the life of the saw too. Insert and remove blades correctly. Use a vacuum to clean out debris and dust and your saw will be safer to use and keep running for a longer time.