Ridgid 18V Brushless Reciprocating Saw Review R8647

Ridgid 18V Brushless Reciprocating Saw Rips Through Demonstration at 3200 SPM

As the latest generation continues to roll out at The Home Depot, the Ridgid 18V Brushless Reciprocating Saw continues the brand's push beyond Octane. There's a lot of familiarity with the saw's design, but what concerns us most is the promise of higher performance.

advantage

• 1 1/4" stroke length and 3200 SPM
• Extremely fast wood cutting
• track action switch
• fairly light and compact

shortcoming

• No variable speed dial

Ridgid decided to take performance up a notch with this reciprocating saw. Compared to the Octane version, stroke length has been moved from 1 1/8 inches to 1 1/4 inches. The stroke rate is also higher, increasing from 3100 SPM to 3200 SPM. In fact, it's one of the best combinations of stroke length and rate you'll find in any brand of cordless model.

To see how that translates to work, we introduced the saw to our test track. If you haven't seen it, it consists of three parts:

PTR reciprocating saw proving ground

• 2 inch cast iron
• Double stud with 4 framing nails
• 2×10 roof sandwich (asphalt shingles, galvanized flashing, tar, peel and stick underlayment, 1/2” OSB, and 2×10 yellow pine with five framing nails)

We started with the new LENOX LAZER CT carbide inserts for the cast iron medium metal and then switched to the LENOX Demolition CT carbide inserts for the two wood sections.

When the dust settled, Ridgid finished with a time of 1:33.05. However, this is actually about 9 seconds slower than the Octane model (1:23.70).

It wasn't what we were expecting, so we took a closer look at each part. Starting with cast iron, the Ridgid's aggressive stroke length and speed may actually affect its timing. It was a bit difficult to get the carbide teeth of the blades to work and it took some time for them to cut effectively. In fact, soft-starting soft starts helps a lot and saves quite a bit of time.

Wood is a whole different story. The saw had a solid time in the double stud (10.69 seconds), and it burned our roof sandwich in just 17.40 seconds. To put it in perspective, it took Milwaukee's M18 Fuel Super Sawzall just over 20 seconds to rip through the roof sandwich. This is very impressive!

In the next generation, we'd love to see variable speed dials come into play in thick metal cuts. Don't mess with top speed or stroke length when we cut wood!

Ridgid 18V Brushless Reciprocating Saw Design Notes

size and weight

Ridgid has yet to target large 15-amp corded reciprocating saws, making the size and weight of this model more manageable. It measures 17 7/8 inches long, about 1/2 inch shorter than the Octane model.

It's also nearly 1/2 pound lighter. It weighs 6.8 lbs bare, with a 4.0Ah max output battery making it a hefty 8.3 lbs. This obviously goes up if you go with a higher capacity Octane battery, but it's one of the lighter cordless saws in this performance class.

feature

Ridgid has traditionally had one of the most feature-rich cordless reciprocating saws on the market, and that doesn't change with this update.

• track action switch
• Tool-less shoe length adjustment
• Blade release lever on side of tool
• rafter hook
• variable speed trigger
• lock switch
• led lights

As far as what's missing, there aren't many. Like we mentioned before, variable speed dials can be nice in some situations. There are no smart controls either. Milwaukee's M18 Fuel Sawzall one-button saw is currently the only saw with app-based controls.

Ridgid 18V Brushless Reciprocating Saw Prices

There are several ways to get your hands on this saw. As a bare-bones unit, it sells for $159 at The Home Depot. The kit option adds a charger and a 4.0Ah max output battery for $199. The best deal is the $219 two-battery kit.

It's also part of a combo kit that includes an updated hammer drill, impact driver, oscillating multitool, reciprocating saw, 2.0Ah and 4.0Ah maximum output batteries, charger, and bag for $399.

Ridgid 18V Brushless Reciprocating Saw vs Octane Quick Comparison

the bottom line

The Ridgid 18V Brushless Reciprocating Saw is an absolute must for chopping wood and mixing materials. It needs a little trigger feathering with thick metal to help it get into the cut, but then it hits the game. As an upgraded version of Octane, it obviously has higher performance. If you're torn between the two, spend the extra $20 for the upgrade. However, Octane still has relevant performance, so if you already have that model, go ahead and use it.

Ridgid 18V Brushless Reciprocating Saw Specifications

• Model: Ridgid R8647
• Power: Ridgid 18V battery (maximum output recommended)
• Stroke Length: 1 1/4 inches
• Stroke frequency: 3200 SPM
• Weight: 6.8 lbs bare, 8.3 lbs with 4.0Ah max output battery
• Length: 17 7/8 inches
• Warranty: Lifetime service agreement after registration
• Price: $169