I've been using the same recip saw for
15 years, so I welcomed the opportunity
to try out newer models from
Makita, Bosch, and Porter-Cable. The
biggest improvement in these new
saws is the addition of a lever or knob
on the gear housing that lets you
switch between orbital and straight
cutting. In orbital mode, the blade
movement traces a small circle, swinging
forward and backward as it moves
up and down.
If you spend most of your time cutting
metal, there's no advantage to
orbital action, because the circular
motion strips the teeth off the blades
too fast. But orbital action greatly
increases the speed with which you can
cut wood. My old Milwaukee Sawzall
has been