Milwaukee 2420-21 12-Volt Hackzall Saw Kit

Thursday, April 12, 2012

Product Details

Shipping Weight: 5.3 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)
Shipping: Currently, item can be shipped only within the U.S. and to APO/FPO addresses. For APO/FPO shipments, please check with the manufacturer regarding warranty and support issues.
ASIN: B003PCINEK
California residents: Click here for Proposition 65 warning.
Item model number: 2420-21

Price : $100.20

Product Description

From the Manufacturer
At only 11-Inch and 2.6 lbs, the Hackzall M12 Cordless Recip Saw features a compact and light weight design for superior control and versatility in tight spaces. A powerful motor delivers 0-3,000 strokes per minute and a 1/2-Inch stroke length allows for fast cutting through a wide range of material such as drywall, wood, and PVC. The variable speed trigger allows for a controlled cut while a QUIK-LOK blade clamp offers fast and easy blade changes.
The Milwaukee 2420-21 M12 12-Volt Cordless Hackzall Reciprocating Saw Kit is a compact, lightweight reciprocating saw that was designed especially for use in tight spaces. At only 11-inches and 2.6 pounds, the Milwaukee 2420-21 has a compact form factor which is especially helpful when working in tight corners and hard to reach spaces. The Milwaukee 2420-21 uses a built-in L.E.D. to illuminate your work area. Features: 12-Volt lithium ion battery offers longer run-time and lighter weight than traditional Ni-Cad batteries Keyless Quik-Lok blade clamp allows for fast and easy blade changes, reducing down time Accepts both Milwaukee Hackzall and Sawzall style blades Variable speed trigger provides increased user control Battery fuel gauge displays run-time remaining All-metal gear casing for added durability Built-In LED illuminates the work space

Technical Details

Voltage: 12V
Speed: 0-3000 SPM
Stroke Length: 1/2-Inch
Blade Clamp: QUIK-LOK Universal 1/2-Inch Tang, Trigger: Variable Speed
Includes: 2420-20, (1) 12V LITHIUM-ION Batteries (48-11-2401) Pack, 30-Minute Charger (48-59-2401), Hackzall Blade, Carrying Case

Milwaukee 2420-21 12-Volt Hackzall Saw Kit

Customer Reviews

This little saw is pretty similar in usefulness to the Porter-Cable 12-Volt Max ClampSaw, with a couple of notable differences. I owned the Porter Cable version for a short time, but when I learned the number of additional tools I could use with Milwaukee's 12v batteries, I exchanged the Clamp Saw for a whole bag full of the Milwaukee gear (including their Milwaukee M12 Propex Expansion Tool Kit.
Both the Milwaukee and Porter Cable saws are of similar heft and apparent build quality (though, in all honesty, I fully expect the Milwaukee to make use of better parts and technology under the skin). However, the Milwaukee saw is definitely better balanced. I found the Porter Cable ClampSaw to be difficult to use one-handed, where this tool feels very natural with one hand, which is great for the close-quarters-in-the-joists-hanging-from-a-ladder type of work I've used both of these for.
The Porter Cable had the advantage of the swiveling, three-position trigger, that could either stretch it out like a traditional recip saw, or bend it into a pistol style setup. I can't say that this has affected the way I used the Milwaukee unit just yet, but the adjustable position was handy with the Porter Cable unit for some copper cutting I did with it on its first day.
The Porter Cable had and adjustable / removable guard, which I definitely miss on this Milwaukee unit. However, I'm not limited to the short blades that come with this saw. In face, I've clipped in 8" long blades for additional reach since I couldn't get the guard out of the way. No, it's not going to cut 8 inches of material very satisfactorily, but for trimming blocking out of joist bays and removing hard-to-get protruding nail ends, it's fine -- actually, great!
The headlight on this actually (surprisingly!) came in handy. It's fairly bright, and added just enough to my work area to help me see what I was getting at, without climbing off the ladder and repositioning the work light. On the flip side, this thing has a few pretty bright "remaining battery capacity" red LEDs that, at the right angle, shine right into my eyes, with uncomfortable results (for a few seconds when I pull the trigger).
Blade changes on both saws were easy, tool-less "twist to remove/install" spring-lock collars. Blades can be mounted upsidedown for awkward angles.
Battery life on this unit is slightly better than the Porter Cable. I don't know offhand the difference in battery mAh capacity, but the Milwaukee battery size is remarkably bigger. Obviously, your results are going to depend on what material is being worked, but I was getting maybe a dozen pipe copper pipe cuts with the Porter Cable, while this Milwaukee unit nets quite a bit better in terms of run time through wood and PVC. Not an entirely fair comparison, but I'm sorry, I can't go cutting up a bunch of copper just to provide a benchmark. Charging time on both is about 30 minutes.
The Porter Cable had a poorly designed trigger that tended to pinch my tight fitting Atlas NT370 Nitrile Work Glove when I released it. The Milwaukee has no such problem. The trigger has an on-off lock that stays in whatever position it's left in. I'm not a fan of this, lest I inadvertently cut a finger off, but I think I'm in the minority in this opinion and I had the same concern with the Porter Cable.
From an overall prospective, I'm as happy with this unit as I was with the Porter Cable -- with the very major exception that there are A TON of tools available from Milwaukee that utilize the M12 battery, including some very specialized items. This was simply too irresistible for me to ignore when I made my decision to swap out my Porter Cable unit. This saw is most certainly more convenient to break out for minor cutting tasks vs. opening the case and plugging in my Bosch RS20 Reciprocating Saw. In reality, it's a great companion tool that can do the clean-up work behind its plug-in cousin.
I know in my title I wrote "possibly limited usefulness," but it seems I'm finding more uses for it all the time.

I put off buying this tool early on because I thought that a 1/2" stroke length was too short for the tool to be an asset. After 3 years of using other M12 tools and bringing a Hatchet Sawzall w/ V18 batteries for small-to-mid-sized projects I found I finally broke down and bought this. After having used this for a few months I realized I'd made a mistake early on, the Hackzall should have been in my first batch of M12 tools. That 1/2" stroke I was concerned about didn't matter because I realized that it helped my control during more tight or intricate cuts. It's excelled at cutting 1" conduit and 2" PVC and a variety of other, smaller/lighter materials. In confined spaces, it's suitable for larger/heavier cuts with the appropriate blade and an extra minute or two.
The tool vibrates considerably for such a small reciprocating saw but no worse than the PC Clamp-Saw (3,000 SPM / 5/8" stroke) I'd used 4 or 5 times before. The standard M12 battery will give up the ghost within a few minutes. For this tool (and other high-draw cutting tool) I recommend and use the M12XC 3.0 AmpHr battery, it brings these tools to a level that no other 10.8-volt or 12-volt platform.