The 9 Best Reciprocating Saw Blades For 2021 And A Buyer’s Guide

Reciprocating saws (AKA Sawzalls) can cut almost anything, but you’re only going to have success with this tool if you use the right blade.

The reason that reciprocating saws are so versatile is that they can use a wide variety of blade attachments, each designed to cut specific materials. This is why it’s essential that you choose the right blade, or blades, for your project.

In this article, I test and review the best reciprocating saw blades on the market. We’ll look at how each blade performs on its intended material, and I’ll take you through the design features that make some blades better than others. There are a few factors to consider, and I’ll give you the low down on them all in the buyer’s guide.

What Materials Are Reciprocating Saw Blades Made From?

I’ve used reciprocating saws for more years than I can remember, and I’m always impressed by how these modern materials have made them so much easier to use than back in the day.

High Carbon Steel Reciprocating Saw Blades

High carbon steel blades are the most affordable reciprocating saw blades that you can buy. High carbon steel is flexible and less prone to breaking—it isn’t a very hard material.

If you plan to cut softwood, plastics, and composites, then a high carbon steel blade will do the job. For any harder materials, you’ll need a harder blade.

High-Speed Steel Reciprocating Saw Blades

High-speed steel blades are made out of tempered steel. Tempering is a process of heating and cooling that significantly increases the steel’s hardness. The trade-off for this extra strength is that high-speed steel blades are less flexible than high carbon steel and more prone to breakage.

High-speed steel blades can cut materials like aluminum, hardwoods, and nonferrous metals. You can expect a high-speed steel blade to stay sharp and effective for a lot longer than a high carbon steel blade.

Bi-Metal Reciprocating Saw Blades

A bi-metal blade is made from two different metals. Typically, the body of the blade is made from high-carbon steel while the cutting edge of the blade is high-speed steel or cobalt steel. The two materials are welded together to form the finished blade.

The high-carbon steel blade body gives the blade flexibility and shear resistance and the high-speed steel blade teeth are tough, long-lasting, and resistant to heat. Cobalt steel teeth are even stronger and more durable.

Bi-metal Sawzall blades cost a little more than high carbon steel blades, but they last a lot longer. You can expect a bimetal lay to last five or even ten times longer than a high carbon steel blade. So, buying a cheaper blade doesn’t always mean you’re saving money.

Carbide Grit Reciprocating Saw Blades

Carbide grit blades are extremely hard. These blades are great if you want to cut nail-embedded wood, stone, ceramics, and ferrous metals. These are specialist blades that use an abrasive surface rather than conventional teeth to wear away dense materials.

You can expect to pay more for carbide grit blades, but they do an excellent job of cutting through hard materials.

Carbide-Tipped Blades

Carbide tipped reciprocating saw blades are a type of bi-metal blade with teeth tipped with either tungsten or titanium carbide. These are extremely hard materials that allow carbide-tipped blades to cut the hardest metals. You can expect a carbide-tipped blade to last ten or twenty times as long as a conventionally tipped bi-metal blade.

Diamond Blades

Diamond is one of the hardest substances known to man, so a diamond reciprocating saw blade is a good choice for the very hardest materials.

Diamond-tipped blades are excellent at cutting extremely dense materials like concrete. They also make easy work on glass and other brittle materials. These are the most expensive blades, but they are also the most effective and long-lasting.

Pro tip: The basic rule of reciprocating saw blades is to always choose a blade with teeth that are harder than the material you’re cutting.

TLDR:

1. Best Starter Set Of Reciprocating Saw Blades: Workpro 32-Piece Reciprocating Saw Blade Set – Metal/Woodcutting Saw Blades, Pruner Saw Blades With Organizer Pouch
2. Best Long Life Reciprocating Saw Blade Set: Dewalt Reciprocating Saw Blades, Bi-Metal Set With Case, 10-Piece
3. Best Budget Reciprocating Saw Blades: Horusdy 34-Piece Metal Reciprocating Saw Blade Set & Wood Pruning Reciprocating Saw Blades
4. Best Metal Cutting Blades: Dewalt Reciprocating Saw Blades, Bi-Metal, 6-Inch, 18 Tpi, 100-Pack
5. Best Long-Life Pruning Reciprocating Saw Blades: Freud Ds0903cp3 Diablo 9″ Carbide Pruning Reciprocating Blade
6. Best Auto Dismantling Blades: Diablo Steel Demon Bi-Metal Reciprocating Saw Blades 9″
7. Best Value Multi-Use Reciprocating Saw Blades: Bosch Rap7pk 7-Piece Reciprocating Saw Blade Set
8. Best Budget Pruning Reciprocating Saw Blades: Ezarc Wood Pruning Reciprocating Saw Blade 9-Inch Sharp Ground Teeth Crv Long Lifetime Sabre Saw Blades R931gs 5tpi (5-Pack)
9. Best Value Pruning Reciprocating Saw Blades: Caliastro 9-Inch Wood Pruning Saw Blades For Reciprocating/Sawzall Saws – 5 Pack

Let’s dive in

1. Workpro 32-Piece Reciprocating Saw Blade Set

• Number of Blades: 32
• Blade Length: 4”, 6”, 9”
• Good for cutting: Woods, Pruning, Metals, Plastics
• Teeth Per Inch TPI: 3 – 24
• Blade Thickness: Inches: 0.28”+
• Tooth shape: Wave/Skip
• Material: Hardened Steel/Bi-Metal

This blade set gives you a variety of different blades for cutting materials from softwoods to metal. There are plenty of wood blades with sixteen six-inch blades, half with 6 TPI and half with 8 TPI. There are also two 3 TPI and three 6 TPI 9” blades and a 5 TPI pruner. I tried these wood blades on a tree in my garden that needed stripping back. They made short work of the job with quick clean cuts.

The bimetal teeth are pretty tough, too. Checking them after use, I didn’t see any evidence of wear and tear.

There are fewer metal cutting blades with TPI ranging from 14 to 24. I tried the 24 TPI blade on some rebar I had lying around, and it produced smooth, clean cuts.

It’s great that this blade set comes with an easy-to-use storage pack. It makes identifying and grabbing the right blade a cinch. The case has room for more blades too, so I’ve been using it as my go-to organizer for all my reciprocating saw blades.

This is a great all-around set of blades that let you cut all but the very hardest materials. There may be thicker and harder blades out there, but you’ll pay more for them.

PROS

• Nine different blade types make this a versatile set of cutting blades
• This set offers a good balance of affordability and durability
• The storage case is neat and practical and has space for other blades

CONS

• Blades are a little thin, reducing strength and making them prone to breaking

Check price on amazon

2. Dewalt Reciprocating Saw Blades, Bi-Metal Set With Case, 10-Piece

• Number of Blades: 10
• Blade Length: 6”, 9”
• Good for cutting: Wood, Pruning, Metals, Plastics
• Teeth Per Inch TPI: 5-18
• Blade Thickness: Various
• Material: Bi-Metal

This ten-piece set of mixed blades isn’t Amazon’s number one Sawzall blade for nothing. Constructed from bi-metal, these are tough and durable blades designed for strength and flexibility.

The set has four 6-inch 6 TPI blades, four 6-inch 18 TPI blades, an 8 inch 14 TPI Blade, and a 9 inch five TPI blade for pruning. What you get is an excellent all-purpose mix of blades. One thing to note is that only two blades are longer than 6 inches, which could be a drawback if you’re cutting lots of thick materials.

The wood blades went through branches with ease. Perhaps because of the decent blade thickness, the blades just felt strong. I like the bright yellow design too. The blades stand out well, and that’s great for safety. The carrying case is well designed and fit easily into my workbox.

This is a good blade set offering strong and durable blades at a reasonable price.

PROS

• These thick blades with bi-metal construction are strong and durable
• The high visibility yellow blades are easy to work with
• The blades come with a compact and practical storage case

CONS

• More 9-inch blades would make for a better balanced general blade set

Check price on amazon

3. Horusdy 34-Piece Metal Reciprocating Saw Blade Set & Wood Pruning Reciprocating Saw Blades

• Number of Blades: 34
• Blade Length: 4” – 9”
• Good for cutting: metal, wood, plastic, drywall
• Teeth Per Inch TPI: 3 – 24
• Blade Thickness: 0.035 – 0.047 Inches
• Material: high-quality steel, high-speed carbon, bi-metal

This is a sizeable thirty-four-piece blade set featuring nine different blade sizes and configurations. The metal cutting blades are made from strong, flexible bi-metal, and the wood blades are high-speed carbon. Sure, there are stronger materials and thicker blades out there, but this is an excellent selection of blades at a budget price.

I tested the blades on my garden wood cuttings and other bits and pieces of wood and metal in my workshop. The low TPI wood blades work great, racing through wet and dry wood and leaving clean cuts. The metal blades cut slowly but effectively. The thinner blades got very hot but didn’t break, but I could imagine that they might with heavy use. The storage case is neat, and it’s easy to locate the blade you need.

This is an excellent general purpose blade set at a bargain price. If you’re looking for super-tough professional-grade blades, there are better options, but these Horusdy blades are an excellent entry-level choice.

PROS

• An impressive selection of blade sizes and specifications allows you to cut most materials
• An excellent price for a diverse set of very serviceable blades.
• Orange blades for wood, black blades for metal. So easy to remember!

CONS

• Not the most robust blades, but suitable for occasional home use

Check price on amazon

4. Dewalt Reciprocating Saw Blades, Bi-Metal

• Number of Blades: 100
• Blade Length: 6 Inches
• Good for cutting: Light to Heavy Gauge Metals
• Teeth Per Inch TPI: 18
• Blade Thickness: 0.05 Inches
• Material: Bi-Metal

Here’s a whopping hundred-blade pack of Dewalt’s general-purpose 6-inch metal cutting blades. These are solid, professional bi-metal Sawzall blades that will make short work of metals up to the hardness of mild steel.

Dewalt blades use a unique tooth form that optimizes the removal of debris. This increases blade efficiency and extends its lifespan. I found that these blades went through iron and aluminum very efficiently without becoming excessively hot. No blades broke or went dull in my limited testing, so I was very impressed with this product.

PROS

• Unique tooth construction prolongs blade life and increases efficiency
• These yellow blades have a special anti-stick coating allowing smoother cuts
• Bi-metal construction makes these blades both strong and flexible

CONS

• Not cheap, but quality rarely is

Check price on amazon

5. Freud Ds0903cp3 Diablo 9″ Carbide Pruning Reciprocating Blade

• Number of Blades: 3
• Blade Length: 9 Inches
• Good for cutting: Wood, Pruning
• Teeth Per Inch TPI: 3
• Blade Thickness: 0.67 Inches
• Material: Carbide Tipped Blades

Before you leap back in shock at the price of these blades, take note that they are carbide tipped, and that makes all the difference. The super-tough carbide blade teeth feature an aggressive tooth geometry allowing for perfect cuts for up to 50 times the length of the standard blade’s service.

These blades whistled through even the thickest branches I tested them on. There are large gullets between each tooth, and that allowed woodchips to clear quickly.

If you’re a lover of quality and buy products to last, you will love these pruning blades.

PROS

• A specialist blade manufactured to high specifications for top pruning performance
• A long lifespan means you won’t need to replace these blades in a hurry
• Blades cope well with hard use even when occasionally hitting rocks and grit

CONS

• This is an expensive, high-spec blade, so you will need to use it a lot to justify the cost

Check price on amazon

6. Diablo Steel Demon Bi-Metal Reciprocating Saw Blades

• Number of Blades: 25
• Blade Length: 9 Inches
• Good for cutting: Steel and Other Metals, Automobile Dismantling
• Teeth Per Inch TPI: 14/18
• Blade Thickness: 0.05 Inches
• Material: Bi-Metal with Perma-Shield Coating

These specialist blades are perfect for dismantling vehicles or any awkward metal cutting work that needs a 9” blade. The blades have a bright red Perma-Shield coating for protection, giving them durability.

I didn’t fancy cutting up my car, so I tested these blades on some scrap metal instead. They performed very well with just a little chatter at the start of the cut. I used them to shear off some rusted bolts too, and they went through those with ease. The blades are pretty thick, which helped make for accurate cuts.

PROS

• These long blades can easily cut metalwork up to 6” thick
• A Perma-Shield coating protects the blade and extends its life
• The one-year limited warranty is impressive

CONS

• The blade coating gives a slight chatter at the start of the cut, but this doesn’t last

Check price on amazon

7. Bosch Rap7pk 7-Piece Reciprocating Saw Blade Set

• Number of Blades: 7
• Blade Length: Various
• Good for cutting: Wood, Metal, Wood with Nails, Plastic, PVC
• Teeth Per Inch TPI: 5 – 14
• Blade Thickness: 0.35 – 0.49 Inches
• Material: Bi-Metal

This affordable set of top-quality reciprocating saw blades features strong bi-metal construction and various tooth concentrations and configurations for cutting many different materials. The blades have unique features like variable pitch teeth allowing fast cutting, plunge tips, and taper backs for easy starts.

I tried the wood cutting blades on some thicker branches, which they cut neatly with no trouble at all.

These blades enjoy excellent customer reviews, and the consensus is that they are long-lasting and effective Sawzall blades perfect for your home workshop and garden.

PROS

• A good set of top brand multipurpose blades at a great price
• An ideal set of blades for varied home cutting
• The appropriate material type is written on each blade for ease of use

CONS

• A maximum TPI of fourteen isn’t high enough for the hardest metals

Check price on amazon

8. Ezarc Wood Pruning Reciprocating Saw Blade

• Number of Blades: 5
• Blade Length: 9 Inches
• Good for cutting: Wood, Pruning
• Teeth Per Inch TPI: 5
• Blade Thickness: 0.05 Inches
• Material: Heat Treated Chrome Vanadium Steel

This is a specialist set of woodcutting and pruning blades at a budget price. They work well for most pruning and wet branch cutting tasks.

These are budget blades made of heat-treated steel, so you wouldn’t ordinarily expect them to last for too long, but I was impressed with how many customer reviews spoke to their strength and durability. It’s a real achievement to produce long-lasting blades at this bargain price.

PROS

• These blades fit all major brands of reciprocating saw
• Blades come in a rugged plastic storage case
• Fast cutting blades with no chatter

CONS

• Heat-treated steel isn’t the hardest or most durable blade material

Check price on amazon

9. Caliastro 9-Inch Wood Pruning Saw Blades For Reciprocating/Sawzall Saws – 5 Pack

• Number of Blades: 5
• Blade Length: 9 Inches
• Good for cutting: Wood, Pruning
• Teeth Per Inch TPI: 5
• Blade Thickness: 0.05 Inches
• Material: Carbon Steel

These specialist pruning blades have five teeth per inch configured specially for cutting quickly through branches. The 9” blades are easy to use on materials up to 6 inches thick, and I had no problem when testing them on thicker branches in my garden. The blades are pretty wide, and the carbon steel teeth are easily strong enough for wood.

This five-blade pack is an excellent value, and unless you’re in the garden every day, you can expect these blades to last you for a very long time. Buyers rate these blades very highly and state that they’re effective for cutting other materials like foam and guttering.

For an affordable set of multipurpose gardening blades, you can’t do much better than this.

PROS

• A long-lasting set of specialist garden Sawzall blades
• The reasonable price and long blade life make these blades excellent value
• Good blade thickness for strength and durability

CONS

• Carbon steel is a relatively soft blade material, but it’s sufficient for most pruning

Check price on amazon

This guide takes you through all the characteristics and specifications of a reciprocating saw blade.

What material is the blade made from?

Here’s a quick summary of the different reciprocating saw blade materials.

• High carbon steel: cheap and cheerful, flexible and unlikely to break, only suitable for softer materials
• High-speed steel: Stronger and more durable than high carbon steel, suitable for hardwoods and nonferrous metals.
• Bi-metal: composite blades with better strength, heat resistance, and longevity than high carbon or high-speed steel.
• Carbide grit: Abrasive cutting edges for stone, ceramics, and ferrous metals.
• Carbide tipped: long-lasting, very hard, heat-resistant blades that cut hard materials and last much longer than all other blade types except diamond. Cost more, but worth it for more demanding jobs.
• Diamond tipped: The hardest and most expensive blades, suitable for all hard materials and dense and brittle materials.

Pick the right reciprocating saw blade tooth configuration

The configuration of a Sawzall blade’s teeth affects how well it cuts. Most reciprocating saw blades come in one of two tooth configurations:

• Wavy Teeth: Wave teeth blades have evenly spaced teeth that run flush with the blade. This configuration is typical of blades that are designed for cutting metals and harder substances. They produce precise cuts with a narrow kerf and don’t remove much of the material.
• Raker Teeth: In contrast, raker teeth blades extend outwards from the flat of the blade. These blades are better for garden pruning and cutting fibrous materials. They cut quickly but with a broader kerf and less accuracy.

Other Key Factors to Consider

Teeth per inch

The teeth per inch of reciprocating saw blades range from around 3 to 18. Blades with fewer teeth per inch are designed for wood cutting work and pruning the garden.

Blades with 9 to 14 teeth per inch are designed for cutting harder woods and softer metals. If you need to cut the hardest materials like iron, steel, and alloys, look for blades with between fourteen and eighteen teeth.

Some blades don’t have teeth at all. Carbide grit blades are designed for dense materials like stone and metals, which they cut using an abrasive strip.

Blade length

Blade length is important because you need a longer blade than the width of the material you’re cutting.

Choose a blade that is at least 3 inches longer than the width of whatever you’re sawing.

Blade thickness

There is a trade-off on blade thickness. Thicker blades have rigidity and strength and are less likely to bend than thin blades. Since it is unlikely to bend, a thick blade gives you more cutting precision.

But a thick blade also has a wide kerf and cuts away more of your material. Make sure that you take this into account when doing precise cuts for fittings and joints.

Make sure that the blade fits your saw

There’s nothing more annoying than buying a set of saw blades only to find that they don’t fit your saw. The reciprocating saw blades reviewed above are designed to fit most saws.

Before you order reciprocating saw blades, always make sure that their fitting mechanism is compatible with your saw.

Pro tip: Remember to control your cutting speed

It’s always tempting to go full-throttle with your reciprocating saw, but remember to slow down the blade speed when you’re cutting thicker and harder metals. A slower speed will still get the job done, and the lower temperature will significantly extend the life of your blade.

Pulling it all together

When choosing a reciprocating saw blade, you need to know what you’ll be using the blade for. Take a quick look through our buyer’s guide to find out which materials and blade types you need.

If you plan to use your reciprocating saw for wood cutting and pruning, then pick a value pack of affordable pruning blades like those from Ezarc or Caliastro. If you’ll be doing a lot of woodcutting and want top-of-the-range long-lasting blades, then choose Diablo’s super tough blades.

Alternatively, if you want the flexibility to cut a wide variety of materials, it’s better to get a multi-blade set. Workpro offers an excellent basic set, as do Bosch and Horusdy.

And if you are looking for specialist metal cutting blades, Diablo has a tremendous mixed set while Dewalt has an excellent value bumper pack of their premium metal cutting blades.