Craftsman has come out with a new V20 Brushless RP cordless reciprocating saw, CMCS340.
The new Craftsman Brushless saw bears a strong resemblance to the Dewalt 20V Max Atomic reciprocating saw (DCS369B), which isn’t unexpected given that both tool brands are owned by Stanley Black & Decker.
What’s interesting is that the Craftsman saw has slightly bumped-up specs. The Dewalt has a 5/8” stroke length, and the Craftsman is spec’ed with a 3/4” stroke length. Both operate at up to 2800 cutting strokes per minute.
So, with comparable motor speed (in SPM), and slightly longer stroke length, the Craftsman could possibly perform better than the Dewalt.
Although, if the brushless motor is comparable, using the same power across a longer stroke length could potentially increase performance – with respect to application speed – in lighter duty tasks, but lower it in heavier duty tasks.
It is unclear how the Craftsman Brushless RP tool differs from the Dewalt. The Craftsman tool-only retails for $99 – or at least that’s what it is listed for at Lowe’s, and the Dewalt is $159 at Home Depot at the time of this posting.
Speaking as someone who purchased the Dewalt Atomic-series saw, I find myself asking – how is this new Craftsman saw different? What was done for the saw to land at a $99 price point compared to the now-$159 Dewalt?
The Dewalt Atomic isn’t starved for power, but it’s noticeably a lighter duty compact and convenient saw in use. Does the Craftsman saw perform like the Atomic, slightly better, or slightly lower due to the longer stroke length?
Is the Dewalt overpriced, or is the Craftsman an incredible bargain?
It’s also possible for this tool to be completely different from the Dewalt Atomic, but I see nothing to support this either way.
Critics will complain about the resemblances and ”lick and stick” cross-brand product development, but what is a Craftsman one-handed compact reciprocating saw supposed to look like? If a design works for Dewalt, it’s going to work for Craftsman.
Assuming there are large similarities or a high percentage of shared engineering between the two brands’ saws, there’s then the question about why we haven’t seen this Craftsman saw sooner. How is the answer to this influencing Craftsman’s cordless roadmap in a broader sense?
Is the Craftsman not a more consumer-targeted version of the Dewalt Atomic saw, which itself is a 20V Max version of Dewalt’s 12V Max Xtreme Subcompact saw of similar design, size, and performance?
All of this comes to mind because, well, what else is there to think about? That’s also why I don’t fault Craftsman for not sharing anything about the newest Brushless RP expansion.
This saw doesn’t look to do anything new or different, but I’d say it’s still a welcome expansion of the Craftsman V20 and Brushless RP lineup. I hope that Craftsman also adds a value-priced kit option in the future.
Key Features & Specs
- Brushless Motor
- 3/4″ stroke length
- 2800 SPM
- Variable speed trigger
- 12.75″ length (front to back)
- Weighs 3.2 lbs
- Pivoting Shoe
- LED work light
- Tool-free blade release
On their website, Craftsman advertises that the saw delivers ”up to 40% more power” with the fine print adding “compared to Craftsman brushed reciprocating saw CMCS300 by measuring the unit output measured in unit watts out (UWO) with CMCB202 2Ah battery. (sold separately)”
The new saw is compatible with Craftsman V20 cordless power tool batteries (not included).
Price: $99 (tool-only, CMCS340B)
There’s no information yet as to when the new Craftsman V20 Brushless RP saw will be available. Craftsman’s website only says that the saw is ”coming soon.”
Thank you to Big Richard for the find!
