Bosch (Europe) has come out with two new reciprocating saws, one 18V cordless (GSA 18V-32 Professional), and the other corded (GSA 16-32 Professional), with both promising great ergonomics, power, and vibration reduction.
Bosch says that both of the new reciprocating saws are more compact than their current ones. The new saws also feature a new handle that enables them to be held in different positions.
Unlike the conventional spade handle, this handle enables the tools to be held and used comfortably in a variety of positions, even in difficult working positions and over long periods.
You might have noticed that the trigger switch is also oversized. That should make it easy to reach, especially if taking advantage of the handle’s different gripping zones.
Both reciprocating saws are also the first Bosch tools of this kind to feature active vibration dampening. There’s a counterweight in the gearbox, continually counteracting inertia during use, to help lower the vibration that extends through the user’s hands and arms.
Bosch says that these saws offer the lowest vibrations in their class, which should result in minimal user fatigue.
In kit format, the cordless saw comes with a 6.0Ah Li-ion battery pack. Bosch says that the corded reciprocating saw offers the best power-to-weight ratio in its class, and that this helps make it an alternative to corded saws for overhead work.
Cordless Saw Specs
- 32 mm stroke length (~1.26″)
- 0-2500 RPM
- Max cutting in wood: 300 mm (~11.8″)
- Max cutting in metal: 20 mm (~0.79″)
- Vibration: 11.6 m/s^2 in wood
- Weighs 4.1 kg (~9 lbs) including 6.0Ah battery
Meanwhile, the corded saw is said to be the most powerful professional reciprocating saw Bosch offers. It has a 1600 watt motor, making it suitable for a range of applications, from light duty to extremely demanding.
Corded Saw Specs
- 32 mm stroke length (~1.26″)
- 0-2800 RPM
- Max cutting in wood: 300 mm (~11.8″)
- Max cutting in metal: 20 mm (~0.79″)
- Vibration: 12.5 m/s^2 in wood
- Weighs 4.6 kg (~10.1 lbs)
Bosch saws feature a pendulum (oscillating) stroke that can be toggled on for quicker sawing.
Additional features include a soft-start motor, which makes it easier to start cuts with higher precision, and a special tool-free blade change mechanism that Bosch says can even be used when wearing work gloves. Turning the large ring on the saw shaft immediately loosens the saw blade for changing.
The saws have metal hooks, for hanging them from a ladder or frame when not being used.
Prices: 449 (~$495) euros for the cordless kit, 319 euros (~$350) for the corded saw, excluding VAT
ETA: Sept 2016, in Europe
Both saws come with 2 saw blades.
First Thoughts
These new Bosch reciprocating look quite different from all of the other saws I’ve seen and used.
We have seen angled compact reciprocating saws before, such as the Dewalt DCS387 cordless saw and Dewalt DWE357 corded saw, and there’s of course the Milwaukee Hackzall in 12V and 18V class sizes.
Bosch’s new reciprocating saws look to have beastly motors, a good thing for heavy duty work.
It looks like they put a lot of thought into ergonomics, between the huge handle and oversized blade change release mechanism.
Active vibration dampening? Sounds good to me.
Oh, and a nearly 1-foot wood cutting capacity? Maybe this is my inexperience in demo work talking, but WOW! I’ve certainly seen 12″ reciprocating saw blades before, but don’t think I’ve seen such blades being used along their full lengths.
Hopefully we’ll see these models available in the USA as well.