Milwaukee M18 FUEL Hackzall Reciprocating Saw Review | 2719-20

Little Vibration! - Milwaukee Tool upped their game on the M18 Hackzall by creating the new M18 FUEL Hackzall.  If you are not familiar with the Hackzall, it is a one-handed reciprocating saw lightly based off Milwaukee Tools Sawzall, but more compact.  The new FUEL Hackzall the first brushless, 18V one-handed recip saw on the market.  Milwaukee makes an M12 FUEL version, but the extra power and durability of the M18 is a very welcomed addition to the platform. 

The Product Manager for the M18 FUEL Hackzall knocked this product out of the park.  If you work in plumbing, electrical, remodeling, or even a DIY person, this saw will most likely complete all the jobs you will ask of it and more.  This Hackzall is small, but very powerful and sets the bar very high for other companies to keep up with Milwaukee Tool in this area.  No one has a compact sized, one-handed reciprocating saw with this little vibration.  Other manufacturers have added different options to try to pull users to their platform, but none of them compete with the FUEL Hackzall when it comes to power and vibration.

The Milwaukee FUEL Hackzall has a 7/8” stroke length, 3,000 strokes per minute and weighs in at 4 pounds.  With a battery, it is just a touch over 16" and is very comfortable and easy to use.  Milwaukee claims that the Hackzall, when equipped with an M18 XC5.0 battery pack, the tool can deliver about 180 cuts in 2x4spf and over 220 cuts in ¾” EMT.  In our testing, we were cutting a large variety of materials from wood to metal and we found the tool could easily last a full day for many who use this tool regularly on the jobsite.

M18 FUEL Hackzall Specs

7/8” Stroke Length
3000 Strokes Per Minute
Pivoting Shoe
LED light
Quik-LOK Blade Clamp
Length: 16.3” (14.03” bare tool)
Weight: 5.57 lbs (4.07 lbs bare tool)
5 year warranty
Pure Comfort

We run across a lot of people who try to tell us a saw is a saw, it cuts items.  While we cannot argue that, there are so many variables that come into play when using one, especially a reciprocating saw.  Vibration is one area that can fatigue the user very fast and Milwaukee Tool has been a leader in vibration dampening on both the Sawzall and Hackzall models.  On the Hackzall, a dual gear counter-balance mechanism and pivoting shoe provides smoother cuts, increased control, and less user fatigue.  Even without cutting, you can set a few of the brands on a table, place a blade in them, pick them up and pull the trigger.  As soon as the saws start to run, many will shake in your hands.  The Milwaukee M18 Hackzall will be smooth.  You can see it time and time again in our YouTube video.

If you are looking for a nice, comfortable reciprocating saw that has power and is more compact than a Sawzall, the new FUEL Hackzall is worth a look.  Try to find a place that has a few on display and try them out.  I guaranty you will be able to feel the difference between brands in the store and that will follow through while cutting.