The Ryobi 18v ONE+ lineup just expanded with a much-improved version of the current cordless Reciprocating Saw. Bumping up power, run-time, and the overall construction…..Ryobi has brought the Recip Saw from simple DIY quality up to Pro-sumer.
We ran across one of the new P516 saws in our local Home Depot about a month or so ago & went ahead and bought it ($79 bare tool). It looked very similar to the corded unit, and was obviously a big upgrade over the current P514 version.
Size-wise…..the housing/construction of the unit has been bulked up to accommodate the larger motor & upgraded components — making it larger than the P514, but still smaller than the corded equivalent.
Having batteries makes using the tool much more convenient than running extension cords or searching for a power outlet. Also, since it is part of the ONE+ platform — any of the batteries will power it — from the older NiCad packs to the new Lithium versions.
Running off of the same batteries, Ryobi claims that the new Recip Saw will have much better performance — not only with speed/power, but also with run-times.
Here are the specs on the P516 :
- 18v
- Tool-free Blade Change
- Adjustable/Pivoting Shoe
- On/Off Trigger Lock
- Anti-vibe Handle
- Variable Speed Trigger
- 0 – 2,900 SPM
- 1-1/8″ Stroke Length
- 17″ Long
- 4″ Wide
- 8″ High
- 5 lbs
- 3yr Warranty
Right out of the box, we installed a pruning blade & popped a 4.0ah battery in the saw and got to work. Clearing out a LOT of brush (trees, bushes, weeds, etc) — we ended up running through 2 full battery charges & completely filled up a 6×12 landscape trailer with 3′ high sides!
For a homeowner, a reciprocating saw with a pruning blade is MUCH safer than a chainsaw.
Other than large trees or heating with firewood, it can almost always get the small jobs done. Trimming trees, cutting up downed branches, and general pruning is very quick and easy to do (be sure to use a pruning blade — not a standard wood cutting blade).
Using a fully charged P108 (4.0ah) battery & new Diablo blade, we ran a run-time test to see how much work could get done on one battery charge. Cutting through standard 2x4s, the P516 was able to slice through 123 cuts on just one charge!
Aside from run-time, performance is also key. To test out the ability of cutting through nail-embedded wood, we popped a used Milwaukee Ax Blade in the saw & nailed 20 nails into a 4×4 pressure treated post. The P516 cut through all the nails & didn’t stall or hang up.
For a more extreme test, we tried cutting through two stacked pressure treated 2x10s — once again, it cut right through without stalling. This would be a heavy-duty application that you may run into when demolishing a deck off of the back of your house.
Overall, although the P516 wouldn’t be described as a “pro-grade tool“….it is a big bump up in quality and functionality over the previous version — and would be in the “pro-sumer” category. For the DIYer/Homeowner, this would make a good addition to your Ryobi 18v ONE+ tool collection.
Click here to see the full specs — Ryobi P516 18v ONE+ Recip Saw
Check out the FULL VIDEO REVIEW to see it for yourself!