Ozito RSW-5200

I got a lesson and advice on blades from the staff in bunnings. Let the tool weight do the work, push it and you kill it. Bought blades at same time for cutting green timber. The included ones went straight into the bin. For $109 in machine and two blade pack for $20 australian I would be happy if it lasts a season. Using it on the farm for a few… Read more

months to clean up a lot of small tree and branches around the house before fire season. First day It did very well, I even cut through some 150mm timber. I am 71 and have arthritic hands which makes a chainsaw impossible, not much pain at end of day, no trouble guiding blade with this saw. Compared to my petrol pole saw this is a little easier. And it will run off my 1kw generator for where a power cable will not reach. I will update this review if it survives the season or it dies. Hopefully the blade holding mechanism has been improved in the years since the other reviews.

update so far half a dozen trees cut into small lengths, a ton of the thickest bits went to a friend by trailer. bent a blade. broke a blade. third blade is 300mm long and has cut logs 200mm thick. no problems

corded Ozito reciprocal saw – Bought this saw as I have a few other Ozito tools that have proved OK . Took it home, opened the case, inserted the blade and gave it a go. Pretty disappointing, the blade wouldn't cut the proverbial butter. Read a few other reviews and followed the suggestions by going to Bunnings and getting some proper blades (Erwin 5 pack timber blades at… Read more

$12). Made a huge difference, worked well enough with these blades. Conclusion is it's OK considering the price paid, it's not a chain saw, and ditch the blades that came with it.

Ozito RSW-5200 – Product looked good and was a 'bargain' price. However you get what you pay for. Firstly the blades provided are useless, it needed quality blades from the DIY store. I also agree with other reviews, the blades keep popping out of the holder every few minutes rendering the tool useless. I used this three times, first two to cut wood which it… Read more

managed apart from continuously losing the blade. Last time to cut metal, I received an electric shock from a spark flying out of the motor vent which is just where you grip the tool with your left hand. Its back in the box and back to the store - I won't touch it again!

Great tool versatile and useful – I have had this saw for 12 months. I cut up large Cocos palm fronds, tree branches, hardwood sleepers and have even used it to cut / trim palings in place etc. The metal blade is great for aluminium and for mild thin steel. This is a great tool for around the house/garden jobs and if I break this one I will buy the same again.  Show details

Stay away from this – I bought the Ozito 920W Variable Speed Reciprocating Saw RSW-5200U last month to trim a privet hedge and cut up some timber for a new fence. Day one: While trimming the Privet hedge the blade fell out and got lost among the branches. Twenty minutes of frustrating searching finally found it. I re read the simplistic user instructions for fitting… Read more

the blade and followed the advice to the letter. Refitted the blade and started cutting. Blade fell out. New search and more frustration. This happened nine more times. I resorted to borrowing a friends chain saw to finish the job.

Day two: Tried using the saw on the timber cutting for the new fence. All went well for five minutes. Blade fell out. Changed the blade for a new one. Blade fell out. Realised that I had bought something with a blade attachment designed and manufactured by an idiot.

As the blade holding mechanism is VITAL for the working of the saw, having one that fails after just twenty minutes shows a staggeringly lax attitude to product testing at the factory. The damage that can be done to company's reputation by letting this sort of rubbish fall into the hands of customers is potentially huge. So my advice, if you have shares in this company is, sell them fast. They have no idea what they are doing.

As for buying this tool. DON'T. Go for another manufacture and stay away from Ozito. A tool that fails to last one afternoon is not a tool at all. It's a toy.

Ozito saw worse than expected – I have a lot of clearing of branches to do around my normal small suburban yard. My old electric saw was blunt and the Ozito saw was on special for 59 dollars, normal around 100 dollars. It promotes its "tool - less" blade change mechanism and comes with a nice plastic case and blades for metal and wood cutting. The first time I used it it was… Read more

great. It cut through green wood easily and quickly. Pruning and cutting back was a breeze.

The second time I used it it was hopeless. The blade kept pulling out of its "tool less" blade retainter. No matter how gentle I was with the saw, the blade kept pulling out instead of cutting wood, including twigs.

The Ozito was no longer up to the job after one afternoon, and the second afternoon was a complete waste of time and a total frustration. I still had the work to do though. I noticed that with the saw switched off and unplugged from power, I could pull on the blade with all my might and it would not come adrift. However, as soon as I started to do work with it, the blade would come completely adrift. A real shame.

I imagined trying to take it back to Bunnings and complaining: their response would be : "but sir, this blade is firmly in place, there's nothing wrong it", they would say. Only if I could convince them to try it on a piece of balsa wood would they see the device, 2 weeks old, had a worn out "tool - less" blade mechanism.

Oh for the days when handymen were able to use tools and could buy tools that worked for more than an afternoon!!!

I still had the work to do, and did not feel like driving to Bunnings and arguing with them. So I grabbed my angle grinder and using pin point accuracy, removed the offending "tool less" blade retaining mechanism collar. An examination of the inner workings revealed a weak, tapered, spring loaded retaining pin, which, once used once or twice, wore out. I then drilled a hole through the slot that holds the blade, inserted the blade and secured with a split pin inserted in the hole I drilled. The blade is now positively attached to the blade holder slot and cannot come adrift until the split pin wears out. (which is an easy fix - just insert a new one).

The saw has worked great ever since.

The weak link in this machine is the poor and weak design of its blade holder mechamism. It is not positive enough, it wears rapidly and becomes useless.

If you buy this machine, I hope you own a grinder and some split pins as well. If not, buy these as well while you are in Bunnings. It will save a trip. Summary: A most frustrating machine until it has been modified by the home handy man who is reasonably skilled in the use of tools. Recommendation: steer clear of electric saws with "tool less" blade changing mechanisms. They are weak and do not last long, and have to be modified to be fit for purpose. I can imagine many people arguing with shop staff when trying to return these junky devices.