This tool is quite powerful and last a long time on a single battery. This was part of the DC6KITA. I have tested each tool and have reviewed some. This one is not exception. On a fresh battery and with the supplied blade I continually cut 2x4's until my hand was sore from holding on. The power is nice. It did not seem too bog when pushed hard through the wood. Battery life suprised me by never giving up. On a full demo job where cutting throught various materials is necessary it might show it's weakness in longevity.
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br /Having purchased a 1/2 rebar to test the DC410 cut-off tool, I proceeded to test the DC385 with a 18tpi metal blade. It worked quite well. The power was still there. No bogging. Of course pressure was needed to help the teeth bite, but that is to be expected.
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br /Also the adjustable shoe is a new feature. It does not have much range of motion but at least it is there.
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br /For most all home projects this is going to be a wonderful tool. In owning many XRP batteries and having several chargers, I don't forsee buying a corded saw. This would be a solid 5 star tool, but there is only one thing that slightly bothers me. The blade is not centered in the shoe becuase of the 4 way blade clamp. Now I gave it the 5 because I would rather have the 4 way clamp than have it centered.

DeWalt has another cordless winner here. Plenty of power. I have a corded Mikita saw that I have used for years and its great for the big, intensive use jobs. I wanted something for the smaller jobs that was cordless and not have to drag around an extension cord... quick out; quick to put away. I have a mix of corded power tool brands but settled on DeWalt for my cordless needs. I have half-dozen 18v XRP's and a couple of chargers through past purchases.
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br /If you are in a similar situation with extra batteries and chargers...
br /Maxtools.com sells the 'BARE TOOL' at a good price (no batteries/charger are included). Amazon should stock the bare tools. The saw was $99 and comes with a 6" combo blade so that you can test the saw.
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br /Be warned, my saw took almost 3 weeks to arrive, but, hey, the price is right for a DeWalt and the saw arrived without damage. However there was no owners manual which I thought was an odd oversight. But a few minutes fiddling with the front end and the blade change was figured out... lift the tab on the front right side of the saw all the way up and remove/install a blade. The button at the left front allows the 'shoe' at the front of the saw to extend/retract and lock in several positions. (If you are wondering about the moveable 'shoe', it allows for some depth-of-cut control vis-a-vis the length of your saw blade when needed for certain applications.) As for the rest, I don't need a manual to show me how to pull a trigger or change a battery. I am a huge fan of the 4-way blade clamp set up. There is a vertical and horizontal blade clamp incorporated into one head. Blade change is a snap and you can set the blade teeth to point up, down, right or left. The versatility of this feature is great! Gone are the days of contortions to cut sideways.
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I am a woman who builds alot of stuff and works in the woods alot. I hate handling a big ol' chainsaw and this bad boy helps to cut down branches and trees up to 5in diameter for me when working on an outdoor project with no electricity available!! WOW!

I had bought a Sears 19.2V cordless reciprocating saw which came with 2 batteries. However, the batteries would not hold a charge (both of them) and the brief time it work the saw seem to bog down. Believe I paid about $110 for the Sears. After the returned the Sears unit I purchase the Dewalt and couldn't be happier. Used it to cut wood and metal with excellent results. It's heavier than the Sears model but the Dewalt really works well and the battery has staying power. I paid $179 for the Dewalt with free Amazon shipping. As always its best to spend a little more money and get a quality unit.

I got this saw as part of the DC4KITA set. It's done ok so far I like it, but my only problem with it is the way the clamp is attached to the shaft (a simple, small drive and spring pin). Over time it has worked loose letting the blade flop around allot more than I'd like under use. I have replaced the clamp/shaft assembly (not sold individually BTW) and had a guy weld it to the shaft so that wont happen again. It's got plenty of power and the battery life is fine considering it's power. It's proven itself however in the fact you can put the blade in sides ways. That helps a lot if you trying to cut vary close to the edge of something, or the battery's orientation makes it bunglesome to use (in a crowed trussed ceiling for example).

My cordless reciprocating saw lasted 9 months. I do mostly bath renovation work. This unit used to come with me everywhere to do the demo work but I found that the batter life is only 5-7 minutes. I used to have 4 batteries with me so I wouldn't have to stop and wait for a charge. Then I found that if the blade release mechanism gets dusty (what kind of tool doesn't get dust????) the ball bearings inside the chuck don't move easily and you have to use a glove and your hand to pull out the blade. God forbid your blade breaks off and the tip stays in the chuck, your there all day with needle nose pliers taking it out. I've used WD 40 to lube the chuck. Yeah, that works for about a few blade changes then once it gets full of dust, your back to using your hands and gloves to remove the blade. What a dissappointing tool. If I can give you some advise, it's to spend a few extra $$ and either buy the Milwaukee. It's a much better chuck design and the batteries last me 10-13 minutes.

I have a 110v 13amp Milwaukee Sawzall but this is the saw I grab first. It performs just as well and I don't need a cord. If I think the cut is going to take longer than 4 minutes of heavy cutting (2 batteries) then I grab the Milwaukee. I've had mine for 4 year with no problem. The downfall is the blade clamp uses the old sys of an allen key and it comes loose. Milwaukee clamp is much better.

I bought this to work on a remodel on a house for a friend. The 90 degree rotating head came in handy several times and I was glad to have the feature. I run all of my tools off DeWalt's 18v batteries and I was lucky that I had four of them when I went to the job site. This tool eats the batteries! I use to install garage doors and could install two full-size doors on one battery using my hammer drill, but this tool kills a battery in 10-30 minutes of use. With three batteries charging and one in the tool, I was able to keep a rotation and get jobs done with no waiting around, but it was close.
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br /The head unit would get hot, not unreasonable and with gloves I didn't even notice.
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br /If you plan to buy, just have extra batteries around or lose the portability and get a corded one. It works great, but don't expect miracles.

A saw like this always comes in handy during framing, and this saw performs really well. The quick change blade feature is really nice too.

This tool is quite powerful and last a long time on a single battery. This was part of the DC6KITA. I have tested each tool and have reviewed some. This one is no exception. On a fresh battery and with the supplied blade I continual cut 2x4's until my hand was sore from holding on. The power is nice. It did not seem too bog when pushed hard through the wood. Battery life suprised me by never giving up. On a full demo job where cutting throught various materials is necessary it might show it's weakness in longevity.
br /
br /Having purchased a 1/2 rebar to test the DC410 cut-off tool, I proceed to test the DC385 with a 18tpi metal blade. It worked quite well. The power was still there. No bogging. Of course pressure was needed to help the teeth bite, but that is to be expected.
br /
br /Also the adjustable shoe is a new feature. It does not have much range of motion but at least it is there.
br /
br /For most all home projects this is going to be a wonderful tool. In owning many XRP batteries and having several chargers, I don't forsee buy a corded saw. I have given this 5 stars, but there is only one thing that slightly bothers me. The blade is not centered in the shoe becuase of the 4 way blade clamp. Now I gave it the 5 because I would rather have the 4 way clamp than have it centered.

i have used one of these tools for about five years. i have had the same tool, but many batteries. i use it and lend it all the time. we often use it to cut pipelines that still have a lot of water in them, so this thing gets wet and muddy all of the time. so far i couldn't be happier with my dewalt cordless saw. i must have for a pipeliner.

The saw price thru Amazon in KIT was a great price [saved shipping] even over Ebay. Ran the saw thru about 6 discharges then a 24hr balance charge.Very well built unit. If you do a lot of cutting a xtra battery is necessary. Plenty of power to the ovious discharge. GREAT blade cuppler. Worthwhile tool to own.

The saw is very powerful and will cut thorugh a lot.
br /Of course the battery drain is according to its power - it will drain fast if you load it a lot, but that's rather a good sign.
br /I bought it during a sale when they gave me a free extra battery. When using it intensively I would have 4 batteries, 2 charging a 2 with me.
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br /It is rather light, not too noisy and the vibrations are ok.
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br /Make sure you get the "type 2", not the "type 1"
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Its awesome, still works no problems. Its tough and the battery lasts a long time.
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br /Its Dewalt, so you could drop it from a ladder and it will still work. Just make sure your over grass when you do drop it.

Wow!!! I wish I'd had a reciprocating saw years ago, but to be battery powered on top of the many features is an extra plus. The battery holds up. I wish I could afford two batteries, but the one that come with it holds it power for quite a while. DeWalt has done it again.
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br /P.S. I'm not the best speller so plese excuse any misspelled words.

The person I gave this gift to is very happy with it, and says it is an excellent product; he loves it.
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br /The product was a Christmas gift to be given on 12/10/06. I was notified of shipment by Amazon on 11/20. It did not arrive in a timely fashion. Tracking provided "shipped by DHL". I did not know what those initials stood for and it took me 2 days to track them down. There is no way to ask Amazon that I could figure.
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br /Info showed product had been attempted to be delivered. Not so: there was no notice. DHL went the extra mile and informed me that Amazon uses a special "DHL Home" service, so DHL turns the product over to the local USPO, which never attempted delivery and never notified me.
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br /I finally located the reciprocating saw on 12/10/06. But it was not easy: there was no "DHL" indication on the package -- instead it said "Airborne Express." Which had been bought out by DHL and no label change had been made.
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br /Amazon was no help; there is simply no way to contact them or telephone them. I had not known this until this problem arose. I will never again order an expensive item from Amazon. The trauma was great, the time expenditure was great, the rage and frustration was great. I have communicated my displeasure to my friends (and the busy USPO customers in line as well). Could find no way to tell Amazon, though.
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br /Product: Fine. Amason: Dreadful.