The Bottom Line
The Craftsman 320.28127 20.0-Volt Lithium-Ion Cordless Sabre Saw is a powerful cordless sabre saw, powerful enough that one might forget it is a cordless saw. This cordless sabre saw has a few very useful features, including an LED worklight, a tool-less blade clamp and a lock-off button to prevent accidental starting.
However, because of the sizeable battery, the unit is relatively heavy and seems to have substantial vibration. The battery and charger are sold separately, and when combined with the price of the saw, the total cost exceeds even the most expensive (and better performing) corded sabre or jigsaws.
However, because of the sizeable battery, the unit is relatively heavy and seems to have substantial vibration. The battery and charger are sold separately, and when combined with the price of the saw, the total cost exceeds even the most expensive (and better performing) corded sabre or jigsaws.
Pros
- Powerful 20-volt Lithium Ion battery powers saw through even tough cuts
- 4-position orbital cutting motion
- Variable speed, from 0-2200 RPM
- LED work light illuminates cut line
Cons
- Heavy tool - weighs over 5-1/2 pounds
- Considerable vibration when cutting, particularly at high speed
- Battery and Charger are separate purchases - not included with sabre saw
Description
- 20-volt Lithium-Ion Battery and Charger each are available separately.
- Tool-less blade change mechanism makes blade changes easy, as no tool is needed to insert or remove blade.
- Sabre saw has an electric brake that quickly stops the saw blade, a nice safety feature.
- Operator's Manual is very well written, a standard feature of Craftsman power tools
Guide Review - Craftsman 20-Volt Lithium-Ion Cordless Sabre Saw
The Craftsman (Model No. 320.28127) 20.0-Volt Lithium-Ion Cordless Sabre Saw quite a powerful saw. When I pulled it from the box and attached the battery, I was surprised by how powerful the unit felt in my hand. With the battery attached, the unit is a bit heavy, but fairly well balanced. The square bottom of the battery allows one to stand the saw up on the end of the battery, which would be particularly handy when using the saw in a confined space.
The charger brought the battery up to full charge quickly, and the power bar (consisting of four LEDs) on the battery showed the amount of remaining charge, which was a nice feature.
I was a bit disappointed in the tool's overall performance when making cuts. The sabre saw cut relatively quickly, but there was enough vibration that I felt more like I was man-handling the saw through the cut rather than guiding the saw. Adjusting the angle of the orbital motion seemed to help with the speed of the cut, but not the vibration.
While the saw certainly got the job done, the cutting performance didn't come close to some higher-end corded jigsaws or sabre saws that I've tested, all of which cost less than the combined price of this cordless sabre saw and the optional battery and charger.
If I were in a position where I absolutely needed a cordless jigsaw or sabre saw, I'd certainly consider buying one of these powerful units, as I'm confident the tool would handle nearly any task that I could throw at it. However, if I didn't require the cordless capability, I'd consider a model that didn't vibrate as much when making its cuts, and save about half of the cost of this cordless unit.
The charger brought the battery up to full charge quickly, and the power bar (consisting of four LEDs) on the battery showed the amount of remaining charge, which was a nice feature.
I was a bit disappointed in the tool's overall performance when making cuts. The sabre saw cut relatively quickly, but there was enough vibration that I felt more like I was man-handling the saw through the cut rather than guiding the saw. Adjusting the angle of the orbital motion seemed to help with the speed of the cut, but not the vibration.
While the saw certainly got the job done, the cutting performance didn't come close to some higher-end corded jigsaws or sabre saws that I've tested, all of which cost less than the combined price of this cordless sabre saw and the optional battery and charger.
If I were in a position where I absolutely needed a cordless jigsaw or sabre saw, I'd certainly consider buying one of these powerful units, as I'm confident the tool would handle nearly any task that I could throw at it. However, if I didn't require the cordless capability, I'd consider a model that didn't vibrate as much when making its cuts, and save about half of the cost of this cordless unit.
