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How to use an air body saw

Updated: 21 October 2026

The saw is on the bench and the compressor is in the corner. The first cut goes wrong if the tool is dry or the hose is still live while you change the blade. Oil the inlet, set the pressure the listing or the manual states, fit the blade with the air isolated, and stop when the job is no longer thin sheet. The five listings are on the [body saw comparison](/hub/power-saws/body-saw). These notes follow the Draper 70833 manual extract, HSE guidance and UK reviews from 20 October 2026. We did not run a lab. A qualifying purchase can earn a commission at no extra cost to you.

The saw is on the bench and the compressor is in the corner. The first cut goes wrong if the tool is dry or the hose is still live while you change the blade.

Our top picks

Blue Spot Tools Bluespot 07948

Best overall

Blue Spot Tools Bluespot 07948
7.9/10about £20.46
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Draper Draper 70833

Rank 2

Draper Draper 70833
8.3/10about £34.95
View offer
ORIENTOOLS Orientools air reciprocating saw

Rank 3

ORIENTOOLS Orientools air reciprocating saw
7.6/10about £23.99
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On this page
  1. 1.Air, oil and the hose
  2. 2.Blade and guard with the air isolated
  3. 3.How long to cut
  4. 4.When to stop

Air, oil and the hose

The Draper 70833 manual asks for 90 psi through a regulator, a lubricator and a filter, at 2.5 cfm, with a 3/8 inch hose and a 1/4 inch BSP inlet, on mild steel up to 1.2 mm. Amazon prints 4500 RPM. That is not the manual’s 10,000 strokes. Do not paste 2.5 cfm onto the Bluespot, which states 4 CFM at 90 psi. UK Draper reviews say you oil it or it sticks, and the oil then coats the panel. If an Orientools blade snags, do not exceed the 90 PSI in the title. Check hose, regulator and oil, then stop. HSE’s HSG39 treats a hose as something that can whip. Vent the line before you investigate. The nipple may not match your coupling.

Blade and guard with the air isolated

Change the blade with the hose off and the line vented. On the Draper the blade is a screw and a hex key, and reviewers rounded the guard screws. On Orientools a review describes a cover screw, then an Allen key, in about two minutes. A WP01118 review says there is no quick release. The guard is a depth stop. It does not raise the millimetre claim. A short stroke heats the blade, and exhaust oil makes the panel slippery. Do not start the tool while your fingers are on the screw.
Blue Spot Tools Bluespot 07948

Testsieger

Blue Spot Tools Bluespot 07948
7.9/10about £20.46
View offer

How long to cut

Cut in short bursts. For employers, action values are 80 and 85 dB(A), with a limit of 87 dB(A). HSE’s six-minute panel example and the Draper manual’s 15 m/s² are not measurements of these five saws. Do not paste 92 dB(A) or 15 m/s² onto the other four. The WP01118 bullet states 96 dBA. At home, ear defenders still belong on. If your hand is buzzing, stop.

When to stop

Stop when you cannot name the metal, or when it is structure, a seat-belt anchor, an airbag, a fuel tank, a fuel line or a brake line. A van-side cut is not a seat-rail test. A snapped blade is a stop, not a prompt to fit another blade. Do not invent 90 psi for a listing that never states a pressure. Panel examples and the 30 cm seat-belt point are on air saw for car bodywork.

Common questions

Do I oil the saw, and where does the oil come out?
Oil a pneumatic saw or it sticks. That is what UK Draper reviews report, and the Draper manual asks for a lubricator and a moisture filter on the airline. The oil then leaves through the exhaust and coats the panel and your hand. This page does not give a drop count for the Bluespot or the Orientools saw, because those listings do not print one. Wipe the panel before you paint or weld near the cut.
What pressure do I set, and what if the blade snags?
Set the pressure the manual or the listing states. For the Draper 70833 that is 90 psi at the tool, through a regulator. The Bluespot bullets state 90 psi and 4 CFM. If an Orientools review needed full compressor pressure before the blade would run, do not go past the 90 PSI in that title to force the cut. Check the hose, the regulator and the oil, then stop if the blade still snags.
How do I change the blade without the tool starting?
Shut off the air and vent the hose before the hex key comes out. On the Draper the blade is a screw, not a quick release, and reviewers rounded the guard screws. On the Orientools saw a review describes a cover screw, then an Allen key, in about two minutes. Keep your fingers off the blade until the air is off, and do not copy a drop-count or a screw sequence from a different brand’s instructions.
How long can I keep the trigger down?
Keep it short. HSE’s workplace example is that about six minutes of panel removal with an air saw can push a day over 85 dB(A). The Draper manual declares 15 m/s², and a worked example puts the 2.5 m/s² action value at about 13 minutes of continuous use. That example is not a measurement of the saw in your garage. Ear defenders and a pause are the practical point at home. The legal noise and vibration duties are the employer’s.
What hearing and eye protection matters, even at home?
Safety glasses and ear defenders. The Draper manual names both. A WorkPad review says the exhaust is loud enough that hearing protection belongs on the job, next to a 96 dBA bullet. Particles still leave the cut, and HSE warns against blowing air at skin or clothes. A home user is outside PUWER. The noise is not theoretical.

Related pages

Body saw buying guide

Body saw vs reciprocating saw

Body saw

Best UK air body saw for thin panels on amazon.co.uk

Air saw for car bodywork: thin panels and exhausts

Sources

Public UK sources, the Draper 70833 page and manual, and the amazon.co.uk listings compared here. Listings captured on 20 October 2026.

  1. HSE: Noise in motor vehicle repair (retrieved 20 October 2026)
  2. Control of Noise at Work Regulations 2005, regulation 4 (retrieved 20 October 2026)
  3. Control of Vibration at Work Regulations 2005 (retrieved 20 October 2026)
  4. HSE: PUWER overview (retrieved 20 October 2026)
  5. HSE: INDG291 Providing and using work equipment safely (retrieved 20 October 2026)
  6. Draper Tools: 70833 air body saw (retrieved 20 October 2026)
  7. Draper 70833 manual extract (retrieved 20 October 2026)
  8. Consumer Rights Act 2015, Part 1 (retrieved 20 October 2026)