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How to use a Bosch cordless reciprocating saw

Updated: 21 October 2026

You have a GSA 18V-24, a GSA 18V-28 or a PSA18V-200 on the bench, and the listing has named SDS, a pivot shoe, a lock-off or a counter-balance. The first cut is safer if the battery is off for the blade change, the shoe is on the work, and you stop when the cut or the vibration says stop. The Keo's A-grip is a garden fitting, so pruning with it belongs on the [Bosch cordless saw for pruning branches](/hub/power-saws/bosch-cordless-reciprocating-saw/sub/bosch-cordless-reciprocating-saw-pruning) page. Which packs fit which colour is on the [green versus Professional](/hub/power-saws/bosch-cordless-reciprocating-saw/sub/bosch-cordless-reciprocating-saw-green-vs-professional) page. The model table is on the [Bosch cordless reciprocating saw comparison](/hub/power-saws/bosch-cordless-reciprocating-saw). A qualifying purchase can earn us a commission at no extra cost to you.

You have a GSA 18V-24, a GSA 18V-28 or a PSA18V-200 on the bench, and the listing has named SDS, a pivot shoe, a lock-off or a counter-balance.

Our top picks

Bosch Bosch GSA 18V-28

Best overall

Bosch Bosch GSA 18V-28
9.6/10about £201.95
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Bosch Bosch GSA 18V-24 bare

Best value

Bosch Bosch GSA 18V-24 bare
9.4/10about £139.98
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Bosch Bosch PSA18V-200

Rank 3

Bosch Bosch PSA18V-200
9.2/10about £110.53
View offer
On this page
  1. 1.Change the blade with the battery off
  2. 2.Keep the shoe on the work and start at the speed you mean
  3. 3.Read wood, solid steel and pipe as three different cuts
  4. 4.Stop for vibration, noise and a jammed blade

Change the blade with the battery off

Take the battery off before you fit or change a blade. The GSA 18V-24 operating manual says to remove the battery before maintenance, turn the locking sleeve about 90 degrees, and use a half-inch universal shank. Push the blade in, then pull it to test that it has seated. Wear gloves. Let a hot blade cool before you grab it. On the PSA18V-200, one UK review describes twisting the collar with no hex key. On the GSA 18V-28, one review found ejection sticky. Both GSA 18V-24 amazon listings include S 2345 X for wood and S 922 EF for metal. The GSA 18V-28 listing includes S 2345 X and S 123 XF. The PSA18V-200 includes one blade, S 922 HF. A wood blade in mild steel is the usual way to stall the shank. None of these listings includes a dust-extraction set.

Keep the shoe on the work and start at the speed you mean

Rest the shoe on the work before you commit to the cut. The GSA 18V-24 manual tells you to keep the footplate against the material. A shoe that lifts lets the blade slap, which is how a thin pipe walks and a pallet nail snatches. The GSA 18V-24 and the L-BOXX listing both describe a pivoting footplate. Speed on the GSA 18V-24 is on the trigger, from 0 to 3,100 strokes per minute. There is no separate speed button. One PSA review likewise says speed is only on the trigger. Release the lock-off only when the shoe is placed. Plunge cuts, on the GSA 18V-24 manual, are for soft material and a short blade. Do not plunge into metal. If the work may hide a cable, stop if you are not sure the circuit is dead.
Bosch Bosch GSA 18V-28

Testsieger

Bosch Bosch GSA 18V-28
9.6/10about £201.95
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Read wood, solid steel and pipe as three different cuts

On the GSA manuals, wood, unalloyed steel and pipe are separate lines. Both state 230 mm in wood, 20 mm in unalloyed steel, and 150 mm as a pipe diameter. The 150 mm is the size of a hollow pipe, not the thickness of solid steel. A 20 mm solid section is already the steel claim. The PSA18V-200's Bosch DIY page is 200 mm in wood and 20 mm in steel. That 200 mm is not printed as a depth row on the amazon specification table. Plastic at full stroke is a known way to melt rather than cut. Drop the trigger speed. If the material might be a live cable, a pressurised pipe, or structural timber, stop and call a professional.

Stop for vibration, noise and a jammed blade

Bosch declares 9.1 m/s² for the GSA 18V-24 when sawing wood, and 23.1 m/s² for the GSA 18V-28 on beams, with 18.7 m/s² on boards in the manual. Both manuals say wear hearing protection. Declared sound pressure is 85 dB(A) on the GSA 18V-24 and 86 dB(A) on the GSA 18V-28. Wear eye protection as well. If the blade jams, release the trigger, take the battery off, and free the blade by hand once it has stopped. Choosing which of these saws to buy is the buying guide.

Common questions

Can I plunge into metal?
No. The GSA 18V-24 manual limits plunge cutting to soft material and a short blade. Metal is a shoe-on-the-work cut with a metal blade, and the solid-steel claim is 20 mm, not the 150 mm pipe diameter. If you cannot see the far side, do not plunge.
What is the difference between 20 mm of steel and 150 mm of pipe?
Twenty millimetres is the unalloyed-steel thickness in the GSA manuals. One hundred and fifty millimetres is a pipe diameter, so the wall is thin compared with a solid bar of that size. Reading 150 mm as solid steel will stall the saw. Wood on the same pages is 230 mm.
How long can trigger time run before the vibration action value?
As a rule of thumb, about nine minutes at 18 m/s² and about six minutes at the GSA 18V-28's declared 23.1 m/s², if that tool is the only exposure and you are comparing with the 2.5 m/s² A(8) action value. It is not a measured dose for your day. The GSA 18V-24's declared wood figure is 9.1 m/s², which is lower, and still not a reason to skip breaks on a long run.
Do I need hearing and eye protection on a cordless saw?
Yes. Both GSA manuals say wear hearing protection. Declared sound pressure is 85 dB(A) on the GSA 18V-24 and 86 dB(A) on the GSA 18V-28. Eye protection belongs on any exposed reciprocating blade. Cordless does not mean quiet, and it does not mean the chips stay in the cut.
What should I do if the blade jams?
Release the trigger, wait until the blade has stopped, and remove the battery before you free it. Do not keep the trigger down to force a pinch. If the blade is hot, let it cool before you change it. If the jam is because the material is structural, live, or pressurised, that is the point to call a professional rather than fit a longer blade.

Related pages

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Bosch green vs Professional reciprocating saw battery

Bosch cordless saw for pruning branches: Keo limits

Sources

Public UK sources and the amazon.co.uk listings compared on this page. Prices captured 19 October 2026.

  1. Bosch Professional GSA 18V-28 (retrieved October 2026)
  2. GSA 18V-28 manual (retrieved October 2026)
  3. GSA 18V-28 UK declaration of conformity (retrieved October 2026)
  4. Bosch Professional GSA 18V-24 (retrieved October 2026)
  5. Bosch DIY Keo (retrieved October 2026)
  6. Bosch DIY PSA18V-200 (retrieved October 2026)
  7. HSE: Control of Vibration at Work Regulations (retrieved October 2026)
  8. HSE: Assessing hand-arm vibration risk (retrieved October 2026)
  9. Control of Noise at Work Regulations 2005, regulation 4 (retrieved October 2026)
  10. Consumer Rights Act 2015, section 22 (retrieved October 2026)