How to use a Bosch reciprocating saw
Updated: 21 October 2026
The first cut is the one that finds a cable or snatches the blade. A Bosch reciprocating saw is a straight blade for demolition, pallets, pipe and rough timber, and it will kick if the blade is nipped. This page is the sequence that keeps the shoe on the work and the power off while you change the blade. Prices and a winner sit on the [Bosch reciprocating saw](/hub/power-saws/bosch-reciprocating-saw) comparison. The notes below follow the GSA manuals, a PSA 700 E manual mirror and HSE guidance on work near electricity, read on 20 October 2026. There was no lab test. A qualifying purchase can earn us a commission at no extra cost to you.
The first cut is the one that finds a cable or snatches the blade. A Bosch reciprocating saw is a straight blade for demolition, pallets, pipe and rough timber, and it will kick if the blade is nipped.
The first cut is the one that finds a cable or snatches the blade. A Bosch reciprocating saw is a straight blade for demolition, pallets, pipe and rough timber, and it will kick if the blade is nipped. This page is the sequence that keeps the shoe on the work and the power off while you change the blade. Prices and a winner sit on the Bosch reciprocating saw comparison. The notes below follow the GSA manuals, a PSA 700 E manual mirror and HSE guidance on work near electricity, read on 20 October 2026. There was no lab test. A qualifying purchase can earn us a commission at no extra cost to you.
Our top picks
| Badge | Product | Blade change | Start control | Hands | Note | Price | Offer |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Best overall |  Bosch Bosch GSA 12-30 | Tool-less change | Spring button plus trigger | Two hands | 9.8 | about £142.10 | View offer |
 Bosch Bosch GSA 18V-28 | Toolless snap-in | Battery off to change the blade | Two hands | 9.6 | about £201.95 | View offer | |
| Best value |  Bosch Bosch PSA 700 E | SDS lever | No lock-off in UK reviews | Two hands | 9.2 | about £74.99 | View offer |
On this page
Before the blade moves
Unplug the corded saw, or take the battery off the cordless body, before the blade comes out of the packet. The GSA manuals tell you to use the insulated grips and to keep the shoe on the work. Eye protection is the minimum. Gloves help with the sharp shank. They are not a reason to hold the timber in your hand. Find the cable path before you open a wall, a floor or a chase. HSE guidance is to locate the services and stop if you are not sure. A detector is a check, not a guarantee. A recip will cut copper, steel and live cable with the same stroke. If the routes are unknown, call a competent person. The same stop applies to work at height and to felling. Clamp the offcut and the piece you are keeping. A knee or a free hand is not a support. On a corded saw, lay the lead so it cannot fall into the cut. UK reviews of the PSA 700 E call the supplied lead short. Keep any extension out of the stroke as well.
Fit the blade and prove it is seated
Fit the blade the way the manual for your part number describes it. On the PSA 700 E, open the SDS lever, seat the 1/2 inch shank, and let the lever close. On the GSA 18V-28 the bullets say a toolless snap-in. On the GSA 12-30 the line says tool-less blade change. Do not copy a twist-collar sequence from another brand onto an SDS lever. The blade has to project past the footplate through the whole stroke. After it clicks, tug the shank. It should not pull out. If it will not seat, the power stays off. The PSA 700 E wood blade, S 2345 X, is what many buyers found too blunt until a spare went on. Thick boards in those reviews needed oil. A wood blade on thin pipe or nails will heat, wander and snap. The GSA 18V-24 box includes S 922 EF. The GSA 12-30 box includes S 1127 BEF. Use the metal blade for pipe and the wood blade for timber.
Keep the shoe on the work
Start with the shoe against the work and the blade clear of the cut, then bring the teeth in. Starting in the middle of a kerf, or with the shoe in the air, is how the blade kicks. The PSA 700 E, the GSA 12-30 and the GSA 18V-28 are two-handed saws in the UK reviews. Pruning limits belong on the Bosch reciprocating saw for pruning page. Forcing the shoe harder does not make a 20 mm stroke into a 30 mm stroke. Bosch lists 20 mm on the PSA 700 E. The GSA 12-30 bullets say 30 mm. Keep the shoe planted either way. On the ground, kneel so the offcut can fall away. Overhead, a 3 kg PSA or a 3.2 kg GSA 18V-28, before a battery, is already a two-hand job. Ease off as the blade breaks through so the offcut does not snatch the teeth.
If it grabs, and if the PSA starts in your hand
If the blade binds, switch off and hold the saw still until the blade has stopped. Do not pull it back while the teeth are moving. That is the kick. Once the blade is still, open the kerf and start again with the shoe on the work. Oil on a thick timber cut can stop a blade pinching from heat. It is not a fix for a pipe that has closed on the teeth. The PSA 700 E has a separate fault. UK reviews say there is no two-button lock-off, so the trigger can start the blade as you lift the saw. The manual says the switch cannot be locked on. Pick it up with your hand off the trigger. The GSA 12-30 uses a spring button you hold before the trigger. Stop when the cut may meet a hidden cable, when the work is at height, or when the job is felling. A working day of vibration is an assessment under the Control of Vibration at Work Regulations 2005, and these listings are not that assessment. Lead or pack is on the corded vs cordless Bosch reciprocating saw page. Which body matches the job is on the Bosch reciprocating saw buying guide.
Common questions
How do you fit a Bosch SDS blade?
On the PSA 700 E, with the plug out, open the SDS lever, seat the shank, close the lever and tug the blade. It should not pull free, and it should project past the footplate through the stroke. The GSA 18V-28 bullets describe a toolless snap-in instead of that lever. Use the picture in the manual for your part number. A twist-collar guide written for another saw is the wrong sequence.
What do you do if the blade binds?
Switch off, keep both hands on the saw, and wait until the blade has stopped. Then free the kerf. Do not yank the saw backwards while the teeth are moving. On a thick board, PSA owners have used a little oil so the blade does not stall from heat. If the pipe or the timber has closed hard on the blade, forcing the trigger makes the snap more likely.
Why does the PSA 700 E start when you pick it up?
UK reviews say there is no two-button lock-off, so a hand on the trigger starts the blade as the saw leaves the bench. The manual says the switch cannot be locked on and must stay pressed. Carry it with the trigger clear and the blade pointed away. The GSA 12-30 is different: reviewers hold a spring button and the trigger together.
What if the blade might meet a cable?
Stop. HSE guidance is to find cables before you cut, and to leave the job if you are unsure. A recip blade does not know the difference between a nail and a live conductor. Insulated grips are a last layer in the manuals, not a method for cutting blind into a wall. Hidden services are a reason to bring in a competent person.
Is the included blade enough?
It is enough to prove the saw, not enough for every material. The PSA 700 E ships one wood blade, S 2345 X, and UK buyers often found it blunt until a spare went on. Metal pipe needs a metal blade, such as the S 922 EF with the GSA 18V-24 or the S 1127 BEF with the GSA 12-30. A wood blade on steel heats, wanders and snaps.
Related pages
Sources
Public UK sources and the amazon.co.uk listings compared on this page. Prices captured 20 October 2026.
- Bosch DIY PSA 700 E (retrieved October 2026)
- Bosch DIY PSA 18V-200 (retrieved October 2026)
- Bosch DIY Keo (retrieved October 2026)
- Bosch Professional GSA 18V-28 (retrieved October 2026)
- GSA 18V-28 manual (retrieved October 2026)
- Bosch Professional GSA 18V-24 (retrieved October 2026)
- GSA 12-30 manual (retrieved October 2026)
- HSE INDG175 (retrieved October 2026)