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Reciprocating saw for pruning

Updated: October 2026

You are looking at a laurel, a leylandii or a small trunk you can reach from the ground, and a reciprocating saw for pruning is one of the tools people buy for that job. It is also easy to buy the wrong shape: a demolition sabre saw in a hedge, or a garden saw asked to cut studs. The Products Compared editorial team wrote this on 15 October 2026 from the amazon.co.uk Keo listing, Bosch’s UK page and United Kingdom reviews. It is not a lab test. A qualifying purchase through our links can earn us a commission at no extra cost to you. The Keo sits with the other saws on the [cordless reciprocating saw comparison](/hub/power-saws/cordless-reciprocating-saw).

You are looking at a laurel, a leylandii or a small trunk you can reach from the ground, and a reciprocating saw for pruning is one of the tools people buy for that job.

Our top picks

Einhell Einhell TE-AP 18/22 Li Solo

Best overall

Einhell Einhell TE-AP 18/22 Li Solo
8.2/10about £49.99
View offer
XIAZIR XIAZIR 21 V reciprocating saw kit

Rank 2

XIAZIR XIAZIR 21 V reciprocating saw kit
6.0/10about £79.99
View offer
Bosch Bosch Keo garden saw, bare

Alternative

Bosch Bosch Keo garden saw, bare
6.3/10about £69.98
View offer
On this page
  1. 1.What garden buyers are actually cutting
  2. 2.What Bosch states for the Keo
  3. 3.What the UK reviews add
  4. 4.When a sabre saw is the wrong pruner

What garden buyers are actually cutting

The reviews are branches, hedges and the odd fence panel. Einhell owners lopped conifers and an apple tree, and one found the same saw sticky in damp or thin wood. XIAZIR reviewers cut ivy, laurel and fence panels. One needed two or three passes on a 35 mm stem. The blade stays open beside the other hand. A garden saw is built to hold a branch and to stop around a printed diameter. A sabre saw will also go through a limb. The Bosch Keo here is the garden saw: £69.98, bare, 4.4 from 398 reviews, one Swiss wood blade and a detachable A-Grip. Family and box contents are on the buying guide. The pack-off sequence is on how to use a reciprocating saw.

What Bosch states for the Keo

Bosch’s UK DIY page states 80 mm without the A-Grip and 60 mm with it, an 18 V pack of at least 2.0 Ah, and 1.4 kg with the A-Grip. Those figures belong to Bosch. They are not the amazon.co.uk row for ASIN B097C41C2S. That Amazon listing is the bare saw at £69.98, with no battery or charger. The bullets claim branches up to 80 mm. The model field says 0600861A01 and the part number says 06008C1H01. The best cordless reciprocating saw page keeps the Keo off a demolition shortlist.
Einhell Einhell TE-AP 18/22 Li Solo

Testsieger

Einhell Einhell TE-AP 18/22 Li Solo
8.2/10about £49.99
View offer

What the UK reviews add

Reviewers found the Keo lighter than hand pruning, and one cited branches around 50 mm. That is one person’s comparison, not a test, and it is not a reason to climb. Another review used it one-handed from a ladder on leylandii. Both feet stay on the ground. A limb you cannot reach from the ground waits for someone equipped to work at height. The included blade was too fine for heavy leylandii in one review. The buyer fitted a 5 TPI Bosch green wood blade. Kickback and vibration stopped another reviewer after a few minutes. The blade stays exposed, and the box has no wrist strap. HSE’s 7–27 m/s² band for reciprocating saws is an employer’s typical range, not a reading from this page.

When a sabre saw is the wrong pruner

A sabre saw will cut fence posts and green wood on the ground. Einhell reviews include an apple tree, and binding in damp wood until the shoe is planted. XIAZIR reviews include that 35 mm cut in several passes. An open demolition blade in a hedge is a rough saw next to your other hand. Use the Keo when the branch is inside Bosch’s diameter, you can stand on the ground, and you already have an 18 V pack of at least 2.0 Ah. With the A-Grip fitted, use Bosch’s 60 mm figure. Use a sabre saw for a fallen limb, and accept a rough kerf. Leave the ladder in the garage.

Common questions

How thick a branch will the Keo cut?
Bosch’s UK page states 80 mm without the A-Grip and 60 mm with it. The amazon.co.uk bullets claim up to 80 mm with the Swiss wood blade. One review talks about branches around 50 mm. Use 60 mm once the A-Grip is on, because that is the limit Bosch prints for the gripped setup.
What changes when the A-Grip is on?
It holds the branch so you can work one-handed, and Bosch states the diameter falls from 80 mm to 60 mm. The Amazon bullets still quote 80 mm and call the grip detachable. Treat 60 mm as the gripped cut. The grip does not add a wrist strap, and the blade stays exposed.
Is the Amazon bare tool the same as the Wickes kit with a battery?
They are different bundles. ASIN B097C41C2S is £69.98 with no battery, one wood blade and a carton. Wickes has listed a Bosch KEO with a battery at about £145, with a 2.0 Ah pack and a charger. Match the bundle to whether you already own a Bosch 18 V pack.
Can a sabre saw prune a hedge?
It can cut individual branches and fence panels, which is what Einhell and XIAZIR reviews describe. It will not trim a hedge face. The blade is open, the kerf is rough, and thin or damp wood can pinch. A 35 mm stem in one XIAZIR review needed more than one pass.
Is it safer than a mini chainsaw?
One Keo reviewer, on branches around 50 mm, called it safer than a mini chainsaw. That is a single comparison, not a test, and it does not make the saw safe in a tree. The blade is exposed, kickback is in the reviews, and the box has no wrist strap. Both feet on the ground is the limit.
Can you use it from a ladder?
A leylandii review describes one-handed use from a ladder. That is what the buyer did, and it is not the method. Prune what you can reach with both feet on the ground. A limb above that reach belongs to someone equipped for height. The same rule applies to a sabre saw in the garden.
Which blade if the included one is too fine?
The carton includes one Swiss precision wood blade. A leylandii reviewer replaced it with a 5 TPI Bosch green wood blade, including a 240 mm blade to reach into a hedge. Change it with the battery off. A coarse wood blade suits green limbs. A fine blade is the slower choice in a hedge.

Related pages

Bare tool or kit

Cordless reciprocating saw

Best cordless reciprocating saw UK: which listing fits

Cordless reciprocating saw buying guide: first checks

How to use a reciprocating saw: blade, shoe and stop

Sources

Public UK sources and the amazon.co.uk listings in this comparison. Listings captured 15 October 2026. Page updated October 2026.

  1. HSE, PUWER overview (retrieved 15.10.2026)
  2. HSE, hand-arm vibration assessment (retrieved 15.10.2026)
  3. HSE, Control of Vibration at Work Regulations (retrieved 15.10.2026)
  4. Supply of Machinery (Safety) Regulations 2008, Schedule 2 (retrieved 15.10.2026)
  5. GOV.UK, Supply of Machinery (Safety) Regulations 2008: Great Britain (retrieved 15.10.2026)
  6. BSI, BS EN 62841-2-11:2016+A11:2024 (retrieved 15.10.2026)
  7. Bosch DIY UK, Keo (retrieved 15.10.2026)
  8. Plumbing Superstore, reciprocating saw buyer’s guide (retrieved 15.10.2026)