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Cordless reciprocating saw for pruning branches

Updated: 21 October 2026

You want to trim shrubs and small branches with a cordless reciprocating saw on Makita 18 V packs, not fell timber over your head. The third-party bodies in the [Makita cordless reciprocating saw comparison](/hub/power-saws/makita-cordless-reciprocating-saw) can do supported garden cuts if you respect pinch, blade choice and the shorter strokes these copies carry. They are not DJR tools with a 32 mm stroke. This page sets size and safety limits against UK review themes. The battery-off blade change is on [how to use a cordless reciprocating saw](/hub/power-saws/makita-cordless-reciprocating-saw/sub/makita-cordless-reciprocating-saw-how-to-use). Peter F. compared the listings. There was no lab test. A qualifying purchase can earn a commission at no extra cost to you.

You want to trim shrubs and small branches with a cordless reciprocating saw on Makita 18 V packs, not fell timber over your head.

Our top picks

Fledukten Fledukten two-battery kit

Best overall

Fledukten Fledukten two-battery kit
6.2/10about £62.99
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OHAISFELA OHAISFELA body only

Rank 2

OHAISFELA OHAISFELA body only
6.5/10about £59.99
View offer
Builrand Builrand bare tool

Best value

Builrand Builrand bare tool
6.2/10about £48.99
View offer
On this page
  1. 1.When a recip saw fits the garden
  2. 2.Blade, shoe and supporting the branch
  3. 3.What to expect from these Makita-pack saws
  4. 4.Power, runtime and stopping

When a recip saw fits the garden

A reciprocating saw fits pruning when you can support the wood on both sides of the cut, reach it from the ground or a stable step, and accept a rougher kerf than a hand pruning saw. It does not replace a chainsaw for standing timber, large limbs above shoulder height, or anything you cannot secure. This page stays with shrubs and small branches. Copies state 19–22 mm where they state a stroke, or they leave it blank. Thick green wood takes longer than on DJR187's published capacities. Structural timber and repeated paid work belong on the versus a genuine Makita page. Here the cut is wood you can hold or brace.

Blade, shoe and supporting the branch

Start with a coarse wood blade. CMT UK groups thick wood around 6 TPI, not the fine metal teeth in many four- and eight-blade bundles. UK reviews say those included blades dull quickly, so budget a named wood blade before a whole hedge. Fit it with the battery off, check tooth direction, and tug the collet before the pack goes on. Press the shoe to the branch or a solid neighbour. Support the offcut so it cannot pinch the blade as it drops. Pinch is where kickback and broken teeth show up on green wood. Use two hands, stand to the side, and wear eye protection. BuildWiz's UK guidance puts shoe contact ahead of speed. A Fledukten UK review describes a fixed shoe, so choose how much blade sticks out instead of sliding the nose along a curve. A firm start once the shoe is planted beats a half trigger that whines, the pattern on the £46.59 luolety eight-blade listing.
Fledukten Fledukten two-battery kit

Testsieger

Fledukten Fledukten two-battery kit
6.2/10about £62.99
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What to expect from these Makita-pack saws

UK garden notes include Fledukten on roots and overhead branches, JOJOCY on branches when the motor behaves, and a luolety eight-blade review that is kinder about offcuts while warning about a slow-trigger whine. OHAISFELA and Builrand sit in the occasional-use band on best reciprocating saw for Makita batteries. OHAISFELA states 20 mm. Builrand leaves stroke blank. Neither carries Makita's 255 mm wood figure, so do not invent a maximum branch diameter from DJR187. Poor bets for repeated garden use are ConBlom's early deaths, the £46.59 luolety at 2.9 with a break after two uses and vibration that was too much for branches, and the £49.99 JOJOCY at 3.4 with smoke and cut-out beside some successful cuts. Gautesy at £31.90 has a UK return for lack of power. OHAISFELA is called noisy, so use hearing protection on a long clear-up without copying DJR noise numbers. Gautesy advises 4.0 Ah or higher to avoid overload shutdowns. Kit batteries on blayram and Fledukten do not belong on Makita drills.

Power, runtime and stopping

Use a healthy Makita pack with enough capacity for several cuts. If the motor slows or smells hot, stop and rest it. Dull bundled blades feel like a lack of power, so swap the blade before you blame the motor. If vibration feels excessive, or the clamp loosens, fix the setup rather than gripping harder. HSE treats ordinary gloves as poor vibration controls unless a specific reduction is proven. Choose a chainsaw, a tree surgeon or a genuine trade saw when the branch is too heavy to support, the cut is above safe reach, or the timber may be structural. Stop a unit that has smoked, cut out, or broken early in UK reports of that model.

Common questions

Is a reciprocating saw enough for garden pruning, or do I need a chainsaw?
It is enough for supported shrubs and small branches you can reach safely. Chainsaws or professionals take over for standing timber, large limbs, and work above safe reach.
What branch size is reasonable before pinch and kickback become likely?
Stay with branches you can support on both sides of the cut and reach without overreaching. There is no 255 mm wood claim for these copies. If the offcut can drop and clamp the blade, reduce the size or support the limb.
Which TPI blade should I use on green wood and dry wood?
Coarse wood blades around 6 TPI suit thick wood on supplier charts. Finer teeth suit metal, not green branches. Replace dull kit blades before you blame the motor.
Do I need to support the branch on the far side of the cut?
Yes. Support reduces pinch as the offcut falls. Pinch drives kickback on green wood more often than on a bench-cut offcut.
Which Makita-pack-compatible saws do UK reviewers mention for shrubs or branches?
Fledukten, JOJOCY, the luolety eight-blade listing, and occasional-use themes on OHAISFELA and Builrand appear in UK text. ConBlom, the £46.59 luolety, and the £49.99 JOJOCY carry failure or vibration warnings that make them poor primary garden picks.
Will a short-stroke copy feel much slower than a 32 mm Makita on thick branches?
Yes, in practice. Stroke on copies is often 19–22 mm or unstated, against 32 mm on DJR187. Thick green wood needs patience and a sharp coarse blade.
Should I use the blades in the box, or buy a named wood blade straight away?
Buy a proper wood blade for anything beyond a test cut. UK reviews criticise bundled edges that dull quickly.
When is the job too big for any saw in this comparison set?
When you need standing tree work, structural timber, measured vibration for paid use, or Makita's published capacities. Move to a chainsaw, a professional, or a genuine DJR body.

Related pages

Makita 18 V reciprocating saw buying guide

Makita cordless reciprocating saw

Best reciprocating saw for Makita 18 V battery packs

How to use a cordless reciprocating saw: first cut

Makita DJR187 vs cheap third-party reciprocating saws

Sources

Public UK sources first, then the amazon.co.uk listings compared on this page. Shop prices for a genuine DJR body are named UK shops, not an amazon.co.uk pound price.

  1. Makita UK DJR187 (retrieved October 2026)
  2. HSE: selecting equipment (retrieved October 2026)
  3. HSE: vibration calculator guide (retrieved October 2026)
  4. HSE L108: controlling noise at work (retrieved October 2026)
  5. CMT UK reciprocating saw blades (retrieved October 2026)
  6. DVS Power Tools DJR187Z (retrieved October 2026)
  7. Power Tool World DJR186Z (retrieved October 2026)
  8. Consumer Rights Act 2015 (retrieved October 2026)