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Makita reciprocating saw buying guide

Updated: 21 October 2026

You searched for a Makita reciprocating saw and amazon.co.uk answered with blue bodies, one compact factory saw, and kits that will not share a battery with your drill. A makita reciprocating saw buying guide has to start with the packs you already own. A body that names a BL1850 is a different purchase from a 12 V CXT tool or a 20 V kit. The [Makita reciprocating saw comparison](/hub/power-saws/makita-reciprocating-saw) holds the twelve-way table, with prices from 20 October 2026. Peter F. compared those listings. There was no lab test. If you buy through our amazon.co.uk links, we may earn a commission at no extra cost to you.

You searched for a Makita reciprocating saw and amazon.co.uk answered with blue bodies, one compact factory saw, and kits that will not share a battery with your drill.

Our top picks

OHAISFELA OHAISFELA body only

Best overall

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

Best value

Builrand Builrand bare tool
6.2/10about £48.99
View offer
Makita JR105DZ CXT

Rank 3

Makita JR105DZ CXT
8.5/10about £64.99
View offer
On this page
  1. 1.Start with the packs you already own
  2. 2.Read stroke and depth as claims
  3. 3.Let the review count qualify the stars
  4. 4.What to buy for which job

Start with the packs you already own

If you already use BL1830, BL1850 or BL1860 packs, a body that names those codes uses them and you pay for the saw only. Gautesy says 4.0 Ah or higher, or a small pack can shut down. Fledukten at £62.99 ships two 21 V 4.0 Ah packs that must not go on a Makita tool or fast charger. WORKPRO at £69.99 is a closed 20 V system with a UK 3-pin charger. The JR105DZ at £64.99 is 12 V Max CXT, and an LXT pack will not start it. Which compatible body scores highest is on the best reciprocating saw for Makita batteries page.

Read stroke and depth as claims

Where a listing states a stroke, it sits well short of a full-size Makita. OHAISFELA says 20 mm, Roadtime 18 mm, luolety both 19 mm and 22 mm, and WORKPRO 25 mm. Makita UK lists 32 mm for the DJR187, with 255 mm in wood and 130 mm in pipe. Do not paste those figures onto a copy. Builrand, NANWEI, ConBlom and both JOJOCY bodies leave stroke blank. OHAISFELA lists 0–3500 SPM and a UK review says the label reads 3000. UK shops answering a body-only search lead with the DJR186Z, at £81.91 including VAT on ToolStore UK and £114.95 on D&M Tools. That shop price is on the DJR187 comparison.
OHAISFELA OHAISFELA body only

Testsieger

OHAISFELA OHAISFELA body only
6.5/10about £59.99
View offer

Let the review count qualify the stars

A 4.5 from two reviews is a thinner fact than a 3.3 from 75. JOJOCY’s £54.99 listing is 4.5 from two ratings and has no UK cutting report. ConBlom at £39.99 is 3.3 from 75, with UK texts of failure after one use or the first cut. luolety at £46.59 is 2.9 from 12. The £49.99 JOJOCY is 3.4 from 22, with smoke and cut-outs. Builrand is 4.0 from 16, and fourteen ratings have no text here. WORKPRO’s 4.2 from 390 does not turn a 20 V kit into an LXT saw. The Consumer Rights Act 2015 covers a saw that fails at once.

What to buy for which job

Occasional pallets, plastic pipe and small branches, with LXT packs on the shelf, is the job these bodies are sold for. How to support a branch is on the reciprocating saw for pruning branches page. With no Makita packs, Fledukten suits own-brand 21 V cells and WORKPRO suits the larger review sample. JR105DZ is the buy when you already own CXT packs and the space is tight. Paid demolition, or any job that needs a vibration number, should leave this set. HSE’s daily values are 2.5 and 5 m/s² A(8).

Common questions

Do I already own the right Makita packs?
You do if the cells match the family the listing names. LXT packs from BL1830 to BL1860 match the third-party bodies that print those codes. CXT packs match the JR105DZ only. WORKPRO and Fledukten packs match only their own saws, even if a body also claims a Makita fit. A blue shell is not a family.
Is the battery in the price, and can those cells go on my drill?
Most rows are bodies: the saw, a few blades, and your Makita pack. Fledukten and WORKPRO include cells that must not go on a Makita drill. luolety’s title says no battery, a UK review agrees, and the components row says Battery, so wait for the parcel. A £33 body and a £70 kit are not the same spend.
Does the listing state a stroke near 32 mm?
None of the copies state 32 mm. Roadtime says 18 mm, OHAISFELA 20 mm, luolety both 19 mm and 22 mm, and WORKPRO 25 mm. Several bodies leave stroke blank. The 32 mm figure is the DJR187, and that saw is not one of these twelve ASINs.
Is a high score from two reviews better than a low score from 75?
No. Two kind reviews tell you little about the second month. Seventy-five reviews at 3.3, with UK reports of early failure, show a risk that is already public. A 4.4 from ten reviews with only two comments is weaker than the star line looks.
When is a DJR186 or DJR187 the rational step up?
When the job is regular, thick or paid, or when you need a published vibration figure. In this check the DJR186Z was about £82 to £115 including VAT at UK shops, and the DJR187Z often around £170 to £195. Those are shop prices, not one amazon.co.uk figure.
Which blade do I buy after the saw?
Use about 6 TPI for thick timber and green branches, and about 14–24 TPI for pipe and sheet. Fit that blade after the saw is chosen, and take the pack off before you change it. UK reviews say the bundled blades on Gautesy and the £49.99 JOJOCY disappoint. Do not judge the motor on a blunt free blade.

Related pages

Makita cordless reciprocating saw

Makita reciprocating saw

Best Makita reciprocating saw: top pick and best value

Reciprocating saw for pruning branches at your home

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

Makita DJR187 versus a cheap reciprocating saw, UK

Sources

Public UK sources first, then the amazon.co.uk listings compared on this page, captured on 20 October 2026. Shop prices for a genuine DJR body are named UK shops, not an amazon.co.uk pound price.

  1. Makita UK DJR187 (retrieved 20 October 2026)
  2. Power Tool World JR105DZ (retrieved 20 October 2026)
  3. HSE vibration calculator guide (retrieved 20 October 2026)
  4. HSE L108 noise (retrieved 20 October 2026)
  5. CMT UK reciprocating saw blades (retrieved 20 October 2026)
  6. Consumer Rights Act 2015 (retrieved 20 October 2026)
  7. DVS Power Tools DJR187Z (retrieved 20 October 2026)