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Makita DJR187 vs cheap reciprocating saw

Updated: 21 October 2026

You are looking at a £33 to £65 saw that says it takes a Makita battery, and you want to know if a DJR186 or DJR187 matches the job. Makita DJR187 vs cheap reciprocating saw comes down to stroke, published vibration, warranty and UK shop price. The twelve rows on the [Makita reciprocating saw comparison](/hub/power-saws/makita-reciprocating-saw) are not a DJR in another colour. The JR105DZ is a genuine 12 V CXT body, not an 18 V demolition saw. Peter F. used Makita UK figures and named shop prices from 20 October 2026, not a lab test. A qualifying amazon.co.uk purchase can earn a commission at no extra cost to you.

You are looking at a £33 to £65 saw that says it takes a Makita battery, and you want to know if a DJR186 or DJR187 matches the job.

Our top picks

OHAISFELA OHAISFELA body only

Best overall

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
Makita JR105DZ CXT

Rank 3

Makita JR105DZ CXT
8.5/10about £64.99
View offer
On this page
  1. 1.What the Amazon “Makita” listings really are
  2. 2.Stroke, speed and depth on paper
  3. 3.Noise, vibration and paid work
  4. 4.UK prices and who should buy which

What the Amazon “Makita” listings really are

Search amazon.co.uk for a Makita reciprocating saw and you mostly get other people’s saws in blue housings. OHAISFELA, JOJOCY, Roadtime, Gautesy, Builrand, ConBlom, luolety, NANWEI and Fledukten name Makita 18 V codes. Makita’s warranty does not cover them. A UK ConBlom review says the batteries fit, and the saw is not Makita. WORKPRO’s W125057 is a 20 V kit with its own 4.0 Ah battery. The exception is the JR105DZ at £64.99, a genuine 1.3 kg CXT body with a 13 mm stroke on dealer data. An 18 V pack will not fit. Fledukten’s own 21 V packs must not go on a Makita tool. The buying guide keeps that order.

Stroke, speed and depth on paper

Copies that state a stroke say 18 mm on Roadtime, 20 mm on OHAISFELA, and both 19 mm and 22 mm on luolety. WORKPRO claims 25 mm. Builrand, NANWEI, ConBlom and both JOJOCY bodies state none. A blank is not 32 mm. Makita UK lists the DJR187 at 32 mm, 0–3,000 strokes per minute, wood 255 mm and steel pipe 130 mm. A 20 mm stroke removes less per pass. Do not paste the 255 mm or 130 mm figures onto a copy. OHAISFELA’s page says 0–3500 SPM while a UK review says the label reads 3000. Shoe and trigger control are on the how to use page. They do not lengthen the stroke.
OHAISFELA OHAISFELA body only

Testsieger

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

Noise, vibration and paid work

Makita UK publishes 8.0 m/s² cutting chipboard for the JR105DZ and 16.5 m/s² cutting boards for the DJR187, plus sound power 95 dB(A). None of the copies publish a vibration magnitude or a noise figure. HSE’s action and limit values are 2.5 and 5 m/s² A(8). Under PUWER 1998 an employer needs a figure to record. A short home cut on a copy can still be argued. Paid work that needs an assessment needs the tool that publishes the number.

UK prices and who should buy which

On amazon.co.uk in this capture, entry bodies run from NANWEI at £32.99 to the £49.99 JOJOCY. The JR105DZ is £64.99 without a battery. Kits are £62.99 and £69.99. UK shops listed the DJR186Z from about £82 including VAT: ToolStore UK £81.91, Power Tool Mate £83.99, D&M Tools £114.95. The DJR187Z sat higher: DVS Power Tools £176.45, Power Tool Mate £177.99, idealo.co.uk from about £169, and Machine Mart at £229. amazon.co.uk did not show a clean GBP shelf price for the DJR187Z. The best pick page names OHAISFELA and Builrand for occasional LXT cuts. The same BL1830 fits a copy that names those codes and a DJR186Z. It does not fit the JR105DZ or WORKPRO.

Common questions

Are the cheap “Makita battery” saws actually Makita?
No, apart from the JR105DZ, which is a genuine 12 V Max CXT body and not an 18 V copy. The other named bodies are other brands that print Makita pack codes. WORKPRO does not use Makita packs. Makita’s warranty covers Makita tools, not these listings.
How much shorter is 19–22 mm than the DJR187’s 32 mm?
It is about a third less travel per stroke, and the 18 mm and 20 mm bullets are shorter still. A thick cut takes longer, and forcing it heats a small motor. luolety states both 19 mm and 22 mm. Several cheap listings state no stroke. Do not fill the blank with 32 mm.
What do a DJR186 and a DJR187 cost if I already own LXT packs?
You pay for the body. In this check the DJR186Z was about £82 to £115 including VAT at named UK shops, and the DJR187Z about £176 to £229 across the wider range. Your BL1830 or BL1850 can run the LXT factory body. These are shop prices, not an amazon.co.uk shelf price from this session.
Why pay for a DJR187 when a DJR186Z is cheaper?
They are different tools. The DJR186Z is the lower 18 V step with a 32 mm class stroke, at roughly half the money on the shop cards we checked. The DJR187 is the dearer brushless body with published capacities, noise and vibration. Pay the extra when you will use that specification often.
Do the copies publish vibration and noise?
No. They do not print a vibration figure or a decibel figure you can quote. Makita UK does, for the JR105DZ and the DJR187, and those numbers stay on those models. HSE’s 2.5 and 5 m/s² A(8) values are why an employer may need the published magnitude.
Can the same BL1830 run a copy and a DJR186Z?
Yes, where the copy names those 18 V codes and the DJR186Z is the LXT body. The pack is shared. The saw is not. Those packs do not fit the JR105DZ or WORKPRO. Fledukten’s own 21 V packs do not go back onto a Makita drill.

Related pages

Makita cordless reciprocating saw

Makita reciprocating saw

Best Makita reciprocating saw: top pick and best value

Makita reciprocating saw buying guide: packs first

Reciprocating saw for pruning branches at your home

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

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)