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Best reciprocating saw blades: nail-free wood picks

Updated: 22 October 2026

You have a reciprocating saw in the shed and a row of amazon.co.uk packs that all claim to cut wood. The best reciprocating saw blades in this set of twelve are not the pouches with the most pieces. For nail-free wood, the top pick is Bosch’s S 1531 L five-pack. The best value for that same cut is SabreCut’s five-pack, if the shank actually locks. Pipe, screws, and a mixed afternoon need a different include line. Shelf prices and stars are from the saved listings, not a lab test. The full twelve is on the [reciprocating saw blades](/hub/saw-accessories/reciprocating-saw-blades) comparison.

You have a reciprocating saw in the shed and a row of amazon.co.uk packs that all claim to cut wood. The best reciprocating saw blades in this set of twelve are not the pouches with the most pieces.

Our top picks

Bosch Bosch S 1531 L 5-piece

Best overall

Bosch Bosch S 1531 L 5-piece
9.6/10about £11.79
View offer
SabreCut SabreCut SCRS1531L 5-piece

Best value

SabreCut SabreCut SCRS1531L 5-piece
9.2/10about £7.99
View offer
Saxton Blades Saxton R825BF 10-piece

Alternative

Saxton Blades Saxton R825BF 10-piece
8.8/10about £15.99
View offer
On this page
  1. 1.Top pick for nail-free wood
  2. 2.Best value if the shank locks
  3. 3.Buy a metal pack only for that job
  4. 4.Who should skip the short ranking

Top pick for nail-free wood

The top pick is the Bosch S 1531 L five-pack, B0009W868C, part 2 608 650 676, at £11.79 and 4.8 from 8,420 reviews. The include line is five blades of 240 x 19 x 1.5 mm. UK reviewers describe green wood, oak, birch, and branches around 4 inches. Bosch's page specifies high-carbon steel, 5 TPI, coarse wood free of nails, pruning, firewood, and a capacity under 190 mm. The amazon.co.uk bullets do not print a TPI, and the teeth field says 5, which is also the pack count. The material field says Wood and the compatible-material field says Iron. Follow the nail-free application line. Leave this pack for pipe, screws, nails, or soil.

Best value if the shank locks

The best value for that same coarse-wood job is SabreCut's SCRS1531L, B07VDKQFRN, at £7.99. It states 240 mm and 5 TPI, high-carbon steel, and a cut up to 190 mm, with 4.6 from 2,587 reviews. One person still found an edge after about two hours. Others say the blades blunted after a couple of cuts. The listing prints a universal 1/5 inch shank, a different figure from the 1/2 inch tang on the Saxton packs, so seat the blade and pull it. A review of SabreCut's mixed wood ten-pack says those blades do not lock in a Black & Decker Scorpion. If the timber may hide a nail, the cheaper high-carbon tooth is the wrong saving.
Bosch Bosch S 1531 L 5-piece

Testsieger

Bosch Bosch S 1531 L 5-piece
9.6/10about £11.79
View offer

Buy a metal pack only for that job

Buy a metal pack when the teeth will meet steel. Saxton's R825BF, B07DPR15MX, is £15.99 and 4.4 from 540 reviews: 200 mm, 14 TPI bi-metal, with sheet stated at 2–8 mm and pipes or profiles at 10–150 mm. UK reviews cover pallet screws and 50 x 50 x 3 mm angle that used one blade per cut, while aluminium was easier. The Bosch Tough Box, B0166FSJO6, is £29.99 and 4.8 from 2,285 reviews: five each of S 922 EF, S 922 BF, S 922 HF, and S 644 D. Leave 14 mm diameter and 550 mm effective length off the blade size. S 644 D stays a wood code. If the next cut might hit a screw, read bi-metal versus high-carbon steel.

Who should skip the short ranking

Review count and piece count are a poor way to rank these packs. Saxton's R1021L, B008A600HE, is £13.99 and 4.6 from 4,059 reviews, and the bullets never state a TPI. The teeth field says 10, the pack count. The 32- to 36-piece pouches are samplers, and a higher piece count is not a longer edge life. EZUVITA's arc five-pack states a 210 mm working length and stays off the top pick. TPI and shank rules are in the guide to choosing reciprocating saw blades. Green wood from the ground is on reciprocating saw blades for pruning.

Common questions

Which pack is the top pick if I only cut nail-free wood?
The Bosch S 1531 L five-pack, B0009W868C, at £11.79 and 4.8 from 8,420 reviews. The blades are 240 x 19 x 1.5 mm. Bosch’s page for part 2 608 650 676 limits them to nail-free coarse wood and firewood under 190 mm. The Amazon bullets do not print a TPI. Choose bi-metal if a nail, screw, or pipe is likely.
Which pack is the best value, and when is the cheaper blade the wrong one?
The SabreCut SCRS1531L five-pack at £7.99, with 240 mm and 5 TPI stated, and 4.6 from 2,587 reviews. It is the wrong saving if the saw will not lock a shank the listing calls 1/5 inch, or if the wood may hide a fixing. High-carbon teeth dull on nails and on soil.
Should I buy the Bosch Tough Box instead of the S 1531 L five-pack?
Buy the Tough Box, B0166FSJO6, at £29.99 when you need S 922 EF, S 922 BF, S 922 HF, and S 644 D, five of each. Buy the S 1531 L five-pack when the job is only nail-free wood around 240 mm. Leave 14 mm diameter and 550 mm effective length off the blade size.
What if I also cut pipe or pallets with screws?
Use bi-metal for pipe and for screws. Saxton’s R825BF is 200 mm and 14 TPI, sheet 2–8 mm and pipe or profile 10–150 mm, at £15.99. A high-carbon pallet blade such as the Saxton R644D loses its edge on a nail. One review used a blade per cut on 50 x 50 x 3 mm steel angle.
Why is the Saxton 240 mm pack not the top pick when it has thousands of reviews?
Saxton’s R1021L has 4.6 from 4,059 reviews at £13.99, and reviewers cut branches and wet wood with it. The bullets do not state a TPI. The teeth field says 10, the pack count, so it is not a tooth pitch. Review volume on its own does not set the rank.

Related pages

How to change a reciprocating saw blade

Reciprocating saw blades

How to choose reciprocating saw blades: steel first

Reciprocating saw blades for pruning from the ground

Bi-metal vs high carbon steel reciprocating saw blade

Sources

Public sources from the research digest, used for this page on 22 October 2026. Shelf prices and star lines are the amazon.co.uk figures in the display file.

  1. HSE: Hand-arm vibration, employer duties (retrieved 22 October 2026)
  2. Control of Vibration at Work Regulations 2005, regulation 4 (retrieved 22 October 2026)
  3. HSE: Assessing hand-arm vibration risk (retrieved 22 October 2026)
  4. HSE: Cutting and sanding wood (retrieved 22 October 2026)
  5. Bosch Professional GB: S 922 VF reciprocating blade (retrieved 22 October 2026)
  6. Bosch: S 1531 L, part 2 608 650 676 (retrieved 22 October 2026)
  7. Bryson: Choosing recip saw blades (retrieved 22 October 2026)
  8. Drillfix: HCS and bi-metal reciprocating saw blades (retrieved 22 October 2026)