I'll shortly need to cut a number of wall panels to length. These are a
sandwich of lightly ribbed steel sheet (0.5 - 0.7mm) and a 70mm foam
core. I'll have around 40metres of saw cut in total.

For the last, similar job, I used metal cutting discs in a small angle
grinder, but it was a slow and painful process, and, as I couldn't get
right through the thickness in one pass, difficult to align the cuts
from both sides. It also got through discs at an alarming rate.

So I have an excuse for a new toy, but which? I have a small, elderly
Metabo jig saw, that probably wouldn't be up to the job, and I don't
think I've seen long enough blades for it. So do I go for a bigger jig
saw, a reciprocating saw, or even a B&D Scorpion? I'll accept the
argument, as put forward in the FAQ, that a good jig saw is a very
different animal to a cheapo, but does the same apply to reciprocating
saws? Let's assume that I'd also use such a device for a range of
other jobs it could do better than a chain saw or a hand-held circular
saw.


Can a cheap cordless
(e.g.
http://www.screwfix.com/app/sfd/cat/...31171&id=24625
)
really cut it (sorry), and is, say,
http://www.screwfix.com/app/sfd/cat/...31372&id=94036

much inferior to a Dewalt DW303K at well over twice the price, in terms
of the finished result - I'm not expecting to be using one in ten years
time?

Any other recommendations or experiences will be gratefully received.

Do all these reciprocating saws take each other's blades, or could one
be stuck with the saw equivalent of Betamax?


--
Kevin Poole
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