On Fri, 15 Feb 2013 22:47:50 -0700, "Steve B"
wrote:

I am going to cannibalize a Sawzall to crack pecans. I need to slow it
down. If I use a dimmer, will that be adequate, and work? Or do I need to
go with a larger rheostat?

Steve

A dedicated speed control will work better than a lamp dimmer because
of the inductive component of the universal motor in a sawzall. A
rheostat will be your least effective solution - a big Variac would
work better - but remember, you will reduce the power of the motor by
a whole lot more than you reduce the speed. What youreally want is a
variable speed sawzall.