I've been doing a bit of research on recip saws and came across a review of a (relatively) new product entry by Ingersoll-Rand.  It's a cordless mini (0.55" stroke) targeted specifically for the auto body repair industry...

One of its primary attractions is the ability to make relatively tight-radius curved cuts.  It comes with a six 'extra-coarse' 4" blades (3 x 14 tpi + 3 x 18 tpi), rated for thick-ish sheet metal gauges, along with with two 12V Li-ion batteries and a charger stand.  The blades may use a proprietary locking design (I've found conflicting reports on this) but, in any case, I-R offers a variety of replacement blade sets, including a 6-pack of 32tpi blades. 

This looks a lot more versatile than a die grinder or a standard-size recip.  It also makes it unnecessary to have a power-tool-sized compressed-air system.  A possible drawback, compared with a mini air saw, is that it measures about 12" in length.  Weight is 2 lb.  Batteries are said to be good for about '1 hour' of use.

The manufacturer's webpage can be found here:  https://www.ingersollrandproducts.com/en-us/power-tools/products/air-cutting-tools/12v-recip-saw.html

A very informative independent review by a restoration shop owner (including a nice video of the saw in action) can be found here:  https://shoptoolreviews.com/woodworking/handheld-tools/12v-ingersoll-rand-cordless-reciprocating-saw/

The kit (saw, batteries & charger, carry case) goes for ~ US $220.  For my Canadian friends, I've found it available from an authorized Toronto supplier for Cdn $250.

Comments welcomed.

Edited April 27, 20195 yr by Namerow
added some info, changed some info

Thats an interesting tool. I jave an air version of that. I use it more than you would think

Good price for a useful tool.  Looks to be more versatile than my Sawzall and a 50 foot extension cord.

Dennis

I p/u this last fall and although it's a good tool if it catches the metal wrong or you push too hard it will stall,  your cordless saw would probably power right through, hard to beat the torque of an electric motor.

 

An oscillating multi-tool can be a reasonable alternative for those of us on a smaller budget. I used one to cut through the exhaust pipe on my Z when I was converting over to headers. Of course, that was a corded tool. I haven't looked for a cordless version, yet.

This style gets good reviews: https://www.harborfreight.com/electric-body-saw-65766.html