A reciprocating saw is a type of handheld, small, machine-powered saw, in which the cutting action is achieved through a push-and-pull ("reciprocating") or back-and-forth motion of the blade. The original trade name, Sawzall, is often used in the United States, where Milwaukee Electric Tool first produced a tool of this type in 1951.[1][2]
The noun "Sawzall" is commonly applied to a smaller type of chargeable or battery-powered handheld saw used in construction and demolition work, as well as in gardening and the pruning of larger trees or plants. This type of saw, also known as a hognose, recip saw, or sawsaw, has a large blade, resembling that of a jigsaw, and a handle oriented to allow the saw to be used comfortably on vertical surfaces. The typical design of this tool has a foot at the base of the blade, also similar to that of a jigsaw. The user holds or rests the foot on the surface being cut, thus countering the tendency of the blade to push-away from or pull towards the cut as it travels through its movement.