When it comes to reciprocating saws, I don’t think anyone will argue that Milwaukee dominates this class of power tool. Ever since Milwaukee developed the tool back in 1951, they have been kicking butt and taking names. Back then and up until recently, these saws were reliant on an outlet to get it’s power since they are high demand tools. Not too long ago, Milwaukee broke the mold and designed a saw around a battery so the user can lose the cord. Let’s face it, battery technology is awesome but there are still those areas that corded power is a must. With that said, let’s get into the Milwaukee Super Sawzall 2722 Review and see what we think.
Milwaukee Super Sawzall 2722 Review Overview
Milwaukee makes such a great reciprocating saw that everyone calls all reciprocating saw by the name Milwaukee gave it, Sawzall. It’s become such a staple in a contractors arsenal and a tool that many rely on each day.
Back in the 90’s, I was one of those people who relied on this tool. Of course, back then, the battery was just getting started with power tools. I worked for a large construction company at the time of the flood of Chicago. I went down to the old train tunnels and the Sub-Sub basement of Marshall Fields to clean up and perform demolition work. My main tool was the Sawzall.
We beat the heck out of these saws and never once did they fail. They were powerful and durable, we dropped them in oil, mud and who knows what else and they still kept chugging along. While they were heavy, they were like the Energizer bunny and just kept on going.
When I think of Milwaukee Sawzall, those are the saws I remember and that is what comes to mind first, rough and tough.
So when you read the article title, you might wonder why I use the word retro. Well, it’s simple. The Milwaukee 2722 reminds me exactly of the older Sawzall, dependable, reliable, rough and tough.
Milwaukee Super Sawzall 2722 Review Features
The Milwaukee 2722 is the beast of the cordless reciprocating saws on the market. This saw has a 1-1/4″ stroke length and is said to compete with a 15A reciprocating saw, which is impressive in its own. The saw is 18.9″ long with a weight of 8.8 lbs.
The saw is powered by the most recent addition to the Milwaukee battery line up, the M18 which now includes a 12Ah battery. This battery is a beast and perfect for this tool.
As with the other Milwaukee saws, this has the same D-handle grip with the comfortable rubber overmold.
Towards the top of the handle, you can use the trigger lock and also adjust the speed of the saw with your thumb or index finger.
On top of the saw, you will find a dial to engage or disengage the orbital action.
The front of the saw features a rubber overmold so if your hand is on top of the saw, the side or the bottom, you will be able to have a good grip, even with gloves.
The saw also features a foldable rafter hook which comes in handy in a lot of situations.
Here is another reason we go back to retro style, the chuck. This uses a twist lock to lock the blade in place. This style of a locking mechanism is one of the only ones I have found that works all the time without the blade getting locked in the tool or popping out under extreme conditions.
Milwaukee uses this on all their saws but usually, they have a lever on the front of the tool that opens and closes the chuck. With this system, a user has to reach and change the blade. I love this system because once the blade is in place, it won’t come out as I have seen with other locking mechanisms on the outside of the tool.
This is an awesome design and wouldn’t want it any other way.
The LED light located on the front of the tool does a decent job with helping you see the cut. I think it’s a nice added feature for this saw.
The shoe not only pivots but you can adjust the length.
Milwaukee Super Sawzall 2722 Review Performance
I have been using the heck out of the 2722. Sure it’s not as demanding as the tunnels of Chicago, but I have been using this for 4×4″, cutting steel beams, old rebar and metal stuck in an old concrete floor and more. Each time I pick this up, the saw performs like a champ.
While the saw is a little heavier (which I actually prefer), the saw is a beast. One thing I did find is my older blades I had laying around suck. For this saw, I had to use some of the newer blades on the market, including some Carbide tip blades as they last and perform the best.
I can’t tell you how many old 2×4″ I cut through (because I can’t count that high) with old nails. Let’s be honest, a 2×4 is like balsa wood for this saw.
I tossed in a couple framing nails to see that is can obviously cut through this. I have to be honest, after doing this setup and taking pictures, I realized that for this saw it’s not a big deal but I had to include the pictures since I took time to actually show the saw cutting through this.
I know some might ask about the speed. Sorry, this is something I don’t really take time and measure. Unless it’s something that really stands out and seems slow or fast, I am more worried about the durability and overall quality of this saw. This is a demolition tool so I want something that can stand the abuse, which this tool can. Again some might think this saw it’s a little heavy, but I think this is the perfect weight for this type of tool.
Milwaukee Super Sawzall 2722 Review Value
If you have been following us for a while, you know I usually give Milwaukee a hard time about some of their prices, which can be a little high. The Sawzall runs about $400 on The Home Depot which I think is a steal. This is a saw I would have no problem paying $500. Here’s Why.
First, the saw is a true beast and as I said before, reminds me of the older rough and tough saws of back in the days. Second, it’s such a quality tool, you know the dependability is built into this saw. The saw is powerful enough to work through any tough job. While the list goes on, I think you get my point. So a $400 price tag is a bargain to me and not to mention you get one of their best batteries with this saw.
Milwaukee Super Sawzall 2722 Review Final Thoughts
While Milwaukee has built some incredible cordless Sawzalls, they never reminded me of the older rough and tough saws of the older days. Sure the new saws kick butt, but there are those times you need something that even the Hulk can’t break. The Milwaukee 2722 is the king of cordless reciprocating saws. I love the weight, the power, the speed, and the dependability. This is a saw I could bring back down in the trenches of the Chicago flood and the saw would perform flawlessly.
Love mine, just super heavy #tiacrew
All we buy is Milwaukee and we are NOT easy on our tools. We’ve dropped ours from 2nd story to concrete. It gets thrown in tool boxes from feet away. We use and abuse our tools. This thing has last amazingly well. My Milwaukee batteries will last through 3 of my coworkers Makita and Dewalt batteries. It is heavy but it works amazingly well.