Is a reciprocating saw worth buying for DIY work?

If you've got demolition work ahead it's worth getting. I used mine constantly during my renovations - cutting through old framing, plumbing, drywall, even metal. It's one of those tools that makes jobs that would suck with a handsaw genuinely quick and painless. The reciprocating saw just powers through material way faster than manual methods.

That said, it depends on your specific projects. If it's mostly precision cuts or finish work, you might not reach for it much. But for demo work specifically, it's hard to beat. You can rent one pretty cheap if you want to test drive it before buying. A decent corded one from DeWalt or Milwaukee runs $80-120 and lasts forever - I still have mine working fine after years. The cordless versions are more convenient but cost more and you're dealing with battery management. For DIY renovation work the corded ones are fine unless you're constantly moving between jobs.

One thing - wear a dust mask and safety glasses because these things kick up debris like crazy. And get a variety of blades because different materials need different blades. Once you start using it you'll find plenty of uses beyond just the initial demo work.

Grab one. if you've got actual demolition work lined up that's literally what these things are designed for. like the other person said, they're incredible for demo - way faster than a handsaw and you can muscle through framing, pipes, whatever. the thing is tho, don't expect to use it for precision cuts. it's brutal and kinda violent in the best way, so it's more of a "tear stuff apart" tool than a "make nice cuts" tool.

the other thing to consider is that you can usually rent them pretty cheap for a day or two if you're only doing one specific job. but honestly if you've got multiple demolition tasks ahead, just buy a basic corded one. something like a dewalt or Milwaukee in the $60-80 range will do everything you need. corded is better than cordless for demo imo since you won't drain batteries on heavy work, plus you don't have to worry about charge. the cordless ones are nice for lighter stuff and convenience, but for real demolition work you want that constant power.

fair warning tho - it's loud as hell, the blade vibration can get tiring on your hands after a while, and you'll go through blades. but it'll cut hours off your timeline compared to doing everything with a jigsaw or handsaw. definitely not a waste for a renovation project with actual demo work