Milwaukee 2722-20 M18 FUEL Super Sawzall Review: Peak Cordless Demo Power

Why the Super Sawzall holds the benchmark position

Milwaukee's Sawzall brand has been synonymous with reciprocating saws since the tool category existed, and the 2722-20 M18 FUEL Super Sawzall is the point in the current lineup where that reputation is most justified. The combination of a 1-1/4-inch stroke length, 3,100 strokes per minute, and selectable orbital action puts this tool ahead of every other 18V cordless reciprocating saw in cutting speed through the materials that matter most on demolition and remodeling sites: framing lumber, nail-embedded wall assemblies, and multi-material construction.

Milwaukee's internal claim of "15A corded performance" is marketing language, but the underlying engineering is real. Third-party testing consistently ranks the 2722-20 first or second in cuts-per-minute across wood, metal, and demolition tasks — a position no other cordless saw in this category has permanently displaced.

Stroke length and orbital action: why they matter together

Stroke length is the distance the blade travels in each cycle. At 1-1/4 inches, the 2722-20 removes more material per stroke than any competing 18V saw. The Bosch RS428 and DeWalt DCS386B both use a 1-1/8-inch stroke. That 1/8-inch difference sounds trivial but it compounds across 3,000 cycles per minute into a meaningful cutting-speed gap through thick or dense material.

Orbital action adds a second dimension to the blade's motion — instead of purely forward-and-back, the blade follows a slight elliptical path that slaps the material on the power stroke and clears chips on the return. Milwaukee's implementation is a dial-selectable on/off with a single orbital setting. Switching on orbital action in framing lumber noticeably increases cut speed. Switching it off for metal pipe produces a cleaner, quieter cut with less blade chatter. The DeWalt DCS386B lacks orbital action entirely, which is a genuine disadvantage in wood-heavy demolition work.

POWERSTATE motor and battery dependency

The POWERSTATE brushless motor is what separates the Super Sawzall from Milwaukee's standard M18 Sawzall. The motor sustains rated speed under the load of cutting through dense or nail-embedded material, whereas a brushed motor loses speed as it encounters resistance. This means the 2722-20 cuts at consistent speed from the beginning of a pass through a doubled 2×12 to the end — something that brushed competitors cannot match.

The catch is that rated performance requires a capable battery. Milwaukee's own data shows the tool delivers its full 3,100 SPM capability when powered by a HIGH OUTPUT battery (6.0Ah or HD12.0). With a standard 2.0Ah or 3.0Ah pack the tool still outperforms most cordless competitors, but the gap narrows. Buyers planning heavy production demo work should budget for at least a 5.0Ah pack.

Build quality: what stands out and what frustrates

The adjustable shoe, rafter hook, and bright forward-facing LED are all included on the bare tool — none require separate purchase. The rubber overmold grip is well-shaped for either one- or two-hand use. The five-speed dial gives meaningful control over application speed in a way that a simple variable trigger alone cannot — you can set a low speed for metal cutting and use the trigger for on/off without fighting to hold a partial trigger squeeze.

The QUIK-LOK blade clamp is the tool's most criticized feature, and the criticism is valid. The clamp sits directly behind the adjustable shoe, and when the shoe is extended for maximum cutting depth the clamp becomes cramped and awkward to actuate with gloved hands. DeWalt's lever-release mechanism is genuinely faster for mid-cut blade swaps. Milwaukee's system works fine for routine use; it just adds friction during production blade changes.

Weight is the other real limitation. At 8.8 lbs, the 2722-20 bare is the heaviest cordless saw in this comparison. Add a 5.0Ah battery and you are holding over 10 lbs. Gut-work in a floor or horizontal demo cuts are fine; extended overhead work between joists becomes fatiguing in ways the 7.7-lb DCS386B does not.

Cutting performance by material

In framing lumber, the 2722-20 with orbital action engaged is the fastest cordless saw available. Long-term user reports and independent tests consistently show it completing standard 2×4 and 2×12 cuts faster than the DeWalt and Bosch by a margin of 10–20 percent.

In nail-embedded demo lumber, the orbital action and stout brushless motor make this tool's advantage even more pronounced. The motor does not lug down when a blade catches a buried nail the way a lesser tool does, and the 1-1/4-inch stroke clears debris from the cut more aggressively.

In metal pipe and conduit, the orbital-off straight-line mode produces clean results, though the DeWalt's lever-action shoe adjustment and keyless blade clamp make tool setup slightly faster before each pipe cut.

Who should buy the 2722-20

The 2722-20 is the correct choice for professional demolition, remodeling, and rough-in crews who already own M18 batteries and need the fastest cordless cutting available. The platform breadth of M18 — over 300 tools on a shared battery — makes adding the Super Sawzall to an existing fleet a straightforward decision. New buyers coming from no existing platform should weigh whether the performance premium over the DCS386B justifies the higher bare-tool price and the cost of batteries.