Best Reciprocating Saw Blade Sets: Heydake vs Diablo, Lenox, Milwaukee, Bosch & Irwin
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Quick answer: For most DIY and home projects, a 12-piece bi-metal blade set with a universal shank is the smart buy — it covers wood, metal, and plastic in one case. Premium brands like Diablo and Bosch lead on blade life, Lenox and Milwaukee lead on aggressive cutting, and the Heydake 12-Piece Set ($14.99) leads on value: same bi-metal construction and universal fit, at a fraction of the per-blade cost of buying premium blades individually.
Reciprocating saw blades are consumables — they wear out, they snap, and you inevitably need a different TPI than the one you have in the saw. That is why most people are better served by an assorted set than by single blades. But every brand markets its blades as the sharpest, toughest, longest-lasting option, and prices vary widely. This guide compares what the major reciprocating saw blade brands actually deliver, so you can match the set to your work and your budget.
1. What Separates a Good Reciprocating Saw Blade
Three things matter more than any brand name:
- Material. Bi-metal blades — high-speed steel teeth electron-welded to a flexible spring-steel body — are the standard for good reason. They hold an edge far longer than carbon-steel blades and resist the snapping that plagues cheap all-carbon blades. Carbide-tooth blades cut even harder materials and last longer, at 3–4x the price.
- TPI (teeth per inch). Fewer teeth (5–8 TPI) remove material fast in thick wood and demolition work. More teeth (14–24 TPI) give cleaner, slower cuts in metal pipe and sheet stock. An assorted set covering this range handles most jobs that show up around a house.
- Shank fit. A universal shank fits Milwaukee, DeWalt, Makita, Bosch, Ryobi, and virtually every corded and cordless reciprocating saw sold today. Proprietary shanks lock you into one brand's blades.
2. How the Major Brands Compare
All of the brands below make legitimate, professional-grade blades. The differences are in specialization and price:
| Brand | Known for | Best for | Price positioning |
|---|---|---|---|
| Diablo | Carbide-tooth blades, demo demons, very long blade life | Pros cutting nail-embedded wood all day | Premium |
| Lenox | GOLD and Classic Pro bi-metal lines, tough metal-cutting blades | Plumbers and electricians cutting pipe and EMT | Premium |
| Milwaukee | Torch (metal) and AX (wood) blade families, wide assortment | Tradespeople already in the Milwaukee system | Mid to premium |
| Bosch | Carbide tech blades, strong demolition options | Heavy remodel and demolition | Premium |
| Irwin | Solid mid-range bi-metal sets, easy availability | General DIY, big-box shelf purchase | Mid-range |
| Heydake | 12-piece bi-metal assorted set, universal shank, storage case | Home DIY covering wood, metal, plastic, pruning, plumbing | $14.99/set — best value |
Prices for the major brands fluctuate by retailer and set size — check current listings. Per-blade cost in premium 5-packs is typically several times what an assorted budget-friendly set costs per blade.
3. When It Is Worth Paying Premium
Be honest about your usage. If you cut nail-embedded lumber daily, demo concrete-forming rebar stubs, or slice thick structural steel on a job site, carbide-tooth blades from Diablo or Bosch will pay for themselves in blade swaps. If you are a plumber running pipe all week, the Lenox metal-cutting lines are the tool-truck standard.
But for the jobs that actually show up around a home — trimming deck boards, cutting PVC and copper pipe, pruning branches, opening a rusted bolt, demolition of an old cabinet or fence section — a bi-metal assorted set does the same work at a fraction of the cost. The blades wear out eventually, but at DIY cutting volumes, that "eventually" arrives long after the premium set has paid for itself twice over in savings.
4. What to Check Before Buying Any Blade Set
- Bi-metal construction — not plain carbon steel, which dulls fast and snaps
- TPI range — a useful set includes both fast wood-cutting (low TPI) and clean metal-cutting (high TPI) blades
- Universal shank — fits all major saw brands, no adapter
- Assorted lengths — 6-inch for control, 9-inch and up for pruning and demolition reach
- A storage case — loose blades in a drawer get damaged and lost
- Per-blade price — divide the set price by the piece count and compare
5. The Heydake Take
The Heydake 12-Piece Reciprocating Saw Blade Set ($14.99) was built around exactly the checklist above: bi-metal blades, assorted sizes and TPIs for wood, metal and plastic, a universal shank that fits every major saw brand, and a labeled storage case — shipped from our US warehouse with free shipping on orders over $29. At roughly a dollar a blade, you keep a full case of fresh blades on the shelf instead of babying two expensive ones.
New to reciprocating saw blades in general? Start with our full blade guide: matching TPI to the material.
See all saw and cutting products in the Saw Blades collection.