Pitched as a DIY-friendly option, did the Worx Nitro WX501 Cordless Brushless Compact Reciprocating Saw live up to the hype?

If you’re a DIYer, you might find some of the best reciprocating saws quite intimidating, due to their extreme power or complicated features. Yet on the other hand, you’ll sometimes find that the most basic models lack the power or quality to excel at chopping or plunge cutting all sorts of materials including wood, metal and plasterboard.

The Worx Nitro WX501 is a compact, cordless model that’s pitched somewhere in-between the two extremes. It’s certainly powerful, with a 20V motor driving its blade at up to 3,000 strokes per minute – but it’s also approachable, with a minimal form factor and simple controls.

It sounds good on paper, but how does the Worx Nitro WX501 perform when faced with wood or metal? I set up a series of DIY tests to find out.

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Where to buy the Worx Nitro WX501

Key specifications

• Cordless tool family: Worx PowerShare
• Intended uses include: plunge-cutting; cutting workpieces including metal bars and wooden beams
• Battery capacity: 2.0Ah
• Voltage: 20V
• Blade speed: 0 - 3,000/min
• Stroke length: 26mm
• Weight: 1.8kg

Alongside the tool itself, you get a 2.0Ah lithium-ion battery to power it, and a Worx WA3880 battery charger, both of which can also be used with compatible ‘bare tools’ from the Worx Powershare range. All of the components come with a good-quality hard case for storage and transportation (provided you choose the retailer carefully – some sell the same tool with a soft storage bag).

Last but not least, two reciprocating saw blades are bundled in with the tool. One of these is designed for cutting metal; the other is intended for wood. You can also buy other types of reciprocating saw blades, including these Masonry Reciprocating Saw Blades from Screwfix that can saw through brick and concrete – though I would recommend using these with a contractor-grade reciprocating saw.

How I tested

I reviewed the Worx Nitro WX501 Cordless Brushless Compact Reciprocating Saw by testing it across an appropriate range of tasks, including cutting clean through wood or metal, and plunge-cutting holes in MDF.

1. Cutting timber

I was blown away by the power of the WX501 when I used it to cut various pieces of wood. Running at up to 3,000 strokes per minute, the blade made its way through hardwood and softwood battens in a matter of seconds, producing fairly clean cuts that needed only a little tidying up using a sander. (With that said, you should always cut wood fractionally over the required length when using a reciprocating saw, so that you can adjust the finish without making the piece too short).

It took next to no manual effort to cut wood with this saw, so I could focus on directing the saw blade accurately, while the weight and cutting action of the tool did the hard work. As well as cutting wood to size for woodworking projects, I found that this tool was very useful for cutting scrap wood into pieces to make firewood or kindling.

2. Cutting metal

With its metal-cutting saw blade attached, the WX501 did a good job of cutting through metal tubing. It completed this task quickly, although not as rapidly as it was able to cut through wood, and the maximum cutting capacity is lower (10mm for steel or 15mm for aluminium, versus 80mm for wood).

When cutting any workpiece with the WX501, I would recommend bracing the pivoting shoe at the front of the saw against the workpiece, as this makes it easier to keep everything stable and produce an accurate cut. Secure clamping is very important, and you may need to weight your workbench if it is light, as the action of the saw is very powerful.

3. Plunge-cutting

During my testing, plunge-cutting holes into MDF board proved to be the WX501’s most impressive capability. The saw was able to cut through the material with absolute ease and excellent control, even when I really tested it by cutting gently curved shapes.

I was able to tweak the cutting depth slightly by adjusting the saw’s movable shoe, which would be a handy capability when you’re cutting into a stud wall, for example. As this saw is relatively light, compared to other reciprocating saws, it was easier to control when plunge-cutting from below.

Ease of use

One of the selling points to this reciprocating saw is its compact format, and this does make it easy to hold with one hand around the grip, and the other supporting the tool from underneath. However, it’s still pretty heavy, and there’s not much for your non-trigger hand to grip while supporting the tool from beneath. When you’ve been using it for a longer-duration task, your forearms will know about it.

The saw is activated with a variable speed trigger. Pressing this lightly gives a slow, controlled cutting action, and I found that it was highly responsive when I wanted to press harder for a higher cutting speed. This is the only way to control the cutting speed – there are no selectable gears of the sort you sometimes find on tools like the best cordless drills. You can use the lock button next to the trigger to prevent it from being pressed down inadvertently and activating the saw.

Changing the saw blade is very simple – you just turn the blade release lever, push the blade into the blade clamp slot and allow the release lever to return to its original position, now holding the blade in place.

Battery performance

I was pretty impressed with this saw’s runtime. On a single charge of the 2.0Ah battery, it was able to complete a few hours’ worth of testing across various cutting tasks, as described above. However, I did need to recharge it in order to complete the process, and I believe that DIYers embarking on heftier tasks such as demolition work would benefit from buying a spare battery (available from Worx) to swap in whenever the original battery needs recharging.

The charger couldn’t be much simpler. It’s lightweight and provides just the right level of feedback via its status lights, which tell you when the battery is charging, fully charged, broken or at the wrong temperature for charging (the latter two were never needed during my testing). I was pleased to find that it could charge the 2.0Ah battery within around one hour.

Who should buy it?

I see the WX501 as a tool mainly for DIYers, rather than for professional tradespeople. It’s very handy for a variety of home improvement tasks, from rough-cutting timber and chopping shower rails down to size, to plunge cutting holes in the wall for electrical sockets (provided you know how to avoid cutting into wires!) I’d find it difficult to imagine the DIYer who wouldn’t find plenty of uses for a reciprocating saw – and this one is among the best in its class.

You might also find it useful for outdoor tasks such as cutting up wood for firewood, or cutting pruned tree branches into smaller pieces so that these can fit into the garden waste bin. (I use proper secateurs for the pruning itself, as these can produce cleaner cuts that are healthier for the tree.)

If you have a lot of structural work ahead of you (e.g. cutting through brick), then this saw might just about do the job, but you’d probably be better off choosing a contractor-grade reciprocating saw for tasks of this type – perhaps with corded power.

Final verdict

This is a very good tool for the lighter-duty work that’s typically tackled with a reciprocating saw. If what you need is a saw that will conveniently cut wood and metal, or plunge-cut into relatively soft materials (probably not brick or stone), then the WX501 is a superb option.

I was highly impressed with this saw’s cutting performance across a variety of tests. It was excellent at plunge-cutting, great at cutting wood, and good enough at cutting metal to suit most DIY scenarios. Perhaps best of all, its cutting capabilities are delivered in a compact, uncomplicated format that will help many DIY users get to grips with using a reciprocating saw.