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Makita XDS01Z Cordless Cutout Saw

Earlier this year, Makita announced a jigsaw-like alternative to the recip saws and spiral cutout tools typically used to cut holes in walls and ceilings. Unlike earlier tools, the Cordless Cutout Saw is easy to control, captures cutting, and can be set to just barely cut through the surface.

Shown here without the battery.

The XDS01Z looks like someone took a d-handle jigsaw and bent the grip away from the base at a 45-degree angle. It’s configured this way to make it to work overhead, though it can also be used to cut into walls.

Cutting acoustic tile and collecting dust with a cordless packpack vac—but any vac would work.

The blade is enclosed within a clear plastic dust box that can be connected to a dust-collecting vacuum. When cutting overhead, there is the option work without a vacuum by covering the hose port with a cap and letting gravity carry dust into the box. Obviously, more dust will be collected when the tool is connected to a vac.

Depth of cut settings (in mm) are marked on the blade.

The Cordless Cutout Saw takes proprietary blades that are short with a curved end that resembles the blade of the plunge-cutting handsaws sometimes used to cut into existing wood floors. With teeth on the end and either edge of the blade it can plunge straight into the work and cut in either direction. 

Blades are currently available for cuts up to 1 3/16" deep in drywall (two layers of 5/8" material) and up to 9/16" in wood. It will also accept three segments of an 18mm snap-off blade, which will work for cutting drywall and acoustic tile. Toothed blades are necessary for wood.

A pair of set screws holds the blade in place and allows it to be adjusted up or down so that it barely penetrates the material. As a result, the operator need not worry about hitting framing, wiring, or plumbing inside the wall or ceiling. The same is true of spiral cutout saws but they can be difficult to control during freehand cutting and their dust-collection setups are awkward at best.

A variable speed 18-volt tool, the Makita saw cuts 0-6,000 strokes per minute and is said to cut up to 984 feet of ½-inch drywall per charge with a 4.0-Ah battery. It’s equipped with a battery gauge, non-marring base, and a pair of LED lights to illuminate the cutline. 

The Makita Cordless Cutout Saw is a niche product and will not appeal to everyone. But it would be a great help to anyone who regularly cuts into walls and ceilings in occupied buildings, or any other place where it’s necessary to minimize the spread of dust.