CRAFTSMAN CMCS300M1 V20 Cordless Reciprocating Saw Kit with 4.0Ah Battery and Charger review

CRAFTSMAN V20 cordless reciprocating saw · 4.0Ah kit

CMCS300M1 is the kit version of CRAFTSMAN’s brushed CMCS300 reciprocating saw. The saw body has the same one-inch stroke, variable trigger and two-hand operating position as the separate CMCS300B tool-only listing; the meaningful difference is the exact in-box power package. CRAFTSMAN lists one 4.0Ah V20 battery and a charger with this M1 SKU. A buyer comparing it with the bare tool should decide whether those named components are useful, not assume that a kit suffix changes the saw’s cutting mechanism.

The saw body remains a two-handed tool

The product page describes a brushed motor, one-inch stroke and variable-speed trigger, and advertises a maximum of 3,000 RPM. That is CRAFTSMAN’s displayed unit, so I do not relabel it as strokes per minute. The page supplies no controlled cutting test or defined-load speed result. Stroke and nominal speed figures can help identify the model, but they do not predict performance through a particular pipe, framing member or demolition material.

Although CRAFTSMAN uses “compact” language for the CMCS300, the model-specific manual shows a secondary gripping handle and directs the user to hold the saw with one hand at each grip. It belongs with two-handed saws in a fit comparison. The manual’s warning about blade binding and kickback makes that more than a naming distinction: the two-hand instruction is the operating position supported by the source.

The manual and page identify a pivoting shoe and collar-based tool-free blade release. The shoe is intended to contact the work; the sources do not provide indexed positions or a projection range. They also do not establish a selectable orbital mode. To change blades, disconnect the battery, open the collar, seat the blade and check that the collar retains it. The manual calls for a blade longer than 3½ inches that extends beyond the shoe and workpiece through the cut, and advises keeping the work supported rather than reaching near the blade.

Exact CMCS300M1 kit contents

The exact M1 page’s Includes list names one CMCS300 reciprocating saw, one CMCB204 V20 20V MAX 4Ah lithium-ion battery, one CMCB104 V20 fast charger and one six-inch reciprocating blade. This is materially different from the CMCS300B tool-only configuration, whose page lists the saw and blade but no battery or charger. The CMCB204 battery is described as a 20V MAX pack; CRAFTSMAN’s page footnote states 18V nominal voltage. Match the actual charger and pack identifiers to the offer rather than treating “V20” as universal cross-brand compatibility.

The M1 listing does not name a case or bag in its Includes list. Its gallery image depicts the saw, battery and charger, but the written product list is the evidence for box contents. If storage, spare blades or another battery matters, confirm whether those items are part of the specific seller’s package instead of inferring extras from the photograph.

Keep the weight bases separate

The M1 page reports an “Assembled Product Weight” of 7.16 pounds. It does not describe a measurement method or separate the saw, battery, charger and any package components, so that number should remain a published kit-page figure rather than a verified saw-only weight. The directly named CMCS300 saw body is shared with the CMCS300B tool-only listing, whose exact page reports 4.45 pounds for the tool-only product with no battery included. That shared-body evidence is useful when applying a saw-only limit, but it does not convert 7.16 pounds into a complete kit carry weight.

The kit page also reports assembled dimensions that differ from the bare-tool page’s structured dimensions even though both list the CMCS300 saw. CRAFTSMAN separately states 14.5 inches in its CMCS300 feature copy, while the data fields use roughly 16.2 inches of assembled length. The pages do not explain those measurement bases. I would not use the listed dimensions as a guaranteed clearance envelope for a tight cut.

Who benefits from the M1 instead of the bare tool

CMCS300M1 is the more complete choice when the buyer needs a battery and charger and wants the model-specific kit list to provide them. It is redundant if a compatible V20 battery and charger are already in the shop, and less suitable if the essential requirement is one-handed operation, a documented orbital selector or a precise full-kit weight. For those shoppers, the package name alone does not resolve the mismatch; keep the limitations visible and compare the supported requirements in the finder.

This is a source-based assessment of the exact CRAFTSMAN U.S. M1 page and directly linked CMCS300 manuals, not a hands-on test. No saw, blade, battery, charger or worksite was physically evaluated, and no current price, stock or customer experience is claimed. Before buying, verify CMCS300M1, the CMCB204 battery, CMCB104 charger, the included blade and the workpiece/blade conditions in the manual.