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RYOBI 18V ONE+ Jig Saw (PCL525)

RYOBI PCL525 18V ONE+ cordless jig saw with 18V battery pack

Safety precautions (summary)

This is a plain-language summary of the safety section of the owner's manual, written for high-school-age users. It is not a substitute for reading the manual itself — do that first.

Before you start

  • Read the operator's manual and know what the tool can and can't do before you ever pull the trigger.
  • Always wear safety glasses with side shields (rated ANSI Z87.1). Add a dust mask if the cut is dusty and hearing protection if you'll be cutting for a while.
  • No loose clothing, jewelry, or dangling hair — tie hair back. Loose stuff gets caught in moving parts.
  • This is a battery tool, so it's always "live" — there's no plug to pull. Remove the battery pack before changing blades, making adjustments, or storing the saw.
  • Look the tool over. If the switch doesn't work, a part is damaged, or the blade is dull or bent, don't use it until it's fixed.

Your work area

  • Keep the area clean, well lit, and free of clutter.
  • Never use the saw around flammable liquids, gases, or heavy dust — power tools make sparks.
  • Keep other people (especially younger kids) away while you're cutting. Distractions cause accidents.
  • Don't use the tool in the rain or in damp locations, and never work from a ladder or anything wobbly — keep both feet on solid ground.

While cutting

  • Clamp the workpiece to a stable surface. Never hold it in your hand or brace it against your body.
  • Keep your hands away from the blade at all times, and hold the saw by its insulated grips in case the blade hits hidden wiring.
  • Check the wood and pull out any nails before cutting.
  • Let the blade do the work — don't force the saw.
  • Stay alert. Don't use the tool when you're tired, distracted, or on medication that makes you drowsy. Don't overreach; keep your balance.
  • Familiarity is a trap: even if you've used the saw a hundred times, one careless second is enough for a serious injury.

Battery pack

  • Charge only with the matching RYOBI 18V charger, and only within the temperature range in the manual.
  • Keep the battery away from metal objects (coins, keys, paper clips) that could short the terminals, and away from fire or heat — a damaged or overheated battery can explode.
  • Don't use a battery that has been dropped, crushed, or damaged. If battery liquid gets on your skin, wash with soap and water; if it gets in your eyes, flush with clean water for at least 10 minutes and get medical help.

Afterward

  • Remove the battery and store the saw out of reach of children and anyone who hasn't been trained on it.
  • If you lend the saw to someone, lend them the manual too.

Replacement blades and batteries

Blades: This saw takes standard T-shank jig saw blades only (any brand — T-shank is the common standard; do not use U-shank blades, which can come loose and cause injury). The clamp is toolless, so no special wrench is needed. When shopping, match the blade to the material:

Material Blade type TPI (teeth per inch)
General lumber / softwood Wood-cutting 6–10
Plywood, decking, hardwood Wood-cutting 6–12
Scroll / curved cuts in wood Scrolling wood 10–12
Countertop / laminate Down-stroke (reverse-tooth) wood 10–12
Plastics and PVC Wood-cutting 10–12
Thin sheet metal Metal-cutting 14–24

For plunge cuts without a pilot hole, the manual specifies a 7 TPI blade.

Battery: Any RYOBI 18V ONE+ lithium-ion battery pack — this saw is part of RYOBI's shared ONE+ platform, so every ONE+ pack fits (a higher amp-hour rating just runs longer). Charge only with a RYOBI 18V ONE+ charger (see RYOBI's battery/charger correlation supplement 987000-432 for the exact list). The photo above shows the saw with a 2.0 Ah pack.

How the orbital settings work

The orbital adjustment knob (next to the blade clamp) has 4 settings, 0–3. Instead of just moving straight up and down, the blade can swing in a slight oval: it presses forward into the material on the upstroke (where the cutting happens) and pulls back on the downstroke so it doesn't drag. More orbit = faster, more aggressive cutting but a rougher edge; less orbit = slower but smoother.

  • 0 — no orbit: countertop/laminate, and always for metal
  • 1 — minimal orbit: plastics/PVC, scroll and curved cuts
  • 2 — medium orbit: plywood, decking, hardwood
  • 3 — maximum orbit: general lumber and softwood

Changing the blade

⚠️ STEP 1 — REMOVE THE BATTERY PACK. A battery tool is always live; pulling the pack is the only way to make it safe. If you're removing a blade you've just been cutting with, let it cool first.

Then, using the toolless clamp (no wrench needed):

  1. Rotate the blade clamp lever away from the orbital adjustment knob until you feel resistance, and hold it there.
  2. Insert a T-shank blade as far as it will go into the slot in the saw bar (some resistance is normal).
  3. Check that the back edge of the blade sits centered in the groove of the blade-support roller.
  4. Release the clamp and tug the blade to confirm it's locked in place — don't use the saw if the blade isn't fully seated.
  5. Reinstall the battery pack.

To remove a blade: battery out, blade cool, hold the clamp lever open the same way, and pull the blade out.

Full manual

The complete owner's manual is in this directory: jigsaw use and care manual.pdf