JIGSAW REVIEWS

BOSCH 1591 EVSK (BARREL GRIP) JIGSAW

           Both models offer a “one-touch” jigsaw blade change system which includes one-handed jigsaw blade insertion and lever ejection of used jigsaw blades. Motor power is a hefty 6.4 amps which compares favorably to other jigsaw models. The variable speed dial has a range of 500 to 2800 strokes per minute. Stroke length is a standard 1”. A “precision control system” minimizes jigsaw blade wander. The barrel grip model has a soft covering around the barrel for precise control with reduced vibration. Electronic speed control is built-in. The jigsaw foot does not require a wrench for bevel adjustment and the jigsaw bevel is shown in degrees on a scale from 45 degrees left to 45 degrees right. A counter-balancing mechanism reduces jigsaw vibration. The plunger is designed to of T-shank jigsaw blades and a large variety of types is widely available.

           The 4 position oscillation switch takes you from “smooth” to “aggressive” in stages. A smooth “overshoe” cover attaches to the jigsaw foot to protect delicate materials. On the barrel grip model, a lock-on power switch replaces the trigger lock in the D-handle model and reduces thumb fatigue. A powerful air blower keeps the cut line clear. These jigsaws will cut plastic up to 1¼” thick and stainless steel up to 1/8” thick. Both the barrel grip and D-handle models weigh 6 Lbs. Street price on the top-handle model is about $160 and the barrel grip is about five dollars more.

Approx. Price: Barrel Grip $190.

DEWALT DW331K (TOP-HANDLE) JIGSAW

          A unique design feature of the Dewalt jigsaw is the flush-cutting blade system which allows you to complete flush cuts without up-cutting. The jigsaw is counterbalanced to reduce vibration and features an all-metal gear case for durability. Included are an extra-large rubber grip and a non-marring shoe cover for the jigsaw foot plate. Weight is 6.4 Lbs.

Online Price: Approximately $149.

           Whenever I review a bunch of tools, the Festool tool is always the most expensive. Whatever tool Festool produces is usually sold as being the best-of-the-best. You will need to decide if the undoubted German-engineered quality justifies the extra expense. Both Festool models are priced at $310 exactly, everywhere. Having said that, the Festool Trion Jigsaws may prove to be worth the price charged.

          I mentioned above that blade control was probably at the top of my list of important features to consider. Festool is very specific and descriptive of what it has done to address this issue in its jigsaws. Both models have three blade guides. Two are right next to the sides of the blade and they are backed up by a rear thrust bearing right behind the back edge of the blade. This means that the blade has simply nowhere to go except straight ahead. It is forced to remain straight and perpendicular. The result is smooth control around curves, right along the saw line.  Specifically, the guides are located next to the pendulum rod, next to the pendulum guide roller and, as I said, on either side of the blade. Both jigsaws offer zero-clearance inserts to practically eliminate splintering.

           Both Festool jigsaws have four different oscillating adjustment positions from smooth to coarse, electronic speed control, and a variable stroke rate of from 1000 to 2900 SPM. The jigsaw foot’s bevel adjustment is from 0 to 45 degrees in both directions. Maximum cutting depth into wood is 4 ¾” or 3/8” into soft steel. The base plate is “non-marring” for delicate materials. The barrel grip model weighs 5.06 Lbs. and the top-handle machine 5.29 Lbs.

Online Price: $250 (Either Model)

          T

          This jigsaw features tool-less blade change, 4 orbital settings and the jigsaw foot plate bevels 45 degrees left or right of vertical. Hitachi has included a top-mounted LED light, a dust blower and electronic speed control. A lock-on switch is used instead of a trigger lock. A soft, elastomeric material covers the jigsaw for better absorption of vibration. The Hitachi jigsaw weighs only 4.9 Lbs.

Approximate Online Price: $86

MILWAUKEE 6268-21 (TOP-HANDLE) JIGSAW

         

          A precision, low-mounted roller blade guide assures jigsaw blade stability. This jigsaw is counterbalanced for reduced vibration. It has electronic speed control with tachometer feedback. It uses T-shank jigsaw blades, has a dust collection port and a 10-position dust blower. Weight is 6.35 Lbs.

Approximate Online Price:  $170

© 2010 PerfectWoodworking.com

SIDE-BY-SIDE COMPARISON CHART: JIGSAWS         

ALL ABOUT JIGSAWS

               I’ve been using jigsaws longer than I’d like to admit. I found the first jigsaw lying around my Dad’s woodworking shop in the basement of my childhood home. A few years after that, I purchased a cheap jigsaw from Sears. That jigsaw gave me with the quick usefulness that all jigsaws provide but there were persistent and annoying problems without apparent solutions: First, the jigsaw blades had no guides so they would always wander away from the cut line, especially when I was trying to track curved pencil lines. Second, when cutting curves in thick material, the jigsaw blade would bend toward the outside of curve. Third, early jigsaws did not have orbital pendulum action and so they would load up and burn in thick materials. Changing jigsaw blades required a screwdriver and you had to be careful not to lose the set screw.

http://www.perfectwoodworking.com/woodworkingtoolreviews/           At the top of my list are the subjects of jigsaw blade tracking and blade guides. Take a close look at how each jigsaw manufacturer has approached these challenges because you are probably not going to get a chance to try out your next jigsaw before buying it. Look for specifics: Some jigsaw manufacturers simply say something like “superior blade tracking” without saying how this is accomplished. Others are convincingly descriptive.

           Another issue with all jigsaws is wood splintering. Most, but not all, jigsaw blades are designed to cut on the upwards stroke which means that the splintering often occurs on the good side of the board or plywood. Splintering can be minimized in two ways: fine-cut jigsaw blades and anti-splinter inserts mounted in the jigsaw foot immediately adjacent to each side of the jigsaw blade. Fine-cut blades cut slowly and so if speed is a requirement and you are using a more aggressively-toothed jigsaw blade a splinter insert is an absolute necessity unless you plan to sand and/or rout away the splintered area later.

          Frequent blade changes are a fact of life with all jigsaws. In the interest of production efficiency, this process should be as fast and easy as possible. Gone are the days of screwdrivers, Allen wrenches and set screws. You want a jigsaw that lets you pop blades in and out in rapid fashion.

          If you are health conscious and want to minimize airborne dust in your work area, you may want to collect dust right at its source by connecting a vacuum hose to the jigsaw. In that case, check for a dust port and make sure that it is compatible with your vacuum hose. Personally, I prefer to wear a good dust mask and thus avoid the inconvenience of dragging a vacuum hose along with the jigsaw when I am trying to control the machine along curves.

           I mentioned orbital pendulum action above and I would not even consider buying a jigsaw without it. My first orbital jigsaw was a Bosch barrel grip model. I was allowed to try one out in a woodworking store while I was on a business trip and it went home to Hawaii in my suitcase. Here’s why: The salesman had a piece of eight-quarter White Oak and encouraged me to cut some curves in it. There were four orbital settings on that machine with the first being “no orbital action” and each one after that being progressively more aggressive than the one before. With the orbit in the “off” position, I began a cut. As I expected, the jigsaw slowly labored through the cut and I knew that if I pushed it any harder, the blade would either burn or break. Then, at the suggestion of the salesman, I put the orbit lever in position “4,” the most aggressive position, and made another cut. The jigsaw blade flew through the thick Oak as if it were butter. There is a bit more splintering than before but not really that much. Sold, American!

           A side benefit of an oscillating jigsaw is extended blade life. When a jigsaw blade is stuck inside a cut, it has nowhere to dissipate the heat. The pendulum action oscillates the blade in and out of the cut, letting cool air in while it is out of the cut. At the same time, the accumulated sawdust is allowed to drop out of the cut so the blade is always cutting new wood, not old sawdust. That’s why, with an ascillating stroke, it can cut faster and stay cooler.

          Most good machines, but not all, have Electronic Speed Control (ESC) which is an important nicety. ESC is like the cruise control on your car: It maintains a constant speed with changing load conditions. The harder you push the jigsaw, the more electrical power is delivered automatically to the motor so that the saw blade will not slow down. The analogy is your car on cruise control going up a hill.

         Many jigsaws today are available in two different body styles: barrel grip and top-handle (sometimes called D-handle). I have owned jigsaws in both styles and I have a personal preference for the barrel grip style because it is easier to control when making fine cuts. Just like when using a router or any hand power tool, a low center of gravity and a solid grip equate to better control. With a top-handle jigsaw, your hand is at the top of a taller machine and the tendency to tip over is greater. With a barrel grip jigsaw the center of gravity is as low as it can be. There is a knob on top, right over the jigsaw blade, for your other hand for better control. The big, round jigsaw barrel is easier to hang onto than the thinner D-handle.

        Jigsaw manufacturers usually measure motor power in terms of amperage, rather than horsepower. This is fine because amperage is a more reliable indicator of actual power than horsepower. The more amperage, the more power and power is important when cutting thick or dense materials.

    The speed of the jigsaw blade is expressed in “strokes per minute”  or “SPM.” The more, the better.

          Cutting depth is something you will want to consider when dealing with very thick or dense materials. In soft wood, cutting depth refers to the maximum distance between the bottom tooth on the jigsaw blade and the foot plate of the jigsaw when the blade is fully extended. In metal, plastic or other materials, cutting depth is based on the ability of the jigsaw and jigsaw blade to cut through dense or resistant materials.

          Jigsaws are often used to cut expensive and delicate materials such as veneered plywood panels. A standard, steel jigsaw foot plate may leave scratches as it travels along behind the blade. Some jigsaw manufacturers offer coated foot plates, some provide an “overshoe” for the jigsaw foot plate and some completely fail to address this issue. If you cut delicate materials that can be easily marred, pay careful attention to this feature (or lack of it) in any jigsaw you might buy.

          Jigsaw weight is the next consideration. My knee-jerk reaction is to look for the lightest jigsaw so that I won’t tire so easily during a long day of cutting. On second thought, light weight in a jigsaw is nowhere near the advantage as it would be in, say, an impact driver or electric drill because the jigsaw’s weight is almost always resting on the material being cut. Further, a light weight jigsaw could mean that the jigsaw manufacturer skimped on construction materials, possibly substituting plastic parts for metal as a cost savings.

          Stroke length is the distance the jigsaw blade's teeth travel up and down while cutting. This is almost universally one-inch and so it is not a useful number when comparing models from different makers. Generally speaking, the longer the stroke, the faster the cut and the shorter the stroke, the smoother the cut.

          Jigsaws can make bevel cuts, usually up to 45 degrees from vertical, both left and right. The more bevel, the thinner the material that can be cut. Adjusting the bevel on a jigsaw can be hard or easy. Some jigsaws require you to use a screwdriver, hex wrench or Allen wrench to loosen or tighten a set screw that holds the jigsaw foot in a particular position. Other jigsaws are designed with the adjusting mechanism built-in and, thus, requiring no tools. Opt for the latter when possible, everything else considered.

          All jigsaws vibrate and make noise. Obviously the less vibration and noise the better. Vibration is transmitted to the point of cutting and affects your ability to control the cut. More importantly, vibration is tiring when it goes into the jigsaw operator’s hand and arm. Various manufacturers have approached this problem in different ways but the most common anti-vibration technique is to “counterbalance” the motor. The other way is to put vibration-absorbing material on the outside surfaces of the jigsaw that come into direct contact with the hand(s) of the jigsaw operator. Padding will not, of course, minimize the vibration transmitted to the jigsaw blade at the point of cutting. Noise reduction varies by machine design and the only way to make this comparison requires running the motor of each jigsaw you are considering for purchase.

          Some jigsaws come equipped with a variable speed wheel to set the maximum speed of the jigsaw for better cutting results in different materials. This is different than the speed control of the variable speed trigger. Full speed on the jigsaw trigger will always be limited by the setting of the variable speed wheel. Most jigsaw triggers have a lock-on feature because holding the jigsaw trigger on all day long can actually make your hand go numb. Barrel grip jigsaws do no have a trigger but use a lock-on type thumb switch instead. If you have the variable speed set at half-speed and you lock the trigger or thumb switch, you will get half-speed at full trigger deflection until you change the setting on the wheel.

          Most jigsaws come equipped with some sort of air blower to keep chips away from the cut line. The air blower on the earlier jigsaws was located half-way between the operator’s chin and nose. Some manufacturers mount the blower nozzle near the point of cutting, others on the top of the machine. Some have adjustable nozzles. The important thing is effective chip and dust removal so you can see where your jigsaw blade is supposed to cut.

          Another aid to clear vision of the cut line is a built-in light. LED lights are best because they are bright white and last virtually forever. Just in case they don’t, see if they are replaceable and available.

          There are several jigsaw blade types available and you will have to use the one that comes with the jigsaw you buy. Fine cut jigsaw blades have many more teeth, leave fewer and smaller splinters but cut slower and are generally shorter in length. They also may be thinner (front to back) to allow for tighter turns around sharp curves. Fine cut jigsaw blades will break easier than a coarse jigsaw blade. Metal cutting jigsaw blades are also available. Use these only for metal because they will not cut wood very easily and they will load up and burn. On the other hand, a wood-cutting jigsaw blade will not be able to cut metal effectively. Depending on the manufacturer, there are many other specialized types of blades available. Make sure you always have plenty of extra blades available to avoid unexpected trips to the store right in the middle of a job.

           The following is devoted to a close examination of top-quality jigsaws from Bosch, Dewalt, Festool, Hitachi, Makita Tools, Milwaukee and Porter-Cable. Some of these jigsaw manufacturers make more than one model. Some manufacturers offer models are identical in all features except the choice of barrel grip vs. top-handle. In these cases, I will discuss the common features of both jigsaw models and mention the existence of both designs. I may include photos of both jigsaw models, however.  I will do the reviews in alphabetical order, by jigsaw manufacturer.

           If you feel overwhelmed by too much information, don’t worry. At the end of the reviews above is an easy-to-scan SIDE-BY-SIDE COMPARISON CHART including all jigsaw models reviewed and all features discussed.

(C) 2010 PerfectWoodworking.com