Need recommendation for a Power Jigsaw

I have a Craftsman that I've used a couple of times. I'm no power user, so my needs are not very high end. I'd buy it again.

I am not a power user either but I have heard that the barrel ones are easier to use. I have a cheap craftsman that works ok, but I would rather have had the Bosch.

How much are you using it for?

Bosch is an excellent brand and wistand a lot of abuse. You probably could get away with a less expensive brand though because it will not have to endure the the abuse of prolonged use and outdoor exposure.

Steve"DIYclutz"Avery

Bosh is a very good high end DIY tool. It has been a while since I've sold them (I used to work the tool department in a local hardware store for five years but that was 10 years ago now) but they have always had a pretty solid reputation. But they fall into a strange middle ground where they're usually out of the price range and too much for random DIY'ers, but a bit lacking for the everyday contractor, so I didn't move a lot of them.

Myself I have a philosophy where I only plan on buying some things once in my lifetime (Drill, jigsaw...etc) so personally I tend to go a little overboard to make sure whatever needs tackling will be tackled. So my personal brand of choice is DeWalt. Milwaukee also makes a great tool...But both of those are contractor grade but if you wanted to go overboard those are the two brands I'd recommend.

Black and Decker and Skil I think are a low of a grade of tool, but they sell a bunch. Longevity isn't their strong point though. Personally I'd never by one myself.

One option to look for is "orbital". The saw blade will move in a small circular motion (if you want it to) which makes the cutting faster if you need to do a quick rip or something where a smooth edge isn't exactly needed.

I've never used a barrel design though so I can't comment on that. It looks like it should give you better torque to turn, but to me it would seem like it would be easier to overturn and snap the blade. That's just my impression though and I have nothing to back that up.

Bosch ist deutsch. Deutsch ist gut.

Makita is also a good solid brand. One brand to consider that often flies under the radar is Hitachi.

Seconding taking a look at Hitachi, they don't seem to get thought of as much as the more big name brands, even if you're only looking at Japanese tools, but I love the stuff I have from them and got them stupid cheap off Amazon. No idea about their jigsaws though and I have pretty big hands and teach climbing so my grip issues are pretty different than yours haha

Half a lifetime ago, I worked with my dad's construction crew, which specialized in custom cabinet installations. Even though Buy America was a big deal at the time, every single redneck on our crew was impressed by the performance of the Makita power drill. Don't know if they still make good power tools, but I would keep the brand in mind if I were in the market for a power jigsaw.

ubarose wrote: I know some of you are home improvement dudes. I want a new power jigsaw. Amazon has some Black Friday deals plus $20 back on Bosch tools. I'm thinkging of the Bosch Barrel handle because it looks like it would be easy to steer.

Any thoughts or recommendations would be welcome.

Black and Deckers wear out if you run them too hard (ie, push hard a lot, or use dull blades. Don't buy Harbor Freight's Chicago Tool garbage. I've worn 2 of those out. Same probem - the footplate snaps off. I've had a DeWalt, which is the best tool you can buy. Some fuck stole it out of the back of my truck, but I had it for 3 years and it never died.

I have a Black and Decker one now, 5th or 6th jigsaw, maybe. It stood up to tearing 14 1/2" oak stairnoses off of the tread, and that is no joke kind of work. So, I'd recommend it highly. It has a neat dial that you tell it what kind of material/cuts you want to make and it does the speed for you. It also has the quick on/off tang so you don't need an allen wrench to swap blades.

I will say this: the Bosch blades I have are the best I've ever owned. They're the "T" kind, 20 teeth per inch, cuts clean and the fuckers didn't dull (well, 2 did, 3rd's fine) cutting through 445 linear feet of 1/2 oak. OLD oak. Impressive.

Makita < Ryobi, but both are fine. Bosch > both Makita and Ryobi. DeWalt eats them all alive.

I second Pete...I just used a black and Decker for cutting oxidized finished hardwood and had no problems. If you are going with a serious brand, then get DeWalt. And if you are in the market for a mitre saw, theirs is the best I have ever used

I've abused the fuck out of Makita impact drivers over the years doing work in the climbing gyms, things are like tanks. I've seen em dropped from 40-50 feet up and keep on truckin no problem.