The Beloved Bosch 1590 Jigsaw

[Joe Angrisani]

I had posted a few questions in threads about the Bosch 1590EVS/EVSK jigsaws since the 1590-series has been replaced by the Bosch JS470E. I finally saw both side-by-side today, and I thought I'd let people know what I found to help prospective jigsaw buyers in March 2011.

The two are most definitely NOT the same animal. The first and most important thing is that the JS470E does not have the two side guides for the blade. To me this is a deal-breaker and it bothers me that Bosch phased out the one thing that made the 1590/1591 do what it does so well. The other obvious thing was a change to the base pad mechanism. Gone is the release lever. Now you need a tool to loosen the base for bevel cuts.

The JS470E appears to be a lot less saw for just about the same price as the old 1590. Boo-hiss. :(

[Victor Robinson]

Being a 1590 owner who recommends one any chance he can get, I was curious about this. Thanks for posting your impressions - darn shame if they took a step backwards.

[glenn bradley]

Well, you get a bit more power and the cowling around the front where some heavy users complained of heat build-up. I notice a little more rubber grip area too. I too question the logic of the guide removal(?). I'm a barrel-grip guy and do love my 1591.

[Andrew Pitonyak]

The 1590 is the first Jigsaw that that I really like (owned by me). The only thing that I wish that it had is dust collection. I cut some MDF the other day and I was blowing dust everywhere.

Considering replacing my 1590 with a Festool for dust collection. Sad since I have numerous unused blades for my 1590 and my guess is that the Festool cannot use my Bosch blades. Can't say I really know much about the Festool jigsaw other than it supports dust collection. I should look into it.

Sounds like the new Bosch Jigsaw may be a step backwards. Were blade changes still trivial?

[Greg R Bradley]

I talked to the Bosch rep extensively about this and he told me the 1590 is NOT discontinued.

The 1590/1591 EVSK is discontinued and replaced by the 1590/1591 EVSL, which is only different in the case. It comes in their new cases which are similar to the Festool Systainers.

The JS series is the one they are selling to the people that only think in terms of "brand" and will pay the same price for less saw and make more money for Bosch.

If I got the straight story, I have to assume that Bosch MIGHT eventually discontinue the 1590/1591 or at least jack up the price.

I have to agree, the JS series, the 1587, Dewalt's version, and most others are all just "pretenders". Grab the lower blade support and put serious force on it like will happen when you cut something and you will see.

I just bought a 1590 from Lowes as a discontinued model for $139. This is to replace the Festool one I got for Christmas, which is just as good but no better. My old 1590 was destroyed when I dropped it doing something stupid.

[Joe Angrisani]

Greg.... That "L" case is pretty darn pricey, then. Ask your Bosch rep friend which part number designates the saw only. The 1590EVS saw alone was about $140 discounted. The 1590EVSL with the sooperdooper case is $190 discounted. Tell him I said, "ARE YOU KIDDING ME??" :(

[John McClanahan]

I have the dust collection attachment for my 1591. I think it fits the 1590, too.

John

[Greg R Bradley]

Joe,

I suppose it is all relative. Festool gets about $70 for their cases and people pay it. The new Bosch L-Boxx case is nicer than the Festool Cases. I know Festool are improving their cases so don't know how the Bosch L-Boxx system compares to the new Festool Systainers. If I get time to build a drawer system I mostly won't care about any cases but can see their value for workers that haul their stuff to jobs all the time. Most of the stuff I want in cases is too big for either system anyway.

I think the important thing is that you can get the 1590/1591 and probably will be able to in the future. Bosch has come out with the "replacement" so the BORGs can sell them at huge profit and the good stuff will be available to those of us that know the difference. I know far more people in construction and finish carpentry than hobby woodworkers but I can't think of any one tool that dominates its competitors like the 1590/1591. Even the people that bought a Festool or even a Mafell usually have a Bosch 1590 for general use. I certainly hope Bosch doesn't screw that up like they did their little 5" RO sander where the DIY tool ended up replacing the real thing.

[Andrew Pitonyak]

I have the dust collection attachment for my 1591. I think it fits the 1590, too.

John
Interesting.... Did not even know that one exists..... Will have to see if I have it and did not know it (The Bosch site claims it ships with at least one version), and if not, order it (looks like it is less than $20).

[Steven J Corpstein]

I have a Festool PS 300 and went out last Fall and purchased a Bosch 1591. I really like the Festool for all it's raved about, but the visibility when using is not as good as the Bosch because the Festool doesn't have the feature to blow away the dust from the cut line like the Bosch. Dust collection on the Festool is good, but not excellent like on their other tools.

[Joe Angrisani]

Can someone with a 1590 tell me if it has the "blow the sawdust away from the cut line" feature that Steven talks about the 1591 having?

Does anyone know of a place that has a NEW Bosch plain 1590EVS saw for sale? Or the 1590EVSK with the old style 'K'it? I see remanufactured 1590s all over, but the only new saw I see is the $190 1590EVSL on Amazon.

[Greg R Bradley]

Yes it does. It works reasonably well on the 1590. Also, I agree with Steven's statment above that the Festool dust collection works reasonably well on the Trion.

I bought a replacement 1590 EVSK kit last week in Lowes for $139. That is the one in the regular case. Lowes lists them on their website for $139. I assume that means sales tax even on mail order since Lowes probably has stores in your state.

[Andrew Pitonyak]

Thanks, this is very useful to me since I really like my 1590. And yes, the blower is very strong, does a great job when you desire to blow.

[Eric McCune]

The Festool Carvex comes out in June. Looks like a big improvement over the current Festool model.

Check out the synchronized LED lights in this video at the 4 minute mark:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=T3YnT6_iCMM

[Greg Peterson]

Other than the grip, what is the difference between the 1590 and 1591? The price difference between the two is huge.

[Ken Lustgarten]

I have a PS300 and I also purchased a 1590 to go with it (I usually keep a Collins coping foot on the Festool). That said I just sold the 1590 on ebay. I could not stand the fact that it would not cut a straight line unless I kept the saw at a good angle. I don't know what causes this as everything looks true but when under load the blade doesn't stay straight. The Festool on the other hand cuts perfect. I think I will look into the Carvex when it comes out for my second jigsaw.

[Greg R Bradley]

There are two differences. The handle as you stated. The switch also becomes just an on/off switch on the 1591 since you can't use a variable speed trigger on a barrel grip. On the 1590, you use the speed dial to adjust the max speed and the trigger varies the speed up to that max speed. On the 1591, the switch just runs it at the speed set on the dial. They are very close in price - within $5.

Some dealers are trying to scare people by saying they are discontinued and charging way too much. Somebody said one dealer was trying to get $300 for one. They were both on-sale at my local tool dealer for $188 with the new L-Boxx cases. I think regular price is $205. This was last week so I can't imagine Bosch is jacking the price around.

[Bill Huber]

The Festool Carvex comes out in June. Looks like a big improvement over the current Festool model.

Check out the synchronized LED lights in this video at the 4 minute mark:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=T3YnT6_iCMM

That light looks really nice and the way they sync it to the blade.

[Jim McFarland]

<snip>

Some dealers are trying to scare people by saying they are discontinued and charging way too much. Somebody said one dealer was trying to get $300 for one. They were both on-sale at my local tool dealer for $188 with the new L-Boxx cases. I think regular price is $205. This was last week so I can't imagine Bosch is jacking the price around.

Best deals I found were $169 + shipping for 1590EVSL at Coastal Tool and $139 + probably sales tax for 1590EVS at Lowe's online. I went the Coastal Tool route so don't know exact costs for the Lowe's online deal.

Regarding an earlier comment -- I think the T-shank blades fit either the Bosch or the Festool -- IIRC, Festool jigsaw users were recommending the Bosch T308B for cleaner cuts.

[Larry Edgerton]

I bought the new Boch last year and used it on the opposite end of a bench with a 1590 on the other. I hated it. It wasn't a bad tool, but it had a hard time with the fine cuts, and it just did not feel right. It felt top heavy, and trying to trim a cut with it half on the piece really pointed this out. With the two saws being used on the same board for mirror image cuts it was obvious. For one particularly complicated cut I would flip the pieces rather than use the new saw.

I found 3 1590's at a steel supplier of all places marked down to $85 so I bought them all and gave away the new saw. I am set for life......

[Greg Peterson]

The 1591EVSK is selling for $349 on Amazon while the 1590EVSK is selling for $146.99.

[Bill Huber]

The 1591EVSK is selling for $349 on Amazon while the 1590EVSK is selling for $146.99.

The 1591EVSK is only $206 at Lowes

http://www.lowes.com/webapp/wcs/stores/servlet/ProductDisplay?langId=-1&storeId=10151&catalogId=10051&cId=SEARCH&productId=1266749&cm_mmc=SCE_gps-_-gps-_-gps-_-Bosch%206.4-Amp%20T-Shank%20Blade%20Variable%20Speed%20Jigsaw%201591EV SK

The 1590EVSK is $136
http://www.lowes.com/webapp/wcs/stores/servlet/ProductDisplay?langId=-1&storeId=10151&catalogId=10051&cId=SEARCH&productId=1101049&cm_mmc=SCE_gps-_-gps-_-gps-_-Bosch%206.4-Amp%20Variable%20Speed%20T-Shank%20Corded%20Jig%20Saw%201590EVSK

[Greg R Bradley]

The 1591EVSK is selling for $349 on Amazon while the 1590EVSK is selling for $146.99.
$349 would be normal price plus at least $140. The more expensive 1591EVSL, which is the same jigsaw in the more expensive L-Boxx case is $199 at Amazon, $179 at Coastal Tool, and $192 at my local tool dealer. They are showing $205 as "normal price" not on sale. The 1590EVSL is $188.

Also Lowes has a great price on the 1590EVSK in the old case at $139 (or $136) but $206 for the 1591EVSK would be way overpriced.

There does seem to be alot of confusion on pricing particularly on the models in the old-stlye case, which are discontinued. The same two saws in the new L-Boxx cases are recently released to the market and seem to be more consistent in pricing. Some dealers are raising the prices on the models in the old case and most are discounting them. Shame on Amazon for trying to overcharge for that item - or is it just some dealer selling through Amazon?

[Dave Lehnert]

I have a PS300 and I also purchased a 1590 to go with it (I usually keep a Collins coping foot on the Festool). That said I just sold the 1590 on ebay. I could not stand the fact that it would not cut a straight line unless I kept the saw at a good angle. I don't know what causes this as everything looks true but when under load the blade doesn't stay straight. The Festool on the other hand cuts perfect. I think I will look into the Carvex when it comes out for my second jigsaw.

I have owned my BOSCH saw for many years. Never did care for it. I have the exact same problem you describe.

[Greg Peterson]

Anyone else have the same problem of cutting a straight line without having to angle the tool? I have to do this with my cheapo B&D and really don't care for this attribute. Sounds as if the Bosch isn't much of an upgrade.

[David Delo]

I ordered the 1590 EVSK last night from Lowes @132.00 including tax using a movers coupon with free store pick-up shipping. Checkout said approximate ship date of March 18th. 30 minutes later I get an email saying my order was ready for pick-up at my local store. Show up early today to pick up and.................they try giving me the replacement JS470 7.0amp model. That model has the same Lowes item number as the 1590 that they say has been discontinued. Cancelled the order and tried ordering it over the phone with the same results. If a substitute is okay with anyone.......the price is very good but I've got the 1590 in the crosshairs and am not looking for anything else. I'll probably stop by Coastal Tool on Monday and get the EVSL glorified case unit and be done with it.

I'd like to find out if anyone else that orders from Lowes, exactly what model they get shipped.

[David Helm]

I have had the 1581 for twenty years. The only difference between it and the 1590/1 is that blade changes require a screw driver. This saw, used on jobsites (very hard use) for many years, is still head and shoulders above anything else I've seen before or since. It may be that people who are having trouble are using too much force (maybe) and not letting the blade do the work. Straight lines are easy, and I have made many curved cuts on 4X4 material. I don't use a jigsaw much anymore, but when I do need one my 1581 is still ready to work!

[george wilson]

I have had a barrel grip Bosch for many years,and love it. It cuts just fine for me. Sometimes could it be operator technique???

[Peter Parrinello]

I just picked up a 1590evsk at Lowes. I got the last one in my area. I had to go to 4 stores before I found one. They tried to sub with the new model

[Dave Lehnert]

I have had a barrel grip Bosch for many years,and love it. It cuts just fine for me. Sometimes could it be operator technique???

Not in my case. I have a $20 Black and Decker that cuts good.

[Larry Edgerton]

If any of you have an Alro Steel outlet where you live that is where I bought the ones I have. There are none in Jackson Mich, I have them, and I don't share.

[Albert T. Tappman]

Also Lowes has a great price on the 1590EVSK in the old case at $139 (or $136) but $206 for the 1591EVSK would be way overpriced.


Just a warning - Lowe's web site shows a model 1590EVSK for $139, but if you look closely, the item number 7833 is the same as the item number for the JS470E. If you type 7833 into the search box, you'll get links to both the 1590EVSK and the JS470E. If you click on the 1590EVSK link, it will tell you how many are in stock at the local store, but in my area, the number in stock from the web site matches the actual number of JS470E's in the store. None of the stores in my area has any 1590EVSK's on the shelves, they only have JS470E's. So if you ordered a 1590EVSK from Lowe's, I'm not sure whether you'd get a 1590 or a JS470E. They have the same item number.

Cheers.

[Greg Peterson]

Stopped by Lowes tonight. All they had was the JS470.

[John Coloccia]

Looks like they killed the 1584.

[Larry Edgerton]

What box stores have done to the tool market in the past 25 years is sad to see. What that mentality has done to Porter Cable in particular is very sad. PC was always better, the choice of professionals, and although it came at a price it was worth it because this is what you did for a living. Now they are just another junk tool. Bosch started to go that way and then seemed to hold back. I hope they don't succumb, and choose to build pro quality only. There is a market for uncompromised tools at a reasonable but higher rate. Festool is too expensive for jobsite use, but somewhere in between them and the Borg crap is a market that needs to be serviced.

[Joe Angrisani]

What box stores have done to the tool market in the past 25 years is sad to see. What that mentality has done to Porter Cable in particular is very sad.....

I hate it, too, but WalMart didn't ruin the retail market and Home Depot didn't ruin the tool market. WE, the consumers, did. We chose to go to WalMart and Home Depot, and the little guys died. I'm not so sure there is a market anymore for "uncompromised tools at a reasonable but higher rate". The current situation proves it. If someone could make money anymore doing that, you can bet your dollar they would be doing it already. The Festools and the Lie Nielsens are doing it at the top-top level, but they are exploiting a niche market.



I ordered the 1590 EVSK last night from Lowes @132.00 including tax using a movers coupon with free store pick-up shipping. Checkout said approximate ship date of March 18th. 30 minutes later I get an email saying my order was ready for pick-up at my local store. Show up early today to pick up and.................they try giving me the replacement JS470 7.0amp model. That model has the same Lowes item number as the 1590 that they say has been discontinued.....

That's good info, David. I almost ordered a Lowes 1590 yesterday. Even noticed they showed two in my local store (where I had just seen only two JS470's), but didn't make the connection. Thanks.

[Randy Smith]

To follow up on Albert's info, I went to the local Lowes yesterday. They had one JS and one 1590 available. The display model was also the 1590. However, all of the price tags indicated the JS model. I talked with an employee and they punched the bar code number for the 1590 into their system and the info that popped up was for the JS model. Looks like they're doing a direct replacement of the JS for the 1590 and they consider them to be one and the same.

[Greg R Bradley]

Sounds like Lowes has their stock number 7833 for the 1590EVSK and considers the JS470 as the same thing. That could explain why they dropped the price on their remaining 1590EVSK to the price you would expect for the JS470. I bought 4 1590s from Lowes last week for a construction company but I was buying them off the shelf, not mail ordering them.

It will be interesting to see if Bosch is doing the same. Yesterday, I went into my local tool dealer, who had 1590EVSL in stock for $188. That is the same saw in the new L BOXX cases, which are very nice. They had been cleaned out of the 1591EVSL in their recent sale but were willing to take orders for either at about $200. They are sure that the JS470 was introduced in parallel with the 1590/1591 in order to hit a price point. That requires that Bosch and/or the Bosch reps are telling the truth and not the version of it that they want to believe. Only time will tell.

After looking very carefully at the blade support mechanism on the JS470, I bought a spare 1590 for myself just in case.

[John Coloccia]

The Festools and the Lie Nielsens are doing it at the top-top level, but they are exploiting a niche market.


You know, I've been thinking more and more about this, and I think I'm OK with this. My frustration for a while there was that I couldn't find a decent tool at ANY price. Now, I can find a very high quality tool at a higher price. That's OK, I guess. You have to do research so that you know what you're buying, but if you're a pro that just comes with the territory.

I think maybe we're loosing the middle ground, but honestly I think the low end today is probably about what the middle was 40 years ago. There are a lot of "junk" tools out there, but I think we only consider them junk because they're marketed as high end tools. If they were marketed as weekend warrior tools, I think the perception would change and we would consider them quite good for what they are.

it really is a shame, though, that the product lines have been diluted to the point that you can't really depend on a brand anymore, save perhaps for LN, Festool, Veritas, Fein, maybe Hilti, and a handful of others.

[Dave Zellers]

Looks like they killed the 1584.

Bummer. That's what I've had for probably 20 years. Heck of a saw.

Now I'll treat it with even more care.:)

[Joe Angrisani]

I just posted a head's up on a 1590EVSK kit at the Home Depot in Lakewood, CO, for any Colorado Creekers who are looking.

http://www.sawmillcreek.org/showthread.php?162049-Bosch-1590EVSK-in-SW-Denver&p=1661671#post1661671

[Eric Esswein]

Joe, or anyone, where can the vacuum hose adapter tube be purchased. I can't find this on Bosch's website. Thank you.



I had posted a few questions in threads about the Bosch 1590EVS/EVSK jigsaws since the 1590-series has been replaced by the Bosch JS470E. I finally saw both side-by-side today, and I thought I'd let people know what I found to help prospective jigsaw buyers in March 2011.

The two are most definitely NOT the same animal. The first and most important thing is that the JS470E does not have the two side guides for the blade. To me this is a deal-breaker and it bothers me that Bosch phased out the one thing that made the 1590/1591 do what it does so well. The other obvious thing was a change to the base pad mechanism. Gone is the release lever. Now you need a tool to loosen the base for bevel cuts.

The JS470E appears to be a lot less saw for just about the same price as the old 1590. Boo-hiss. :(

[Tom M King]

Eric, that thread is 13 years old. Probably better luck with Google.

[Ken Fitzgerald]

Joe, or anyone, where can the vacuum hose adapter tube be purchased. I can't find this on Bosch's website. Thank you.


You might try Amazon. I purchased an adapter for my Bosch sander to my Ridgid shop vaccum. A couple years later, we bought a new vacuum cleaner for the carpeting we had installed and I wanted to use a Ridgid vacuum hose set to use the Kenmore attachment on the stairway carpeting. The Bosch adapter made that possible so I ordered a 2nd one from Amazon.

[glenn bradley]

Here's one:

https://www.toolmarts.com/bosch-ja1005-jigsaw-dust-collection-kit-for-1590-91evs-jig-saws

[Dave Sabo]

What box stores have done to the tool market in the past 25 years is sad to see. What that mentality has done to Porter Cable in particular is very sad.


This is nonsense !

The BORGs haven't sullied the tools you knew and loved.........................You and I and our tool buyin brethren have done this with the choices we've collectively made.

Porter Cable didn't get flushed down the toilet because of Lowe's. They sunk because their management lacked the talent and vision to compete and decided to focus on low price ...................which they also failed at.

[Jim Becker]

Porter Cable didn't get flushed down the toilet because of Lowe's. They sunk because their management lacked the talent and vision to compete and decided to focus on low price ...................which they also failed at.
They were bought out by Stanley Black and Decker and were deprecated in favor of DeWalt (higher end) and Craftsman (lower end). What's left of PC is primarily focused at consumer battery tools, often in sets at places like True Value Hardware stores. Don't get me wrong, it was a very sad thing, but it was the new owner that made the decision and discontinued some of the beloved tools, like the routers.

[Paul McGaha]

With losing Porter Cable portable tools to a large degree I've gone to Makita for that.

I'd say my favorite Porter Cable tools were the routers and the sanders.

For a jig saw I use an older Milwaukee. My only complaint about that saw is I wish the base was bigger. I think it's too narrow.

PHM

[George Yetka]

Traded my 1590 for the festool this year. While cordless is awesome I do miss my bosch