Time for a New Jigsaw

[Burt Alcantara]

I bought my B&D jigsaw as an impulse because it was very chearp...er...inexpensive...cheap.

Hard to cut a straight or curved line. Vibrates like crazy. My not-go-to tool. Avoid it as much as possible.

So, what's an accurate, low vibrating, good dust collection port, dare I say...long lasting, jigsaw?

Thanks,
Burt

[Chris Padilla]

Bosch.

Yes, I have the Festool barrel-grip jigsaw but I think the Bosch is probably a better value and likely just as good and perhaps even better.

BTW, I graduated from a Sears jigsaw to the Festool...wow, didn't know a jigsaw could cut so beautifully! :)

[Lee Schierer]

I have a Bosch and it is great compared to the B&D that I had for the same reasons as posted by Burt. It has been a great addition to my tool cabinet. The progressor blades (T-234) give a cut quality that will rival a TS for smoothness.http://i16.ebayimg.com/04/i/001/0b/b4/497e_1.JPG

[Mike Cutler]

I have a Milwaukee, nice jigsaw, but I like the Bosch barrel handle better for feel, from the few times I've used one.

[Matthew Hills]

got a Bosch. Low blade deflection was the big thing.
Mine doesn't have any provision for dust collection, though.

Matt

[Chris Kennedy]

Another vote for the Bosch. I have the regular/non-barrel 1587. It is one of my favorite power tools and one that I use a lot.

Cheers,

Chris

[Chris Padilla]

The Festool, while pricey, does have dust collection and it works well...when I bother to hook it up. I dunno if Bosch jigsaw have built-in dust collection. Festool is reknowned for their dust-collection on ALL their power tools and that is one reason I'm a big fan of them.

[Bob Slater]

My Bosch jigsaw was the first power tool I bought for woodworking about 15 years ago. It is an old friend and has never let me down. A+++

[peter de tappan]

Had a Bosch 1587. Blade changing was a bitch. If you get a Bosch, get a 1590 or 1591. MUCH better saw. Dead simple blade changing. Truer cutting.

[Dwain Lambrigger]

...and you are getting the same replies I did. I bought the Bosch barrel grip on "the river" and I love it. It replaced a 15 year old B&D. Take the plunge and drop the $150. You will probably never have to replace it, and you will be happy every time you use it.

My .02 cents.

Dwain

[Max MacGill]

I think Bosch pretty much perfected the jigsaw - other than DC. I can't see any improvements that could be made on the 1584 barrel grip. It is easily the nicest tool I've owned - balance, weight, power, control, reliability - everything. Just a great tool.

Max

[Jeremy Layden]

I have the 1590EVS with a regular grip and you can purchase a dust collection tube for it and it works very well. I haven't used the festool, but it captures almost all of the dust. Just make sure you have the blower switch turned off on the jigsaw!

[Kelly C. Hanna]

Another vote for the Bosch here....I have the older one with the clunky blade change knob up top....other than that the tool is perfect. Amazon has them for $99 from time to time.

[Don Bullock]

I have the regular grip BOSCH and have found it to be a very good tool.

[Scott Kilroy]

I know I'm repeating what has already been said but the Bosch barrel grip is amazing. Anyone who has been unlucky enough to stop by my shop when I'm using it has been forced to try it on some scrap wood. The only thing that I could imagine being better is to have a jigsaw that plugs into your nerve endings.

[Peter Quinn]

Bosch, Metabo, Festool, Porter Cable. All good saws, some great saws, slightly different features, all professional grade, all others are imitators. If one of these names isn't on your jigsaw, you got inferior goods.

[Curt Harms]

There's a Bosch factory service center in N.J. that I was passing by. Got a refurb regular handle for $89.00. They're regularly $99 but the guy couldn't find a case so he knocked $10 off. The saw fits in a case I have just fine:D. I have a Porter Cable with the fixed base but I understand the P-C hook-type blades are no longer made. My P-C saw will also use universal mount blades but I don't find the blade selection or quality as good for the universal mount blades. I did check the blade mounting mechanism and it seems to function properly. I suspect jig saws are sort of like bandsaws--the blade has as much or more to do with performance as the machine it's mounted on.

HTH

Curt

[Bill White]

Have a DeWalt, but the Bosch the blades are the only game in town.
Bill

[John Willoughby]

Have a DeWalt, but the Bosch the blades are the only game in town.
Bill

same here.

[john tomljenovic]

I have the bosch 1591 barrel grip. went from a crappy skil collecting dust to this, and now the jigsaw is my goto tool. cuts everything wood, steel, plastics, you name it. whenever I go on any "housecalls" this bosch is always with me.

the 1590/1591 bosch does have dust collection, part# JA1005, was like $20 and works just like the festool version with shroud and all, and fits the festool vacuum hose perfectly. there are even slots in the jigsaws tools case for storing the dust collection parts. why they don't include it originally is one of those mysteries.

[Clifford Mescher]

Bosch has new blades T308B, "Extra Clean for Wood".Clifford

[Matthew Hills]

The Festool, while pricey, does have dust collection and it works well...when I bother to hook it up. I dunno if Bosch jigsaw have built-in dust collection. Festool is reknowned for their dust-collection on ALL their power tools and that is one reason I'm a big fan of them.

the funny thing is, once you get a festool product it rubs off -- your other tools wills start collecting dust.

Matt

[Jerome Hanby]

I have a Milwaukee, nice jigsaw, but I like the Bosch barrel handle better for feel, from the few times I've used one.
Milwaukee here too. Got a great buy off of the Bay. It's amazingly better than my B&D and HF models.

[Tim Malyszko]

I use the Festool Barrel Grip Jigsaw and absolutley love it. Before purchasing it, I avoided my DeWalt Jigsaw at all costs.

If I didn't have the Festool Dust Collector and a bunch of other Festools, I would have probably gone with the Bosch.

[Robert Strebler]

I've got the older Milwaukee model and it's smooth as silk. I see absolutely no need to upgrade and am very happy with it.

[Ronald Kellison]

I've used several pro-grade saws. The Festool is the smoothest and has the best dust collection, the Bosch is about 99% as good as Festool for WAY less money. The Milwaukee, Metabo and PC are also good, but not as refined as the Bosch. I bought a Bosch barrel grip last year and love it! From a dust collection standpoint, all of them are much, much better than your old saw.

Regardless of the saw you end up getting, use Bosch blades. Hands down better than any other blade on the market and they last a long time unless you do something stupid with them.

Ron

[Chris Padilla]

Ron,

I've only used Festool blades on my jigsaw but I bought a bunch of them when I picked up the jigsaw. Do you have any experience comparing Festool and Bosch jigsaw blades?

[Curt Taylor]

One more vote for the Bosch. I've had mine for over 20 years and it's still going strong. The new ones look even better.

[Aaron Beaver]

I have the DeWalt but have been looking at getting a different one. For some reason if I want to cut a straight line the saw has to be angled. Not angled as in plumb but angled as compared to the line I am trying to follow.

[Dave Bender]

I have a Bosch, works great especially with Lennox blades (IMNHO better than Bosch blades). Having said that, if dust collection is a concern then get the Festool. I have Festool stuff and a Festool jigsaw is on my list whenever I get around to selling my Bosch.

[J. Z. Guest]

I'll put in another vote for the latest Bosch barrel grip.

It doeesn't have dust collection, it has a dust blower, to keep the cut line clear. If I lean too far down, it blows up in my eyes. I'm pessimistic about how well dust collection could be made to work on a jigsaw, but if anyone's got it figured out, it is probably Festool.

Also, in extended cutting sessions, especially at high speed settings, the gearbox housing can get too hot to touch. There's no good reason to touch it, and the plastics are rated appropriately, but it is just something to mention. I dont' know if Festools run cooler or not.

I also considered the Makita barrel grip. It had an LED to light the cut line instead of a dust blower. But what is the point of illuminating a cut line that is covered in dust?

The Milwaukee also gets good marks, but is said to be slippery on the grip area. The Bosch is coated in rubber, so although big, it is never in danger of being dropped.

Mine came with an OK hard case. It is a bit thin and flimsy-feeling, but functional and present. Hard cases are the target of "cost saving" efforts nowadays. Bosch opted to include one, where most others decided not to. It is not as nice as the older Milwaukee, Bosch, and Makita hard cases, but it does keep the dust out when it isn't in use, and has areas to store blades, the anti-mar shoe, cord, etc.

The quick-release blade is a nice feature, but not completely necessary.

The motor housing is actually a bit too big. If it weren't covered in rubber, it would be impossible to hold onto. I prefer the size of the previous generation Bosch barrel grip motor body. It is sure not lacking in power, it could have 40% less and still be more than adequate. I think they just bought into the ratings war.

On the plus side, this saw has unstoppable power, aided by the electronic speed control. The option that clamps down on the sides of the blade to prevent the blade twisting or going off-angle in scroll cuts in thick hardwood really works, but it makes the blade burning hot. I'd like to try a Festool one day just for comparison. Anyone local want to trade for a while? I'm not sure if the Festool will take the Bosch blades, which are so readily available and high quality.

Maybe a good option would be to stick with your junky old jigsaw, and invest in a bandsaw instead? A top-of-the-line jigsaw costs about the same as a decent bandsaw. I went with the top-of-the-line jigsaw for lack of space for a bandsaw.

[glenn bradley]

Let me guess . . . 9 out of 10 responses were for Bosch? Barrel or top handle is a personal choice, not a "better than". Variable speed is a must. Barrel grip for me on the 1591EVSK. Love it. Never knew that a jigsaw was a refined tool. You can actually cut things accurately with one of these. My old Skil was a bucking bronco and I just didn't know any better.

[Glenn Howard]

You have three choices...spend your kid's college fund on a Festool, or decide between the two versions of the Bosch.

[Russ Hauser]

Please excuse my ignorance, but are you guys discussing scrollsaws?

Russ

[glenn bradley]

Please excuse my ignorance, but are you guys discussing scrollsaws?

Russ

Nope, these. http://www.coastaltool.com/bosch/images/1591.jpg

[Chuck Tringo]

Here here on the Bosch, I have the D handle and would have gone with the Barrel grip except that Im left handed and dont like the idea of reaching my thumb around to turn it on/off. You can buy a dust vac add on from various retailers, I made sure that I got one, from plumbers surplus i believe was the best price I could find.

[glenn bradley]

Here here on the Bosch, I have the D handle and would have gone with the Barrel grip except that Im left handed and dont like the idea of reaching my thumb around to turn it on/off. You can buy a dust vac add on from various retailers, I made sure that I got one, from plumbers surplus i believe was the best price I could find.

I also got the vac attachment. It looks like a cheap-o but it really does quite well on horizontal work. I should have mentioned that.

[Eric Larsen]

You can take my Bosch jigsaw from me when you pry my cold dead fingers from its super-comfortable handle.

I pull out the jigsaw more often than any other small power tool. It does so many things so very well, I'd be lost without it.

[Paul Greathouse]

Here's a praise of the Bosch that nobody's mentioned yet. When I do trim out, I cope all my inside corners. After making the compound cut with the CMS, I do the majority of the coping with a Bosch 1590 and thats without a Collins coping foot. VERY smooth saw. I only use the hand coping saw for the most intricate spots on the cope.

[Don Eddard]

Or, just to be different, you could try the Bosch. :cool:

I really like mine. I went for the standard handle.

[John Thompson]

I have been WW for 37 years and didn't know what "a real jig-saw" was until the company I worked for bought me the Bosch barrel grip at my request to do a 100' round show-room counter 6 years ago. I thought jig-saws were a joke until I got it.

BTW... I have the older style without the quick change blade and it only takes me about 30 seconds to change it as I do it at least every other day and am familar with the procedure. I don't see that as a personal problem but... I changed TS blades from 20 T rip.. 24 T rip.. 40 T cross-cut and Freud Box Joint about 8 times yesterday. At no point did a I find that a PITA. Just normal routine as it takes me about 2 minutes to make the switch with my saw set-up.

Good luck...

Sarge..

[Burt Alcantara]

Well, as the OP, I get the feeling that I should get a...Bosch!

Burt

[Chris Padilla]

Well, as the OP, I get the feeling that I should get a...Bosch!

Burt

...unless you want good dust collection although I cannot attest to Bosch's ability to catch dust...Festool's does it very well although that darn hose can hang up on you and cause your cut to wander.... :mad:

[Dave Falkenstein]

Ron,

I've only used Festool blades on my jigsaw but I bought a bunch of them when I picked up the jigsaw. Do you have any experience comparing Festool and Bosch jigsaw blades?

I used an older model Bosch for a long time, before Bosch had blade guides. I had lots of Bosch blades when I switched to a Festool jig saw several years ago. I have since given away my Bosch saw and most of my Bosch blades and switched exclusively to Festool blades. I think the Festool blades cut more smoothly and square, and the Festool blades fit any of the t-style saws, including Bosch. The last time I checked, Festool was the only one offering the long blades.

[Peter Stahl]

I vote Bosch too, great tool!

[Chuck Tringo]

Bosch makes a new blade, T308B, xtra clean for wood which is 4 to 4 1/2 inches long. Get some of these in a Bosch jigsaw with the blade guides and you'll throw out every other wood cutting JS blade you own.

[Brian Penning]

I..uh...thought there was something wrong with my Bosch. Was bogging down on me but still going fairly well.
Until I realized that I was cutting through the scrap piece underneath that was thicker than the length of the blades! Pretty impressive.

[Chris Padilla]

Brian,

Yeah, jigsaws can do that to you if you aren't careful. The up/down vibration of the blade can also shift your work into your table (or off it!) if not clamped down or held in place somehow.

[Chris Padilla]

I used an older model Bosch for a long time, before Bosch had blade guides. I had lots of Bosch blades when I switched to a Festool jig saw several years ago. I have since given away my Bosch saw and most of my Bosch blades and switched exclusively to Festool blades. I think the Festool blades cut more smoothly and square, and the Festool blades fit any of the t-style saws, including Bosch. The last time I checked, Festool was the only one offering the long blades.

Sounds good, Dave. I have enough Festool jigsaw blades to last me a long time so I dunno if I'll find out first hand if Bosch is better or not but I'm quite happy with Festool all around.

[Mike Cutler]

Milwaukee here too. Got a great buy off of the Bay. It's amazingly better than my B&D and HF models.

Jerome

Yeah, I like the Milwaukee product line. I have 2 straight drills, a right angle drill, Sawzall, Worm drive saw, and the Jigsaw. All good stuff.
Best way to describe the comparison to the Bosch jigsaw is, If I wanted a jigsaw at a construction site. I'd grab my Milwaukee. In the shop I'd grab a Bosch if I could, but it's a real close comparison. Neither would be a bad choice, in either application.
I've never tried a Festool, but I'm absolutely certain it's a more than capable tool, in every aspect.

[Chris Padilla]

The thing about the Trion (Festool's jigsaw) is that as long as you have the DC hooked up, you're good. Just keep in mind about that darn hose getting stuck as you move the jigsaw along--it'll pull you right off your cut line.

If you don't have the DC hooked up, you won't be able to see your cut line and you'll have to blow off the dust as you cut. This is a big complaint among owners but as most Festoolians know, they build systems of tools. If you use the system without one of its components, performance may suffer....

[glenn bradley]

Well, as the OP, I get the feeling that I should get a...Bosch!

Burt

You sir, are a man with great perception and a gift for understatement.

[Jason White]

There's nothing more expensive than a cheap tool.



I bought my B&D jigsaw as an impulse because it was very chearp...er...inexpensive...cheap.

Hard to cut a straight or curved line. Vibrates like crazy. My not-go-to tool. Avoid it as much as possible.

So, what's an accurate, low vibrating, good dust collection port, dare I say...long lasting, jigsaw?

Thanks,
Burt

[Jason White]

The newer Bosch barrel grip does have a dust collection port and it works ok.

You have to purchase it separately as an "accessory," however.



The Festool, while pricey, does have dust collection and it works well...when I bother to hook it up. I dunno if Bosch jigsaw have built-in dust collection. Festool is reknowned for their dust-collection on ALL their power tools and that is one reason I'm a big fan of them.

[James White]

I have had my Bosch D handle for over 15 years. It has never let me down. However I do like the feel and control of the barrel grip. What I do like about my D handle verses the barrel style. Is that, the trigger is infinite variable. That i love.

I don't know the model # of mine. However it has the stamped steel base. Does anyone know if I can upgrade the base to the cast style? Will that coast as much as buying a new saw?

James

[J. Z. Guest]

What I do like about my D handle verses the barrel style. Is that, the trigger is infinite variable. That i love.

I came from a D-handle design. I thought I'd miss the instantly variable option, but I don't. I just set the right speed, and it stays just right.

To me, the big reason for choosing a D-handle over the barrel grip is if you think you might do some vertical or upside-down work. D-handles are much easier to hang onto, since your fingers wrap all the way around it.

The barrel grips really do give better precision scrolling control on a horizontal surface though.

[Brian Peters]

The bosch is good, I believe they make the best jigsaws. Dust collection on all festool products are good but for the money I believe the Bosch is a better value; festool is a bit pricey for not much more (in the jigsaw area). Only thing is I would try to get a used older model. I bought one of the newer models and then needed to put a collins coping foot on it so I ended up going to get an older one off ebay so it would work. But you can count on bosch even their newer ones run like champs! :D Not like porter-cable, their new ones feel like toys.