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Jigsaw help?

A

adutch

n00b
Joined
Dec 5, 2007
Messages
51
I am in need of a jigsaw that can cut metal and wood. My ideal price is right around $70. It needs to be somewhat versatile because it will be my primary cutting tool for a while. The two I am currently looking at are these two:
http://www.sears.com/shc/s/p_10153_...s&cName=Portable+Power+Tools&sName=Sabre+Saws

http://www.sears.com/shc/s/p_10153_...s&cName=Portable+Power+Tools&sName=Sabre+Saws

I am really just getting into power tools so I do not really know too much of what I am looking for. It needs to be corded and I would like one of those laser guides (though I don't know how well they will work).

If anyone has any suggestions on those two or any others around that price it would be very helpful. Thanks a lot.
 
uh,
the first one is crap, and the second one two.

You are better off spending a little more and getting a good one like a Bosch.

This is a great jigsaw, had it for over 2 years, and I must say it is built like a tank, and it is very powerful:
http://www.boschtools.com/Products/Tools/Pages/BoschProductDetail.aspx?pid=1584AVSK

If you are looking for something which can get into tighter spaces, take a look into rotary saws:
http://www.boschtools.com/Products/Tools/Pages/BoschProductDetail.aspx?pid=1639K

K-TRON
 
There is no reason to buy a Bosch or other premium brand for case modding. Hey if you're a carpenter and use a jigsaw day in and day out, that may be a different story. Case modding is by far a heavy taxing job. For most people, they wont use it for any more than 5-15 minutes on their entire project. This is not a Dremal. This is a real tool and it doesn't take too long to cut through thin gage steel or plastic.

For a cheap jigsaw you may want to consider a Skil. It is made by Bosch and has the features that you are looking for.

For cutting different materials the main factor is what blade to pick. For cutting metal I use the finest tooth blade that I can find, for plastic use I a medium tooth blade. Heck the same blade will work for them both. Just play around with different blades until you find one that works for your application.
 
dont spend too much on a jigsaw, i had one i picked up for $10 that worked well. get some decent jigsaw blade though.
 
goto harbor freight. I picked one up for $15ish. works pretty good. has a laser sight on it. though I have a hard time seeing it in direct sunlight. I still prefer my pencil lines.
 
Randolf said:
goto harbor freight. I picked one up for $15ish. works pretty good. has a laser sight on it. though I have a hard time seeing it in direct sunlight. I still prefer my pencil lines.
Click to expand...
I go to harbor freight all the time, but I don't put much hope into their chicago brand of power tools. I'll go there for smaller hand tools and bits that I will lose and break anyways. If you want some uber cheap one time use tools for a certain job, go for it. But for durability I would go with any other brand/store. For the job in question, a Skil or Ryobi tool would work just fine.

Both the Skil saws that you linked to are fine. One has more power and a rotating head (not sure if I would use this or not. no experience with it) yet they both have the same strokes per minute rating for a smooth line. It's up to you if you think the laser sight, rotating head and blade cutting tray is worth it to you. I have never used a laser sight/rotating head on a jigsaw, so I can't say much about it. It's really easy to follow a line with a jigsaw, I would be more interested in the vacuum feature more than anything else (which both of these have). With certain applications you will be constantly blowing/brushing the line in order to get past the dust to visually see where you are going. Having one had free is crucial when working on small panels while case modding. Damn panels like to fly away if not properly secured by either your hands or clamps.

FYI: make sure to mask down the entire panel with one or two layers of blue painters tape before cutting. A jigsaw will vibrate, making the metal dust act as an abrasive against the paint.

GL
 
i picked up a black and decker at lowes for like 30 bucks and its perfect for cutting. Had no probs cutting threw the roof of my v1200.
 
Ok well I decided I'm going to get the second one because I want to keep it pretty cheap and I don't think I need all the extra features the other one has. Thanks guys.
 
I use a cordless BD all the time to cut metal and acyrlic. Works great for cuts that are hard to get too.
 
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