Jigsaw settings

[clockwork]

I have an oscillating jigsaw. It has three levels and can be turned off. It's also variable speed. For cutting MDF, what should I set these at?

[ScottS]

I'd suggest making some cuts in scrap wood and deciding for yourself! In general, as you increase the orbital motion the jigsaw will cut faster but the cuts will be more rough. In theory, the best cut (and slowest) cut quality will be achieved with the orbital motion turned off...

[clockwork]

Yeah, I'll probably play with it on some test boards. I read something that said there's a difference when you cut harder or softer woods, so I was curious how to determine what the proper settings would be. It's just a matter of cut quality then?

[ScottS]

It's a trade-off between speed and quality of cut. With orbital motion off, you get slower speed but better cuts. With orbital on max, you get faster cuts but they may be more rough. For straight-line cutting you may not notice as much of a difference as you would when cutting curves...