Which Jigsaw?

[SithMaster]

Im going to be getting a jigsaw for cabinent making and other woodworking projects and id like to get the opinions of the veterans of the field.  I went to lowes today to browse and i found two saws in my price range free - 50 dollars.

link

and

link

I found a review of the task force saw at toolmonger.  they said for the price it was decent but the blade was difficult to put in/remove and it vibrated a lot.  has anyone here used one before?  as for the black and decker saw i think my friend's father has the same saw and when i used it on 3/4 softwood the blade would shift at an angle.  is this a feature of all jigsaws or was his just defective?  thanks.

[prOk]

Both are very feature free economy jigsaws.. no real choice, buy the one that looks prettiest??

[SithMaster]

Are there any features im missing out on?  I read that the bosch barrel style is good for weilding ease of use.  if the black and decker is the one that bent when cutting through softwood then id go with the cheaper one that got a good review.

[NiteWalker]

I have that bosch model and hate it. Vibrates my armpits...

I suggest saving some pennies and get a good jigsaw and some good blades.
The best jigsaw out there now. I'd pick barrel grip over the regular d-handle because it gives much better control for curve cutting. Don't be afraid to spend a bit more on quality tools. In the end, if you decide to sell it, the resale value will probably be over $100.


I was about to buy that jigsaw in fact, but sears put this bad boy on sale. I can now postpone my (inevitable) jigsaw purchase for a while. I can't stand the B&D model I have.


In fact, since I have the bandsaw set up now, if you pay for shipping you can have my B&D jigsaw. I no longer have a use for it (I used it mostly for cutting curves in templates and workpieces). I know that a bandsaw can't handle big pieces very well, but me getting rid of the B&D will speed up the process for me to get the bosch. PM me if interested. It has what's pictured in your link and some extra woodcutting blades. I'll be happy to get it out of my shop.

As for blades; again bosch has been a name that I consistently hear when quality blades are mentioned. Here's a good starter set. There's a variety of blades for a good price.


Hope this helps out some.
 

[ScottS]

I've got the Bosch 1587AVSK jigsaw and it works very well. I'd probably go with a barrel-grip jigsaw next time around (1591 or 1584). I wish it had built-in dust extraction, like the Festool Trion jigsaws, but for half the cost of the Festool I can live with it...

[Dervacumen]

as for the black and decker saw i think my friend's father has the same saw and when i used it on 3/4 softwood the blade would shift at an angle. 

I have a consumer level B&D jigsaw (JS600) that shifts to the right so bad when I tried to cut 3/4" MDF  one of the blades broke on me after about 7" of cutting - and I'm using good blades.  I just need to get off my rear and send it in for either a replacement or a refund.  And I used to work for B&D fixing these exact same problems as a service manager.

I am not happy with the B&D jigsaw, even for this relatively light usage.  B&D is moving their entire line to DeWalt and has put some very good engineering into that line.  Now THOSE are some tools that are worthwhile.

But as for the B&D - I'll be forgetting it.  Which really pisses me off since I worked for them for 5 years.

Derv.