New Jigsaw :)

[Paulson]

 This arrived today

 



 Not too bad for £49.95...with 15 blades included

 Although it was late & I had to chase up the order...

 Happy building folks...

 Paulson (UK)

[shardian]

Holy crap, you paid $100 for a Ryobi. I think you got ripped dude.

[Paulson]

 Generally things are more expensive here in the UK.

[shmokes]

That looks nice.  What's the dial on the side for?  And what is the yellow wheel up on the handle for?  I'd like to get a new jigsaw.  I use mine so much that I wish I had purchased a really nice one.  If I'd ever get around to building Drew's sawboards I'd probably start using my jigsaw a lot less and my circular saw a lot more, but right now I use my jigsaw for pretty much every cut I don't use the router for.  I'd really love to have a nice powerful jigsaw with a bright LED shining down on my cut line.

[ChadTower]

Build the sawboards.  I built a 4' board and upon first use saw how intensely useful and simple the thing is... now I'm tempted to build more of them and will probably build them dual sided for the router too.

[RecklessAbandon]

That looks nice.  What's the dial on the side for?  And what is the yellow wheel up on the handle for?  I'd like to get a new jigsaw.  I use mine so much that I wish I had purchased a really nice one.  If I'd ever get around to building Drew's sawboards I'd probably start using my jigsaw a lot less and my circular saw a lot more, but right now I use my jigsaw for pretty much every cut I don't use the router for.  I'd really love to have a nice powerful jigsaw with a bright LED shining down on my cut line.

dial on the side is how much the blade moves forwards and back, and i'd assume the wheel is speed.

as for £50 being a lot, no it isnt.
you want to know whats a rip? a paslode gun costing £350. thats right $700ish. thats a rip

[shmokes]

By forward and back do you mean that you move the blade closer to the front or closer to the center of the unit, or do you mean you can adjust the amount of up/down travel the blade makes as it's cutting?

[ivwshane]

It refers to how aggressive the cut is (as in how fast it will cut through the material). However the faster the cut the messier the cut gets.

[Paulson]

 Yeah...the lever on the side is for the orbital adjustment...the blade cuts
 on the upstroke but doesn't drag across the work on the downstroke.

 And as you pointed out the wheel is for variable speed.   

[ratzz]

Looks nice ... much better than the piece of crap I used to cut my cab (no vaiable speed etc...)

Good luck with it...

[Chadwick]

I know that Ryobi has a bad rap as a cheap tool, but I gotta say they are pretty decent tools at their price point.  I Used to be a full time carpenter/builder and would not normally buy a Ryobi.  I spend good money for good tools because when you rely on your tools to make a living, you understand the importance of having high quality tools.  Price is not usually a big issue because even a very expensive tool can pay for itself with one job.

Anyway, (back to the topic) someone gave me an 18V Ryobi cordless drill/screwdriver and that thing just will not die.  I used that thing every day for years in extreme conditions like 10 degrees below zero snowstorms, 90 degrees and high humidty, rain, countless "oops" drops from ladders... and that thing just keeps on working.  I figured the thing for a p.o.s. to begin with, and since I didn't pay for it I really had no respect for it and I abused the hell out of it.

That bad boy has my respect now.  Guys on the jobsite used to tease me about it; saying things like "hey nice screwgun, do you know where I can get one for my 6 year old daughter?"  They stopped laughing when their big money screwguns would die before lunchtime and my Ryobi would keep working for a day and a half under the same usage.

I still won't shell out cash on a Ryobi myself, but I wholeheartedly recommend them for anyone who doesn't rely on their tools to make a living.

Nice Saw you got there.  I'm sure it will last you for many years 

My beast:

[shmokes]

Yeah, I've got a Ryobi compound miter saw and it's great.  I mean, I only use it like ten times per year at most, and I don't really have any frame of reference.  But it's got a nice little laser line that shines down on the workpiece approximating where the cut will be (the blade actually lands just to the right of the line).  For someone who just needs to rip wood occasionally, though, it seems perfect. 

[RecklessAbandon]

My beast:

i have the same drill, and killed it 
brushes are gone, batteries dont hold a charge, no variable speed on the trigger
was good whilst it lasted though

good job i have makita 18v, 14.4v drills and a 14.4 impact drill as well 


had a ryobi power plane as well.  that was useless. avoid those

[Paulson]

 Well yeah...for woodworking it should be okay...that was my intent besides
 I can't afford Dewalt tools...

 And there are a lot worse tools out there...


 P (UK)

[Nado]

you can't just multiply the price by the exchange rate and compare the price in GBP to USD
It relates to local economy.  ie if you were in the UK making pounds then the proportion of the cost to your salary would be comparable...

I reckon Ryobi are pretty damn good for the price

[driph]

I just picked up the same jigsaw. Solid build, although on mine the laser was out of alignment and the the jig would tilt along the angle adjustment, preventing a perfectly vertical cut. Taking the base apart and tightening things up (as well as re-adjusting the laser) really helped.

[Jdurg]

Yeah, I've got a Ryobi compound miter saw and it's great.  I mean, I only use it like ten times per year at most, and I don't really have any frame of reference.  But it's got a nice little laser line that shines down on the workpiece approximating where the cut will be (the blade actually lands just to the right of the line).  For someone who just needs to rip wood occasionally, though, it seems perfect. 

Yeah, I really want one of those.  The cheap, $20 10" Chicago Electric Compound Miter Saw I got from Harbor Freight is worth every penny spent on it.  I need to save up and get me a good one with a laser guideline on it so I can make more accurate cuts.  For internal joints and whatnot, the HF miter Saw is good and does a good enough job.  But for external trim or any exposed parts the thing is horrible.

[ChadTower]

"hey nice screwgun, do you know where I can get one for my 6 year old daughter?" 

"Not everyone wants their 6 year old daughter screwing around, pal."

[shmokes]

Yeah, I've got a Ryobi compound miter saw and it's great.  I mean, I only use it like ten times per year at most, and I don't really have any frame of reference.  But it's got a nice little laser line that shines down on the workpiece approximating where the cut will be (the blade actually lands just to the right of the line).  For someone who just needs to rip wood occasionally, though, it seems perfect. 

Yeah, I really want one of those.  The cheap, $20 10" Chicago Electric Compound Miter Saw I got from Harbor Freight is worth every penny spent on it.  I need to save up and get me a good one with a laser guideline on it so I can make more accurate cuts.  For internal joints and whatnot, the HF miter Saw is good and does a good enough job.  But for external trim or any exposed parts the thing is horrible.

Get one with a laser on both sides and you'll be set.  I still have to guestimate a little on where the actual cut will be because the blade does not touch down right on the laser line.  I'm sure the double-laser ones are common now.  I've had my saw for quite a few years.