I have a 'Challenge' jig-saw (Argos brand) and find it almost impossible to follow a cut line with it.
There is, of course, a 'pointer' on the bottom plate - but the cutting blade just will not follow it. Within a few inches of starting a cut I find that the blade can be as much as a 1/4 of an inch off from the line.
Is this just because it is a cheap and nasty jig-saw - or are they all like this?
decent quality product!
Quelle surprise Rodney :-)
Yup!
- or are they all
Nope!
Cuts 38mm worktop with ease, follows the line perfectly, leaves a dead straight edge - a joy to use.
Clearly a quality product - but not sure that I would use it that often to justify spending that amount of money!
Alas jigsaws are one of those power tools where you have to spend a lot to get one that actually works properly.
I'm lucky in that I can justify it as a business expense, but I know what you mean.
One of the joys of doing DIY for a living is that you can justify buying the right tools - even to SWMBO :-)
Yes, it's a bit of a catch-22 situation isn't it? If you simply do DIY for yourself then you only need your power tools occasionally. As a result you tend not to purchase top-quality expensive tools because you cannot justify the expenditure. In general there isn't a problem because the less expensive tools are good enough for occasional use - but this Challenge jig saw is as good as useless!
Probably doesn't help but how one uses/applies pressure/guides the saw is critcal to how well the saw will follow an line.
See Harry's post, it only takes a *very* slight twist on the blade for it to take off in strange direction. So ignore the marker on the sole plate and let the saw blade go in the direction it wants to for a straight line. This may mean that the body of the saw has to "crab" down the work piece.
Twist is only one factor sideways pressure will cause the blade to bend through the thickness of the work piece producing a cut that drifts out of square.
Cheap tools are OK you just have to get used to their quirks and spend more time adjusting and setting up.
+1
My tools:
My green bosch was adequate (had for a long time) - basically reliable but not 100% true. Pressed steel plate and the blade does not cut exactly perpendicar - but it is good enough for odd work and fine for flooring. Joinery it is very much on the limit and I will get a better saw for kichen fitting.
Drill - blue bosch - stronger and generally good enough for all manner of DIY
Circular saw (aquired not bought) - green bosch. I hate it. It has no reall controllability, but I personally don't like hand held circulars anyway - rather use a good jigsaw unless it's rough lumbar chopping.
Metabo combi mitre saw: Pretty good for DIY - handles 2x4. Needed extensive recalibration out of the box (all over the place) but now does a decent job of joinery and skirting. If I was doing this for aliving, I'd want a much better one though.
Dremel - cheapy Maplin thing - fine for what I want.
That's just an illustration - so much depends on the expected use. I bought for a house refurb - so I was lucky in that I had some idea of the expected use of each tool and bought accordingly expect those I already had.
Now you know why they called it Challenge! ;-)
Read the intro on budget / high end jigsaws here:
One thing to keep in mind, is that your assessment of how often you will use it is based on your current experience of jigsaws. What you will find is having used a decent one, is that you will reach for it in many more circumstances than you would have in the past.
Avoiding the cheapest "stamped" blades is also worth the effort. A burr on the side of the blade will make it want to cut a curve anyway.
Now you know why. If you have to use it, you can at least make the best of a bad job with 2 things:
If you cant justify a decent jigsaw, cheap circulars behave relatively well, and are of course far faster than a jig.
NT
Yes - a fair point.
One problem with mine is that if I try to watch the blade rather than the marker on the sole plate, I have to position my line of sight forward of the cut line and I end up with a ton of sawdust being thrown up into my eyes! I'll just have to wear goggles.
I wear goggles anyway. The risk of a wood chip, or (worse) a broken blade, especially with only one eye left! .-)
I didn't realise you were a surgeon!
Chris
Vasectomy? Have angle grinder, will travel!
Second that. The best tool I ever bought was a Makita SDS drill just over the £ Ton a mate who I lent it to just couldn't believe how it could go thru concrete while he burnt out two cheapie drills and blunted the masonry bits that he bought with them.
Money straight down the drain..
Ah but where those "two cheapie drills" also SDS? My green Boch SDS is like chalk and cheese compared to a B&D "hammer" drill.
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