I have a cheap but surprisingly functional HF jigsaw that requires the Bosch T-shank style blades. I've had great luck with the saw and the blades cutting various types of wood and wood products. I don't use it too often but so far so good. I use it in place of my yet-to-be-purchased bandsaw. Today I was doing a little metal working and had to cut some 1/4" mild steel. I bought some Bosch metal cutting blades, (14tpi I think) that stated they were good for up to 1/4" steel and fast cuts. I'm used to using a finer tooth blade but this was what the Borg had that was recommended for thicker metal. I chucked the blade up and began a slow cut. It cut beautifully for the first 1/4" or so and then stopped cutting. The teeth were rounded off. Damnit! I wasn't going to waste another blade so I went back to the Borg to get a refund and try the fine toothed (36tpi) blades. They were recommended for thin metal but this is what I've used for years in the past, only using a different brand with a U-shank in a crappy and weak old Craftsman jigsaw. I chucked up the new blade and it smoked almost immediately too. Damnit! All I had left was some old Black and Decker "Piranha" 18tpi metal cutting blades. I had about 16" of total cutting to do and that Craftsman jigsaw and the B&D blade made it through about 13" before I changed to a new one. It was still cutting but had slowed down. Neither of the Bosch blades would cut more than 1/4" without dying completely. So, what's up with the Bosch metal cutting blades? They suck? The wood blades seem to be fine and at least 90% of the cutting I do is in wood but when I need to cut metal I'd like to use the smoother and more powerful HF jigsaw. Does anyone have any suggestions as to another brand of blade that has the T-shank that actually works? I have a Sawszall but it's not too good for doing fine, accurate cuts like I was doing today. The Borg had a combo pack of Dewalt T-shank blades but only one was a metal blade so that was out. Nobody else in my town has any other brand of T-shank blades for me to try. Suggestions? Yeah, I know, get a jigsaw that uses U-shank blades so I can have a better selection. Not happening anytime soon though. Thanks in advance.
Bruce Redding, Ca.