Looking for recommendations from real users with real experience (vs. the stuff I see on amazon or epinions) for a new jig saw. The ole' Craftsman I inherited probably won't make it through the next job.
Initial reviews of the Bosch 1584 and 1587 look promising. They're on the pricey side, around $160, but I've always loved any other Bosch product I've bitten the bullet on.
What about DeWalt, Milwaukee or even Grizzly?
Your $0.02 worth is appreciated.
I think the Milwaukee is the Bosch, or maybe vice-versa.
Barry
You mean there are jigsaws other than Bosch ??? who would have known Been using them for years a whole bunch of them. Good luck, George
Hi, I have the top handled Bosch, love it, cuts smooth. I'd buy it again.
I grabbed a DeWalt 321k at Lowe's when they were on clearance for $99. Contrary to what other reviews have said, I've never had a problem with the blade coming out .. but YMMV. Cuts like a dream compared to the old Craftsman scroller saw, or the POS i had before (can't even recall the name). I am very disappointed with the performance of the blower ... it fails to blow sawdust out of the way, but that's a minor gripe.
However, I would not have paid the full $150 price for it. I would have bought HF's bosch knockoff ($49 on sale) instead, probably. I've actually not heard a bad thing about that HF item.
Also, look at the new Rigid, or the Festool if you really want to spend the dough.
--randy
Yes Festool or Fein if you have a ton of cash to spare. Engineered to perform!
george, did you get the pics?
dave
George M. Kazaka wrote:
Yes and I tryed to e-mail you the following message but of course it bounced
Nice looking piece Dave, Ignore the critics Especially the remarks about the odd flutes, that happens to be something I never have heard of before and have used even flutes myself and have seen them used on many applications. Beauty is always in the eye of the beholder, and we all see things differantly and have differant tastes I do have a curious question for you, are you left handed ???? Keep up the good work. George
Since you want real users opinions, about 5 years ago I went to the store to buy the Bosch and had the Bosch in my hands. The salesman told me to also look at the Milwaukee and then decide. I bought the Milwaukee.
Both are great saws..!!! BUT if you are going to used the saw often, you will probably be changing blades often. If the blade change is quick and easy, you may actually use the saw more often. This is an area that the Milwaukee excels compared to the current Bosch models. Push the spring loaded blade release lever over and the blade falls out. Insert a new blade and let go of the lever and start sawing. With the Bosch you pull up on the handle, twist it a few times and pull the blade out. Insert the new blade and wiggle it until you hear a click, reverse the spins on the handle until tight and push the knob back down. This works fine but takes 10 times longer to change a blade. Bosch is way behind in this respect. IIRC Bosch is going to eventually come out with a blade change set up similar to the Milwaukee and then it will be a choice of which color you like best. Until then, IMHO you will like the Milwaukee better if you will be using it regularly and hate the chore of changing blades. Until I actually changed a blade out of the Milwaukee I had no idea how much faster and easier it is.
I have the Bosch 1587 and love it. Almost like a small portable band saw. Runs smooth like a sewing machine. I have the one with dust collection and found that handy when cutting pressure-treated stuff.
Bosch every time IMHO, but there may be others just as good. The crucial factor is the reduced vibration, comapred to a cheapie.
(I'm in the UK - these are 230V Euro models)
The GST 100 (and it's old smaller model the 70) is the best jigsaw Bosch make
Shop around, I just bought a Bosch top handle and the regular price was $135. I got it during Tool Crib's sale for another10% off, plus a couple of Wolfcraft clamps thrown in the deal. They still may have the free clamps available. They had some in stock a week ago. Give them a call. Greg
Tool Crib Fargo, ND
1-800 437-4100I, too, was inflicted with a Craftsman jigsaw. Absolutely hated to use it. Never heard a complaint about the Bosch. On the recommendation of a friend, I went with the barrel grip over the top-handle. Not a single regret. IMO, the barrel grip is far more natural than the top handle. Now the jigsaw is one of my tools I enjoy using the most.
CIan Dodd wrote:
Bosch is coming out with a brand new high end model in Feb 2004. I hear it's got some sort of comuter control to keep constant speed and to reduce unwanted motion.
I use a Makita that's nice -- except the window keeps sliding down - a lot of people remove it, I know. It's an old model so it doesn't have the nice blade changing mechanisms the new models do.
Porter-Cable has a nice one too. I hear it has gotten mediocre reviews but it "feels" good to me.
I'm tired of Dewalt Yellow and Milwalkeee Red. All my tools can't be loud (color-wise). I've never seen a Grizzly.
I bought the Bosch top handle model. Watched eBay for about 2 weeks and finally got one for about $75 from a pawn shop's auction. It was barely broke in. no scratches, and came with the hard plastic case and a few extra blades and the edge guide. I have bought a ton of tools on ebay and paid usually about half of what I would pay retail for the tools. You just gotta know what model you want and be patient. Do your research to see what they are going for on the average and then find a good, clean item and make your bid.
Ian Dodd wrote:
Yeah, that Festool looks pretty sweet. I found a closeout on the Festool PS 2 E for the same price as a Bosch. I presume this is a last year's model compared to the current Trion. Max. cut depth is 3
5/16" vs. the Trion's 4+". Anybody have anything to say about the PS 2?
Here in Canada they are indeed bedfellows parts distribution wise but I don't think there is any manufacturing similarities unless Milwaukee have put their name on AEGs models (not heard either way)
***U P D A T E*** {{ Just phoned Milwaukee & asked....to the best of their knowledge there is not Milwaukee jigsaw that is the same as AEG }} Also they are dropping the handling of AEG parts so If you need any act fast.snipped-for-privacy@comcast.net (Ian Dodd) wrote in news:87f252d0.0312081519.1de8b344 @posting.google.com:
Also have a look at Metabo. I wrote an Amazon review on it...errr..nevermind :-)
ken
I believe that the Milwaukee is the same as AEG.
Gene
I just bought the new Makita after looking at Metabo, Bosch, and Milwaukee. I liked the Milwaukee, but couldn't find a barrel grip in my area. All are good saws and will serve you well. The Makita has a great blade change system (borrowed from Milwaukee I think), more power than most(6.3 amps vs
5.?), fits my hand well, smoooth, and a little LED to light the way.If it's in the budget, look at the Fein and Festool - a step above the others.
HTH Jeffo
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