Best jigsaw for a homeowner...

Skil is said be Bosch's El Cheapo line, so it may be the best bet. After you've mastered the techniques for the tool, a Porter-Cable, Bosch or other top of the line will be an advantage for you. Then send the Skil off to your local auction house with no regrets. HTH

Joe

Bosch makes high quality jigsaws (about $160) and I recommend these. On the low end I recommend Grizzly G8994 which is about $60, modeled after the Bosch, variable speed, orbital action, beveling footplate, chip blower (no dust collection). Check out Amazon rather than Home Depot.

I used to use cheap tools just like many people. Last year I became introduced to the Bosch 1590EVSK (for $169 at Home Depot) and I will never go back to the crappy tools. I HAD NO IDEA. This Bosch is a delight to use, as opposed to the cheap POS Black and Deckers I had owned in the past. Accept no substitute.

Lowes is having a 20% off sale right now on all "power tools". That should bring the cost down to about $135.

Do yourself a favor... don't buy the cheap crap. The only time you're happy with it is when you pay for it. You'll end up cursing it every time you use it. Buy quality the first time and be done with it. We're not talking about 16" jointer here....

As soon as my 1975 orange Black and Decker jigsaw stops working, I'm going to go out and get a GOOD one!

Phisherman wrote in news: snipped-for-privacy@4ax.com:

you want one with a roller blade guide. The Griz may have it,the Harbor Freight clone of the Bosch 1581 does at a comparable price.

get a Bosch, I got one in 1986 I was still using it until I gave it to my son.

the roller blade giude is a great feature.

if your usage is light consider a used one on Ebay

I used to have a B&D till it gave out. I bought a Miluakee at Lowe's and some good blades. The difference is amazing and well worth the extra money.

Depends on the level of agravation you can stand. I used to borrow my neighbors jig saw, it was a cheap POS. I hated using it. I bought a Bosch and actually enjoy using it! Greg

Check out the saws at KMART. It's a "house brand", blue housing. Made in China... ( most power tools are )

It sells for $19.95 and it may be one of the smoothest running, straightest cutting saber-saws I've ever owned.

It should be perfect for average homeowner projects.

I know the feeling... I am still using my 30+ year old Craftsman jigsaw that I bought on sale for $29 (regularly $49) when I was a kid.

More generally, I am constantly torn about how much to spend on each tool. On the one hand, there are those that say buy the best both for quality of the job and longevity of the tool.

On the other hand, I have had pretty good experiences with cheaper tools... For example, I just bought a Ryobi 18v combo set with drill, mini-circular saw, reciprocating saw, hand vac, flashlight, charger, and 2 batteries for $135. Even more importantly, the compatible accessories are cheap (e.g., $39 for 2 batteries which is less than half the price of one Bosch battery, $39 for dremmel-like tool).

Still not sure where to play on the price/brand/quality curve...

As someone who has mostly experience with cheaper tools, can you help me understand what makes the Milwaukee so much better for everyday jobs (setting aside blade quality which I understand).

Jigsaw Update:

After reading much good advice from this group (thank you), I went the cheap route and purchased a GMC jigsaw from Lowes for $11.50. It did the job I needed it for this weekend, and I'm interested to test it out over the coming months. Having no DeWalt, Ryobi, Craftsman, etc. to compare it to, I will say it operated smoothly, provided a decent range of variable speeds, and cut right through the 3/4" board as needed (as all jigsaws should).

Thanks again for the helpful input! Squanklin

Squankl> I'm a homeowner who will give light to moderate use of a jigsaw. Which

On 12/20/2004 1:47 PM US(ET), blueman took fingers to keys, and typed the following:

What do you mean by "everyday jobs"? Do you mean you will work with the tool on the job everyday, or by "everyday jobs", do you mean the small, occasional homeowner uses for the tool? If you are a contractor and use the tool daily, get the best, most expensive, tool for the job. You can even write it off for tax purposes. If you are just a homeowner and want a tool that can do a small job, maybe once every 4 or 5 years, buy the economical one. I'm a homeowner, and have used my Makita recip a couple of times in the past few years to cut a stud or two and have had no problems yet, but I am using Milwaukee blades in it, so I can't give a reliable opinion on the saw.