Bosch Jigsaw Rocks

[DonkeyHody]

I've owned jigsaws from DeWalt and Porter Cable. I thought the differences between them were small enought to come down to personal preference. But I had noticed that my Porter Cable had a tendency to throw sawdust into my eyes.

Yesterday, I was working on a project that required a lot of jigsawing. No matter what I did, I just couldn't seem to get my head positioned so that I could see through my bifocals without putting my face in the sawdust cloud the saw was spewing. Finally, I got so disgusted that I stopped what I was doing and drove down to the Borg. I came home with a Bosch 1590.

Wow! The satisfaction of using this machine is incredible. First, I was able to install a blade without cramping my fingers. It runs much smoother than either of the other saws, and I thought they were good. It's more controllable and it doesn't throw sawdust in my face. It's just a joy to operate.

DonkeyHody "I'd rather expect the best of people and be wrong than expect the worst and be right."

[Swingman]

"DonkeyHody" wrote

Ditto ... I really like my older 1587AVSK. The blade is a bit of a pain to change in this model, but it still makes a cut like a table saw.

After using the Bosch, I can't wait for Leon to get his Festool jigsaw just so I can experience the difference that _really_ big bucks make. :)

[Lee Michaels]

"DonkeyHody" wrote

You aren't supposed to wait until you actually need the tool to buy it. You could have come up with any number of excuses to do so before this.

[Robatoy]

He won't like it. Although the dust collection on the Festool is superb, I can't see shit when I'm cutting. Too many wobblies and doo-dads in the way to get a clear look at the blade...and IMHO, that's a minimum requirement for a jig saw? N'est pas? The other reason I didn't get one after I tried it, was that the slowest speed is twice as fast as either my old Bosch or my Milwaukee and that plays an important role when cutting the acrylics that I do. Also, the damned switch lock would stay on when I didn't ask for it.

Still, it is a nice saw, but I prefer my Milwaukee. I am going to add another jig saw and I'm pretty sure it will be either a Bosch barrel grip or a 12 volt Milwaukee, also a barrel grip. That is a very attractive proposition.. cordless, Milwaukee, barrel grip...

Incidentally, my Milwaukee is made in Germany. Go figgur.

r

[evodawg]

Love my Bosch too. And I thought Milwaukee was made in France. Milwaukee, France to be exact.

[DonkeyHody]

So many tools, So few excuses.

DonkeyHody "The best things in life . . . aren't things." - Art Buchwald

[LRod]

All I can say is, "I told you so," and, "what took you so long?"

I've been preaching the Bosch tale for more than ten years.

[Leon]

Naw I use the Milwaukee and I'd say it does as good of a job as the Bosch, at least you have not complained about the toe kicks on the end panels on for the kitchen cabinets. LOL

[Leon]

My 6 or 7 year old Milwaukee is/was made by and looked identical except in color to the German company, AEG, jig saw. It was a toss up when I went to buy a new saw. I was actually going to buy the Bosch but the salesman showed me the new Milwaukee and its new blade change set up on and the rest is history. If the blade is hard to change you are probably going to use it for the wrong application or after it has dulled. You gotta stick with Bosch blades though. If the Milwaukee pooped out I would now reconsider the Bosch now that they have an equal to the Milwaukee blade change system.

[Leon]

The Milwaukee may be made in France now but the previous desigh was made in Germany.

[Robatoy]

Yup, Bosch blades. Period.

I would buy either Bosch or Milwaukee again. I'd try the feel to my hand for both. Barrel grip and Top handle are not interchangeable in my world. The older Bosch barrel grip had a switch on the side and that's a bitch when you make a turn at the back of a sink cut-out. There a top handle wins out. In upside-down work, a barrel grip is a must... for me. I agree. You can't go wrong with either the Bosch or the Milwaukee.

P.S. Bosch electronics make some things go fast too.

[Robatoy]

You need TWO jigsaws. A barrel grip...and a top-handled one....make that THREE...a cordless one too.

[Swingman]

"Robatoy" wrote

Four ... an el cheapo to lend to the electrician/plumber standing next to one of your kitchen cabinets with a sawzall in hand ... the el cheapo will still make a much cleaner cut and you certainly do NOT want to let him get his hands on your Bosch/Milwaukee ... DAMHIKT.

[DonkeyHody]

Well, I guess I'll keep the PC to loan out to that very small group of people who can borrow my tools. But there are some tools that NOBODY gets to borrow. I think the Bosch will be one of those.

DonkeyHody "We can't all be heros because somebody has to sit on the curb and clap as they pass by." - Will Rogers

[Greg O]

[Robatoy]

Fair enough... ( got to love the input from a guy who's been there...)

It reminds me of setting up to do a crown/trim job on a kitchen and a plumber oogled my LS1013 to cut a piece of ABS... My helper insists that I uttered the words: "Touch it, you die." I don't think I said that... but the plumber scurried off hastily...LOL

[Swingman]

"Robatoy" wrote

Plumbers and Electricians ... the current, non-native crop seem to be the biggest wood butchers the world has known. A pox on the inventor of the sawzall, with which they all seem to be individually equipped, to the detriment of anything that can be cut, from 10" holes in roofs for vents, to ragged cuts in finished kitchen cabinets to make room for a single 12 ga wire.

On that same, note, just had a discussion today where I cautioned everyone to make sure that plumbers and electricians were NOT to be onsite _at the same time_ during trim out! ... a sure way to get a house crippled in some manner, and you may not know it until six months down the road.

I think it has something to do with whose national soccer team won they last time they met. :)

[Robatoy]

It is truly ONE of the biggest reasons I decided to pass on a very lucrative part of my solid surface countertop business: The McDonalds/ BuggerKing/Farby's/etc. I did a LOT of business with those fine folks. I had to swat away electricians, like they were bees, so they wouldn't walk on my countertops the day before opening day. I had goofballs slam spadebits to make holes so they could make way for their cash-register cabling. On top of that I( had to wait 90 days to get paid. There is no honour amongst trades.

[mark]

Hear hear, I think Bosch has the best feel of most hand/power tools. They have weight, without weighing a lot. Just a nice solid feel..... Mark