Thread: Best Jigsaw

I'm really pleased that you're pleased with your purchase, despite all the palaver you've had to deal with along the way.

I've heard nothing but positive reports about this new Bosch tool. Did you get the bow-handled or bodygrip variant? How slow does it go? I've noticed that more modern saws can't be slowed down sufficiently for ultra-sensitive materials (styrofoam, 3-ply etc.). At least that is what I've found with mine. My old Elu would go as slow as if I was using a handsaw, whereas my Festools, Bosch & Metabo would only go down to about 800-1000 cuts/minute!

The Metabo would actually stall in tough going on the lowest setting!

Your new Bosch is probably the absolute best jigsaw currently available, at least until the next big thing comes along!

I went with the bow handled one.
Not sure how that will work out - because I've always used barrel type in the past, but this feels nice and more one handed...use friendly.
Hopefully I won't later regret this - If I do I'll just have to buy the other one as well and use which ever seems most suited to the task at the time!

Sometimes it's handy to have more than one tool of a type...
Eventually I'd like to find a sidekick for my shed shenanigans... so a 2nd jigsaw could come in handy maybe...

It has the variable speed trigger and because its new and I am tentative - when I start it up it starts in slow motion (say 60 strokes per minute?) but until I use it in anger... I won;t know for sure.

I have a wee job scribing in some 16mm melamine to meet up with ceiling cornices so I am planning to give it a workout on that task (8 of them to do).

I should be able to report back once I am done.

Its so hot I've been putting this off for a cooler day (days).

I'll report back in more detail, when I've done it.

Originally Posted by Timless Timber

The ONLY way I could imagine being able to use it with 13amps would be to attach a Aussie 15 amp plug, but who wants to do that - there are few outlets take the heavier earth pin... and even fewer extension leads.

Extension leads for caravans will have 15amp plug and socket.

Yes it's finding the 15 amp outlet to plug the caravan 15 amp extension lead into is usually the issue (when you out onsite installing kitchens for e.g.)

I still have a long (100meter) site lead - with 15 amp plug one end, and the earth pin on the other 15 amp 3 pin end ground down with the angle grinder to fit into 10 amp outlets!

You do what you have too.

Cheers!

Absolutely no reason to worry about a 15 amp plug mate. The only reason 15a plugs exist is to make sure the circuit behind the socket is set up for it. The plug will handle loads more than what you're going to draw with that jigsaw.

Originally Posted by Timless Timber

Yes it's finding the 15 amp outlet to plug the caravan 15 amp extension lead into is usually the issue (when you out onsite installing kitchens for e.g.)

I still have a long (100meter) site lead - with 15 amp plug one end, and the earth pin on the other 15 amp 3 pin end ground down with the angle grinder to fit into 10 amp outlets!

You do what you have too.

Cheers!

So they have never been checked or tagged and you dont work on regulated work sites, hmmmmmmmm your gonna get done one day

Not these days I don't (work as a contractor on regulated work sites) - but I still have my old site lead with the ground down earth plug here at home!. It's so old, it still has a rubber sheath!
It's also got enough copper in it, that I don't get much voltage drop over the length of it.

Glad you only use it at home, wouldn't like to see you get caught out using it anywhere else

It would be hell of job to roll up 100m of copper lead, need a trolly just for it!

Yeah it probably should be on a trolley - I just have it on a sheet of MDF with two of those hose reels things from Bunning's.

Thing is its too good (handy) to throw away. My old man had it made up by a sparky specially for him to use on job sites back when he was building here in Perth, from 1954 to around 1986/7.

He died back in 2006 and I can't bring myself to toss it out - it comes in handy every now and then around the yard coz it reaches from my carport power point outside to any extremity of the property for "repairs".

The other day a truck backed thru my gates & I needed it for the angle grinder to grind away the broken screws... and circular saw off the new pickets level across the top.

I used it to build the new shed...

It gets a lot of use from year to year....

I have "other" newer modern chords with plastic sheath covering etc but not the length or carrying capacity of this old one.

When the rubber sheath starts to perish then I'll toss it - (recycle it for its copper content probably) but because its always stored inside its lasted decades thus far.

You do have to wonder how all the houses in Perth were ever built without tags on everything and safety inspectors commin' out the wazoo.

Will I have to get my Philadelphia Diston hand saw saws "safety tagged" before I use one to prune a branch in the front yard?

You look at how this electrical crap out of China is manufactured...and yet it all gets imported here and probably used on 'regulated' construction sites....

I think a LOT of our regulations these days have gone overboard for the simple reason it gives someone a job.

I'm not against safety per se, BUT - I do think that when we get to the point we are interfering in common sense issues - that we have taken it beyond whats 'reasonable'.

Maybe others have expressed this sentiment better than me

"Good intentions will always be pleaded for every assumption of authority. It is hardly too strong to say that the Constitution was made to guard the people against the dangers of good intentions. There are men in all ages who mean to govern well, but they mean to govern. They promise to be good masters, but they mean to be masters." - Daniel Webster

"Government exists to protect us from each other. Where government has gone beyond its limits, is in deciding to protect us from ourselves." - Ronald Reagan

"In a time of universal deceit, telling the truth is a revolutionary act." - George Orwell

I gotta say that I think we are over-governed.

"A free people ought not only to be armed and disciplined, but they should have sufficient arms and ammunition to maintain a status of independence from any who might attempt to abuse them, which would include their own government."

George Washington.

Others mileage will probably vary and fair play to them.

Ohm's Law states that: Watts=Volts x Amps

When transposed this means that: Amps = Watts/Volts, or Volts=Watts/Amps.

This makes the fitment of higher current plugs to jigsaws unnecessary & irrelevant.

The most powerful jigsaw on the market is 900w. Using Ohm's formula this translates to a mere 3.75 Amps!

A 13A plug, therefore, is designed for a load of 3120 watts, and a 15A plug for a 3600w load!

Any jigsaw on the market will perform adequately and safely on a lightweight plug with 0.75mm square cable!

I'd be cutting off the Euro plug and putting on an Aussie version. As has been stated in another thread by an Industrial Sparky, in WA you don't have to be a licenced sparky to do this - just competent, and it's dead simple (I'm sure you must have done it before).

Interesting reading about the various views on jigsaws. Seem to be some pretty strong opinions, so I'll just to add my ten cents worth,

I've just trying out my new Festool PSC-420 Carvex cordless jigsaw. Bought it because: a) needed a better jigsaw than old Ryobi b) Already have the Cordless T15 drill, so only needed to buy the skin.
Could not believe how cleanly and square it cuts. Used it to cut the tops off several 125x125 cypress posts (using a Bosch 190mm blade) down the back, 50m from a powerpoint. Then cut some tight curves on 15mm ply, with the splinter guard. There was zero tear out and the cut was ridiculously smooth - which impressed me much more than trimming the posts. One is just power, the second, finesse. Don't have another top jigsaw so can't compare, but still seriously impressed so far. Got carried away and also bought the accessory kit with the six different bases, circle cutter and track adaptor ($250 Amazon, saving $100). With the circle cutter allowing curves up to 3m, I'm getting quite excited about the possibilities.