Thread: which jigsaw for hardwoods

There is no jigsaw that I know of that will do even a quarter-decent job in timber that thick, especially not in hardwood

What you need is a bandsaw

I generally would not cut thicker than about 50mm qith a jigsaw. Even at 50mm it is quite an art to keep your blade square as you cut a straight line let alone curves

Dave TTC
Turning Wood Into Art

Thank you both for replying. Ok, l had my head up my bottom again/still,

I should have said how thick can these 2 cut in hardwood.

So back to the original question which of the 2 would you buy, or are they very similar, working on the theory of cutting <50mm.

I do have a bandsaw, but I like to take some timber onto the back lawn to cut up, bandsaw's too big for that!

I have an AEG qhich is 20 yrs old now and stikk one of the best Ive used.

Withut looking at the specs my gut would say hitachi

Dave TTC
Turning Wood Into Art

No idea about the quality as I haven't used either, but the power isn't the limiting factor when cutting thick timber, it's the fact that the blade is only held at one end with nothing to stop the bottom from going sideways. I'd call 50mm the practical limit for any jigsaw, regardless of price and power; you can get 100mm blades, but they're only useful for roughing, you have to get to your marked line by other means

I would say that the higher end saws like the two you've linked to will by and large all do the exact same job. Makita, Dewalt, Blue Bosch, Hitachi, Milwauki; personally I'd be looking at whichever one felt the best in my hand, had the easiest controls, came with the best accessories, comes in a box that doesn't require a PHD in Chinese puzzles to put it back into...

I've have had a few jigsaws over the years. Even got around to the odd review or two, so I won't repeat myself.

Bosch Jigsaw - Aussie 1590 EVS?

What you're asking for isn't impossible to achieve. There is a saw (and ONLY one) that will perform the task required, but not at, or even near, your preferred price. Nothing new in that. Basic economics 101: scarcity vs. cost/benefits. More about that later.

Your suggested Bosch is basically placed at the "budget" end of their "pro" models range. It will be comprehensively outperformed by most of Bosch's high end range from the past 10-15 years: the 135, 140 and (naturally) 160. The model numbers, by virtue of some kind of unwritten German convention, usually refer to the tool's max. cutting capacity in softwood, and are common across much of the industry, apart perhaps by some manufacturers that maybe have something to hide.... Most makers' "pro" level saws (700w +) of the last 10 years or so will be better than the Bosch 150. So they should - they cost more too.

There's nothing wrong with the 150. Well... maybe the bodygrip format will take some getting used to if you're unfamiliar, and a bit too portly around the middle these days for a firm, safe grip. A bit like me in fact. I use both types, and can quite understand why bodygrips are the favourite of those that cut from underneath. No chipping of sensitive surfaces, and no dust on top. I can't undercut. It just doesn't feel right to me. When I cut melamine, veneer etc. I prefer to use a quality plungeing saw & rail, which are designed for straight cuts. For the rare occasions I need neat, tidy notches & curves I chose "upside down" or down cutting jigsaw blades and no pendulum.

The only jigsaw truly unworthy of the description these days seems to be Festo/ol. Woeful tools. I still break out mine occasionally just to remind myself how easy it is to waste $500 odd on a crap tool. Mine won't even cut vertically in 19mm ply! I had a 40 year old Elu (and a budget AEG) that does a neater & more accurate job! Apart from the other Bosch models, I also use & like Metabo's jigsaws too. Metabo's 140 has the slimmest motor diameter on the market (due I suppose to the company's technical expertise & market dominance in angle grinders), making it the (almost) wisest choice in bodygrips. The twin motion sensing LED headlights, switchable blower & automatic "soft start/accelerator" function also make it a fairly convincing alternative to top handled alternatives. It's (probably) my current favourite, and the most feature-rich (maybe gimmicky?) example currently available. I find it unsurpassed for having a clear, uninterrupted view of the cutline, too. I never use dust extraction on a jigsaw if it can be possibly avoided.

But for really heavy duty straight & curve cutting in hardwoods there's really only one choice: Mafell P1cc.

No stupid ceramic or carbide blade guides. No useful (gimmicky?) LEDs, no top handle alternative. Requires an accessory blade tilt soleplate just like the stupid Festo/ols do. Plus it's about 50% more expensive than the rest. But it has superior power (900w), capacity (which at a quoted 115mm seems underwhelming), and blade grip (wedged) & guidance. Plus there's also those hideously expensive, hand soldered and taper ground Cunex blades that offer unequalled precision & performance. But don't take my word for it.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=W3U9iHDJbZo

Those Dutchies just love to show how overblown some manufacturer's claims are in the real world...

In summary then.... I think you could do better than the Bosch 150 for the money. A Second hand Bosch 135, 140 or 160 will be superior, as will a Metabo 135 or 140. Or an (English made) Makita like the Dutchies demo. As for the Festoes... I'm told they're pretty good at cutting sponge cakes. Note that I don't use the word Fess-tool much. That word is reserved for the idiots (like me) that buy them.

Just like the reciprocating saw thread, the limit for decent speed, depth and accuracy in cutting for jigsaws is the stroke length.

My Triton Corded Jigsaw (which I rate quite highly in terms of grunt an other features) has a stroke of 25mm (a fairly standard stroke for jigsaws) and a recommended max cutting depth of 85 mm but it struggles even at 50 mm in hard wood. The main thing I use it for is cutting holes in plastic and Al plate.

Like a lot of product specifications that can be interpreted I'd say the max cut for most jigsaws is probably about double the stroke length - after that he saw ends up mincing a lot of its own sawdust.

I'd be putting the $300 toward dust extraction and use the bandsaw inside the shed on the sorts of thicknesses you are referring to.

The Mafell looks VG but out of my price league, so thanks for putting that up, maybe one day.

I will sush out all the brands mentioned for feel etc.

The dust collection idea is not so silly, l would have to build a outdoor soundproof enclosure for it, once my funds build up that is defiantly a goer.

So thanks everyone for the valuable inputs.

Regards
Stevo

I have tried cutting 50mm hard wood with a jigsaw and it's an abysmal failure as the blade wanders off to the side no matter what and you end up with 45 degree cuts. A circular saw does a much better job than even a bandsaw for straight cuts. I wouldn't cut thicker than about 15mm with a jigsaw.

Sent from my SM-T810 using Tapatalk

If you are intent on a jigsaw, I have a high end Makita that I have hardly used I would be willing to sell at a good price? Let me know if you are interested at all and I'll get the details/ photos etc.

To cut the sort of sizes you are talking any top end brand should be able to cope but the most important piece of any cutting tool is the blade that is probably where the most difference will be found. having said that I go back to what has been said before the flex in a jig saw blade in hard wood can be considerable. I have an old Metabo barrel type that can handle heavy work with the best of them.
Regards Rod.

Hello Yowie, I've sent you a PM, Rod i guessed really good blades would make a big difference, so I must keep an eye out for those.

Another option you have is to cut the design in 12mm ply or mdf and use it as a guide with a router and flush cutting bit. However you'd need a big router and good quality bit/s and go really slow.