MegaSack DRAW - This year's winner is user - rgwb
We will be in touch
So having bought a router last week (JCB, made a good job of routing holes and grooves when I reduced the depth of a B&Q kitchen cabinet by 175mm) I now need a new jigsaw. My old one's dying.
So what's a good one. There are pendulums, reciprocating, positions, variable speeds and I don't know what any of it means.
And what jobs would you use a reasonable one for? I thought straight lines were done with a circular saw, router or handsaw and jigsaws were just for scribing an end panel onto an uneven wall and cutting round pipes etc. Or have I underestimated this fine beast?
I don't expect to use it a huge amount so won't be planning to spend more than £60 or so. Unless I'm wrong...
Once you spend more than 100 quid you get a tool where the orbiting mechanism is made robust enough to cope with the bottom of the blade bottoming repeatidly (cutting something thicker than 70mm or floor boards on the joistline with a cut-down blade) IMO Makita ones are best.
Pendulum action throws the blade forward at the bottom of the stroke making the saw cut straighter and much faster; it also makes it harder to cut curves and rips the top surface more.Soft start is important for fine work.
I never use down cutters as they buck like fury and cut squint; just turn the saw upside down and follow the line with the blade poking up through the work
Makita by a country mile.
Makita or Hilti.
May be slightly over budget though...
the makita 4350 is the one to get excited about, the 4329 isn't as good.
Makita made some of their 4350 jigsaws as and 'own brand' for screwfix, branded as 'Site'. They were discontinued but some of them are kicking around on [url= http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/Site-SMA400-1-JIGSAW-110-VOLT-/260861810719?pt=UK_Home_Garden_PowerTools_SM&hash=item3cbc93581f#ht_855wt_1141 ]ebay [/url]within your budget and are bargaintastic at that price (although this example is 110v which isn't much use unless you have a transformer already)
More to it than I thought.
So what sort of jobs do you use a jigsaw for, rather than circular saw, router or hand saw?
wiggly stuff.