Need advise on buying a jigsaw

dawnydee73

I looking to buy a jigsaw, got loads of diy stuff to do, where is the best place to buy one, is there anything I should look out for.

Weymouth_Man

dawnydee73 wrote:

I looking to buy a jigsaw, got loads of diy stuff to do, where is the best place to buy one, is there anything I should look out for.

Hi dawnydee73, Hope this link helps slightly
http://www.pricerunner.co.uk/do-it-yourself/diy-powertools/freetext?a_search=&a_minprice=&a_fastening=&a_shaping=&sort=15&a_maxprice=&a_saw=jigsaw&a_drill=&subm=Search
:beer:

raymond

Why do you want a jigsaw ?

It in my opinion one of the most useless tools especially in the hands of a "DIY'er"

If you really want one, the cheap ones are totally useless. Make sure you get one with a heavy weight sole plate made from thick aluminium, variable speed is good too. Forget the toy ones with laser lines as they are even more useless.

weekendwarrior

raymond wrote:

Why do you want a jigsaw ?

It in my opinion one of the most useless tools especially in the hands of a "DIY'er"

If you really want one, the cheap ones are totally useless. Make sure you get one with a heavy weight sole plate made from thick aluminium, variable speed is good too. Forget the toy ones with laser lines as they are even more useless.

And don't even think about a scroll jigsaw, they are useless!

A bosch domestic one should do most DIY jobs.

mattt44

I have a very cheap scroll jigsaw, off a car boot if I remember correctly for £2.

Now I know nothing about jigsaws so bear with me, I've used the scroll thing on mine once or twice and if I remember correctly it was just as easy to turn the whole jigsaw, is that what you mean by saying they are useless?

weekendwarrior

mattt44 wrote:

I have a very cheap scroll jigsaw, off a car boot if I remember correctly for £2.

Now I know nothing about jigsaws so bear with me, I've used the scroll thing on mine once or twice and if I remember correctly it was just as easy to turn the whole jigsaw, is that what you mean by saying they are useless?

Yep, exactly Matt

My friend had one, Black & Decker. He let me have a go with it in some half inch MDF, Now I am no weakling or anything but turning the scrolling bit at the front was damn near impossible. Like you say it is far easier to turn the whole jigsaw!

raymond

My point exactly.

To use the scroll feature, you need a scroll blade for the jigsaw, they are very thin and meant for fine work.

sheeny_2

You should ask how easy it is to change the blade, because the blades are small and they can wear out quickly.

Now with some jigsaws you can change the blade in about 10 seconds flat, and without using any tools.

With other jigsaws you faff around with a little Allen key (which you always manage to mislay) trying to undo tiny bolts (the heads of which are always full of sawdust) which you then drop on the floor (which is usually covered with more sawdust)..:mad:

mattt44

raymond wrote:

My point exactly.

To use the scroll feature, you need a scroll blade for the jigsaw, they are very thin and meant for fine work.

You learn everyday.

Oh no! I've just worked it out. I'm a jigsaw DIYer!!

The shame

wobbley

raymond wrote:

Why do you want a jigsaw ?

It in my opinion one of the most useless tools especially in the hands of a "DIY'er"

If you really want one, the cheap ones are totally useless. Make sure you get one with a heavy weight sole plate made from thick aluminium, variable speed is good too. Forget the toy ones with laser lines as they are even more useless.

I have to agree with Raymond here. Jigsaws do have their uses but rarely are they the best tool for the job. It all depends what you are going to be cutting. If it's mainly straight lines in sheet materials then a circular saw would be a far better bet. Even one of the cheap bandsaws at £50 or so will give far superior results. If it's just for 'odd jobs' and the like consider using a hand saw, or a 'fret' or 'coping' saw for curves. They may be old fashoned but they have done the job perfectly for many years before Messrs Black and Decker came along.
If you are set on a jig saw then Screwfix have quite an extensive range. I wouldn't go for a top of the range one £40-£50 will buy you something good. Go for the highest motor rating in your chosen price range and try get variable speed too. One thing for certain is you'll get the best results and make the jobs easier if you use good quality blades and you use the right blade and speed for the material you are cutting. Most car boots sales are littered with jigsaws though. People have bought them, then they have sat in the shed for years.