After a Cordless Jigsaw - What's good out there?

[owsnap]

My jigsaw bosch gst135 although is a beast and still works fine is just super heavy, pretty hard to control due to size/weight and likes to snap blades like there's no tomorrow, there's also no dust blowing function, maybe it's just broken, dunno. and the worst of all- It has a Cord which I always have to watch out for as it always gets in a way and have to get extension leads whenever I want to cut something outside + it's already 10years old so probably Time to retire it.


I'm looking at the Makita 18v jigsaws -the DJV180 ones @something like £108 new ( I got few batteries already)
http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/Makita-DJV180 ... Swa81XR~~6
135mm capacity in wood

or the bosch 10.8v ones @ something like £65 new ( also got few of those batteries already)
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oJh_FKluasM
70mm capacity in wood

I need it mostly for precission cutting, and just cutting timber to length to process further or when going to timber yard to pickup timber and saw it to lenghts , I haven't found a need to cut anything thicker than 50mm with jigsaws so the bosch 10.8v would probably be fine.
Maybe anyone have looked in to those models before or have any of them and can comment on any of them?

I'm kinda leaning towards the small bosch one as it seems rather small, cheap, plenty of features, and it has the barrel grip which I think is more comfortable for precission cutting and easier to control?
thanks.

 

[ColeyS1]

I've used and abused my makita 18v cordless jigsaw and didn't hesitate to replace it with the same model. I've now got one for general bashing and metal work and the newest is kept for sensible more accurate woodie stuff.
My 10.8 drill will put a 6mm drill bit in hardwood the same as my 18 volt drill. The 18 volt doesn't miss a beat whereas the 10.8 struggles some times. I haven't tried the bosch 10.8 jigsaw but would guess it'll probably be the same- it'll cut what it states, just be pushing it's limit and make hard work out of it.

Coley

 

[Claud1]

I had one of the first Makita 18 v cordless jigsaws and I thought it was rubbish they are probably better now but for precision work I have a Festool and for rough and ready work I have a Metabo (which could also do finer work just hate having to change blades )

 

[owsnap]

after doing more hunting I have started to like the DJV181Z ,the newest brushless model, but £160 for it.. fuuk..sounds extremely overpriced for a rough cutting tool I wont be using everyday.

Seems like bosch has pretty nice 18v jigsaw as well, the gst 18 v-li s , and at £105 much more reasonably priced as well, however I got no 18v bosch batteries already

& I'm still looking at the small 10.8v bosch ones, as I got the batteries already and its super cheap at £63
But I seriously can't find much info about it or any videos showing where they have cut up larger stuff with it

ahh decisions...

 

[otter]

The Mak DJV180 is great. I have 2 - one in my toolbox and one at work. Nice and powerful, not toooo heavy. They are a little bit heavy on batteries, but if you've got a couple then it's not really a problem.

 

[Nelsun]

I recently sold my corded Dewalt and went for the DJV182Z (the D-grip variant). This has seen more use in the past couple of months than the corded one did in two years!

The LED lights are handy and a definite upgrade. On the flip side, there's no blower to keep the cut clear but, not ideally, attaching a vac sorts that.

Inserting a blade can be a bit hit and miss at times and I now double check before using the thing (it just falls straight out which is a bit embarrassing but at least it's not dangerous!).

Another "feature" is it slows the blade when there's no load on it. This, in theory, saves on the battery... but I have found during lighter cuts that it doesn't ramp up to full speed once you get into the cut. I've not noticed any degradation in the cut quality when this has happened so maybe the tool is just being cleverer than me and saving the battery

I wanted the variable pressure trigger so I went for the d-grip rather than the barrel as I didn't like the idea of it just having a single on off switch.

You don't get a parallel fence with it but that was about £5ish and bought separately. It's actually quite nice and has a circle cutting thing-a-ma-bob (a pin) built in.

Overall I'm pleased with it (believe it or not) and being cordless has stopped it gathering dust like the old corded one

 

[Phil Pascoe]

OP - just out of curiosity - if you broke blades like there was no tomorrow with a mains saw, why do you think you won't with a cordless? I can think of many reasons for changing, but that one isn't on the list. :?

 

[owsnap]

OP - just out of curiosity - if you broke blades like there was no tomorrow with a mains saw, why do you think you won't with a cordless? I can think of many reasons for changing, but that one isn't on the list. :?

because it's knackered over its 10years of life, the blower doesnt works so can't see dung after 5cm of cutting/ and it likes to speed up itself to the highest speed at random moments which is pretty dangerous #-o & If I haven't clamped down properly the piece i'm cutting and there's even the slightest movement it starts its dance and snaps the blade, it has huge force yet it isn't able to control it anymore properly so it seems..
my Pop's El-cheapo jigsaw doesn't have that problem on same cuts..
So time to retire it really...I feel if I continue using it I will cut something off myself with that thing or get a snapping blade in my eye.

 

[ColeyS1]

Sounds like its behaving like it's got a downcut blade installed.

Coley

 

[Adam9453]

Sounds like its behaving like it's got a downcut blade installed.

Coley

Thats just what I was thinking.
I've never had more 'Oh fouk' moments with my jigsaw than since I've been using a downcut blade, finish is so much better though, providing it hasn't bitten you or the piece with a jump cut!!

 

[Wildman]

after a cordless jigsaw comes one with a lead, it just keeps going, hee hee

 

[ColeyS1]

Sounds like its behaving like it's got a downcut blade installed.

Coley

Thats just what I was thinking.
I've never had more 'Oh fouk' moments with my jigsaw than since I've been using a downcut blade, finish is so much better though, providing it hasn't bitten you or the piece with a jump cut!!

It'd be enough to put you off jigsaws for life it was your first experience of using one

Coley