woodworking -- best sabre saw?

InsaneIrish · Post by **InsaneIrish** » Tue May 13, 2008 9:14 am

A few months back there was a good discussion about what is the best option for sabre saws. Unfortunately I believe it was lost is the backup deletion.

Basically my $40 craftsman has shot craps and I need a new saw. Suggestions?

Baron Conal · Post by **Baron Conal** » Tue May 13, 2008 9:40 am

http://www.deltaportercable.com/Product ... ctID=11636

best sabre saw I've used.... ( not saying it's the best out there
just the best I've used )

more than I could to pay at the time though... It has a nice blade
guide that helps keep the cuts true.

I've got a Freud now... it's nice... not too pricey

http://www.freudtools.com/p-276-fj85k-h ... igsaw.aspx

InsaneIrish · Post by **InsaneIrish** » Tue May 13, 2008 9:54 am

how do you like the Frued compared to the porter cable?

Baron Conal · Post by **Baron Conal** » Tue May 13, 2008 10:02 am

InsaneIrish wrote:how do you like the Frued compared to the porter cable?

the Freud...

Its' done everything I've asked it to do.
It's a nice saw. Not complaints about it

But in thicker materials the PC cuts a 'squarer'
( is that a word? ) cut. But to a certain degree,
you get that with pretty much every jig/sabre saw.
It's partially a sign of sloppy technique. Even the PC
can cut off square if you are not paying attention to
how you are cutting,.

I like the Freud. When I have to replace it I will look again at
the PC but I do not know what I will do.

Not that have seen any signs that the Freud needs to be replaced
yet ( and I've had it for 5+ years )

What are you planning to use it for and on?

InsaneIrish · Post by **InsaneIrish** » Tue May 13, 2008 10:05 am

BaronConal wrote:
What are you planning to use it for and on?

Mostly use the jig saw to cut 3/4" plywood and morteses in thick stock.

I was using a $40 craftsman and it worked ok, that is until I broke it. This is the second "break" I have had on a smaller craftsman.

The last discussion on jig saws told me that I was over working the craftsman and needed to upgrade. But, I can not remember what they said I needed to upgrade to.

Eamonn MacCampbell · Post by **Eamonn MacCampbell** » Tue May 13, 2008 10:13 am

Ive used Baush,Feud, Porter Cable and DeWalt...I like all three...All work just as good for what I do(construction), but I can usually get the DeWalt a bit cheaper than the other two...Used to be the Feud was cheaper but, I guess the secret on how good it was got out and they started raising their prices.

As a side note the Feud, is made by Baush....or is it the Metalbo that is made by them....Those are good ones as well...Although I haven't seen alot of them on this side of the Alantic..

Baron Conal · Post by **Baron Conal** » Tue May 13, 2008 10:15 am

I'd suggest the Freud for that kind of work.

( edited to include.... )
To a certain degree you do get what you pay for.
A $40 saw is a $40 saw. Within reason the more
you pay the better the saw. You might be happy
with a $60 saw ( not that I know if any exist, not
in the market right now. ) Shop around at Lowes
or Home Depot and check out Woodcraft or Rockler's
and now Sears carries more than just Craftsman....
Hold the saw and if they will let you try it out...

and get a good rasp or a course file. Cut the
mortices a little small and the tenons a little
big and file them to almost fit. Then a finer
file to clean it up.

If you have the space to store jigs and patterns
using the saw to cut over sized and then a router with
a pattern bit is the fastest way to get clean and
accurate end results. ( that is if you are doing the
same part more than once )

I use this technique often

InsaneIrish · Post by **InsaneIrish** » Tue May 13, 2008 10:28 am

BaronConal wrote:
If you have the space to store jigs and patterns
using the saw to cut over sized and then a router with
a pattern bit is the fastest way to get clean and
accurate end results. ( that is if you are doing the
same part more than once )

I use this technique often

Yeah, I keep meaning to try that, Just haven't gotten a thick enough template made. AND I don't have a 1" tall router bit to use. The template we do have is made of aluminium and is to thin.

mordreth · Post by **mordreth** » Tue May 13, 2008 12:57 pm

DeWalt, I'd have to check the model number when I'm home
love it.

justus · Post by **justus** » Tue May 13, 2008 1:20 pm

My Bosch has been an excellent tool. Had it for five years now and it's the best I've used.

This is the newer version of my saw

http://tinyurl.com/6465qp

I was so impressed with it that I've started to replace my other tools with Bosch as they wear out.

-Justus

Lachlann · Post by **Lachlann** » Wed May 14, 2008 7:52 am

All my power tools are Dewalt and Makita. Portacable makes good stuff as does the others listed above. I just prefer Dewalt and Makita. My jigsaw does cut off square on occasion but I am usually rushing when that happens so its more my fault than the saws.
I also highly recommend GOOD blades, the el cheapo's suck ass for woodworking.

Vitus von Atzinger · Post by **Vitus von Atzinger** » Wed May 14, 2008 9:28 am

I only buy Bosch or Porter Cable power tools. My Bosch jigsaw is like a spaceship....best I have ever used.

losthelm · Post by **losthelm** » Wed May 14, 2008 11:19 am

check ebay and craigslist. I can usualy find good tools cheap. some will need a bit of work but I have not had anything yeat that needed more then a few minits work.

Jehan de Pelham · Post by **Jehan de Pelham** » Wed May 14, 2008 5:58 pm

I own a variety of power tools. I learned what worked on jobsites in Las Vegas. I have never regretted purchasing quality power tools. They have repaid their cost of purchase every time. More than that, a quality tool inspires the craftsman to come up to its level, while a poor tool even in the hands of a skilled craftsman is sometimes unable to achieve results.

Bosch makes the best jigsaw hands down. Get a good one. I have the one with the variable speed and the three oscillation settings and the tilt-bed. I have used the commercial-grade Porter Cable model--or at least the one they had several years ago--and it was good too. Really a matter or ergonomics, and let that be your guide. A really good tool will incite lust and a desire to posess.

Here's my unasked for opinion on other tools, just in case:

Milwaukee makes the best circular saw. Get the Mag77 worm drive. The extra twenty-five dollars for the magnesium is worth it--I bought mine the day I quit one job, and took it to another job site and walked on the job to use it within a week. Unless you're going for the huge ten or twelve inch saws for doing timber framing work, in which case Makita makes the best models for that sort of work.

Dewalt makes the best compound sliding miter saw. Period. But the Makita is nice in its way, too.

Makita makes a good portable table saw.

Porter-Cable makes the best routers.

Porter-Cable also makes a hell of a belt sander. I have the full metal body one that looks like an old-school diesel locomotive. Rock solid.

Stanley for old hand tools like planes--is there really any alternative (except for Lie-Nielsen)?

Dewalt makes a good biscuit joiner though the Porter Cable offering is pretty good too.

Emglo makes the best compressors.

Porter Cable makes great air nailers, whether it's a framing gun, a crown stapler, or a wire brad gun. I'm particular, and I loved the Makita framing gun, and the Porter Cable 16G finish nailer and wire brad gun.

Milwaukee drill motors are friggin' powerful and will downright harm you if you're limp wristed. They make a magnet-based drill press for drilling holes through I-Beams and such that is downright brutal--it'll cut one inch holes through half inch steel with aplomb.

Jorgensen clamps, from the little bar clamps to the big I-beams to the wooden ones.

Delta makes a good bench planer. I like the simpler metal construction type better than the more modern one that incorporates plastic.

Makita makes respectable hammer drills and jackhammers and such.

And Gransfors Bruks makes the bestest axes.

There's my rundown. And yes, I own a fair number of these tools.

John
Jehan de Pelhamn, ecuyer and servant of Sir Vitus
www.mron.org

Joseph · Post by **Joseph** » Wed May 14, 2008 7:02 pm

For simple SCA stuff even the bright orange Black and Decker will get the job done, but I found the Bosch to have everything I've needed in the cabinet /wood working department down to a science.

I think Jehan and I have very similiar tastes in tools.. only I would go with Freud for Chisels ( I don't know if they make planes)

Bosch has a great hammer drill that takes such a beating its insane, You can go through 10 bright orange chicago (harbor freight) hammer drills before you will blow out one Bosch .. Just ask my foreman last year.

Delta (which is porter cable) has a nice New Radial Arm saw. I never worked with a newer saw because most shops still have the old craftsmen or dewalt but damn that thing is good. Also decent band saw if you don't like Grizzly.

Martin makes a mean tablesaw if you got the cash, they're new sliding table saws are sweet...

Angusm0628 · Post by **Angusm0628** » Wed May 14, 2008 8:50 pm

I was seduced by my 18 volt cordless dewalt kit I've replaced every power tool I use to Dewalt. I've beaten those things to the point of stupid and every time I hit the switch they say "Yep boss I can do that"..
These tools are literally my bread and butter so they better be able to turn a buck for me.

Jeff J · Post by **Jeff J** » Wed May 14, 2008 9:29 pm

Until last year, I HATED jigsaws. I'd always used cheap-assed craftsman or B&D. Then, I bought a Bosch 1587. Whoah. Hyuge difference. I love my Bosch, and it was top-rated then, but I'm liking the look of that Freud.

For other tools, Jehan pretty well captures the feel of the market to me as well, but I'd disagree on the delta planer, and the chisels. Lie Nielsons in my shop bay-bay!

Vitus von Atzinger · Post by **Vitus von Atzinger** » Wed May 14, 2008 9:33 pm

I have two Porter Cable sanders and they are amazingly awesome.

Bosch makes a extension cord that is totally boss. Here is a good company to get Bosch tools from.

http://bosch.cpotools.com/index.html

I want this next-

http://bosch.cpotools.com/saws/miter_saws/5412l.html

InsaneIrish · Post by **InsaneIrish** » Thu May 15, 2008 9:49 am

Well, after doing some online research and asking you guys here I went to Lowes last night and bought this:

http://www.boschtools.com/Products/Tool ... d=1590EVSK

As I was wandering up and down the isles I found a lonely looking box in a corner. It was this:

http://www.dewalt.com/us/products/tool_ ... uctID=8949

It was sitting in its box kind of stuffed into a corner. It was with a DeWalt display, but the Display had no stock to choose from. The stock was in a different area.

I picked it up and flipped it over. It had a CLEARANCE sticker on it! $35! regular $80......WHEEEEE!

So, I bought that to. So now where before I had NO jigsaws that worked, I now have 2 awesome jigsaws! Now to the shop.

Malachiuri · Post by **Malachiuri** » Thu May 15, 2008 10:51 am

InsaneIrish wrote:Well, after doing some online research and asking you guys here I went to Lowes last night and bought this:

http://www.boschtools.com/Products/Tool ... d=1590EVSK

As I was wandering up and down the isles I found a lonely looking box in a corner. It was this:

http://www.dewalt.com/us/products/tool_ ... uctID=8949

It was sitting in its box kind of stuffed into a corner. It was with a DeWalt display, but the Display had no stock to choose from. The stock was in a different area.

I picked it up and flipped it over. It had a CLEARANCE sticker on it! $35! regular $80......WHEEEEE!

So, I bought that to. So now where before I had NO jigsaws that worked, I now have 2 awesome jigsaws! Now to the shop.

Now go buy QUALITY blades for em. No Harbour freight, no el cheapos. With blades you get exactly what you pay for.

Good buy on the Bosch, I seem to remember heaving our new DeWalt jig into the dumpster on one job I hated it so much. Professionally and personally I have yet to use a DeWalt tool I thought was worth a damn.

I love Bosch tho.

Vitus von Atzinger · Post by **Vitus von Atzinger** » Thu May 15, 2008 11:12 am

Bosch jigsaw blades rule all.

InsaneIrish · Post by **InsaneIrish** » Thu May 15, 2008 12:11 pm

Vitus von Atzinger wrote:Bosch jigsaw blades rule all.

I got the packaged 18 Bosch blade set with handy carrying case too. :lol:

justus · Post by **justus** » Thu May 15, 2008 12:30 pm

BaronMal wrote:
InsaneIrish wrote:Well, after doing some online research and asking you guys here I went to Lowes last night and bought this:

http://www.boschtools.com/Products/Tool ... d=1590EVSK

As I was wandering up and down the isles I found a lonely looking box in a corner. It was this:

http://www.dewalt.com/us/products/tool_ ... uctID=8949

It was sitting in its box kind of stuffed into a corner. It was with a DeWalt display, but the Display had no stock to choose from. The stock was in a different area.

I picked it up and flipped it over. It had a CLEARANCE sticker on it! $35! regular $80......WHEEEEE!

So, I bought that to. So now where before I had NO jigsaws that worked, I now have 2 awesome jigsaws! Now to the shop.

Now go buy QUALITY blades for em. No Harbour freight, no el cheapos. With blades you get exactly what you pay for.

Good buy on the Bosch, I seem to remember heaving our new DeWalt jig into the dumpster on one job I hated it so much. Professionally and personally I have yet to use a DeWalt tool I thought was worth a damn.

I love Bosch tho.

I don't know what happened to De Walt... My first "serious" tools were DeWalt and I was pretty happy with them, especially my 14.4 cordless driver. When the batteries finally wore out and I realized that replacing them cost near as much as buying a new drill with two new battries (what a coincidence!) I upgraded to the 14.4 EXT Pro model. Wooo now I'm cookin!

That drill sucked. The batteries wore down much faster than the drill I had before, and shortly afterwards, within one year at least, one of the batteries died.

The only DeWalt tools I have now are my drywall rotozip style tool (still working well but i had to replace the switch recently) and my 744 portable table saw. That saw has given me much grief, but it's still working and doing what I ask of it.

-Justus

Jehan de Pelham · Post by **Jehan de Pelham** » Thu May 15, 2008 2:58 pm

DeWalt used to make very good tools. Now the only good tool they make is their big bladed sliding compound miter saw.

Porter Cable makes a very excellent palm sander as well. They take a beating and ask for more.

And yes, Jeff, Lie-Nielsen rocks. Also, Bridge City Tools if you have the means.

For chisels, I use Barr framing chisels. They are the best. I don't do fine work so I don't need fine tools.

John
Jehan de Pelham, ecuyer and servant of Sir Vitus
www.mron.org