Craftsman Jig Saw Failed today
- Thread starter burke1
- Start date
Bobcat753
Well-known member
Dewalt is decent. If you want quality that will last get a metabo.
Milwaukee is good aswell.
All depends what color fancies you!
Milwaukee is good aswell.
All depends what color fancies you!
southalabama
Well-known member
Don't use mine a whole lot but had good luck with porter cable. Dad has a dewalt and is pleased. Rugged and dependable.
While dad has a garage full of craftsman hand tools he always advised against their power tools.
While dad has a garage full of craftsman hand tools he always advised against their power tools.
Electrical Craftsman stopped working..... no kidding. Utter garbage for the least 20+yrs now.
Go find yourself a Bosch, or pretty much anybody else. Not super happy with my Hitachi, but my older Bosch is having problems as well (15+ yrs old now).
Maybe check out CPO and see what they have refurb'd?
Go find yourself a Bosch, or pretty much anybody else. Not super happy with my Hitachi, but my older Bosch is having problems as well (15+ yrs old now).
Maybe check out CPO and see what they have refurb'd?
ez-duzit
Well-known member
Get the Bosch 1587.
How old is it? What's the model # for it? 315 model prefix units are made by Ryobi/TTI and if it's USA made, there's nothing wrong with it. I still have my father's unit that he got circa 1972 (still works) and I also have a 1974-ish unit that I got at a yard sale with a case and blades for $8. Works great too.
Festool & Bosch. Those are the best jigsaws. No experience with Metabo. If you can find a Bosch 1587, you're gold. Unfortunately, they've been out of production for a few years now.... I have a DeWalt and Festool, but haven't used the Festool yet. The DeWalt did well, much better than the old (as in metal body) jigsaw it replaced, but word has it the Festool and top line Bosch's are smoother and less inclined to angle the cut. I really wasn't a fan of the blade changing on the DeWalt, which is one of the main reasons I got the Festool.
rlitman
Well-known member
More like 30+ years.
When it comes to jig saws, get a BOSCH!
The Festool Carvex looks pretty nice too, but I've already got a Bosch that I'm very happy with.
bcradio
Well-known member
Bosch or Festool no doubt for the two tops
metaldad
Well-known member
i have a bosch #1587 and a USA porter cable#7549
both excellent units
both excellent units
theoldwizard1
Well-known member
Unless you really NEED the scrolling capability, stay away from it.
Longer stroke is better.
The first power tool I ever bought was a jig saw, probably 35 years ago. I have probably used it less than 10 time !
Longer stroke is better.
The first power tool I ever bought was a jig saw, probably 35 years ago. I have probably used it less than 10 time !
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PBCampbell
Well-known member
Does anyone still make a jigsaw with a "scroll knob"?
Bosch for a very long time was the standard for jigsaws, so I would not be afraid of buying any of their products.
Bosch for a very long time was the standard for jigsaws, so I would not be afraid of buying any of their products.
ez-duzit
Well-known member
That scroll knob is a gimmick that provides less control and accuracy.
Voi
Well-known member
The Bosch 1587 and 1590 jig saws (and their barrel gripped equivalents) are the ones that get a lot of praise. I have a 1587 and dislike the blade change mechanism but it cuts so well it makes up for it.
The 1590, on the other hand, is praised for its blade change mechanism.
The 1590, on the other hand, is praised for its blade change mechanism.
rlitman
Well-known member
I have a 1590. It's a GREAT saw. Let me tell you something about paying extra for the better blade change mechanism. It is well worth it!
You don't think much about it, but after a few minutes of heavy cutting, it's nice to be able to slide the lever and have a smoking hot blade pop out. Touchless!
No need to grab a hot blade, and no need for any tools to change blades. It's a game changer.
As for which model to get. The 1590 is discontinued, but I hear that the replacement is improved (even more power, which is hard to believe). Personally, I really wanted the 1591 which is the barrel grip version (instead of the top handle). But I got the 1590 cheap at a pawn shop, so I can't complain.
BTW, something not mentioned here is the quality of blades. Bosch uses the same type blade as most modern saws. But the quality of the Bosch blades is well above anything else you can get in the hardware stores around here.
Oh, and something not exclusive to Bosch, but something I've noticed about many German tools. They're not stingy when it comes to the cord. With my Bosch and Fein tools, I find an outlet, I plug the tool in, I walk back to what I'm working on. Done. With most everything else, I'm left looking for an extension cord.
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Voi
Well-known member
I waited for the longest time to try a barrel gripped Bosch before buying my 1587. Once I did I found I didn't really like it. I have an injured ligament in my right thumb and at the time I tried it there was still a lot of discomfort.
I wanted the 1590 but got a floor model 1587 that was missing its original case. Don't remember what I paid but it was too good to pass up.
Do you know if the 1590 is German/Swiss made?
cashishift
Well-known member
I have a Bosch and love it.
rlitman
Well-known member
I got used to a barrel grip on a Porter Cable, back when they made good tools, and were the front runner on blade stability with back and side rollers (but you needed an allen key to change blades).
Yeah, the barrel grip moves a lot of the grip from your fingers to your thumb. If you have thumb issues, the top handle is what you need. I prefer having my hand closer to the work. The idea of a scroll knob (mentioned above) is a lousy gimmick that moves you even further from the work.
Anyway, a jigsaw is not made for fine scroll work. If you need that capability, either use real scroll saw, or get a Cutawl (if you can find one) that cuts from above.
My 1590 (top handle) is Swiss. I got it for $40 without any accessories (no case).
Voi
Well-known member
Sorry, I meant to ask if the replacement for the 1590 is Swiss made?
lakota
Well-known member
Bought me a Craftsman 17434 Evolv 4.5 amp Corded Jig Saw at the beginning of the year when my B&D failed and I like it. It does the job for me on both metal and wood.
dr_clyde
Well-known member
Every single carpenter I know has either a Bosch or a Festool. I have a Bosch. Super happy with it.
dr_clyde
Well-known member
You couldn't pay me to use craftsman electric tools.
I'd had several 80's and 90's Sears Craftsman electrical tools and they've worked fine. When they went over to the imports, that's when things went down hill.