However the 160 is almost twice the price of the 150, which is still their second top of the line, is it worth that much more?
Rich
If the 160 has tool-less adjustment and the blade eject and the 'precision blade support' (or whatever Bosch is currently calling it) and the 150 does not have
ALL those features, then yes IMNSHO get the 160 instead of the 150.
+1. That's a feature I've only seen on the top line from Bosch and from Festool.
The blade eject is a GREAT feature because you don't need to touch a hot blade to remove it (most other tool-less blade clamps still require you to pull the blade out. It sounds silly, but Bosch really got this one right.
As for which model, I have a strong preference towards barrel grip over top handle, but since the OP does not (to each his own), for a US user, I'd recommend finding a used 1590 (the 1591 is the barrel grip version). These were the last Bosch electric jigsaws made in Switzerland. The current models I believe are of Asian manufacture.
I'd suggest to the OP to try to find out the UK 240V equivalent of these models.
I'm pretty sure I have a 1590EVS. (no, I don't always remember all of the model numbers of all the various tools I have).
Back when I bought the jigsaw (in order to get a 'nice' jigsaw, instead of the annoying, LOUD, POS that just wouldn't die B&D consumer thing I had been using when forced to use a jigsaw), I looked online for reviews and recommendations. The Bosch 1590 (or the barrel-grip 1591) pretty much was
THE saw to get.
So, I went to a store, looked at one and also saw its one-step-down 'brother' (don't remember the model number on that one). It felt solid, and looked almost like the big-brother 1590. Tool-less adjustment and tool-less blade changes, just didn't have the blade eject feature or the precision blade support (? maybe, or maybe not. It's been a few years). Was maybe $20 cheaper (maybe ~$140 vs ~$160 or so, back in the day ). Figured I'm not a production shop and can deal with changing a blade when I need to, so I bought the 'cheaper' Bosch.
Got it home, put a blade in, plugged it in, did a test cut. About 8000% better than my previous POS B&D monstrosity. Quiet, powerful, smooth. I'm liking this. Go to change the blade. Yes it was tool-less, but it was such a PITA that using a tool would have been sooo much better. IIRC, you had to lever up and then 'unscrew' the entire front top 'nose' of the handle grip area. Something like 20 complete turns. Then remove the blade, insert a new blade, and then screw the 'nose' back in. Another 20-something complete turns.
F-that. Cleaned the sawdust off the saw, put it back into the box, drove right back to the store (they had a 'Try it and return it if you don't like it' policy), returned it and bought the 1590 (I'm pretty sure that is the model I have and ended up with).
Got home, put a blade in (flick the lever, old blade 'shoots' out, insert new blade, done), do a test cut. Even better than its 'little brother' Bosch. Smooth, quiet, powerful. All the tool-less adjustments (pretty much just the angle on the base shoe) were even smoother and easier to do than on the one-step-down Bosch.
And the blade eject? OMG. Thought it didn't matter and thought I wouldn't need or want it.
I was wrong. The blade eject feature is
so nice, I changed blades for a few minutes. Just because. If you had to deal with a just used hot blade and wanted to continue working, no problem. Just eject the hot blade (just watch where it 'shoots' out to, it kicks out pretty well), no touching or grabbing or anything needed, insert new blade, and back to work.
So, yes you
WANT the Bosch jigsaw with the blade eject feature.
The rest of the saw is really-really nice too.
Did I mention smooth, quiet, and powerful yet?
