festool jigsaws

[lordinteriors]

its pretty simple really im looking to upgrade at the moment i only have a cordless makita jigsaw and it is extremely unaccurate so are the festool jigsaws good quality does anybody have one please let me know
questions welcome if you have any

thanks alot

lee

 

[mwhafner]

There have been several threads on this topic.  Here are a couple of links -

http://festoolownersgroup.com/index.php?topic=5835.0

http://festoolownersgroup.com/index.php?topic=5839.0

http://festoolownersgroup.com/index.php?topic=6006.0

http://festoolownersgroup.com/index.php?topic=6061.0

There are a lot of different opinions.  Bosch and the Trion are the most common recommendation, but Makita also gets some votes. 

I have the Festool and a couple of Bosch saws.  The Trion is great, but I think it is only marginally better than the Bosch.

Right now, Amazon has the 1590 and 1591 for less than $150 with free shipping.

 

[lordinteriors]

thanks for the reply just thought i would mention im from the uk i did use to have a bosch jigsaw which was a good saw but im really looking to try something new dust collection is an important factor to me aswell

lee

 

[nickao]

You are not getting anything but marginal to poor dust collection from the Festool jigsaw, the Bosch 1590 with adapter collects just as much dust.

When dust collection is hooked up and even when its not the Festool is impossible to see the blade on the cut line.

Bottom line if you want the Festool jig for dust collection I would pass, no jigsaw has good dust collection that I have ever used.

If you tried the Bosch 1590 and do not like it I do not think you will be happy with any jig saw, the Festool is the same if anything, MAYBE the Festool cuts thicker lumber like 3" or more straighter with less deflection.. There is no way the Festool is worth more than double the price of the Bosch 1590, I notice no difference at all between the two when I use them in the shop daily.

Just get the new Bosch blades and almost any jigsaw will cut like a dream.

 

[lordinteriors]

once again thanks for the reply im also wondering if theyre are any uk users on this site

lee

 

[buckmaidt]

Built these today with my brand new Trion   Coped each tread into the stringer with my Trion and a 4 in. grinder.  Do not think it would have been possible with my bosch.

 

[nickao]

Yes that is an application where the Trion may edge out the Bosch, deep cuts.

But I definitely can do it with my Bosch 1590 with the new Bosch blades for sure. I do no think the Bosch can do it, I know it can. 

I really truly think with those new Bosch blades almost any jig saw could make those cuts(probably not with the same elegance). Those blades are revolutionary in my book and I could not believe what it did to my neighbors 35.00 crappy jigsaw, those blades turned it into a good to above average jigsaw! These blades actually reduce the drift and make the cut straight and blade not flex on deep cuts, helping any jig saw as that is a jig saws main drawback and problem area.

http://woodworking.about.com/od/woodworkingaccessories/gr/BoschT308B.htm

http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B001GNC8ZU

 

[buckmaidt]

Do those new Bosch blades help with keeping the cut plumb and straight.  My biggest problem with my Bosch has been blade wander even in 3/4 stock to a point where it is beyond irritating.  Those copes were about 6 inches in places and even the Festool could not do it in one pass, but even after two passes (one from each side) the cuts were true, only needing touchups with the grinder.  That is something my bosch could never have done. 

Just caught your edited post above.  I will check out some of those blades

 

[nickao]

Yep that is what they do and do it well, better than any other blade made so it will only make your jigsaw better. I guess they are a little expensive, but I feel it's worth it. They are the best jig blades I have ever used by far. You can not do it on one pass with these blades either only 4 1/2" I think.

 

[robski]

i have the ps300 and love it especially the barrel grip, i hate using standard body grips anymore. if your cutting worktops and thick materials or cutting upside down/from underneath they cant be beat. only thing i find its not so good for is scribing end panels and infills on kitchens etc, its too acurate and doesn't like cutting wonky lines so i always bring my bosch for jobs which require scribing.

 

[lordinteriors]

thanks for that robski i fit alot of kitchens so thats helpful too. but how wonky are the end panels youve been doing ive fitted kitchens in 100 year old cottaqges and never been that bad surely it can but a line that isnt straight

lee

 

[tbellemare]

The dust collection while cutting from underneath with the Festool PS 300 EQ is always going to be better than with either it or the PSB 300 EQ from the top of the workpiece.

You can also put the Chip Guard on and still see the cut line perfectly, while collecting almost all of the dust. What dust is left on top of the work piece isn't that much.

Considering the engineers are living in Germany, I suspect they were originally thinking that would be the way their jigsaws would be used...

If I'm not mistaken (somebody please correct me if I am), the Bosch blade guides are spring loaded and as a result want to "get out of the way" when the blade gets loaded enough to deflect. Properly adjusted Festool blade guides don't allow the blade to move laterally, which is why they cut so straight, even in deep work pieces.

Tom

 

[robski]

even though you are only twisting the saw slightly when scribing, when i did it i damaged the blade guide (the fesstool jigs have 3 supports) and it cost me ?75+ vat to replace, but cut a sink cutout in a 40mm laminate worktop with a festool jig and your jaw will drop, it is amazing how straight and true the cut is. tom is spot on about the dust collecting when using the jigsaw upside down its much improved. the price seems to put alot of people off the festool jig but once you use one you can see straight away where your money went.

 

[tbellemare]

Which saw were you using when the blade guide got damaged?

Tom

 

[Troll]

I have the Festool Trion and Bosch (pre-precision control) jigsaws.  I would recommend the Bosch (inventors of the jigsaw)on the basis it's half the price. I do not believe there is any significant difference in cutting quality between the saws.  Like people say the biggest determining factor is the quality of the blade - I use Bosch T144DP for all the kitchen work I do - their extra thickness makes all the difference.  I also think the lack of a dust blower on the Trion is sorely missed in real-life working.  I do not think a jigsaw is really viable for dust control by the very nature of what it is designed to do.  As a matter of interest for any given blade the Bosch will cut about 10 mm deeper than the Trion; must have a lower blade holder and / or longer stroke. My Bosch has been a real work horse and with build quality as good as the Trion (still made in Switzerland - precision control one anyway), and better visability of the cut. Precision control model has tool-less changing of the sole plate.

Save your money for some other Festool tools!

Troll

 

[robski]

it was my ps300 and the blade was a bosch t144d which happens to be my favorite blade for scribing and fitting kitchens, it cuts great on chipboard

 

[Frank-Jan]

I got myself a festool trion barrel grip when my Bosch jigsaw got stolen (it was a D-handle without the blade guide, but with the quickrelease for the blades).
I personally like the trion a lot, but I use it most of the time without dust collection AND without the chipcatcher; when the chipcatcher is left off, the DC channels in the base blow the sawdust away from the cutline.
It is a little fussy to use though, you have to readjust the guides with a tiny allen key when you change to a blade of a different thickness, AND you have to adjust them aswell when you want to use the orbital settings.

So, when my dad needed a new jigsaw (he cannot be bothered with fussy stuff), I checked out the new bosch, because I liked the idea of the toolless sole adjustment etc, but when I handled it in the store I found the body of the barrel grip model was too bulky for my liking (me being used to the trion), and I couldn't get the adjustment lever for the soleplate adjustment to move on the model I tried.

I went for the Makita with the built-in ledlight instead, and he's been very happy with it. The body of the makita is also a bit bulkier than the trion, but it is recessed at the spot you would normally hold it. It doesn't have extra blade guides, but there's a groove in the guideroller, of which one side lines up with the blade mount, and it has a bulky, square shaped "plunge rod" (I don't know how you call the thing you mount the blade to). It's a pity they didn't come in a systainer yet then.

 

[robski]

i dont know what bosch are using to shape there tools at the moment but its not a humans hand! everything the're putting out at the moment has a handle far too big for my hands and ergonomics on the drills has gone out the window. im sure there is a lot of people out there who will disagree with me but i found the old bosch much more comfortable and not so heavy. my other jigsaw is the old bosch 2000 model which still needs a screw driver to change the blade but its great.

 

[lordinteriors]

ok so i went to the store today and had a look at the jigsaw with a top handle really nice looking machine but i was actually after the bodygrip jigsaw it wasnt in stock what do you guys like using and what do you have

lee

 

[tbellemare]

Lee:

If like a lot of Europeans, you use the barrel grip from the bottom, you will get good dust collection and cut line sight with the Festool Barrel Grip Jigsaw. The cut motion of the blade and gravity tend to pull the dust into the dust collection system.

Tom