Jigsaw shopping, need help

[FinishingCanuck]

Hi guys, I'm looking for suggestions from other professionals on which jigsaw to buy.
The ideal tool should satisfy my needs so il explain those now. The majority of my work is interior finishing but I also do high-end deck jobs in the summer so I also need the saw to be able cut 2x and 4x without blade deflection. If money were no object I would buy the mafell but that is not the case. I have narrowed it down to either the festool trion or the bosch js5 but am open to other suggestions. Please dont suggest the carvex because the angle base renders that tool useless.

I am looking for an unbiased opinion so if you receive a paycheque from festool or are a festool groupie... Please ignore this request. I look forward to your suggestions.

Thanks

Mike

 

[Rollin22Petes]

I would definitely get the trion over the bosch the bosch jigsaws aren't as good as they used to be in my opinion not for pro use anyway. I have both the trion and carvex and find myself using my trion over the carvex personally  and I also have to agree the angle base on the carvex is useless

 

[Tom the Remodeler]

Of course the P1cc would be ideal, but if that is outside of your budget the Trion (I suggest the barrel grip) is a great saw and will serve you well. I don't have any firsthand experience with the Bosch, but the Festool service and support are important to consider when making your decision.

Best of luck to you!

 

[Rollin22Petes]

I'll back up what Tom just mentioned about considering Festool service. I recently had to send my domino in for service and with shipping both ways and repair time it was five days something I don't think you will find in other tool company.

 

[FinishingCanuck]

Thanks guys, I'm on the same page. I think the trion is the way to go. I'm still a little concerned because every festool I own has been in repair at one point or another. The ct was my fault though, UDD static build up fried the circuit board.

 

[Knight Woodworks]

I recently replaced my Trion with the Mafell P1cc and am glad I did. I know you said the P1cc was beyond your budget but IMHO it's worth it.

Good luck with whatever you buy.

John

 

[peter halle]

For those who might wonder about the durability of the Trion, a couple of years ago it was told to me by someone who shall remain nameless that the Trions are rarely seen by the service department whereas their drivetrain is so rugged.

Just passing on what was told to me.

Peter

 

[FinishingCanuck]

I would love the mafell but I have other tools that need upgrading first and see the p1cc as more of a luxury than a necessity.

@Peter. Thanks for that info. I believe it's absolutely true. The only complaints that have surfaced in my research is the lack of a light and the cut line can be hard to see without getting in close but in my experience when doing a scroll cut my face is in close so I can see better anyways.

Thank you guys for the replies. It's has helped me finalize my decision. A trip to lee valley is in order tomorrow

 

[curt boyer]

Mike,
The Bosch is a good choice for the following reasons-
1) cheaper than Triton.
2) changing the angle on the Triton is a pain in the ass, you need a wrench to change, it's slow and cumbersome to switch bevels.
3) the Bosch blades are cheaper and more readily available.
The Triton is small and powerful and a joy to use until you need to adjust the foot plate.
Cheers
Curt

 

[FinishingCanuck]

Curt, the bosch blades don't fit in the carvex? Also the bosch js4 is cheaper but the js5 is a few bucks more than the trion and that's before the cost of a systainer and plug it conversion.

 

[Rollin22Petes]

Just to clarify about the blades bosch blades will work in the trion I use 101b all the time. Having said that the Festool blades are a little thicker witch helps reduce blade deflection considerably. 

 

[FinishingCanuck]

Phew, that's good news. The last thing I want is to be stuck with one company for blades.
Thanks again

 

[curt boyer]

Mike, I thought you didn't want the Carvex? Don't get the systainer and the plug it conversion! If your going to use the jigsaw for a lot of angle work don't get the Triton for all the reasons above. If your just doing 90 degree notches then get the Triton. If your going to do fancy exposed rafter cuts that need to be square to the rafter then get the Triton. I have an old Bosch that has a permanentlly attached Collins coping foot. Not only do I use it for coping but when used upside down I can see the scribe easier. If one of my saws dies I will probably get the Carvex. For me $400 would be better spent on a new Kreg pocket screw machine!
Cheers
Curt

 

[WarnerConstCo.]

I put a coping foot on every jig saw I own.  Jig saw cuts are never finish cuts any way.

By the way, I have had to have one tool repaired, not bad for 20+ tools some going on 9 years old.

 

[FinishingCanuck]

Sorry Curt. That was my mistake. No I don't want the the carvex. It's the trion I'm interested in but I didn't know about the base's slow angle change. Arg! Why is this choice so difficult!

 

[Rollin22Petes]

I personally don't find the angle adjustment to be a problem it works like the old bosch saws used too it has a center allen screw you loosen to adjust the base to the desired angle. I would suggest you take advantage of the 30 day return policy and use it and decide if it's right for you.

 

[FinishingCanuck]

My corded makita and cordless milwaukee have the same adjustment. I assumed that was the standard.

 

[curt boyer]

It's much more of a pain on the Triton than the other saws especially when you need to go all the way to 45 degrees. The wrench is small and difficult to manipulate when the saw is hard over to either side. With a coping foot installed you pretty much have infinitely and instantaneous bevel adjustability.
Curt

 

[Jason Kehl]

I have the Trion, the cordless Carvex and an older Milwaukee.

My least favorite is the Trion. The cut quality and general tool quality are awesome, but you can barely see the cut line. This is my only regrettable Festool purchase, I should have returned it within the trial period but I was too caught up in Festool Fever at the time to be honest with myself. I have relegated it to shop use for the very occasional cut.

The Milwaukee is not a precise tool by any means but it has an easy to use tool-less bevel adjustment.

I like the cordless Carvex, I'm quite happy with it and have not personally encountered a situation where the goofy angle base plate caused me any problems.

I would recommend the Carvex even though others don't, or the Mafell. The purchase price is usually forgotten quite quickly in comparison to be stuck with the wrong tool for years to come...

 

[ScotF]

You may have made your choice, but I own and use both Festool versions, a Bosch JS572 and the Mafell P1CC -- all barrel grip versions. Of all of them the Mafell is hands-down the best of the bunch with near perfect perpendicular cuts with any blade I have used. Plenty of power and everything just works right. DC is the best of the jigsaws I own and it has 5 orbital settings vs. 4 on other jigsaws. It does not have a light and that is probably the only downside to the saw. The angle base is excellent and has detents at popular angles for fast set-up. The nice thing with this design is pop on the 90 degree base and you are ready to cut perpendicular cuts - it is dead-nuts 90 degrees. This is my saw of choice when absolute precision is needed - finishing cuts when making furniture, joinery, etc... If I could only keep one saw, this would be it.

I think that the Carvex is a good choice if you need some of the accessory bases like the large circle cutter. It is the lightest weight of the bunch as well and has the lights and some other accessory bases. The angle base works well for some cuts and the other bases are nice to have - I like having a metal base for cutting mild steel and aluminum so you do not mess up the standard base. I can adjust the guides for near perfect perpendicular cuts with a variety of blades. I use this saw for the circle cutting base and it was worth the price to me for this one function alone. If it were not for this base, then I would probably have passed on this saw and stuck with the Trion. It is probably a personal thing, but I have not gotten used to the lighter weight of the Carvex and prefer a little heavier saw.

The Trion is a very solid and smooth running machine. While you cannot see the cut line as well as some of the other saws, I still think it is fine and you can use the arrow on the splinter guard to guide your cut - I really like my Trion and it just feels solid in the hand and very well made. The angle is a bit of pain as it is the old style allen bolt and you have to fiddle with it to get it back to 90 degrees. Adjusting the guides gives me near perfect 90's with most blades. I use this saw for furniture joinery and rough cutting of furniture parts, breaking down material, etc... I do really like this saw.

The Bosch is also a capable saw. It has a light, DC is good and it has plenty of power. Tool-less angle adjustments too. I have found that I can get perpendicular cuts in most materials if I use a thicker blade like Festool's Carvex or Trion labeled blades of Bosch's blades that end in the letters "DP". These blades are stiffer and resist lateral movement. Thinner blades can deflect in the saw and I get less than perfect results - still good results overall, just not perfect. It has a metal overshoe for rougher work. I use this saw for more construction oriented tasks.

Good luck!