Metabo Jigsaw

[Jamestoolie]

Does anyone have experience using the Metabo corded STEB 140 or cordless STA18 XLT jigsaws?  Specifically how they compare to the other high end bosch, mafell, and festool offerings.  Thanks

 

[aloysius]

I haven't used Metabo's STEB jigsaw, but I have used (& own) both Metabo's STE 140 plus & STE 135 plus saws.  I also have AEG, Festool, Bosch & Elu saws too.

Having said that, I think it's important to compare like with like.  The use & handling of bodygrip saws is completely different from the bow handled variant.  The primary difference is that bodygrip saws are designed (& intended) to be used inverted, cutting from beneath the workpiece.  This apparently is the preferred continental method, and it is virtually dust & chip-free (assuming the revelatory face is uppermost).  Having said that, I don't like to saw this way, as it seems both counter-intuitive and cack-handed to me, having initially learned the "Anglicised" method of sawing.

For sawing from above, bow handled saws are clearly superior.  My single bow handled saw (Bosch GST135BCE) is the easiest to control in critical going;  plunge cuts, tight curves, thin or fragile material, by virtue of its top handle.  Similarly, after presetting the max. speed by thumbwheel, the "trigger" is used as an "accelerator" to speed up for the straightaways & slow down for the twisties without giving so much as a second's thought to one's actions.  The work flows much more smoothly.  You can't do that if you're taking one of your hands away to constantly feather the speed!  Surprisingly a bow handle "likes" a one hand grip, whereas bodygrips (esp. if cutting from above) often prefer two.

The most robust, strongest, most powerful & accurate saw, however, is from Mafell.  Despite being bodygripped, this saw's combination of power, innovative bayonet clamping, geared eccentricity and clear superiority in blade selection makes it stand head & shoulders above the rest.  It just lacks some of the gimmicks like headlights, and accelerator functions, and it costs a bit too.  So what?  Quality usually does.  Another less well known fact is that the Mafell's blades will last longer too, as there's no metal to metal fatigue inducing contact or heat generation that prematurely ruins their temper.  Plus it's the only saw that can mount blades backwards, which is fantastic for fine notching work, and it has the best sawdust blower of them all too, if like me you hate to use a corrugated hose on a jigsaw.

The Metabos both perform extremely well in sheet metal.  Some of the other (yes, even "pro" saws) don't.  The 135 is probably the best, but I really like the auto motion controlled headlights on the 140, and find the auto "accelerator" electronics nearly as useful as a bow handled variant would be.  Nearly.  The 140 has a switchable blower too, which in combination with the headlights makes for probably the best view of the cutline for my ageing eyesight.  It also has the slimmest motor diameter of any, due I suspect to their dominance & expertise in high powered grinder manufacture, which allows the safest, firmest & most comfortable bodygrip of all.

The Bosch has useful semi-automatic (pushbutton actually) blade guidance, which pinches up the tolerance in a better manner than the others.  Strangely enough, Mafell has no guidance whatsoever;  no rollers, ceramic or wolfram pads, and no rocking rollers to "push" the blade eccentrically (and also, unfortunately, off course) and is far & away the speediest cutter AND most accurate saw to date.

As for Festo's "high end" saw, it.... doesn't exist.  Festo/ol make poor quality, inaccurate, severely compromised jigsaws at ludicrously inflated prices.  They also chew through blades (destroyed by frictional heat) almost as fast as they chew through wood.  They're woefully inaccurate; in my own saw's case (Trion) incapable of perpendicularity even straight cutting 19mm softwood ply!  I have a 40 year old Elu which is better, not to mention my father's old "budget" AEG!  Plus Festo has the world's stupidest (allen keyed) blade adjustment mechanism too, and (unfortunately like the Mafell {it's single offence}) it requires an expensive accessory shoe to enable soleplate tilting/bevel cutting.

So there you have it...  If you want the best, then buy the best....  Mafell.  If you prefer all the gimmicks, then a more modern design like the Metabo (but make sure it's the "plus" variant) or the big powerful (800w) Bosch GST 160 (which probably has the deepest current cut capacity) feature all the current bells & whistles.  Those English-made Makitas are pretty good too (they even have headlights), & Hitachi Koki does an 800 watter also.

In fact, just about anything other than you-know-what should provide years of satisfactory service.  Hope this helps.

 

[Tim Brennan]

I haven't used Metabo's STEB jigsaw, but I have used (& own) both Metabo's STE 140 plus & STE 135 plus saws.  I also have AEG, Festool, Bosch & Elu saws too.

Having said that, I think it's important to compare like with like.  The use & handling of bodygrip saws is completely different from the bow handled variant.  The primary difference is that bodygrip saws are designed (& intended) to be used inverted, cutting from beneath the workpiece.  This apparently is the preferred continental method, and it is virtually dust & chip-free (assuming the revelatory face is uppermost).  Having said that, I don't like to saw this way, as it seems both counter-intuitive and cack-handed to me, having initially learned the "Anglicised" method of sawing.

For sawing from above, bow handled saws are clearly superior.  My single bow handled saw (Bosch GST135BCE) is the easiest to control in critical going;  plunge cuts, tight curves, thin or fragile material, by virtue of its top handle.  Similarly, after presetting the max. speed by thumbwheel, the "trigger" is used as an "accelerator" to speed up for the straightaways & slow down for the twisties without giving so much as a second's thought to one's actions.  The work flows much more smoothly.  You can't do that if you're taking one of your hands away to constantly feather the speed!  Surprisingly a bow handle "likes" a one hand grip, whereas bodygrips (esp. if cutting from above) often prefer two.

The most robust, strongest, most powerful & accurate saw, however, is from Mafell.  Despite being bodygripped, this saw's combination of power, innovative bayonet clamping, geared eccentricity and clear superiority in blade selection makes it stand head & shoulders above the rest.  It just lacks some of the gimmicks like headlights, and accelerator functions, and it costs a bit too.  So what?  Quality usually does.  Another less well known fact is that the Mafell's blades will last longer too, as there's no metal to metal fatigue inducing contact or heat generation that prematurely ruins their temper.  Plus it's the only saw that can mount blades backwards, which is fantastic for fine notching work, and it has the best sawdust blower of them all too, if like me you hate to use a corrugated hose on a jigsaw.

The Metabos both perform extremely well in sheet metal.  Some of the other (yes, even "pro" saws) don't.  The 135 is probably the best, but I really like the auto motion controlled headlights on the 140, and find the auto "accelerator" electronics nearly as useful as a bow handled variant would be.  Nearly.  The 140 has a switchable blower too, which in combination with the headlights makes for probably the best view of the cutline for my ageing eyesight.  It also has the slimmest motor diameter of any, due I suspect to their dominance & expertise in high powered grinder manufacture, which allows the safest, firmest & most comfortable bodygrip of all.

The Bosch has useful semi-automatic (pushbutton actually) blade guidance, which pinches up the tolerance in a better manner than the others.  Strangely enough, Mafell has no guidance whatsoever;  no rollers, ceramic or wolfram pads, and no rocking rollers to "push" the blade eccentrically (and also, unfortunately, off course) and is far & away the speediest cutter AND most accurate saw to date.

As for Festo's "high end" saw, it.... doesn't exist.  Festo/ol make poor quality, inaccurate, severely compromised jigsaws at ludicrously inflated prices.  They also chew through blades (destroyed by frictional heat) almost as fast as they chew through wood.  They're woefully inaccurate; in my own saw's case (Trion) incapable of perpendicularity even straight cutting 19mm softwood ply!  I have a 40 year old Elu which is better, not to mention my father's old "budget" AEG!  Plus Festo has the world's stupidest (allen keyed) blade adjustment mechanism too, and (unfortunately like the Mafell {it's single offence}) it requires an expensive accessory shoe to enable soleplate tilting/bevel cutting.

So there you have it...  If you want the best, then buy the best....  Mafell.  If you prefer all the gimmicks, then a more modern design like the Metabo (but make sure it's the "plus" variant  or the big powerful (800w) Bosch GST 160 (which probably has the deepest current cut capacity) feature all the current bells & whistles.  Those English-made Makitas are pretty good too (they even have headlights), & Hitachi Koki does an 800 watter also.

In fact, just about anything other than you-know-what should provide years of satisfactory service.  Hope this helps.

Interesting. Which Mafell model do you refer to?

Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

 

[aloysius]

There's only one.

 

[McNally Family]

I haven't used Metabo's STEB jigsaw, but I have used (& own) both Metabo's STE 140 plus & STE 135 plus saws.  I also have AEG, Festool, Bosch & Elu saws too.

Having said that, I think it's important to compare like with like.  The use & handling of bodygrip saws is completely different from the bow handled variant.  The primary difference is that bodygrip saws are designed (& intended) to be used inverted, cutting from beneath the workpiece.  This apparently is the preferred continental method, and it is virtually dust & chip-free (assuming the revelatory face is uppermost).  Having said that, I don't like to saw this way, as it seems both counter-intuitive and cack-handed to me, having initially learned the "Anglicised" method of sawing.

For sawing from above, bow handled saws are clearly superior.  My single bow handled saw (Bosch GST135BCE) is the easiest to control in critical going;  plunge cuts, tight curves, thin or fragile material, by virtue of its top handle.  Similarly, after presetting the max. speed by thumbwheel, the "trigger" is used as an "accelerator" to speed up for the straightaways & slow down for the twisties without giving so much as a second's thought to one's actions.  The work flows much more smoothly.  You can't do that if you're taking one of your hands away to constantly feather the speed!  Surprisingly a bow handle "likes" a one hand grip, whereas bodygrips (esp. if cutting from above) often prefer two.

The most robust, strongest, most powerful & accurate saw, however, is from Mafell.  Despite being bodygripped, this saw's combination of power, innovative bayonet clamping, geared eccentricity and clear superiority in blade selection makes it stand head & shoulders above the rest.  It just lacks some of the gimmicks like headlights, and accelerator functions, and it costs a bit too.  So what?  Quality usually does.  Another less well known fact is that the Mafell's blades will last longer too, as there's no metal to metal fatigue inducing contact or heat generation that prematurely ruins their temper.  Plus it's the only saw that can mount blades backwards, which is fantastic for fine notching work, and it has the best sawdust blower of them all too, if like me you hate to use a corrugated hose on a jigsaw.

The Metabos both perform extremely well in sheet metal.  Some of the other (yes, even "pro" saws) don't.  The 135 is probably the best, but I really like the auto motion controlled headlights on the 140, and find the auto "accelerator" electronics nearly as useful as a bow handled variant would be.  Nearly.  The 140 has a switchable blower too, which in combination with the headlights makes for probably the best view of the cutline for my ageing eyesight.  It also has the slimmest motor diameter of any, due I suspect to their dominance & expertise in high powered grinder manufacture, which allows the safest, firmest & most comfortable bodygrip of all.

The Bosch has useful semi-automatic (pushbutton actually) blade guidance, which pinches up the tolerance in a better manner than the others.  Strangely enough, Mafell has no guidance whatsoever;  no rollers, ceramic or wolfram pads, and no rocking rollers to "push" the blade eccentrically (and also, unfortunately, off course) and is far & away the speediest cutter AND most accurate saw to date.

As for Festo's "high end" saw, it.... doesn't exist.  Festo/ol make poor quality, inaccurate, severely compromised jigsaws at ludicrously inflated prices.  They also chew through blades (destroyed by frictional heat) almost as fast as they chew through wood.  They're woefully inaccurate; in my own saw's case (Trion) incapable of perpendicularity even straight cutting 19mm softwood ply!  I have a 40 year old Elu which is better, not to mention my father's old "budget" AEG!  Plus Festo has the world's stupidest (allen keyed) blade adjustment mechanism too, and (unfortunately like the Mafell {it's single offence}) it requires an expensive accessory shoe to enable soleplate tilting/bevel cutting.

So there you have it...  If you want the best, then buy the best....  Mafell.  If you prefer all the gimmicks, then a more modern design like the Metabo (but make sure it's the "plus" variant  or the big powerful (800w) Bosch GST 160 (which probably has the deepest current cut capacity) feature all the current bells & whistles.  Those English-made Makitas are pretty good too (they even have headlights), & Hitachi Koki does an 800 watter also.

In fact, just about anything other than you-know-what should provide years of satisfactory service.  Hope this helps.

Interesting. Which Mafell model do you refer to?

Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

http://www.timberwolftools.com/tools/mafell/MAF-P1cc.html

 

[Lbob131]

It has to be only a matter of time  before  other  manufacturers  copy mafells  jig saw pendulum design.

 

[Holmz]

Why wait till the patents run out? Just get it now and move on.

 

[aloysius]

It has to be only a matter of time  before  other  manufacturers  copy mafells  jig saw pendulum design.

Yes, it's only a mere 25 years for the patent to run out.

That's how long Festo had to wait to copy Mafell's X-cut saws, & Mafell/Bosch had to wait to introduce their guiderails.

That's quite a wait!

 

[pingvinlakrits]

I have the Mafell P1cc, the Carvex 420/18V and the Metabo STA LTX 18V (barrel grip).

There is no contest for first place, the P1cc, easily.

Between the Festool and the Metabo, both being 18V machines, I think the on/off switch is better on the Metabo and that it seems to have _slightly_ more grunt and a slightly better grip for reverse/under cut grip.

It does not feel as refined as the Carvex in use, the Carvex feels smoother but the Metabo does alright - it is still just a jig saw. I find I have to concentrate a bit more when starting a cut with the Metabo but when it is cutting it does well.

The number one advantage the Metabo has is that it does not need a separate base to to bevel cuts.
The number two advantage is that Metabo has 18V mitre/chop saws.
The number three advantage is that the Metabo is compatible with the Mafell KSS40 18M saw battery and charger, the saw I use the most out of all I have.

So the above three reasons are why I bought a Metabo 18V jigsaw. I have it in a mixed systainer (no batt/charger) and bring it whenever I bring the Mafell or the Metabo mitre saw. The Carvex rides along in another mixed systainer with a 5,2Ah battery for intermittent use but without a charger or spare battery as I always have the Festool 18V charger with the T18 systainer.

The Mafell P1cc is the least used jig saw out of the three as I usually don't use jigsaws for critical cuts but when I do, the Mafell is brought along.

 

[Jamestoolie]

After a considerable absence from the forum, and having lurked like a demented lurker, I have been reading all of the trials and tribulations on jigsaws and their relative merits.

I bought a Trion years ago after having had a life changing green and black blood transfusion but must admit that I never really got on with it. It never cut square, it ruined several blades (even though my late, and sorely missed, mate Simou showed me how to adjust the blade guides) and it ended up gathering dust in Systainer corner. I looked at the Carvex when it came out, decided that it was no real improvement on the Trion and lived a jigsaw free life until last month when I really needed one. Go cordless I said in a fit of mains voltage-free hilarity and went off to my trusty Festool dealer for a demo on the Carvex 18v.

What a lovely tool. Much better than the old Trion, I could see the cut line, the thicker blade and revised guide system cut square and the overall feel (barrel body) felt just right. I then went to adjust the base to cut a mitre and Herr Festool chimed in with " ah that's a £75 extra " should you wish to delve into the magical world of angle cuts. Oh dear or should I say how dear?

So, after buying a rather nifty 18v Metabo drill the other month I hot-footed round to my Metabo dealer and checked out the 18v jigsaw. Wow! What a fabulous bit of kit. It cut straight as a die, did not need any guide adjustment when changing blades, a flick of a lever changed the base for mitre cuts and hallelujah, the LED lights actually illuminated the cut line even with the dust shield fitted. It was like regaining my sight as I could never see where I was cutting with the Trion.

A built in blower kept the cut line free of dust and the auto start allowed the motor to slowly build up speed without the blade dancing everywhere (possibly assisted by the lack of pulsating LED strobe lights fitted to the disco Carvex). Sold to the man with the pump action Visa card.

The case it comes in is cheap rubbish compared to the much superior Systainer but the jigsaw came with two 18v batteries and an air cooled charger (Festool have just cottoned on to the air cooler bit) and it really is a delight to use. I really rate this Metabo, which is Made in Germany, and would recommend anyone in the market for a cordless jigsaw to at least give it a go. I was more than pleasantly surprised and it has received the approval of Archie and Evie who have continued my love of Rottweilers and mended my broken heart when Simou died.

Did you get the barrel or D handle grip jigsaw?