How to choose a jigsaw? Rating of manufacturers and reviews

A home foreman should always have a certain set of tools in his “zahashnik” so that at the moment when an unexpected breakdown occurs in the house, he will fulfill his wife’s request in time. However, such household repair forms can do with a very simple set of a hammer, a couple of keys and an ordinary hacksaw for metal or wood.

If the plans include a more extensive repair, during which it is planned to make the floor on the balcony or insulate the walls, then you can not do without a power tool. In this case, you will need a basic set: a punch, a screwdriver, a jigsaw (Interskol or another manufacturer). These assistants can greatly simplify the repair, after which the house will be beautiful, but on the hands there will not be many corns. Let's talk in more detail about how to choose a jigsaw and how to operate it correctly.

Expediency of purchase

If the scope of repair work is not too large, then the question will definitely arise of acquiring a jigsaw. However, not everyone knows how to choose a good jigsaw. If a punch is needed for all occasions and is used quite often, then the electric version of a jigsaw is needed unless in the case of precise sawing a large amount of material.

If we use the example of the same balcony repair, then in this case you will have to saw a lot - a block of at least 5 x 5 cm in size, frame elements for the finishing layer (most often these are MDF panels or euro-lining) and many other little things that you need to cut manually a saw is not very convenient, and it will not work out exactly. Using a manual jigsaw is also impractical - the next day you can not avoid the terrible pain from corns. Conclusion - a jigsaw is required.

Advantages of Jigsaw

Surface treatment with a jigsaw has the following advantages:

1. Ease of sawing building material.
2. Versatility and a wide scope - before choosing a jigsaw, you should ask the seller what material the device will have enough power for.
3. Reliability - if in the case of a manual jigsaw it is very easy to break the blade, then the jigsaw files are more durable.
4. You can choose a convenient design option.

Application area

Typically, a jigsaw can be used to saw many materials. However, the determining moment for expanding its field of application is the material and type of web used. In particular, the use of modern saws for jigsaws allows you to adapt it for processing the following materials:

1. Soft wood and plywood (it is best if the thickness of the processed material is more than 2 mm, as otherwise bumps and chips may appear on the cut surface).
2. Coarse wood (for example, all the same wooden blocks that are used as the basis for the floor on the balcony or loggia).
3. Diversified plastic.
4. Laminate of any strength class.
5. Boards with old hammered nails (yes, this option is also feasible if you use special bimetallic cloths).
6. Aluminum and its derivatives.
7. Metal sheet profile.
8. Drywall of any type.
9. Metal pipe (it is desirable that its diameter be one third less than the length of the saw blade).
10. Sandwich panels widely used in modern construction.
11. Ceramic tile.

This is not a complete list, but it is enough to understand how useful and versatile a simple at first glance tool is.

Design

As noted above, the material is cut using a jigsaw blade. To implement the cutting process, it is driven in reciprocating motion with a certain frequency to ensure the desired cutting speed.

The main structural elements of a jigsaw are the following:

1. Case (may have a staple-shaped handle that allows you to conveniently view the resulting cut, or mushroom-shaped, which is more convenient to work on inclined surfaces).
2. Saw blade.
3. Saw file having certain mounting dimensions.
4. Adjustable sole (it is the supporting part of any jigsaw, so when cutting material it is worth making sure that it fits snugly against its surface).
5. Speed ​​control.
6. Power button.
7. Power button lock.
8. Branch pipe for connection of a dust collector.

Typically, the device has a compact size, providing convenient operation even when processing small figures on the surface. The weight of most models does not exceed 2 kilograms. Before choosing a jigsaw, the store should carefully study the features and convenience of its design.

Modern popular manufacturers are trying to make the device as convenient as possible. Do not forget to appreciate this convenience - hold the tool in your hands, it is advisable to ask the seller to make a small test drive. Most designs of jigsaws have a convenient rubberized handle that allows you to securely hold it during the sawing of the material.

For a professional or an amateur?

Like other electric tools, jigsaws can be used for domestic or professional use. As a rule, domestic use in an ordinary apartment involves not very intensive and frequent work. Professional use is the daily use of the device for its intended purpose, very often without long breaks during the shift.

As you can see, the household option falls into our field of vision. Before choosing a professional or household type jigsaw, be sure to evaluate the possible operations that you will do with it. The level of “professionalism” will significantly affect the price - a household tool costs 2-3 times cheaper than a professional counterpart. Therefore, paying extra for unnecessary functions is not worth a lot of money, especially if you will use the device a couple of times a month.

Specific Model: Selection Criteria

If you went to the store, but do not know which jigsaw to choose, then stock up on the knowledge of the basic parameters that will need to be determined for a particular model. It:

1. Power. Determines the ability of the device to saw thicker workpieces without overload. Most household models have power in the range of 250-500 watts. Professional - over 700 watts. An increase in power leads to an increase in weight and, accordingly, reduces usability.
2. Saw blade stroke frequency. This parameter varies between 0-3100 moves per minute. However, there are models in which the maximum frequency of 3400 moves per minute.
3. The maximum depth cut on wood, steel and non-ferrous metals. For household jigsaws, these indicators have the following values ​​- 65-70, 4-5, 10-12.
4. Weight.
5. The amplitude of the saw blade. Usually about 28-30 mm.

Additional functionality

What can they be, these additional, necessary and unnecessary functions? Modern manufacturers equip their devices with basic and additional features that not only simplify use, but also increase security. The most common ones are:

1. Adjusting the saw stroke frequency.It is necessary to adjust it to adjust to a certain thickness and type of material both before the operation and during it, however, the second option leads to very fast wear of the saw blade, and in some cases, when the revolutions increase too sharply, to break it.
2. The presence of a pendulum mechanism with several levels of adjustment. This allows you to add additional movement to the saw blade - not only up and down, but also back and forth. Sawing productivity increases without reducing the life of the blade.
3. Illumination of the working area with a lamp may be necessary when surface treatment is not carried out in a separate room, but directly in place, for example, in a small pantry where there is insufficient lighting.
4. Fast file change system. This function is needed more in the case of professional operation of a jigsaw, in which every second counts. Professional devices are equipped with a special lever, when pressed, the canvas "jumps out" of the mount.
5. Automatic blowing off of sawdust. In this case, the engine cooling fan is positioned so that the air flow is directed to the cut, as a result of the sawdust leaving the work area on their own.
6. The ability to connect a vacuum cleaner. To do this, the housing is equipped with a nozzle, the diameter of which coincides with most of the common pipes of vacuum cleaners. In this case, the sawdust will not fall to the floor, but immediately removed into the bag of the vacuum cleaner.
7. Possibility of turning the saw blade.
8. The clamp angle of the instrument.

To determine the set of functions, try to hold in your hands that jigsaw, reviews of which state the best quality and reliability. In most cases, it is the opinion of users that forms the popularity of the model. Before choosing a jigsaw for home, do not forget to take into account that the presence of additional functions that you will not use will only uselessly complicate the design, thereby reducing its reliability.

Rating of manufacturers

If you carefully study the directory sites, ask sellers how to choose the right jigsaw, then you can gradually form a list of the most popular and best-selling models from the flow of this information. These are goods from well-known and more expensive to those that are cheaper, but less popular.

So, let's make a small rating for such a product as a jigsaw, reviews of which determine the popularity of a manufacturer:

1. Bosch
2. Makita.
3. DeWalt.
4. Violet tape.
5. RYOBI.
6. WATT.

The picture is completely analogous to other products in the "Power Tools" section.

Average prices

The choice has a considerable impact on the cost. Of course, I want to buy exactly the electric jigsaw, reviews about which shine with positive praises, but money will not always be there. On average, a home jigsaw will cost about 60-100 dollars. Professional options can reach $ 250.

Rigging

The jigsaw tool is a saw blade. Its choice depends on the application. So, the most common are saw blades with the following markings:

• HCS. Made of high carbon steel, used for wood, rubber, plastic, chipboard, etc .;
• HSS - high-speed steel, used for sawing metals;
• HM / TC - hard alloy, used for sawing fiberglass, steel.

Security measures

For safe operation of the tool, it is worth adhering to safety requirements. You must know this before choosing a jigsaw. The instruction manual reads as follows:

• it is forbidden to press the file when sawing;
• Do not use a saw blade with visible damage;
• it is forbidden to work at maximum frequency when processing solid material;
• it is forbidden to work without proper fixation of the processed material.

Along with choosing a good jigsaw, buy safety glasses.

Usage example

Consider a typical use plan. It should be considered before choosing a jigsaw. Reviews of professionals read about the following sequence of actions:

1. Markup. Cut contours are drawn on the surface of the workpiece.
2. Training. At this stage, it is necessary to fix the workpiece and check the health of the tool.
3. Processing - directly cutting along the intended lines.

Do not miss the opportunity to try your hand at repair. However, do not forget to use the recommendations described above.