# Older Jigsaw



## JoeLyddon

darn good saw!

I LOVE those Progressive blades! They cut SO SMOOTH!

I got a Bosch 1590EVSK a few years ago… and LOVE it!


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## patron

right you are bob

i been using bosch jig saws
for 40 years

we used to check the different brands 
when they came out following bosch

no comparison
i still believe that to this day

and for all new woodworkers
i got them to buy this first
even before a skilsaw
if they didn't have to much money
after cutting some wonky boards
they all settled down
and started paying attention


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## OnlyJustME

I love my bosch jig saw. Most of the other brands try to copy bosch so why get anything else. Definitely an alternative for a scroll saw but doesn't quite match the capabilities of a band saw in my opinion. Still, cant go wrong with a bosch jigger and well worth the money.


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## REK

David, back in the 1970's there was a guy named Red Hillberg, who had done all the carpentry work in my parents home. He worked all the trades from the start of the new deal until he passed away in the early 90"s. The one thing I remember about Red, was how much he used the scroll saw from cement forms, to fencing, and the scroll work for my mom's kitchen cabinets. This guy drew lines freehand, then cut exactly, and effortlessly. The cabinets he made for my mom in the late 60's are still there today. Red, was the type of guy that I think you'd have enjoyed working with. Years later when I started my wood shop in the mid 2000's, I thought of Red, and his great scroll work. I went to Sears, bought a scroll saw that was the same shape as the one Red, had and discovered that the saw was a piece of #@^&, or I had no talent. I dreaded working with the tool, and in the past 6 years have only used it a few times. It wouldn't surprise me if Red, had owned a Bosch way back then.

Joe, I got a bunch of them progressive blades and look forward to using them…


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## SPalm

Hey Bob, 
I love that saw. One of the best tool purchases I have made.

Cheap scroll saws have given this type of tool a bad name. I bought one for my Son in Law as one of his first tools. It is such a handy tool to have. Can't say enough about it.

Steve


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## Karson

I've got 2 Bosch scroll saws. I had to buy a second one when I needed it and the first one had gone hiding. I knew it would show up as soon as the new one came into the shop.

I found it hold up something else off the floor. I'm glad to have them both back.

About 5 years ago a guy on ebay was selling about 100 blades in a bulk pack. I bought 4 different styles. So I'll never run out.


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## SST

Hi Bob.
Well, I've got to say that I have not used a hand held sabre saw more that a couple of times over the last lots of years. Always found them to be lacking in accuracy…oh wait, one of my favorite phrases is, "accuracy is not in the power tool, it's in the woodworker"...yikes, I guess I have to point that finger back at me…I guess I mean that I've never gotten a very satisfactory result. None of those saws was very expensive & I used them for rough cutting or quickie stuff. I never used them for "real" woodworking projects. That's what my bandsaw & Shopsmith jigsaw were for, the real stuff. Because the results were good.

Your review has caused me to (perhaps) reconsider that approach. Maybe I haven't been entirely fair in my choice of uses & subsequent assessment of a handheld. 
Thanks for the great (and in my case, thought provoking) review. -SST


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## REK

Shopsmith, it does take a bit of practice to be accurate with the jigsaw. And picking the right blade and orbital action or no orbital action. The guys who use these tools effectively do have a bit of finesse, I am learning the tool for the big payoff…enhanced skills. The cheap jig saws are a world a part and a joke. The jigsaw I can bring to the job, your shopsmith jig saw is a little hard to take outside…

Steve, I read your review several times before buying thanks!!!!

Karson, with the size of your shop it doesn't surprise me that things disappear and reappear on occasion. I have had that happen with other things but never my beloved tools!!!!


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## Lenny

Nice review Bob. I will take my place in line as I too am a Bosch jigsaw fan. I own the barrel-grip version but as you and others have stated, you can't beat Bosch when it comes to jigsaws. I love that *Shopsmithtom* referred to it as a sabre saw. I haven't heard that term in some time.


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## live4ever

You'd have to pry my 1590 out of my cold, dead hands. Great jigsaw, too bad they replaced with something not as good.


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## rasp

the only jigsaw that can hold a candle to a Bosch is a Metabo. I happen to have one, made in Germany.

this is definitely a tool worth finding used.


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## JoeLyddon

Not too long ago, I did something that I had been wanting to do for a long time…

I made a Blank for my router table… drilled a hole for the blade… mounted the Bosch jig saw to it… plopped it into the router table… and tried it!

If I did not go very fast, it worked fairly well… BUT, if I really wanted to cut things a little faster, the board would start going up & down… forcing me to go slower!

What I need to do now is mount a couple of clamps to clamp it to the router table underside… Then, it should work fine!

It was fun using it… seemed like I had better control of the cutting…

I also had to turn the switch ON (unplugged) & made it so it stayed ON… then, I plugged it into the router switch… and turned it on/off just like it was a router!

I am glad I tried it… It will work & work well…

*I found it was much easier to SEE the blade & WHERE it was cutting.*

Just thought y'all would be interested in my experiment…


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## Beginningwoodworker

Great review, Bosch makes some good jigsaws!


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## oltexasboy

I had been using an old B&D saw for years because I owned it and it was all I had. My son and I went to a wood working show a few months ago where I purchased the Bosch and that was the best purchased I 've made in a long time. When I first started doing wood work, it was repairing and remodling old houses that my wife and I bought as we progressed through the years and a lot of the tools I owned were necessarily cheap.
It was either do the work or spend the money on tools, the work won. After I retired I started upgrading my wood tools. I have a bosch router as well as the 1590 saw,well worth the price. I am a retired mechanic and I know the value of good hand tools. I didn't know how much better and easier it was to cut properly until I used that new saw. Wouldn't take for it .


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## SST

So Lenny, 
I might be really out of touch because I always thought of a jigsaw as a more or less stationary tool with the overhead arm connecting to the other end of the blade & a sabre saw was a hand held gizmo where the blade reciprocates.

Did I, because I just don't really use them & pay attention, just fall into some kind of time warp…having just now popped out on the other side to learn my terminology is out of date???

Man, I gotta pay better attention to stuff that doesn't say "Shopsmith" on it, I guess.


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## Dennisgrosen

I have abused one of bosch´s Jigsaws with top handle (the green hobby line we can get here in Europe )
I know I´m only hobbyist and Diy but I still have to see any other brands Hobby line that 
match Bosch 
though I do wish they still wuold make them as good as in the old days 
but I know if I need a new jiggsaw it will be the blue pro line from bosch 
though not with top handle since I want to be able to cut from the underside 
its a little akward to cut upside down with D-grib (tophandle)

but still thanks for the rewiew 

Dennis


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## REK

Shopsmith, it really is a 60's phrase "saber saw." Jig saw portable ….Scroll saw stationary or portable.

Joe, skill saw sold a small table saw years ago where they incorporated a holder for the jig saw built right into the table saw table. it also had an area for mounting the router.

Lenny, Dennis, and Charles, and the rest…I guess the review is just another affirmation of this tools quality.


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## patron

back in the 60's
bosch had a smaller version
without a tilting table
or blade advance
and no speed control

the blades had two sets of 'ears'

when i was building restaurants and such 
around the country
i got each of the crew their own
and a senco angled finish gun too

that way we weren't 'stacked up' 
waiting to use the primary tools so much


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## REK

David, after your comments I went on a google search to find a vintage Bosch jig saw. I cannot find one picture of what a 1960's Bosch saber saw looks like. I love to read about the old tools and to see them. E bay often shows tons of vintage craftsman tools, and also tons of old planes. I think I searched for an hour yesterday for a vintage Bosch.


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## rdjack21

Another Bosch jig saw fan here and I could not agree more with the review. Money well spent.


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## SST

Bob, do you even remember the 60's? You look too young to do so. Some of us old farts were actually using tools in the 60's. -SST


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## REK

Yes Shopsmith, I remember the 60's, I was driving truck back then for tonka. I also owned over 200 cars from Hot wheels to a 1937, match box hot rod.


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## davidroberts

I bought the Bosch barrel grip model (1591EVSK 6.4-amp) and while it is an excellent saw, holding the saw by the barrel did take some getting use to, at least for me. For practice I built a bunch of front yard Christmas cut outs, a sleigh, Santa, reindeer, big snowman, yada yada. After several sheets of plywood, I kinda got the hang of it.


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