Along with a 500mm mirror lens, my Black & Decker jigsaw seems to have disappeared into the bowls of my TARDIS-like apartment.

Does anyone have any recommendations for a replacement with the following criteria:

• Reasonably Priced - Not Harbor Freight junk from China, but not professional equipment.
• Occasional Use - Will be used infrequently to cut things like wooden doweling, small diameter PVC pipe, plywood, and small pieces of aluminum and steel sheet or rod. It will not need to stand up to regular or hard use.
• Readily available and reasonably priced blades

I may yet find the old one, but I'm not holding my breath.

This one.
You could spend more for another brand that won't last or perform as well. This will do everything you need and more. At least it does for me.

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Life Is A Gift. Defend it!

I have a Porter-Cable and a Bosch. I prefer the Porter-Cable.

I've got three or more I think. Christmas presents over the past decades and all that.

The only one I've ever used for the past 50 years is the top Craftsman. I think I got it when I was about 7 or 8 years old. It has been used and abused like no other power tool I have owned. I would never part with it. However, I have no use for the others.

The other Craftsman pictured has never been used. Still has a paper barcode label over the trigger. If you can't find your old one and the below is something you'd find useful, give me a PM and I'll be happy to send it for the non-negotiable delivered price of $0.

Merry Christmas.

I had and B&D very similar to C.Phil's. I could and did cut 2" Cedar Lettering for signs, along with mountain of plywood. Mine got stole by a co-employee (not really a co-worker) and pawned for beer money, in 1974. I have had a number (around 15) since then that were just OK. The only one I really love is a blue older Ryobi 18 volt +1. With sharp/fresh blades it is great.

Ivan

I love my Bosch jigsaw! It is around $150 but is variable speed, has quick change blades, and you can adjust the aggressiveness of the cut. I found it to be money well spent.

Well, I found the jigsaw, in a plastic crate, underneath an inkjet printer I haven't used in years.

Back to looking for the lens...

The big names all have a pro grade and a homeowner grade.go with a name brand saw.

Thanks for the offer.

As noted below, I found the B&D, so I'm good for now.

My middling cheap Promaster tripod came equipped to add a sandbag hook from the center column to add stability, but didn't come with the hook itself.

Last night I bought a clothesline hook with a 3/8" threaded shank on the other end. It was easy to attach the hook to the 3/8" threaded shaft on the bottom of the center column with a long nut. The shank on the hook is way longer than it needs to be, so I'm going to cut 1/2 to 2/3 of it off and clean up the end, if necessary, with a cheap tap and die set I bought from Harbor Freight Friday night.

The other reason why I was looking for the saw was so that I could experiment with DIY flash arms for my camera. I can drill holes in steel or aluminum plate, then connect the holes with the saw, to make sliding arms like the kind used to mount spotting scopes on bullseye pistol boxes.

I have a construction company and have several jigsaws and can't really tell the cheap ones from the nicer ones, but they also don't get used often like in a cabinet shop. I will say my cordless Ryobi Jigsaw gets used the most because I don't like ever using a corded tool unless I have to.

Good you found it.

Maybe I'll do a Forum fundraiser or something with the jigsaw... maybe add a holster since this IS the S&W Forum.

In the meantime... back to waxing the Toyota.

Cheers

I got the bag hook done. Cut most of the way through with the saw and finished with a hacksaw. Cleaned it up with a half-round file. Didn't even have to run it through a die.

I could paint it black to match the tripod, but the contrasting nickeled hook and nut look kind of neat.

Glad you found it. I have a Makit that I have owned for 27 years. Runs like a top.

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Even older, even crankier....

I like a jig saw without a handle, your hand is closer to the work.

Bosch JS470EB 7.0 Amp Barrel-Grip Jigsaw

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Don

I can personally recommend the Milwaukee brand. I would also recommend a CORDED model especially for someone who does not use it on a daily basis. Milwaukee has never let me down. Mine was bought before they went off-shore, but I doubt any are made here anymore. Milwaukee stands behind their products and even though the new ones are likely made off-shore, I view them as at the top of the heap. If you surf the net you can find an excellent deal!!

I am personally DONE with cordless batteries as in the long run they are what ends the useful life of your power tool. Batteries can typically cost more than the tool itself! While running an extension cord is a minor inconvenience, it's a piece of cake compared to having to deal with batteries.

I'm glad you found your tool. This comment stuck though...
We have been watching Dr Who non stop for three days now. I appreciate the visual.


On another note, for general cut off purposes I highly recommend one of these:


The Shark Saw is only about $10 and much faster than a power tool. Well, faster in that there's no need to get a power cord and set the thing up. I use it for wood and PVC a lot. I've never cut aluminum with it, but I'm sure it could.

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Freedom isn't free.

I am a Porter Cable fanatic. Except their jigsaw. I have one from when quality was great. Quality is good but the blade wanders. Almost impossible to keep straight. Several wood magazines said the same thing when testing. Highly recommend everything else I have that's PC just not the jig saw.

I have an Hatachi that I have no issues with. It's a good tool.

Anything would be better than the ancient montgomery ward that my father had and my mom still has. It had a propensity for the blade screw to loosen up and allow the blade to fall out. Of all the stuff that my dad gave away when they moved from Missouri to Nebraska, why that *** was not left behind stuns me.

It must have been a gift from you mother and he doesn't dare throw it away.

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Don

I've had that problem with the Black & Decker, but not this time. It cut through the shank of that hook without a hint of loosening.

He passed in 2010 and for some reason, just haven't replaced it. Strange thing is, my mom was replacing a lot of the ****** tools he had and he would grouse about it.