How to choose an electric jigsaw

Jigsaw is one of the most popular tools used by both professionals and ordinary home craftsmen. This is due to the versatility and mobility of the device, which in some situations can adequately replace other tools.

Jigsaw is used for cutting out various types of materials (wood, metal, etc.).

Jigsaws of various configurations are sold in specialized stores and in the markets, which creates certain difficulties for the uninitiated person. Let's try to figure out how to choose a jigsaw for the house, reliable and productive, what to look for in the decision-making process.

What can I use the tool for?

In the household electric jigsaw is used for various purposes, so it can be considered a universal household tool.

First of all, it is about sawing sheet material (plywood, plexiglas, oriented strand, chipboard, fiber, thin cement and other types of plates, sheets of gypsum fiber and gypsum cardboard).

Jigsaw device.

Useful jigsaw and to create a roof or wooden frame. He easily sawing boards, slats timber. Even if the material is thick, with the right approach, you can cut it.

It is convenient to work with a jigsaw when installing parquet, laminate, lining. When laying tile electric jigsaw allows you to make a curvilinear cut, simply install the file, which has a diamond coating.

With the help of a metal file with a small speed or a disabled function of the pendulum stroke, you can cut metal profiles or sheets.

Unlike other cutting tools, such as saws, jigsaw is convenient in that it allows you to free one hand to fix the workpiece. As a result, this leads to a significant acceleration, since there is no need to strengthen the workpiece, depending on the stage of processing. When working at home after the correct choice of the mode and the file you can get accurate and clean cuts, avoiding chipping.

What is the difference between a household power tool and a professional one?

For work at home, you can choose an electric jigsaw, which has less power and a relatively small number of functions.

Cutting modes in jigsaw.

In particular, the figure for power does not exceed 500 W, the more powerful the tool, the more it will weigh.

The functionality of a home tool is limited by the fact that it can be used to process wooden or metal blanks, the thickness of which, respectively, does not exceed 7 and 4 cm. Such a tool is created mainly by Chinese and Polish manufacturers.

Attention is also paid to such a characteristic of the tool that affects the cleanliness of the cut, such as the number of working strokes per minute. As a rule, this figure reaches the number of 3100.

As a result, the cost of such a model is 3 times lower in comparison with a professional tool.

Choosing a jigsaw to work in the house, you should consider other design features that affect the convenience of its operation. Commercially available models may differ in the structure of the handle. A common mushroom-shaped handle is convenient when working on inclined planes. But the handle in the form of staples allows you to hold the tool so that the cutting line is clearly visible.

Features of the device

Choosing a jigsaw for the house is not only convenient but also durable, you should inspect the structure of the rod in which the file is fixed. This element may be in the form of a plate, a round tube. The most qualitative and reliable are thickened and round rods.

The main characteristics of household electric jigsaw.

Experts recommend to take into account such factors as the type of sole. They can be stamped or cast. It is believed that the second allows for better cutting, but only with the additional installation of an anti-spling liner. Molded soles are made of aluminum alloy and elements that increase strength.

Anti-split insert, as the name implies, reduces the likelihood of chipping. This item can be purchased or self-made from Plexiglas.

The durability of the tool also affects the durability: if it is operated for a rather long time and at low speeds, the engine will overheat. On the other hand, the choice of speed is an important indicator in the processing of a material. So, if a single-speed jigsaw is quite acceptable when working with wood, then it will not work for processing metal products.

If construction work is under way at home and there is a potential need to cut materials of different quality, preference should be given to those models of electric jigsaws that are equipped with a mechanism for controlling the number of moves.

For some models, switching is possible by pressing and holding the button, for others by using a special switch that has fixed positions.

Types of files and mounts for her

In order to choose the right jigsaw for the home, special attention should be paid to the main cutting element of its construction - the file.

The choice of the file is determined by the material being processed, depending on this, the thickness, width and geometry of the cutting blade, the shape and pitch of the teeth are selected.

A set of files for a jigsaw includes files for wood and metal.

Wood is treated with a saw blade having a tooth pitch of not more than 3 mm. For metal and plastic blanks, webs with wavy sharpening and teeth, alternately tilted to the right and left, are suitable. The saw blade for processing glass or ceramic tile has no teeth.

The saw blades may differ in color, which is indicated by different manufacturers in the specification. For example, one brand for processing wood, plastic and fiberboard comes with gray files, while others have files of this color designed for cutting wood.

Two types of systems can be used to fix the file:

• screw;
• clamping device.

In the first embodiment, the file is held in a slot, which is clamped with the help of front-mounted screws.

The quick-clamping system is considered to be more convenient, which allows to fasten various webs of thickness.

Performance Tool Functionality

To choose a jigsaw for home, you need to focus not only on its value, which, in turn, is directly dependent on the functionality of the tool. In other words, the more functions the jigsaw has, the more expensive it will cost its owner.

The question arises, which particular features of the home assistant's design will be in demand. Experts say that the spent finance will pay off due to the convenience, reliability and performance of the tool if it has:

The main characteristics of professional electric jigsaw.

1. Double electrical insulation, which allows working not only in ideal conditions of the workshop, but also on the street in bad weather conditions, in damp rooms.
2. Universal attachment for files with a t-shaped shank. In this case, the most convenient is considered to be a quick-release fastener, not used for low-cost models.
3. Pendulum cutting mode, the use of which, according to manufacturers, allows you to extend the life of the file. At present, most electric jigsaws have this function, although you should not choose models that have both a fork of the support roller and a sole attached by screws alone. With such a design feature in the case of adjustment of the plate will have to adjust the video.
4. Adjust the frequency of the file, which is especially important for working with thin material. At the same time, the quality of the cut made by the jigsaw is in no way affected by the adjustment of the length of the working stroke.
5. The rubberized handle reduces vibration force and increases the comfort of working conditions. With a tool with such a design feature, you can safely work more than 6 hours.
6. Dust removal options. In the process of cutting material, a lot of sawdust is formed, filling up the markings, which complicates the task. Thanks to the directed stream of air it is possible to get rid of garbage, without interrupting work. On sale there are models that connect to the vacuum cleaner.
7. LED backlight, which is especially important when working indoors or when using special safety glasses.

Other functions, such as the ability to set the inclination without using keys, the presence of a special box for storing and transporting the files and the jigsaw, special oils and replaceable files in the kit are rather a bonus from the manufacturer, since they do not affect the quality of the jigsaw.