M18 Jigsaw

Arrived yesterday, first thing I noticed was how heavy it was for a cordless jigsaw but I’d say no heavier than the old Bosch 24v (which I quite liked before lithium became the thing). Motors very smooth so you get a good feel too.

Only moan is that the base is loose so dosnt lock, assuming I just need to tighten the nut on the bottom with a deep socket

There’s no adjustable lever for the tilt base on this one?

should be barrel type….

How do you guys like the cordless jigsaws compared to the corded models?

well the freedom of no cords is worth something, the battery life in all my other m12 or m18 tools seem to be great can’t see why a jig saw would be any different……would like to see a fuel version come out however……

I’m sure a fuel model is on its way hopefully they do a barrel grip or a hybrid like the M12. I think D handle jig saws are falling out of favor for most people now.

I have one of these on my want list but would really like to wait for a fuel version, seeings these models have been around for awhile and fuel is their new stuff…..

Cmon Milwaukee….lets go with the expansion of woodworking tools!

I only have a Dewalt, those cordless jigsaw seem to suck the juice. Seems even more so then a circ saw.

does anyone have a brushless jig saw  out yet?

Yup…..F -E-S-T-O-O-L 😀

My Carvex is brushless and the cordless versions are too. Also Makita has brushless ones out now too and NER has one. I’m thinking about dropping some serious coin on one of the 18v brushless ones

gsxr_1983 wrote:

Arrived yesterday, first thing I noticed was how heavy it was for a cordless jigsaw but I’d say no heavier than the old Bosch 24v (which I quite liked before lithium became the thing). Motors very smooth so you get a good feel too.

Only moan is that the base is loose so dosnt lock, assuming I just need to tighten the nut on the bottom with a deep socket

show us some pictures of the base.

Good luck with Milwaukee coming out with more “wood working tools”, my understanding was that they are going after the electrician trade really hard. Hence all the backpacks, bags and hand tools.

FB82

Bigmikez wrote:

does anyone have a brushless jig saw  out yet?

like Chris said, the Festool Carvex is and Makita has a new Brushless jigsaw.. only top handle for the makita in the US but you can snag a barrel grip Makita from Canada which is what i did

I have only used it on one quick little job so far and i can say it was super nice not having to drag out the corded to make the cut.. 

FrosBros82 wrote:

How do you guys like the cordless jigsaws compared to the corded models?

I just decided to grab the New Makita Brushless jigsaw and plan to use it almost exclusively over my Festool Carvex.. for what i do with a jigsaw, which is usually never a finish cut and typically only used for small portions of the total job, i think the cordless is going to be soooo much more convenient.     if you are using your jigsaw for long extended periods of time then cordless might not be for you as i think they are fairly power hungry but if it is just used intermittently and you have a mostly cordless jobsite then i would say cordless is a great option

Since Chris mentioned his Carvex in thus thread I am going to muddy things and say I bought the Bosch 12v from overseas last year (couldn’t wait for a US release). It has been a nice little jigsaw. Perfect for coping and small cuts. Bought a Collins foot for it.

overanalyze wrote:

Since Chris mentioned his Carvex in thus thread I am going to muddy things and say I bought the Bosch 12v from overseas last year (couldn’t wait for a US release). It has been a nice little jigsaw. Perfect for coping and small cuts. Bought a Collins foot for it.

ooo shit!!  look out, mister exclusive is in the house!!

that picture is going to give Madman wet dreams tonight!  lol  😆  😆  😆  😆

nice saw man, cool to know the coping foot fits it.. ive got one for my carvex and love it..   on the carvex its nice because its tool free to take it on and off. thats my favorite feature of the carvex

NERemodeling wrote:

ooo shit!!  look out, mister exclusive is in the house!!

that picture is going to give Madman wet dreams tonight!  lol  😆  😆  😆  😆

 

nice saw man, cool to know the coping foot fits it.. ive got one for my carvex and love it..   on the carvex its nice because its tool free to take it on and off. thats my favorite feature of the carvex

Lol..not sure about Mr. Exclusive. Just paid a premium to get a tool I wanted. It would be nice to have a quick change base with the saw.

I really don’t use a Jigsaw much and I have been on the fence on buying a Carvex. I now have a Bosch corded barrel grip. I have been holding out for this one from Milwaukee to make it over here in a fuel version.

[External image (i856.photobucket.com), not copied]

i have the Bosch 18v jigsaw and love it. Will try to review the BL Makita soon.

dwain wrote:

i have the Bosch 18v jigsaw and love it. Will try to review the BL Makita soon.

Even though i already have the BL Makita i would love to see you do a review on it!!    I havent really gotten to put it through its paces yet as the job im working on currently just doesn’t call for a jigsaw much.. 

Well I’m waiting for my Makita BL to come in still but am really looking forward to it. I’ve got a 4.0 battery to run it and am planning out its uses. I’ve got a ton or remodeling to do outdoors and I’m going to make some custom decorative roof line supports on the front of our house this summer. I think this’ll be nice to have so I don’t have to bring my Carvex out of the shop.

Geez! I wasn’t aware that the cordless jigsaw market was in such a demand! From the looks of it, it seems like a few different companies have came out with some pretty cool cordless jigsaws. Would come in handy for quick cuts and so forth.

FB82

does anyone actually use a jigsaw enough on site to warrant needing a brushless one? what do you use it for?

Well I only have one so far Dwain in my shop. The Festool Carvex which is brushless. This Makita one will be my only cordless Makita tool and I won’t use it a lot but when I’m outside I will probably use it exclusively on my outdoor projects.

dwain wrote:

does anyone actually use a jigsaw enough on site to warrant needing a brushless one? what do you use it for?

Well I’m waiting for the Milwaukee barrel grip to make it’s way across the pound and just think that if they release it here it will be brush less. If not I will still get it because I like the barrel grip over a top Handel.

dwain wrote:

does anyone actually use a jigsaw enough on site to warrant needing a brushless one? what do you use it for?

off the top of my head, I use my jigsaw for a bunch or stuff on the job site.. never really for finish work but rather rough work… either when the cut will be covered or some final routing or sanding finishes the job..

sink cutouts, duct and outlet cutouts in the back if cabinets and such

cutting templates for routing and then rough cutting the blanks to the aproximate template shape to reduce the amount of material that the router needs to take off

scribing cabinet sides and other parts to fit to a wall.. only when a lot of material needs to be removed. Especially when scribing material to crazy surfaces like stone or wood

coping moldings

And square cutting inside corners when you can’t over cut the piece ( a circular saw requires you to cut past your lines to cut fully through the piece) cutting stair stringers is one instance where I use this method.. most of the cut with a circular and then finish up the inside corners with a jigsaw so not to overcut.

Brushless isn’t necessary but added power and runtime is always welcome. Especially since cordless jigsaws aren’t known for their runtime… to me it’s not so much about motor life or brush maintenance… that’s really not such a big deal with most brushed tools anyway

NER makes a good point about the stair stringers, I prefer to use a jigsaw myself, however, I have seen others use a recip saw since they say they can keep the blade straighter. Not sure if that is true or not, but to each their own. I don’t really think I would ever spend the money on a brushless tool that I won’t use too much, but the runtime is enticing.

FB82

NERemodeling wrote:

ooo shit!!  look out, mister exclusive is in the house!!

that picture is going to give Madman wet dreams tonight!  lol  😆  😆  😆  😆

 

nice saw man, cool to know the coping foot fits it.. ive got one for my carvex and love it..   on the carvex its nice because its tool free to take it on and off. thats my favorite feature of the carvex

the m12 jigsaw is really nice but i have no need for it. I got the JS572EBL and thats a heck of a jigsaw :P.

i dont have any Bosch 12V tools yet.

I got mine for like $59 on a Home Depot Deal of the day. That was for the kit not a bare tool even!! How can you say no to that.

man DR I remember that deal I so f#$@ked up on not getting that deal!

wow 59 bucks is awesome

madman_us wrote:

i dont have any Bosch 12V tools yet.

Dude…. Even I’m thinking about getting into the Bosch 12v line, and I LOVE my M12 stuff…

I fit kitchens so would come in handy to have a brushless as your using it all day, the m18 jigsaws nice and smooth but does need updating, great for the price I got it but could do with being slightly lighter and smaller so its a bit more nimble but to be honest it does everything I need,  I’d like a light on it too which you can turn on when needed.

My hope for a future barrel grip m18 jigsaw is the reason why I bought the m12 jig. The m12 is a nice little jigsaw, great for flooring/laminate tops..

BK13 wrote:

Dude…. Even I’m thinking about getting into the Bosch 12v line, and I LOVE my M12 stuff…

i should have put yet into cap 😀 NOT YET haha

i will get 12V items as soon as i find a delicious deal, i just piled up some more 18V items. which are awesome.

madman_us wrote:

i should have put yet into cap 😀 NOT YET haha

i will get 12V items as soon as i find a delicious deal, i just piled up some more 18V items. which are awesome.

Good, I was worried about you… laughing…

I have the M18 jigsaw. Bought it not realizing it isn’t FUEL/brushless (darn, wish it were). Probably doesn’t really matter though as it is going to be used fairly infrequently and likely not for extended periods of time when it is used.

I moved out to California from Massachusetts and the only saw I brought out here is the bosch 18v jig saw. I’ve used it to cut studs, metal posts, tops off 6×6 fence posts. Nothing it’s really meant for, but I realized how versatile a jig saw can be (with the right blade).

At this point, it’s brushless or nothing, for me. Jig saw is not a primary tool for me, but I’d love to see a Milwaukee one.

I’m with you Sparky. I’m investing in brushless tools and thus far my two Dewalts are my last brushed motors besides my CXS. BUT….my Dewalt DCD985 was made here and I won’t be getting rid of that powerhouse. My circular saw well that another matter.

I have the original circular saw 20v and have been waiting for Dewalt to come out with a brushless one but I haven’t read or heard of any in the makes, I really love it a lot it has never failed me though that fuel one from milwaukee looks like a beast to have.

yeah im looking into brushless too…its well worth it

Like you Mike, I really like my 20v saw. I’m really thinking long and hard on the Makita now! But man, I was repairing the floor during our remodel and I was plunging that saw into some really old hardwood floors and it did just great.

That Makita saw looks great Chris they have a great tool line, the 20v saw is great and like I said its never let me down bro I very happy with it buuuut it would be nice if Dewalt came out with a brushless version

Honestly, for as little as I would use a jigsaw, I will probably just buy a Bosch 120v barrel grip. And I love me some M1x Fuel….

I’m with Sparky and Chris on trying to get brushless tools going forward. That being said, Home Depot by me just put the Makita x2 circular saw on clearance and I am having a hard time resisting the urge to get it.

I knew I saw that! I stopped by HD to look at some lighting with my Wife and I thought I saw one of the X2 saws marked down to $150ish?