If you are looking for a specific 18V power tool, chances are Milwaukee has it. They have one of the most extensive lines of cordless tools out of any power tool manufacturer. Their M18 line of tools has anything from a drill to miter saws and more. These are designed for the professional and designed to take daily abuse. The one thing you can say about Milwaukee is they aren’t afraid to try new things and they are consistently updating their line of tools. However, there has been one tool that hasn’t seen an update for a long time, the Jig Saw. Well, that ended as they have designed a new Jig Saw. So let’s see if this new Jig Saw is worth the upgrade and check out the Milwaukee Cordless Jig Saw Review.
Milwaukee Cordless Jig Saw Review Overview
Jig Saws aren’t new. In fact ever since Albert Kaufmann replaced the needle on his wife’s sewing machine with a saw blade in 1946, professionals have relied on this handy tool.
Jig Saws are the ideal cutting tool for anyone looking to do a free-form cut such as circles, various angles or other unusual cuts. One of the biggest keys to a quality Jig Saw is the ability to control the tool and make the perfect cut. So you want enough power to cut through various types of material, but not too much where you can’t control the tool.
Milwaukee Cordless Jig Saw Review Features
Milwaukee is selling the JIg Saw in two configurations, the 2737-20 which is a bare tool and the 2737-21 which comes with a battery and charger. The saw is designed with a brushless motor that is optimized for speed and runtime.
The 2737-21 comes with an M18 5Ah battery. However, you can use any M18 battery with this saw.
The saw has a D-Handle design as opposed to a barrel grip. The handle has a rubber overmold that is similar to their drills and other tools.
The saw utilizes a variable speed trigger which provides a range between 0 and 3500 strokes per minute.
The saw features 4-positions for cutting. There is a no-action where the blade moves up and down and then there are three orbital settings.
The metal shoe is easy to adjust with a single lever. The shoe can be adjusted and has positive detents at 0°, 15°, 30°, and 45°.
If you are not using a dust collection system, you can turn on the blower to make sure your line is clean. However if you do have this hooked up to a dust system, you can turn off the blower.
The saw features an LED light which does a decent job shining up your area of cutting.
The saw uses a T-Shank blade. One of my favorite features is how the saw ejects the balds. So when the blades are hot, you don’t have to grab them and pull them out.
The saw comes with a no-mar shoe cover, a dust collection adapter, and splinter guard.
Milwaukee Cordless Jig Saw Review Performance
I have been using this tool for a variety of cuts. On the second floor, I had to notch out vent pipes and HVAC ductwork in plywood. Each time, this saw performed awesome. Very smooth, fast and easy to work with. While the blade makes a difference, this saw does stand out compared to other Jig Saws we have used.
I love the dust blower, the light and the ease of use. Not one time did I feel like my hand was about to vibrate off. I had to say that this saw is fast and smooth.
Turn the saw while cutting was easy. While some will complain about the weight, for me, I like the heavier saw. I feel like it is much easier to control.
Milwaukee Cordless Jig Saw Review Value
The saw retails for about $300 at The Home Depot and that is for the kit 2737-21 which comes with a single battery and charger. If you only need the bare tool, you will pay less at a cost of $200.
This isn’t one of the cheap saw. This is beefy, built to last and just a great saw to work with. So either configuration you buy, I would say it’s a decent value for what you get. Sure you can buy one for less money, but I wouldn’t recommend it compared to how this saw performs.
Milwaukee Cordless Jig Saw Review Final Thoughts
When it comes to Jig Saw, I am a huge fan of Bosch and Festool. However, this new Milwaukee Jig Saw is now one of my top favorites. I love the weight, I love the speed, I love the ease of use and I love working with this saw. It’s built like a tank and will be perfect in anyone tool arsenal.
Of course it has a work light and blower which the model 2645-20 I have does not have. It was a total let down to me that MILWAUKEE would put something this lame on the market!!!
Actually not all jigsaws have blowers and lights. We have been using it for our house job and it have worked great. Maybe you have a defective one?
I just picked up one of these beauties and in addition to the vacuum adapter and splinter guard, mine also has a flat see-through plate that can be inserted in front of the blade between the extended legs of the shoe. It has a “V” contour cut into the front of it for aiding in aiming the jigsaw to stay on course. I haven’t put mine to use yet to decide whether this is useful or just going to get in the way but I’ve installed it for now to avoid losing it. I did have some trouble locking the shoe at 45 degree angles for some reason (maybe still brand new and not worked in yet) but it is a chore to get it to 45 degrees and lock into the provided slot. The trigger I feel offers excellent speed control though the ability to limit the trigger to a desired max SPM would be helpful. as I find that I always inadvertently keep squeezing the trigger even though I shouldn’t.