DeWALT 5.5A Jigsaw
4.6
5
14
16
Easy to use
Very easy to use, even for a woman. Some saws take a lot to manuver and that makes them hard for some women to handle but this one moves and cuts easely.
August 17, 2012
Awesome Saw
I have used the cheap jigsaws in the past and always been disappointed with the results. Make sure you use the high end blades with this machine and you will never have any troubles. While it had to be done in two passes, I actually cut 4 x 4 's in half without blade wander. While cutting a 2 x 4, I did not notice a finish nail in the board. This jigsaw cut the finish nail in half.....LENGTH WISE!
Very happy
June 15, 2012
Disappointed - not accurate, fussy to adjust
I hope not to be lynched by the DeWalt enthusiasts on this site, but I didn't find this jigsaw that great. I came up with three problems that I would not have expected from a DeWalt saw (or any jigsaw over $40).
1. The blade wanders too much, even if you are cutting a straight line using a new wood blade in a ¾” pine with a saw guide. The blade wandered by as much as a 1/16th inch on a straight line, and it got up to a 1/8th of inch when doing curves. I used a slow feed rate and a DeWalt woodcutting blade, and the problem continues.
2. The motor vibration shakes the shoe out of adjustment and you are always checking for squareness and adjusting the bolt that holds the shoe at the right angle. This also makes it hard to set an angle for bevel cuts and you have spend even more time adjusting to keep the angle at the right setting.
3. The blade often won’t cut at 90 degrees even in ¾” pine. This sometimes results from the problem #2, but it occurs even when the shoe has been adjust properly.
4. It will hold T and U shank blades, but the T ones are always being pulled out of the holder when I do curves in anything thicker than ¼” plywood. U shank bits are held rock solid though, even when cutting a 2x4.
Now don’t get me wrong – this saw has some strong points. It’s noisy but powerful enough to cut everything up to 2x4s. If the accuracy of a cut isn’t important, then this fella can make fast cuts in everything from pine through hardwoods and even thin sheet metal. The power cable is long enough that you can use it on the shop without a power cord. The case that came with the saw is great with a sturdy hinge that won’t break over time. The saw itself is sturdy, too.
It’s just that for a high-end jigsaw, I wasn’t expecting all of the problems with blade wandering. I returned the saw and bought a mid-range Skil saw which was a little over half the price and gave me fewer problems.
March 4, 2011
Great tool
Great jigsaw, I like the idea of t-shank blades as they are very easy to change.
January 24, 2010
Brand name makes the difference
I've always had cheaper brands.... presents from others... and have always cursed them when I've pressed the trigger. Blades/cut wanders, features that sound nice and end up being useless... you name it... all costing about the same as this one.
I broke down and bought the dewalt... hardly use the jig saw as they are such a pain to use... but now with this one... use it every chance I can.
Brand name... makes a world of difference.
The only quam is the availability of blades in our local store... have to stock up as only a few per month are on the shelves and may not be there when you need them.
December 27, 2009
Don't use the cheap blades!
I bought this saw to cut holes in 3/8" OSB for around electrical boxes in my workshop. It worked great with the supplied blade but when it came time to get a new blade I foolishly bought the cheap store brand blades from Home Hardware. What a mistake, after cutting one hole I immediately tossed the cheap blades in the garbage and went out and bought some Bosch blades. I noticed a differance right away, with the cheap blades it was like using a butter knife to cut wood, using the Bosch blades however this saw worked like a hot knife through butter. I hardly had to put any forward pressure on the saw, it almost semmed to pull its self through the wood.
So take my advice and buy the more expensive blades, you won't be sorry.
August 29, 2009
best jigsaw for price
this is an awesome jigsaw, and more powerful than some. lasts a long time.
September 25, 2008
Double check your blades
My one concern with this tool. (At least the one that I bought) is that I had to really push the blade in and close the lock at the same time to get the blade to set properly.
Other than that this tool has lots of power and runs great.
September 24, 2008
best for cutting the counter top
"I personally have used it but the power is not good . I am starting to believe the jigsaw and handy case is very safe to carry a round the house. I am finding myslefe projects around the house to test this jigsaw out. Dewalt is always a huge hit with any handyman can work with. Which tool con you get under 120
May 12, 2008
Great for Demolition!!
We are renovating our cottage and needed to take down some walls. The walls were made of plywood and this jigsaw was terrific at making a difficult job easier.
Very substantial and a great tool.
May 9, 2008
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