To figure out how to choose a jigsaw, you need to take into account a number of technical characteristics. First of all, we are talking about the type of power supply, power and number of revolutions. It is also desirable that the model be equipped with additional functions. The main selection methods are described in this material.
The content of the article
- Power type
- Design features
-
Main technical parameters
- Power
- Number of moves
- Cutting depth
- Additional options
Power type
One of the main ways to choose a jigsaw is related to the power supply. There are 2 types of models:
- Rechargeable.
- Electrical.
The first ones are well suited for domestic conditions. They are the main option on how to choose an electric jigsaw for the home. These are convenient devices that can be quickly charged and carried from place to place.
But if the device is required to work for a long time, it is better to stop at an electric jigsaw that is powered by the mains. These are the tools used in professional workshops.
Design features
To make the right decision, it is important to know what a jigsaw is for and what are the design features of a particular model. To do this, pay attention to the handle, it can be of 2 types:
- Staple - a universal option, it is convenient when performing sawing work along a straight line (the jigsaw goes over the part).
- mushroom - well suited for sawing when the device is located below, as well as at different angles.
There are several design features that will help you choose a jigsaw for home use, as well as during sawing. Of these, 3 main parameters can be distinguished:
- Sawing at different angles - can be adjusted so that the cut is located in the range of 45-90 degrees.
- Branch pipe - this element is useful if you plan to work using a vacuum cleaner, dust collector. Sawdust and shavings will be immediately removed, so that sawing will be more efficient.
- The ability to change the tooling without keys is another handy feature that allows you to install the file without keys. To do this, it is enough to fix with a clamp.
Main technical parameters
If we talk about which electric jigsaw to choose for domestic purposes, you need to study all the main technical characteristics. The most important ones are power, stroke parameters and others - they are described in detail in the following sections.
Power
The main method on how to choose a jigsaw for your home is to find out its power. If you need a conventional device for domestic purposes, the range of 300-500 watts is enough. And if it will be used for professional work, 600 to 900 watts are required.
Obviously, the more powerful the device, the more efficient it works. Other parameters depend on this indicator:
- how quickly it turns out propyl;
- how deep it can be done;
- How long can the tool be used without interruption?
Number of moves
Another way to choose an electric jigsaw is related to the stroke rate. It is from this parameter that the speed of work directly depends. However, it is not always necessary that the speed be high.
So, for dense wood material, as well as for plastic and soft metals (primarily aluminum), it should be medium. If you are going to work with steel, the speed should be low. A high rate is required only for softwood parts.
Based on what you need an electric jigsaw for, you should choose like this:
- only for wood materials - a sufficient number of strokes within 2500 per 1 minute;
- plastic, steel - from 3000 per minute.
At the same time, there are universal models that can work at very different speeds. For example, Bosch brand tools (using the GST 150 CE as an example) gain from 500 to 3000 strokes per minute.
Cutting depth
Also, in order to understand which jigsaw to choose for the home, you should also know about the depth of cut. So, for domestic purposes, it is enough to purchase a tool for working with wooden parts, the thickness of which is within 70 mm. And if we are talking about steel blanks - then within 4 mm.
If this is not enough, choosing a jigsaw for the home will not work. Then you need to buy professional models that cut wood with a depth of 100 mm or more, aluminum blanks within 20 mm, steel - up to 10 mm.
Additional options
When buying, first of all, pay attention to what a jigsaw is needed for. To work comfortably with it, you should purchase a model with several additional features, for example:
- Soft start system - it is necessary if it is periodically necessary to process the part very accurately. Then you can carefully go into the workpiece with a file and at the same time not cause damage to the material, in addition, the load on the electrical network is reduced.
- Another way to choose the right jigsaw is to pay attention to the presence of a pendulum stroke. It helps to cope with a large amount of work, when you need to do many direct sawing of wood slabs. Almost all modern models have this feature.
- An additional method on how to choose a jigsaw for the home is associated with such a function as maintaining a constant number of revolutions during load. It is useful in cases where you often have to process dense, uneven wood or work with metal parts.
- Chip blowing - the presence of this option also helps to understand how to choose a jigsaw for the home. It is important if the quality, accuracy of work requires constant chip removal (for example, to perform a figured cut).
- The presence of a laser pointer is another indicator of how to choose a jigsaw. Useful in situations where you want to make straight cuts in large numbers. Helps to quickly set markup.
- Finally, there is such a way how to choose the right jigsaw - make sure there is a backlight. A small flashlight is usually equipped with rechargeable models, less often this addition is in electric ones.
Thus, there are quite a few parameters to help you figure out which jigsaw to choose for your home. As a rule, for domestic purposes, medium-power devices that can work with different woods are quite enough. You can purchase a battery model with backlight. It can be carried anywhere and work even in low light conditions.