Bosch 1587 Jig Saw - Keep?

[aiyou]

The collective wisdom would be greatly appreciated...

I've been looking for a new jig saw (last one got lost after helping a friend with home repairs prior to a sale..think the saw went with the house), and I have a HD gift card that may cover most, if not all, of the purchase depending on the saw of choice.

Local BORG had a 1587AVSP-1 kit (hard case, no-mar shoe pad, and 10 piece blade assortment), but it was the only one on hand, and the display indicated that they are carrying the JS365. Both the 1587AVSP and the JS365 price out at $129.

They also had what appears to be a new Ryobi JS651L for about half the price.

I'm not a frequent jig saw user, but have suffered with a previous low-end B&D model that had terrible blade deflection and a base plate that wouldn't stay at 90-deg. End result - too many bad words.

I'm more comfortable with the top handle designs (don't care for the barrel grips), and I don't have any cordless that I could augment with a jig saw accessory.

Other options might be the Makita JV0600K or the DeWalt DW331K.

So, would the 1587 be a keeper?

Thanks
Rob

[Knottscott]

I'd pick the Bosch over any of those, but is there any chance of upgrading to the 1591 for the quick blade change?

[JimD]

I was just looking at an old Fine Homebuilding a couple nights ago and they ranked a Makita over the Bosch. You might try to find the review on-line and check model numbers. That was one of the few times I've seen any jig saw rated higher than the Bosch, however. They still recommended the Bosch. I have an older barrel grip Bosch and have no desire to "upgrade". Blade changes do not require tools but are not as easy as current models. I have the accessory cast aluminum table for it and the zero clearance base inserts. I mention this because I doubt other brands have as many "extras" available. I would get the Bosch.

I got the Bosch when I was doing Habitat work in Pittsburgh. I used it to cut 4x4s because it would do it in one pass so it was quicker than a circular saw. I was quite surprised how much better it was than the old skil jig saw my dad gave me.

Jim

[cabinetman]

I've had a Bosch 1587 series since the mid 80's, and would buy that series new again.

.

[Stytooner]

I have used one of these for years as well. The 1587 that is. Blade changes are easy and tool less.
I cut lots of steel with mine.
It shows no signs of slowing down or much wear. Looks rough, but cuts just as well as the first day. Very tough and accurate.

[Pappy]

I have the Grizzly knock-off of the Bosch. That being said, when I upgrade it will be to a Bosch. They have been setting the standard for jigsaws for a number of years. I don't think I have ever read a complaint about one here.

[aiyou]

Thanks for the feedback.

Cracked open the case, and first impressions are mixed.

On the plus side, the unit feels good, and when plugged in and running, is super quiet (least compared to the beasts I've used previously).

Did notice that the unit is a 5 amp, which I should have known from the website and product reviews, but the receipt listed it as a 6.1 amp model. Seeing as how most of the newer models appear to be in the 6-7 amp range, will the extra power be missed?

While blade changes are tool-less, there seems to be a trick that I've not mastered. I followed the instructions (lift up on lever at top of handle, rotate 3 times counter-clockwise, move orbital selector to pos III), but can't get the blade to insert far enough so that I can rotate it to the cutting direction. Grabbing the blade and trying to twist and push, feels like I'm more likely to slice a finger.

Any tricks or tips would be well-received, but barring that, I just might decide to spend the extra and upgrade further for the newer tool-less blade changes.

[LinuxRandal]

I have the 1587, which I bought at a damaged freight store for around $60. It is MUCH smoother then what I had used before, although I don't remember the trick, I did find the best blade changing description in Amazon's reviews. Unfortunately for me, when I needed it one day, it was loaned out, so I bought the 1590 and really do prefer it. The cap on my 1587 does come off, and WAY more easily then I would like it to. It is supposedly better at coping, with a Collins Coping foot (not available for the 1590) and I will use it for that, or just for the metal work, once I get the broken blade out of it (the way it was returned).

[aiyou]

Figured the blade change out. Turns out, I hadn't lifted the lever sufficiently enough. Initially, only lifted it about 1/8", but looks like I needed to tug a bit harder and raise it to about 1/4".

Still not as easy as the newer version.

The 1590 looks to have been most recently an online-only item for HD, and it is currently out of stock.

All things considered, with the gift card and the little out of pocket that I had to spend, I think I'll keep it.

Thanks everyone for the input.

[phrog]

Someone gave me an old Makita several years ago and it has performed flawlessly for me. However, if it goes, I will probably buy a Bosch 1587 if they are still available.

[Sawatzky]

The 1587 is a great saw. I have one and love using it