A jigsaw cuts curves, scrollwork, interior cutouts, and detail shapes that no straight-cutting saw can handle. It is the go-to tool for cutting sink openings in countertops, rounding corners on shelves, cutting curves in furniture parts, and making plunge cuts in the middle of a panel. While less precise than a bandsaw for curves, the jigsaw is portable, affordable, and handles materials from thin plywood to 2-inch hardwood with the right blade.

Jigsaw Buying Guide

How Jigsaws Work

A motor drives the blade in a rapid up-and-down reciprocating motion, typically 500 to 3,100 strokes per minute. The blade cuts on the upstroke, which means tear-out occurs on the top face of the workpiece. For clean visible surfaces, cut with the good face down.

Most modern jigsaws add orbital action — the blade swings forward on the upstroke (into the cut) and back on the downstroke (away from the cut). This aggressive cutting pattern increases speed significantly but produces rougher cuts. Variable orbital settings (0 to 3 or 0 to 4) let you choose between smooth cuts (no orbit) and fast cuts (maximum orbit).

Features That Matter

Variable speed: A dial or trigger that controls blade speed from 500 to 3,100 SPM. Slow speeds for metal and precise curves. Fast speeds for straight cuts in wood. This is essential — a single-speed jigsaw cannot cut metal or make tight curves effectively.

Orbital action settings: At least three orbital settings plus a straight (non-orbital) setting. Use zero orbit for metal, thin material, and finish cuts. Use maximum orbit for fast ripping through thick softwood and rough cuts.

Tool-free blade change: A lever or button that releases and accepts blades without tools. You change blades constantly with a jigsaw — different blades for different materials and different cut qualities. Tool-free change saves significant time. Every major manufacturer now includes this.

Dust blower: A jet of air directed at the cut line, blowing sawdust away so you can see the pencil mark. Essential for accurate freehand cutting. Some jigsaws add a dust port for shop vacuum connection, which is even better.

Base plate bevel: The base plate tilts for angled cuts (typically 0 to 45 degrees). Useful for bevel cuts on furniture parts and trim.

Recommended Models

Budget: Bosch JS260 ($60 to $80). Variable speed, tool-free blade change, compact body. Excellent for occasional home use.

Mid-range: Bosch JS470E ($130 to $150). The standard for serious jigsaw work. Barrel-grip design, precise speed control, four orbital settings, excellent dust blower. The jigsaw other jigsaws are compared to.

Premium: Festool Carvex PS 420 ($350 to $400). Splinter guard, precision base plate, brushless motor, superior dust extraction. Professional-grade for daily use.

Cordless: Milwaukee 2737-20 ($130 bare), DeWalt DCS334B ($150 bare), Makita XVJ02Z ($120 bare). All run on their respective 18V/20V platforms. Cordless jigsaws have reached parity with corded models in performance.

Barrel Grip vs Top Handle

Top handle (D-handle): The traditional grip. One hand wraps around a D-shaped handle on top of the motor. Better for plunge cuts and overhead work. Most homeowner jigsaws use this configuration.

Barrel grip: Your hand wraps around the motor body itself. Lower center of gravity, more control for intricate curves, and better visibility of the cut line. Preferred by professionals and serious woodworkers. The Bosch JS470E barrel grip is the benchmark.

For furniture-making and woodworking curves, barrel grip provides noticeably better control. For general home improvement, either grip works.

Blade Selection

The blade determines what the jigsaw can cut and the quality of the cut. Keep an assortment:

T-shank: The universal blade mount. Every major jigsaw except a few vintage models accepts T-shank blades. U-shank blades are obsolete.

Wood cutting (HCS, 6-10 TPI): Standard blades for general wood cutting. Coarser teeth (6 TPI) for fast rough cuts. Finer teeth (10 TPI) for cleaner cuts.

Clean-cut/reverse tooth: Teeth point downward instead of upward, cutting on the downstroke. This eliminates top-surface tear-out — essential for cutting laminate countertops, melamine, and veneered plywood with the good face up.

Scrolling blades (12-20 TPI): Narrow blades that make tight-radius curves. The narrower the blade, the tighter the turn. A 1/8-inch wide blade turns a 1/4-inch radius. Standard blades turn 1-inch minimum radius.

Metal cutting (bi-metal, 14-24 TPI): Fine teeth that cut mild steel, aluminum, copper, and thin sheet metal. Use low speed and no orbital action.

Carbide grit: For cutting tile, fiberglass, and cement board. No teeth — an abrasive edge grinds through hard materials.

Cutting Techniques

Following a Line

Draw the cut line on the workpiece. Position the front of the base plate on the workpiece with the blade aligned to the waste side of the line. Start the saw before the blade contacts the material. Feed steadily, watching the blade at the cut line — not at the edge of the base plate. The blade has some flex, so the cut follows where you guide it, not where the baseplate points.

Plunge Cutting

Cut an interior opening without drilling a starter hole:

Tilt the jigsaw forward so the front edge of the base plate rests on the workpiece and the blade tip is above the surface
Start the saw at full speed
Slowly lower the back of the saw, pivoting on the base plate edge, until the blade tip contacts and cuts through the material
Once through, level the base plate and proceed along your cut line

Plunge cuts work in wood and drywall. Do not attempt them in metal or tile.

Cutting Without Tear-Out

For plywood and laminate where tear-out matters:

Place painter’s tape along the cut line (the tape supports the surface fibers and reduces splintering)
Use a reverse-tooth blade or a fine-tooth blade (12+ TPI) with zero orbital action
Cut with the good face down (standard blade) or good face up (reverse-tooth blade)
Feed slowly — speed causes tear-out

Cutting Circles

Clamp a strip of plywood or a commercial circle guide to the jigsaw base plate. Pin the pivot end at the center of the desired circle. Swing the jigsaw around the pivot for a perfect circle. Useful for cutting speaker holes, round tabletops, and decorative cutouts.

Common Mistakes

Forcing the cut. A jigsaw blade bends under excessive feed pressure, causing the cut to angle away from vertical (beveled cut). The blade also overheats and dulls. Let the blade cut at its own pace.

Using dull blades. Jigsaw blades are cheap ($0.50 to $2 each) and disposable. Change the blade when it starts cutting slowly or producing rough edges. A fresh blade costs less than the time wasted fighting a dull one.

Wrong blade for the material. A coarse wood blade in sheet metal vibrates and chatters. A metal blade in wood cuts agonizingly slowly. Match the TPI and blade type to the material.

Bottom Line

A quality jigsaw ($60 to $150) with variable speed and orbital action handles every curved cut, interior cutout, and detail shape in a home workshop. Keep a stock of 10 TPI wood blades, reverse-tooth blades for laminate, scrolling blades for tight curves, and bi-metal blades for occasional metal cutting. For straight cuts, reach for the circular saw or table saw. For curves, the jigsaw is unmatched.