What is the Best Cordless Jigsaw on the UK Market?
Product Rating Summary
The best cordless jigsaw on the UK market is the Makita DJV180Z 18 V Cordless jigsaw. It is an 18V jigsaw with a tool-less blade change, 0-2600 strokes per minute, an LED job light and can cut up to 10mm in steel and 135mm in wood.
Top 5 Recommended Cordless Jigsaws
This is our review of the top 5 best cordless jigsaws that are currently available on the UK market. Most DIY and professionals will know just how useful a jigsaw can be. When that is available in a cordless version, then for us, that is a huge bonus.
The simple fact that you don't have to worry about being restricted by an electric power lead is great just by itself. Even better you have no risk of inadvertently chopping through the lead makes it 100 times safer.
With the introduction of Lithium-Ion batteries, having powerful, longer lasting and faster to charge batteries has greatly enhanced the use of all cordless tools. Jigsaws are no exception to this, and they are growing quickly in popularity with UK buyers.
So, if you decide a cordless jigsaw is for you, it is time to say goodbye to trailing leads and extension leads. If you would like to find out about corded jigsaws, then please click here.
- Makita DJV180Z 18 V Cordless Body Only Li-ion Jigsaw (98%)
- Ryobi R18JS-0 ONE+ Jigsaw with LED (96%)
- Bosch PST 18 LI Cordless Jigsaw (94%)
- DEWALT DCS334N-XJ Cordless Jigsaw (94%)
- Makita DJV182Z Cordless Brushless Jigsaw (92%)
- VonHaus Cordless Jigsaw (86%)
Makita DJV180Z Main Review:
It has a compact and lightweight design (2.8kg). To changes the blade is a simple push in lock system.
It has 3 orbital settings, plus straight cutting and variable speed. It can also do bevel cuts up to 45 degrees left or right and a positive stop at 90.
Key Features:
overall
Quality
Cutting
Ease of Use
Cost
Pros
Cons
Conclusion
- This is the biggest seller on the UK market
- 91% of all online buyers gave this a full 5 star review
- The base is die cast base and made of heavy duty aluminium to increase durability and maximise the tool life
- It has a large trigger switch for easy operation
- Also has a built in LED light
- Aslso has a sawdust blowing feature
- There is also a rubber dust seal at the rod and retainer that shuts out dust.
Ryobi R18JS-0 ONE+ Jigsaw Main Review:
The Ryobi R18JS-0 cordless jigsaw is a good choice for cutting straight and curved lines in a variety of materials such as wood, metal and plastic.
It can cut up to 101mm in wood, and 6mm in steel.
Uses a 4-stage pendulum action and has variable speed control.
Key Features:
overall
Quality
Speed
Ease of Use
Cost
Pros
Cons
Conclusion
- This cordless jigsaw sells really well on the UK market
- 87% of all online buyers gave this a full 5 star review
- Variable speed allows you to achieve fast rough cuts or clean finished edges
- It has an adjustable aluminium base of up to 45 degrees that allows you to make angled cuts
- Has a lock-on switch to reduce fatigue
- Also has a tool less blade clamp for quick and easy changes
- Comes with a 3 year warranty
- Can be bought as a bare tool or with a battery and charger
Bosch PST 18 LI Cordless Jigsaw Main Review:
This Bosch jigsaw uses a four stage orbital pendulum action, which allows for quicker sawing and improved handling round corners.
It can cut up to 80mm in wood and 5mm in steel. It also has a work light and a dust blowing function.
Key Features:
overall
Quality
Speed
Ease of Use
Cost
Pros
Cons
Conclusion
- This cordless jigsaw sells really well on the UK market
- 80% of all online buyers gave this a full 5 star review
- Uses a speed trigger for variable speed for different materials
- Has a blast function for clear sight of the cutting area
- Also has an LED work light
- Has a lock-off switch to prevent accidental activation
- Also has a blade storage compartment with space for up to 6 saw blades
- It can be adjusted for mitre cuts up to 45 degrees
Cordless Jigsaw Buying Guide
Sheer Motor Power
These come in different battery sizes. A pretty ignorant but effective rule of thumb is, the higher the voltage the better. With the better and much improved Lithium-Ion batteries, anything 18 Volts or above works really well to drive the motor.
Battery Pack & Charger
A cordless jigsaw is only as good as the battery it comes with. You should only ever buy Lithium-Ion batteries as they charge fast, and hold their charge for weeks. The bigger the battery the better as it is simply more powerful Most brands will use either an 18 volt or a 20 volt option.
You also want a fast charger. The better ones will be able to do a full charge in an hour to an hour and a half. If you are going to be a regular user of a jigsaw, then well worth considering buying an extra battery. It is always good to have one on standby.
Variable Speeds
When cutting materials like wood, plastic or metals being able to control the speed of the strokes per minute(spm), can be an important consideration. The huge majority of cordless and indeed corded jigsaws have a maximum speed of around 3,000 spm.
That really is more than enough for almost all sawing tasks. Ideally though you want a jigsaw with a range of speeds. Somewhere between 4-8 speed settings is ideal. That allows you to cut through different types of material without either burning them, or putting too much load on your blade.
Weight
Cordless jigsaws will always be heavier than their corded counterparts. That is simply because they have the additional weight of the battery. Many buyers say this is a good thing as the weight of the saw, keeps it steadier and you can make a better cut. While there is some merit in that, you just don't want the jigsaw to be too heavy.
A heavy saw can be tough on the hands and arms. Over time that can cause user fatigue. Ideally, somewhere between 3.5-5 Kg is the ideal weight. Some of the very cheap cordless jigsaws weigh a ton, and I would avoid those.
Changing the Blade
Initially when buying any type of jigsaw, you may not think of how the blade is changed. Trust me on this, it can be really annoying, if you get the wrong type. Most good cordless jigsaws will use some form of quick release blade.
In other words you can quickly change a blade without the use of tools. Some jigsaws hold the blade in place using a clamp that is then tightened by a screw. Some use an Allen key. My advice is to avoid those. The screw driving one gives trouble over time as the head of the screw can start to fragment. It also wastes time when you simply want to get a job done.
Make sure it is a tool free operation is my strong advice.
LED Work Space Lighting
In the past I thought this was more of a nice to have for my jigsaw. Now I would not buy one that doesn't have it. It makes a huge difference when it comes to being able to easily see the line that you are cutting along.
Bevel Cuts
Most UK users buy a jigsaw to do some pretty basic cuts. One cut that might be worth your consideration is a bevel cut. That is a cut where you can tilt the base of the jigsaw to a particular angle, and make a cut at that angle. They are used mainly in woodworking for table edges and for some cupboards and drawers.
If that is important to you, it is worth checking that your jigsaw has that feature.
