Best Cordless Jigsaw Reviews UK
This is my 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 me anyway, 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.
Top 3 Rated Cordless Jigsaws in the UK Market
Highest Rated
Bosch PST 18 LI Cordless Lithium-Ion Jigsaw
Average Price £125
Best Seller
DeWalt 18V XR Lithium-Ion Body Only Jigsaw
Average Price £106
Most Affordable
Draper Expert 03293 18-Volt Cordless Jigsaw
Average Price £70
Below I have done summary reviews of these top 3 cordless jigsaws. There are links from each to a more detailed review of the particular brand and model.
DeWalt 18V XR Lithium-Ion Body Only Jigsaw Short Review
This is of course from the leading brand in professional tools and it is an excellent choice. Please note this is the jigsaw only, and no battery is supplied. If you already own a Dewalt 18 volt Li-Ion battery, it can be used with this jigsaw. If you don't own one you will need to buy a suitable battery, or pick an alternative jigsaw.
This is of course from the leading brand in professional tools and it is an excellent choice. Please note this is the jigsaw only, and no battery is supplied. If you already own a Dewalt 18 volt Li-Ion battery, it can be used with this jigsaw. If you don't own one you will need to buy a suitable battery, or pick an alternative jigsaw.
Buyers rate this jigsaw very highly and it sells really well. It is very popular for anyone who wants to own a high end tool that is built to last.
It is very powerful and uses a fan-cooled motor with replaceable brushes. It has a very fast cutting action, and a variable speed trigger.
Bosch PST 18 LI Cordless Lithium-Ion Jigsaw Short Review
The PST 18 from Bosch does get the overall highest rating from buyers, though it is a close run thing between this one, and the Dewalt model above. It looks to be more expensive than the Dewalt, however this one comes with an 18 volt Li-Ion battery. When you take that into account, it actually works out cheaper.
Buyers rate this jigsaw very highly at 4.9 out of 5 stars, and it can't really get much better than that, in terms of customer satisfaction.
This is a compact powerful jigsaw and suitable for using on jobs like cutting decking planks or sheet metal, even corrugated plastic for roofing.
Changing blades is very fast as well.
Draper Expert 03293 18-Volt Cordless Variable Orbital Speed Jigsaw Short Review
The Draper brand are all about delivering high quality tools, at affordable prices. This Draper Expert 03293 model certainly lives up to that name. This is a high quality jigsaw at a pretty amazing £70 price point.
Now most cheaper products to tend to get lower ratings by buyers. Not the case with this one, as anyone who has bought this, has given it a full 5 star review...that is impressive!
They have also included some really useful features including a tilting base plate. It comes with a case, 3 jigsaw blades and a Li-ion battery pack with a 1 hour fast charger.
It uses standard bayonet-fixing jigsaw blades, with a tool-free change.
It also has a very useful LED worklight
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.
