Customer Reviews

Bosch 1587AVSP Progressor Top-Handle Jig Saw Kit

5 star:		(81)
4 star:		(16)
3 star:		(4)
2 star:		(1)
1 star:		(4)

 

 

I have owned a lot of jigsaws in my life, but this is easily the best I've ever had. It is powerful, easy to use, cuts through wood like butter. Blade replacement is simple with no tools necessary, just wind and unwind the crank at the top. I don't know how it works but it works great! The blade can be set to cycle in a oval up/down, forward/back motion, which is great for fast wood cutting, or set to run up and down only for precise work. The bottom plate is strong, heavy metal and doesn't bend out out of shape from the pounding. For really fine work, the plastic sole can be changed out so as not to mar expensive woods. And the Progressor blades it works with just chew up wood like you wouldn't believe with straight, clean edges. It's a little heavy but there isn't much vibration and it's comfortable to hold on long cutting jobs. I think it's a great tool, I recommend it very highly!

I have lately become a big fan of Bosch power tools. The company really excels in the area of saws and routers. After buying the Bosch 10" slide compound miter saw (see my review there), I decided to also buy the "Progressor." I am very happy I did. This saw cuts through 3/4" plywood like the wood isn't even there -- no exaggeration. I use it to do rough cross-cuts and rips, and it performs beautifully. The edge it leaves is very smooth. With a steady hand, you can cut perfect lines; it's pretty easy to keep the saw moving in a straight line. It's got a very convenient dust-blower that keeps the sawdust away from the line you're cutting, which helps make it even easier to cut nice straight lines. The trigger system allows you to very easily adjust the saw's speed -- just pull the trigger a little more or let up a little bit and the saw responds perfectly. The saw comes with a great set of "progressor" blades for different types of materials, and the saw has easy-to-use switches for setting the saw to cut different materials. The blade-changing system is something that I know people complain about with the Bosch, but, honestly, it's not difficult to master it, and the blade clearly "clicks" into place so you know it's in. Finally, the metal case that comes with the saw is actually useful (unlike many other cases that come with power tools). From beginning to end, I really can't think of a single negative aspect of this saw. It gets my strong recommendation.

I have owned a couple of jigsaws over the years. Neither worked well and therefor I never had much opinion of the jigsaw as tool per se. Frequently, I would reach for my old keyhole saw and work by hand rather than deal with what I thought was an inferior tool. The problem was I just did not have the right jigsaw.

The Bosch 1587AVSP "Progressor" may quite simply be one of the best tools ever to come off a production line. With the wide assortment of blades included in this kit I have cut through a variety of materials (wood, aluminum, and steel) with the greatest of ease. It has wonderful power and the variable speed allows control in any situation. I will now be reaching for it rather than my circular saw or handsaws.

A few people have commented that the "clic" blade changing system is tricky. It is true that it is not very intuitive. Nevertheless, after the first three times, the old adage "practice makes perfect" was true again and, it is second nature to me now.

I read somewhere that, after a good cordless drill, a jigsaw should be the homeowner's second power tool purchase. The price of this saw might seem expensive to someone who plans to use it only occasionally. However, it will pay for itself by increasing productivity and lowering the frustration that will be encountered using lesser saws. If you can fit in your budget, you will not be disappointed in your purchase.

This is my second Bosch Jig Saw. I purchased the first in Hawaii to finish the boat I was building. Only reason to replace that one is I am giving it to my son. Even better then the quality is that currently it is priced at $6.00 over my cost in 1989. This is a life time tool. Use it and you will never pick up any other brand of saw.

I love power tools. A few stand out as the best. Usually made by the company who invented them. For instance , the skilsaw. Who has ever designed a better saw than the 77 wormdrive saw? How about the sawzall? No one can touch the super sawzall in a comparison test or in the real world. With jigsaws, Bosch is tops.They invented the thing. They make the best one available today. Everyone else has tried to copy their design, but not one has exceeded or even equalled it in design or usefulness. Believe me, I've had many. In magazine review after review it alone stands out as the best. Why? It cuts faster. It cuts smoother. It vibrates less. It's easier to control. The T shank blades are stronger than any other competitive design. It makes less noise. It's easy to hook up to your shop-vac. You don't need tools to change blades.( to be fair,Milwaukee does have a nicer blade changing set up, and Dewalt has a better footplate adjustment)All this and a very reasonable price make it the logical choice. Maybe that's why you see them on so many jobsites. Incidently this saw was recently rated second in a comparison test. What was rated higher? The new Bosch 1589 saw that's not available yet in the U.S.

For years Bosch has been known to have the best jig saw for your money. But recently Makita came out with a new model for 2003 (4340FCT). Since I was in the market for a new jig saw I thought I would try them out head to head. I felt that since Makita's was a newer model that it would have some improvements over the Bosch.

First let me start by saying I am not an professional woodworker, so in no way is this a scientific study. I just chose things to compare that were important to me. I am just a home enthusiast who likes to get very good tools the first time around, and don't mind paying the extra money for them. I have no bias towards Makita or Bosch. I own some of their other tools and am happy with all of them.

- Tool Weight: Each tool weighs about the same.
- Weight Distribution: The Bosch was weighted more evenly, Makita weighted a little too much towards the front - Winner: Bosch.
-Feel: The Bosch fit a little nicer into my grip, particularly the trigger - Winner: Bosch.
-Vibration: Both of these units had very little vibration, even at high speeds - Winner: None.
-Sight Line: When using a jig saw, I like to view the blade while cutting since usually it is more detailed work I am doing. The Bosch has its blade set more forward, so it is easier to see from above. Where the Makita's is a little more set back - Winner: Bosch.
-Blade System: The Makita has a new blade installation system that is very, very nice to use. However it is spring loaded so I am curious as to its long term durability. - Winner: Makita
-Start Up: Both are variable speed saws. The Makita has a smooth start, where the Bosch has variable speed built into the trigger system. I like the Bosch better. You can slowly bring the tool up to the speed it is set at. The Makita is smooth, but it immediately kicks up to the set speed - Winner: Bosch.
-Features: Bosch has a variable chip blower (Makita has chip blower too, just not variable). The Makita has a little light. I don't think the light is very effective, but I also didn't notice much difference in the chip blower settings on the Bosch.
-Cost: Bosch $10 less (at review time)

Conclusion: I went with the Bosch. Makita's blade system was so nice it almost won out, but because of the variable start-up and sight line on the Bosch I ended up going with that.

I just recently received my new Bosch jig saw and all I can say is I am glad I waited and shopped around. This saw is terrific. It is well balanced, runs smooth with little to no notable vibration, and the variety of blades available make it suitable for most any kind of cutting. I especially like the finger-tip variable speed control and ease of blade change. A great tool at a great price!

I received my 1587AVSP yesterday and played around with it. I mainly wanted to see if the blade locking mechanism was as difficult as some had written about. The first try proved a little difficult, but the second was a breeze. There's one simple step that needs to be done before loosening the blade clamp. Push the blade clamp as high into the housing as it will go to clear it away from the roller. That's it.

Putting things simply, the locking mechanism is like any other screw type clamp. The number of turns needed to lock the blade in place depends on how open it is and how thick the shank is. After the click, if it isn't aligned with the handle, keep clicking.

I must agree with everyone that said the saw was smooth. There is going to be some vibration, but I'm very impressed by how little there is. I've used a jig saw made by BD before and there is not comparison. The Bosch is balanced to be used all day.

As for the blades that came with the set, a pretty good selection is provided. I'm not sure if all packages carry the same set of blades, but this is what came with mine.

T345XF - all-purpose - Progressor, BiM, 5 1/4"
T234X - wood - Progressor, HCS, 4 1/2"
T123X - metal - Progressor, HSS, 4"
T144D - wood - HCS, 4", 6 TPI
T118A - metal - HSS, 3", 24 TPI
T118G - metal - HSS, 3", 36 TPI
T101AO - wood - HCS, 3", 20 TPI
T101BR - wood - HCS, 4", 10 TPI
T101DP - wood - HCS, 4", 6 TPI

Hope this helps and thanks to all who reviewed.

A few earlier reviews have complained that this jig saw does not make 90 degree cuts. Curious, I tried my saw (purchased in June 2000) with a variety of blades and materials and found that its cuts are always vertical. Then I checked the display model at Lowe's (Sep 2001) and--lo and behold--their saw leans to the right by a few degrees. So this problem is something new and a definite quality control problem at the Bosch factory. Although not an ideal solution, if your saw has this alignment error, the footplate can be tilted by a few degrees to ensure that the blade and footplate are truly perpendicular.

I have used this jig saw for various projects, cutting aluminum, steel, PVC, plywood, pine, and hardwood, and have been very pleased with the results. The saw cuts cleanly, quickly and accurately. I found blade installation to be quick and simple, if you follow the directions carefully (though it usually takes me more than 3 counter-clockwise turns of the change knob before insertion of the blade is possible). With 7 plunger speeds, 4 blade orbit settings, and at least 10-15 different blade choices, the main problem becomes figuring out which combination is best for the task at hand.

I will start by saying that I have owned and used several other jig saws, and this one ranks right at the top. Vibration is minimal to nonexistent, and the variable speed and orbital settings make it possible to get smooth cuts in any type of material. I also purchased the combo 30-pack of Bosch blades, and found them to be of outstanding quality. I cannot add anything to what has already been said of the comfort and power of this saw...it's all true. However, I did find a flaw that I thought was worth mentioning. When I first received my saw, I made several practice cuts in different types of material of varying thicknesses using different blades. These were all straight cuts, and I found in every case that the saw base was 3-4 degrees off of perpendicular. I carefully checked and rechecked, making sure that the saw base was flat to the material during the cut, and always had the same results. Two weeks later at a woodworking show in Houston, I mentioned this to a Bosch factory rep, and he vehemently denied that the saw could be off. He happened to have an identical saw on display, so I let him demonstrate a straight crosscut on a white pine 2x6 that had been previously planed smooth. Sure enough, no matter how many times he tried or which blade he used, the saw base was 3-4 degrees out of 90. His saw base leaned slightly to the right just like mine. He pulled out another identical saw....same story. Needless to say, he was dumbfounded, and a bit embarrassed, as we had attracted quite a crowd. Since the saw only has fixed angle adjustments on the base, no fine tuning is possible. Correcting the problem is only possible if the base plate is shimmed. I used layers of tape on mine. I know that a jig saw is not a precision tool, and that the blade can deflect on course/swirled wood grain and on curved cuts, but this defect seemed excessive. On a piece of 2" dimensional lumber, the saw produces a straight cut that is 1/8" out of vertical. Certainly not as good as other saws that I have used. Overall, I am very pleased with the saw, and would still recommend it for its power, versatility and stability. I would give it 3 1/2 stars, because it is certainly an above average tool. Almost perfect!