Festool 561593 Carvex PS 420 EBQ Jigsaw

For a jigsaw, this things a beast. It's not festool track saw accurate, but that's not what a jigsaw is for. It's powerful and smooth. You can take tight turns. It really excels for preparing work for a template if you don't have a bandsaw. For people who cry about the off switch, their just little girls.

I've been using a 30 year old jigsaw which has worked well except when I cut thick stock then the blade would not cut holes well. The barrel shaped body makes cutting more accurate, the led light has a strobe option so it's easier to see the blade as you follow the cutting line. The variable speed has an automatic setting which starts the blade slowly then increases the blade speed for a faster cut. This is my first Festool and it cost about $60 more than the Bosch I was originally going to buy but it was well worth the extra money.

Have you ever used a jig saw and said to yourself, This thing is freaking amazing?? Well, I thought I would never say that about a jig saw until I bought this. Just like all the Festool products they are amazing but pricey. This cuts effortless perpendicular curves with one finger. It is amazing how smooth this cuts and how straight the cut is. As all the festool stuff, it takes a while to finally pull the trigger on their stuff. When you finally do, you kick yourself for not doing it earlier.Only Only Only bad is how festool still charges you an arm and a leg for their tool accessories. If you make the big purchase all the rest should be much cheaper. All of the guys say the same thing!

I received my Carvex this morning and have used it for about two hours on a project and all I can say is "yes it's worth the money". My situation may be unique in that I'm making about 6 Adirondack chairs and I have a small shop so I don't have room for a full sized bandsaw so I'm making most of my rough cuts for the chairs with a jigsaw. After rough cutting a piece I then use templates to make the finished form using a flush trim router bit on a router table. This workflow with my previous jigsaw which was a pretty nice Bosch was time consuming and wasteful at best because the Bosch tended to wander on me in 2x4 and 2x6 cedar which meant I had to leave a bit more excess wood outside the pattern which then meant I had to spend a lot more time on the router table which is more dangerous with a 2" flush trim bit and takes a lot longer because you have to nibble away at the excess so that was becoming a real chore. After opening up the Carvex systainer and giving the manual a quick once through I was up and running with a blade and a properly cut splinter guard. Right off the bat I cut squarer, cleaner, quicker and more accurately than I had ever been able to do with the Bosch. The dust collection was also much much better which is important for me in a small shop. Like I said most of these cuts you would typically do on a bandsaw if you want the ultimate in square and accuracy but in the absence of owning that tool this is the next best thing for anything with a curve. After owning many of Festool's products I've come to the conclusion that the saddest day of owning a Festool tool is the first day when you have to fork over the money. The rest of your time with their tools you will be kicking yourself for not buying it sooner because they really are just that much better in almost every respect.If you use your current jigsaw the way I do and need square, accurate and clean cuts don't hesitate. Just get the Carvex. You'll thank me later.

Love the stroboscopic light, on/off on both sides of the tool. Cut a sink into a hardwood counter the other day, very impressed how square the cut was, lots of power. Dust extraction is nice so that you can see the cut line, but it doesn’t catch as much as I hoped, but because of the nature of how a jig saw cuts it’s hard to catch it. You get what you pay for.

Disappointed actually. It was fairly expensive and although it comes with a nice sturdy case, there are other features lacking. For one, the on/off switch is not trigger controlled. It is located on both sides of the motor. In case of an emergency, it will not just shut off if you let your finger off a trigger. You have to reach up and shut it off. To me, that is a safety concern. Second, sawdust builds in the cutting line I try to follow making me go off the line constantly. It seems some of the lower priced jig saws have some sort of air blowing in the path of the blade but this saw does not. It did cut through 2x6 pine easy enough but not always a great 90 degree angle. My biggest concern is the safety issue with the on/off button located too far from fingers reach. If you dropped the saw it would keep running, etc.

Love it!