Jigsaw - Top Handle Or Barrel Handle

H.U.M.

i've always used the top handle. never tried the barrel one. i'd like to here their use comparision.
is it barrel more confortable, easier to make cuts, etc?
according to the design, it looks like you gotta use both hands on the tool. no very uselful when i need to hold myself

Forry

"when I need to hold myself"


???


Best to focus on the tools anyways i would think.

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mickeyco

Barrel, better control in my opinion. You can "hold" yourself after you have completed the job, preferably in private.


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neolitic

Can't speak to your "personal" habits,
but top handle saber saws are just
a passing fad.

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bcradio

top handle all the way for me... cuts smoother

ya the barrel handle fad will soon pass

and I try to refrain from holding myself!

mickeyco

Explain how the top handle cuts smoother, I understand personal preference but the top handle takes you further from the cut.


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bcradio

exactly... you are dead on with that

pop quiz: whats one of the main problems when cutting with a saw?

Answer: human error and imperfections... meaning a shaking hand in this case. Like you said the top handle takes you further from the cut reducing the shaking in your hand and in turn making smoother cuts.

If you are trying to argue that a barrel handle cuts curves and corners better, then I totally agree with you on that

Every tool has its pros and cons... I just prefer smoother cuts over cutting tighter corners

neolitic

On second thought,if I were to carry
my jigsaw around, I'd need a truss to
hold "myself".
That cast iron table weighs a lot!
I guess that's why I use the
saber saw on the job.

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orson

There's nothing like some clarity....

My dad always called the tool in question a "saber saw". When I started working construction and no one knew what tool I was talking about they eventually broke me. I'm going to start calling it by it's proper name again, thanks neolitic!!

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neolitic

Two tools. Two names.

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mickeyco

That's what my dad called it as well. Link

Attached Thumbnails

 

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H.U.M.

LOL ... yeah "when i need to hold myself"
well, let me clarify. lol
most of the time i use the jigsaw is for making ventilation holes. no all the time i get to make them on the bottom part of the wall. i could say 75% of the vents are on the top, and probably 20% of them are not easily reacheable from where i can place the ladder, therefore, I NEED TO HOLD MYSELF with one hand, and operate the jig with the other.
has anyone been on my situation?

neolitic

Since you never used a barrel saber saw,
why don't you see if you can borrow one?
Or go to a tool supplier and see if they
have a demo?
It's one of those personal things.
A top handle is just awkward to me.
A barrel feels like an extension of
my hand, just goes where I want.

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Teetorbilt

I notice that I tend to push a top handle saw to the outside of a curve which results in a slightly beveled edge.....sometimes. I could just be rushed and not giving the tool time to work. Overall, I prefer the barrel type.

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Dan_Watson

What jig saw has a cast iron table?

mickeyco

I believe Teetorbilt will be the final word on this subject, The thread is done, barrel type are the best.

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neolitic

All but the cheapest and smallest.
A jig saw is a shop tool,
a bench top saw, also known as
a scroll saw.
A saber saw is
a hand tool, a portable tool.
(See Mickey's illustration)
Did you ever wonder why it
is called a jig saw puzzle?
They were made of wood
cut on a jig saw.

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Dan_Watson

Ok I if you want to get technical, any saw used to cut curves and other intricate shapes is a jig saw, a scroll saw would be the benchtop version, and a sabre saw would be the hand held version...although I am not sure of how many people would call it that I guess that would be correct.

mickeyco

A reciprocating saw is also a sabre saw.

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kenhill3

For those who say that the top-handle is less accurate, I agree- but only if you are cutting one-handed. 95% of the cuts that I make w/my jigsaw are finish cuts and need to be very accurate. I use two hands- one on the handle, the other on the baseplate to guide the cut.