But here comes Bosch’s 1590, and it elevates the outcast jigsaw to the most-wanted list.

The first thing we liked about this saw is its heft; it’s beefy, solid and made with that famous Swiss quality. You wrap your hand around the soft, substantial grip, squeeze the ample trigger and the soft-start whirs gently; with hardly any effort from you, the blade slices through whatever’s ahead of it. Perhaps because it’s heavier than most jigsaws, there’s practically zero vibration, giving you a delightfully smooth, no-buzz experience, something pretty much unheard of in your average jigsaw.

Another nice feature is the speed mechanism: Set your maximum speed on the trigger dial, then control your speed up to that max by squeezing the trigger. On long cuts, you can lock the trigger on, too, and the blower actually does keep your cutline clear.

If that’s all this saw had going for it, that would be enough for us. But coolest of all is the blade-change system that literally ejects the blade in a split second, takes the new one and gets you right back to your cutting – all tool-free. Amazing.

If you’ve relegated the jigsaw to the bottom of your toolbox, you owe it to yourself to give this one a chance. We think it’s fantastic. --Kris Jensen-Van Heste

What’s in the Box
Precision wood blade, progressor wood blade, tight kerf blade, zero-clearance insert, non-marring footplate, carrying case