You may already own a best cordless jigsaw, but if your is like mine, it likely has a cord attached.
I wanted to find out how cordless models stack up against the corded type I’ve used for years.
Using a range of blades and various types of cuts in different materials, I put eight cordless jigsaws through their paces.
At the end of this article, I’ll give you a rundown on how they compared with one another.
Best Cordless Jigsaw
Aside from specs and features, I judged these saws by test results.
I measured the noise level with a decibel meter, and for vibration, I set the running saws down on a level table. Some aws bounced around a bit; others sat perfectly still.
Cleanliness of cut, cutting speed and blade deflection were all tested with the same blade in identical material.
Best Professional Cordless Jigsaw
- Bauer 1773C-B (Best Under $50)
- Dewalt DCS334B (Best Under $200)
- Craftsman CMCS600D1 (Best Under $150)
- Kobalt KJS 324B-03 (Best Under $150)
- Ryobi P524 (Best Under 150 Dollars)
- Hart HPJS01 (Best Under $100)
- Ridgid R8832B (Best Under 150)
- Milwaukee 2737-21 (Best Under 200)
Best Quietest Cordless Jigsaw
Bauer 1773C-B (Best Cordless Jigsaw Under $50)
By far the best value! This saw hung right in there with DeWalt and Milwaukee for one-fourth the price.
Not the fastest cutting speed, but not the slowest. Easy blade changes, excellent cut quality and almost no blade deflection. Minimal vibration.
20V | 2,400 SPM | 1″ Stroke.
Dewalt DCS334B (Best Cordless Jigsaw Under $200)
Earning top scores across the board, this was easily my favorite.
Easy blade changes, high quality cuts and minimal vibration.
20V | 3,200 SPM | Variable Speed Dial | 1″ Stroke.
Best Cordless Barrel Grip Jigsaw
Craftsman CMCS600D1 (Best Cordless Jigsaw Under $150)
The only saw to include a battery. Lower than average noise rating. There’s no light, which makes it hard to see the cutting line.
Minimal vibration but prone to blade deflection.
20V | 2,500 SPM | 3/4″ Stroke.
Kobalt KJS 324B-03 (Best Cordless Jigsaw Under $150)
The easiest blade insertion and ejection of the entire group.
Cuts fast with very little blade deflection. Moderate vibration.
24V | 3,000 SPM | 1″ Stroke.
Best 12v Cordless Jigsaw
Ryobi P524 (Best Under 150 Dollars)
Part of Ryobi’s large family of 18-volt tools, the P524 performed very well.
Light, quiet and priced right in the middle of all the saws tested. Great cut quality and minimal vibration.
18V | 3,500 SPM | Variable Speed Dial | 1″ Stroke.
Hart HPJS01 (Best Under $100)
This the lightest of all jigsaws tested, but also one of the loudest. It cut well, with very little blade deflection.
Look for a full line of 20-volt tools from Hart, exclusively at Walmart.
20V | 3,000 SPM | 1″ Stroke
Ridgid R8832B (Best Under 150)
The quietest tool on the testing table, Ridgid performed well.
Some blade deflection, but fast cutting with decent cut quality. Moderate vibration.
18V | 3,500 SPM | Variable Speed Dial | 1″ Stroke
Milwaukee 2737-21 (Best Under 200)
Coming in as the heaviest and loudest, this saw is a workhorse.
The dust blower performed well, keeping the cutting line clear. Higher vibration than other saws, but fast cutting.
18V | 3,500 SPM | 1″ Stroke
D-handle or barrel grip?
I’m a devout D-handle guy—no two ways about it.
That’s not to say I don’t recognize the benefits of a barrel grip jigsaw; it’s just not for me.
With jigsaws, it really comes down to what is comfortable for you, the size of your hand and how you like to use this tool.
A D-handle may be more suitable for smaller hands; holding a barrel grip may cause fatigue.
A barrel grip jigsaw might be more awkward to hold for some, but its lower center of gravity will allow for better control.
I prefer a D-handle because I can control the blade speed on the trigger.
Barrel grip models have just an on/off switch.
Corded or Battery-Powered?
All the tools tested are in the 18- to 24-volt range and cost from $50 to $200.
That price range is similar to that of corded models, so the question is: If I’m buying a new jigsaw, why would I choose cordless over corded?
I believe the deciding factor should be how the tool will be used.
If it will never leave the shop, then I prefer the reliability of corded power without the need to maintain batteries.
In the field, on the jobsite or in other situations where I may find myself without a power outlet, then the sweet freedom of battery power is the better choice.
Some tools, like circular saws or compressors, put a heavy load on batteries, so you often have to sacrifice power for convenience.
Easy blade changes
All the jigsaws tested have a toolless blade change system.
You don’t have to touch a hot blade to change it out for a fresh one.
Kobalt takes it one step further in allowing you to insert the blade without having to hold a lever.
DeWalt jigsaws also reliably accept and eject blades without any issues. However, not all quick-change systems are equally quick.
I struggled with Milwaukee’s and Ryobi’s.
Dust blowers
For me, the ability to keep dust off the cutting line is a far more important feature than a vacuum port.
Of the eight jigsaws in my test, only Bauer and Ryobi did not offer a dust blower.
Milwaukee’s did a good job of keeping dust well away from the line.
Dust extraction
In my experience, dust collection systems for jigsaws never work very well.
Half of the dust naturally falls to the floor, and there’s the added inconvenience of having to move a vacuum hose around as you cut.
Of the eight models, only Milwaukee and Ridgid offered dust collection ports, so dust collection wasn’t part of my test criteria.
Blade Deflection
With most jigsaws, you’ll experience blade deflection, which means the blade doesn’t cut perfectly perpendicular to the surface.
Many factors contribute to this, including the blade guide design, the quality and length of the blade, the material being cut, and the most common, operator error.
The saws shown here have similar blade guide designs.
Kobalt and Ryobi produced very little blade deflection in my tests, while Bauer performed the best in this category.
12- vs. 20-volt power
Only a few manufacturers still offer a 12-volt cordless jigsaw.
Most jigsaws range from 18- to 24-volt. So why would you want something significantly smaller?
If you simply want a jigsaw around the house for odd jobs, a small 12-volt model like the Bosch JS120 may be all you need.
Battery run-time will be less, and you won’t have quite the cutting power of a 20-volt tool, but at half the size and weight, it might just fit the bill for you.
Blades matter!
The saying “You get what you pay for” is especially true for jigsaw blades.
Bosch and Festool blades top my list because of their rigidity and precise manufacturing.
For me, it’s worth the extra money because I know these blades will produce less chip-out and stay sharper longer.
They’re also less prone to blade deflection. Jigsaw blades are available in T-shank and U-shank styles.
The T-shank style was created for the quick-change blade systems found on most jigsaws produced today. Older saws require the U-shank.
Chip-out test
Chips and splinters can be expected with jigsaws.
To compare cutting performance, I set the oscillation to zero and fit each saw with identical wood-cutting blades from Bosch, then cut across the grain on oak plywood.
Chip-out can be minimized by reducing the orbital setting and keeping your blade speed and feed rate down.
Choosing blades without any set to the teeth will also help keep the cut nice and clean.
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Conclusion
The Kobalt and Hart jigsaws made the cleanest cuts. The Milwaukee and Craftsman saws produced the most splintering.