Hi, my name is Brent, and I'm a tool-a-holic. (You say, "Hi Brent" here.) My grandfather always said that there's nothing more expensive than cheap tools. The money you save on a saw could easily be negated by chewing up nice plywood and spending a lot of your valuable time trying to prepare for or cleaning up a mess. So there is that compelling piece of logic, coupled with my motto that there are few projects that do not justify the purchase of another tool. I always use the tool again for something else so I can further rationalize it. With that in mind, I recently purchased the Bosch barrel-grip jig saw. $150 without case from Woodworker's Supply. Variable speed and orbit settings, dust blower, quick blade changes, anti-splinter insert, great ergonomic feel and most importantly, SMOOTH. I have old Craftsman and Skil jig saws and they promptly were given away to unsuspecting (and perhaps soon to be ex-) friends. This saw makes you want to just cut wood for fun. It handles like a dream and you can split the line with no splinters. Don't skimp on blades either. You wouldn't put a plastic, single-use camera lense on a Nikon. Now understand, I am a notorious cheapskate- I have whole pieces of furniture built from wood I have scrounged for nothing. For some things you just have to suck it and shell it out. Just one tool-a-holic's opinion. If anyone lives around the Triangle and wants to test drive this beauty, give me a buzz.

Cheers,

Brent in Durham