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" Few things are as useful around the house and shop as a jigsaw. It&amp;#039;s a hacksaw, a fine woodworking tool and a rough-cutting construction saw rolled into one. It makes straight, curved and beveled cuts, and does work that would be difficult to accomplish by hand\u2014such as cutting square holes in a panel.  We gathered six of the biggest and toughest jigsaws we could find. Then we tested them using a fresh bimetal Lenox blade in each. At the end of the day, we had a clear winner and some close contenders. Here&amp;#039;s our report.    Bosch 1590EVS Price: $155      bgcolor=&amp;quot;#999&amp;quot;&amp;amp;gt;Amp: 6.4Max spm and control: 2800, dial adjustCrosscut 3\u204416 x 4 in. steel: 24.5 secondsCrosscut 2 x 8: 6.0 secondsRip 2 x 8 x 12: 9.6 secondsShoe Adjustment: Tool-freeLikes: Everything. It&amp;#039;s rare in our tests that one tool commands the field as convincingly as the Bosch does in this one. It&amp;#039;s heavy, smooth and powerful, a veritable locomotive of jigsaws. The ultimate arbiter was the steel crosscut test. Only the Bosch sailed through, leaving a pile of smoking hot steel chips in its wake. It ejects spent blades like shotgun shells, and its adjustable shoe is designed for ease and accuracy. Dislikes: Nothing noted. ALIGN=&amp;quot;CENTER&amp;quot;&amp;amp;gt;  BEST OVERALL: * * * * *     DeWalt DW331 Price: $150      bgcolor=&amp;quot;#999&amp;quot;&amp;amp;gt;Amp: 6.5Max spm and control: 3100, dial adjustCrosscut 3\u204416 x 4 in. steel: 47.4 secondsCrosscut 2 x 8: 7.2 secondsRip 2 x 8 x 12: 13.5 secondsShoe Adjustment: Tool-freeLikes: This is a carpenter&amp;#039;s jigsaw designed to survive construction-site punishment. The nose, shoe and a large part of the sides are protected with thick metal castings. The blade guard and eject lever are bent steel rod. Dislikes: The blade clamp did not work as reliably as it should. Testers had to check that the blade was firmly clamped by pulling on it. ALIGN=&amp;quot;CENTER&amp;quot;&amp;amp;gt;  * * *     Festool PSB 300 EQ Price: $310      bgcolor=&amp;quot;#999&amp;quot;&amp;amp;gt;Amp: 6Max spm and control: 2900, dial adjustCrosscut 3\u204416 x 4 in. steel: 42.3 secondsCrosscut 2 x 8: 5.7 secondsRip 2 x 8 x 12: 8.8 secondsShoe Adjustment: Allen wrenchLikes: Almost everything. This is a compact, quiet, smooth-cutting saw designed for professional woodworkers. For example, you can equip it with a typical fence but also a track that the saw rides in for the ultimate in smooth and straight cutting. It was the only saw with an easily removable cord. Dislikes: The performance is excellent, but not the price. ALIGN=&amp;quot;CENTER&amp;quot;&amp;amp;gt;  * * * *     Makita 4350FCT Price: $170      bgcolor=&amp;quot;#999&amp;quot;&amp;amp;gt;Amp: 6.3Max spm and control: 2800, dial adjustCrosscut 3\u204416 x 4 in. steel: 44.5 secondsCrosscut 2 x 8: 7.4 secondsRip 2 x 8 x 12: 9.0 secondsShoe Adjustment: Allen wrenchLikes: Big saw, small package. The Makita packs a fair amount of cutting power in a compact size. It also packs a fair amount of common sense\u2014the blade orbit is controlled with a lever on the side of the saw marked 0 to 3, and to release the blade, you simply pivot the blade guard forward. There&amp;#039;s not a mysterious symbol, lever or button to be found on it. Dislikes: The saw lacks tool-free shoe adjustment. ALIGN=&amp;quot;CENTER&amp;quot;&amp;amp;gt;  * * *     Milwaukee 6268-21 Price: $170      bgcolor=&amp;quot;#999&amp;quot;&amp;amp;gt;Amp: 6.5Max spm and control: 3000, dial adjustCrosscut 3\u204416 x 4 in. steel: 39.6 secondsCrosscut 2 x 8: 6.9 secondsRip 2 x 8 x 12: 11.3 secondsShoe Adjustment: Tool-freeLikes: This is a saw for the rest of us. If you don&amp;#039;t use a jigsaw every day, then you&amp;#039;ll appreciate the little chart on the side that matches cutting speed/orbital action to the material. Need to pivot the shoe? Just swing the large lever beneath the motor. And no need to guess about the shoe angle. It&amp;#039;s clearly indicated on the shoe&amp;#039;s arch-shaped top. Dislikes: Nothing noted. ALIGN=&amp;quot;CENTER&amp;quot;&amp;amp;gt;  * * * *     Porter Cable PC600JS Price: $90      bgcolor=&amp;quot;#999&amp;quot;&amp;amp;gt;Amp: 6Max spm and control: 3200, dial adjustCrosscut 3\u204416 x 4 in. steel: 58.4 secondsCrosscut 2 x 8: 15.5 secondsRip 2 x 8 x 12: 21.0 secondsShoe Adjustment: Tool-freeLikes: Comfortable. A large trigger and sensibly shaped surfaces plus good weight distribution make this saw an easy handler. Dislikes: We were hoping this tool represented a good ratio of price and performance. Instead, it flopped. The tradeoff isn&amp;#039;t worth it. It&amp;#039;s fine for light-duty cuts, but it&amp;#039;s brutally slow for more demanding work. We didn&amp;#039;t test the company&amp;#039;s contractor-grade Model 9543; now we wish we had. That $165 tool appears far more stout than this budget-priced saw. ALIGN=&amp;quot;CENTER&amp;quot;&amp;amp;gt;  *   "^^<http://www.w3.org/2001/XMLSchema#string>
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