Full Buying Guide on How to Choose Best Jigsaw Blades for the Money

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How to Select the Best Jigsaw Blades?

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When shopping for jigsaw blades, you’ll find numerous ones. Which blade you buy depends on your project, whether it’s woodworking, crafting, or carpentry. If you know what blade to pick, you’ll save time and money; and using the right blade type will save wear and tear on your saw.

This buying guide describes types and purposes of jigsaw blades; reviews top-rated blades; discusses blade prices, brands, and availability; and answers frequently-asked questions about them.

 

Jigsaw Blade Shank Types

A blade shank is the part of the blade that fits into the saw’s blade clamp. To ensure a blade will fit your saw, you should know what type of blades your saw accepts before purchasing.

The two standard shank types are T-Shank and U-Shank. A T-Shank blade has a small protrusion called a tang on the top. This tang slips easily into the blade clamp on saws made for no-tool blade changes. T-Shank blades are the newest standard for jigsaw blades. Most new jigsaws accept only this type.

U-Shank or Universal Shank blades have a U-shaped notch on top. They require a tool for being replaced. Some have a hole for fastening with a screw, others don’t, so depending on the model of your saw you may need a specific kind of a U-shank blade. U-Shank blades have lost popularity to the T-Shank standard and are becoming harder to find. Some saws accept both U-Shank and T-Shank blades, which allows you to use U-Shank blades you have on hand. U-Shank blades aren’t really “universal” because they don’t fit saws made only for T-Shank blades.

Hook or Bayonet-Shank blades are a type of blade that’s obsolete, used mainly in old Black & Decker models.

 

Workpiece Material

Once you know what type of shank your saw accepts, the next step is to determine the right blade for the material and type of cut you’ll be making. The easiest and most reliable approach to choosing blades is to look for specialty blades for certain materials. Many blade manufacturers print on the packaging or directly on the blade what materials a blade will cut. Bosch is known for making blades for the widest variety of materials.

Wood

High carbon steel (HCS) blades are adequate for cutting soft wood, although high speed steel (HSS) blades are better because they’re more durable. Higher end bi-metal blades are even more durable. Blades with large, sharp teeth are good for cutting construction lumber. For finer, finished cuts in wood, blades marked “Clean for Wood,” such as the Bosch T101B, are the best choice. These blades are narrower and have no lateral offset in the teeth, which makes for clean, splinter-less cuts.

Laminate Flooring and Kitchen Worktops

Most blades have teeth that cut on the upstroke. This can cause splintering or tear-out on top of materials like laminate flooring, melamine, or plastic laminate countertops. There are special worktop blades for these materials that cut on the down stroke to eliminate chipping. The Bosch T101BR is a good worktop blade.

Mild Metals

For cutting mild metals like aluminum, brass, and copper, HSS blades are sufficient; however, bi-metal blades are better because they don’t wear out as quickly.

Hard Metals, Steel

To keep blades from dulling quickly, bi-metal, carbide-tipped blades should be used for cutting metals like angle iron or pipe. Bi-metal blades can also be used for cutting thin stainless steel. When choosing a metal-cutting blade, select one with at least 14 – 36 teeth per inch (TPI). The thinner the material is, the higher the TPI should be. Tungsten carbide blades are made for cutting the hardest metals, but jigsaws aren’t intended to cut cast iron or hardened steel.

Plastic, PVC

High carbon steel blades or multiple-purpose blades are good for cutting most plastics, including PVC. For very hard plastic, use a bi-metal blade. Special worktop blades should be used for finish cuts in plastic.

Acrylic Glass

To cut acrylic glass like Perspex or Plexiglass, a multi-purpose blade or metal blade with high TPI will work. Specialty blades are made just for acrylic.

Cement Board, Drywall and Fiberglass

Carbide-tipped or specialty blades like tungsten carbide blades are made for cutting cement-fiber board, plasterboard, and drywall. Using these types of blades will prevent materials from breaking, cracking, or crumbling.

Glass, Tile, Masonry and Other Abrasives

When cutting ceramics, glass, masonry, brick, granite, or porcelain, use a carbide grit or diamond grit blade. Keep in mind that despite carbide grit and diamond grit blades are normally used for cutting concrete with other types of saws, a jigsaw will not be able to do it.

 

Types of Cuts

Rough Cut

When wood blades have fewer and larger teeth, they cut very aggressively because they remove more material with one stroke. Therefore, when making rough cuts in softer woods like construction lumber, use HCS blades with 6 – 8 TPI.

Clean and Finish Cuts

A worktop or downstroke blade with a minimum of 10 – 14 TPI should be used for finish cuts. Because these blades are narrower and the teeth aren’t offset, they prevent splintering and chipping on the top side of the material. Clean-for-wood blades are used for woodworking and hobbies, as opposed to rough cutting. Blades with offset teeth make wider cuts and prevent jamming but don’t make cuts as clean. Finish cuts in plywood call for a 16 – 20 TPI blade. Blades made for clean cuts don’t work for cutting curves.

Straight Cut

To make straight cuts, you should use a harder blade like an HSS blade with wavy teeth. By using a thicker, more rigid blade, you’ll be able to stay on your cutting line with less blade deflection.

Curves and Scroll Cuts

Scroll cuts require a special narrow blade made specifically for scrollwork, usually made of HCS with 16 – 29 TPI.

Plunge(Pocket) Cut

A plunge cut is made by “plunging” the blade into the field of the workpiece without a pre-drilled starter hole. Plunge cutting requires a sharp-tipped blade to slowly penetrate the material.

 

Blade Body Materials

High Carbon Steel (HCS)

HCS blades are the least expensive and, therefore, the most common for DIY projects. They are flexible, so they’re less likely to break; but they tend to become dull quicker than thicker, more expensive blades. Uses for HCS blades include softwoods and plastics.

High Speed Steel (HSS)

HSS blades are made for hardwoods, hard plastic, and non-ferrous metals. They are more expensive that HCS blades but cost less than bi-metal blades. They are more rigid and tend to break or become dull sooner than bi-metal blades.

Bi-Metal

Bi-metal blades usually have an HCS body for flexibility and HSS teeth for hardness. More durable and break-resistant, bi-metal blades can last ten times longer than HCS or HSS blades, but they are more expensive.

 

Blade Tooth Materials

A general rule for selecting a blade is to choose a blade with teeth harder than the material you’re cutting. The body and teeth of most blades are made of the same material. However, bi-metal blades have teeth made of different, more durable materials for use with certain workpieces.

Carbide-Tipped

These blades are bi-metal, with an HCS body and titanium or tungsten carbide teeth, and are designed for increased durability.

Carbide Grit

These blades aren’t like a typical saw blade, since they have no teeth but instead carbide grit along the body of the blade. They are used as a cutter for masonry and hard metals and can’t be used for cutting wood.

Diamond Grit

Similar to carbide grit blades, diamond grit blades have no teeth and are coated with very small bits of diamond for cutting very hard materials. They are not for use with wood.

 

Tooth Density

Tooth density or “pitch” refers to the number of teeth on the body of the blade, measured in Teeth Per Inch (TPI). Blades with lower TPI are for faster, rougher cuts; and those with higher TPI are for more accurate, smoother cuts. Certain blades have variable tooth density throughout. Some areas of the blade have larger teeth, while teeth on the other part are smaller. This variation is for cutting materials with different degrees of hardness in the same workpiece.

Generally, a minimum of two teeth should be in contact with the workpiece at the same time while cutting. Therefore, thinner materials require blades with higher TPI for maximum tooth contact. With more teeth contacting the material, vibration will be lower and the cut more accurate.

 

Length and Thickness

A jigsaw blade should be at least an inch longer than the depth of the material you’re cutting. Longer blades are thicker and more rigid to minimize blade deflection, so you should use a shorter, more flexible blade for making clean or curved cuts. Thicker blades also cut slower than thinner blades because thicker blades remove more material with each stroke.

 

Reviews of Top 10 Rated Jigsaw Blades

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Best Diamond Grit

1

KENT JIG-351

 

 

Best Carbide Grit

2

IRWIN 3071300

 

 

Best for Fiber and Plastic

3

BOSCH T141HM1

 

 

Best for Fiber Cement

4

HITACHI 725397

 

 

Best Blades for Acrylic

5

BOSCH T102BF

 

 

Best Stainless Steel-Cutting Blades

6

BOSCH T118EHM3

 

 

Best for Laminate

7

DEWALT DW3762H

 

 

Best for Scroll Cuts and Tight Curves

8

FESTOOL 486564

 

 

Jigsaw Blade Sets

9

DEWALT DW3742C

 

 

10

BOSCH T18CHCL

 

 

Jigsaw Blade Prices

Generally, diamond grit jigsaw blades are the most expensive, and high carbon steel blades are the cheapest and most commonly used by do-it-yourselfers. Blades are sold singly or in kits containing five to 100 blades. Prices for jigsaw blades run from $1 per blade to $100 for a five-pack.

 

Brands

Many jigsaw manufacturers also make jigsaw blades. Of all jigsaw blade manufacturers, Bosch makes the greatest variety of blades, including more specialty blades for various materials. Other leading blade manufacturers are DeWalt, Black & Decker, Festool, Hitachi, and Irwin.

 

Where to Buy Jigsaw Blades

Jigsaw blades can be purchased at local stores, but the best deals are found online, particularly at Amazon, Ebay, and Walmart.

 

FAQs

 

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