Makita Jigsaws- Anyone got one? The 4351fct & djv181z

[wau5]

Hello everyone, I'm after a new jigsaw and I think I have narrowed down to these 2 BODY-GRIP models,
Corded 4351fct
and
18v DJV181z
Not sure which one I will go for at the moment, I kinda want the 18v one because it's cordless however it costs an eye watering money, and the 4351fct comes up sometimes for rather cheap on ebay which is its only selling point for me because I really want the 18v If I can stomach to drop £160 on it.
But one thing is for sure I'm after a small/compact/powerful bodygrip unit and I can make-do with corded if it's cheap enough

Either way I was wondering if anyone maybe has got either of those 2 models and could maybe give a quick review of them with some plus&cons ,their cutting quality ,finish they leave and are they good tools overall to buy or maybe is there something better in this price range that has a body-grip model?

Thank you.

 

[vards01]

I have the makita 180z and not impressed with it, its been back as it just doesn't cut straight, you have to compensate by angling the body, it is better after the repair but still not brilliant. I think with hindsight I should have gone for the 181z which you are interested in. Be good to know if this is a better model for more accurate cuts.

 

[wau5]

I had a high-end but rather old bosch jigsaw before, I was not really getting on with it since it just didn't produced anywhere even near 90degree cuts, I thought makita will be better than that... damn

btw did you had the djv or bjv one? as far as I remember reading somewhere the older BJV was a total junk but they made it better with the updated DJV.

 

[vards01]

Yes I have the BJV (brushed version)......and that's exactly the problem(s) I have with it just doesn't produce 90 degree cuts coupled with having an out of square base so you have to compensate by angling when cutting, I have to agree a pile of junk, but still from memory I paid 120 quid for it so not cheap. I just have to make do with mine for the time being. I have quite a few makita 18v tools and this is my biggest disappointment, the rest are great. Be good to know how you or others have found the updated versions.

 

[wau5]

Yes I have the BJV (brushed version)......and that's exactly the problem(s) I have with it just doesn't produce 90 degree cuts coupled with having an out of square base so you have to compensate by angling when cutting, I have to agree a pile of junk, but still from memory I paid 120 quid for it so not cheap. I just have to make do with mine for the time being. I have quite a few makita 18v tools and this is my biggest disappointment, the rest are great. Be good to know how you or others have found the updated versions.

I think the DJV can be bought for something like £105 new now? and I checked on ebay you can sell the BJV for like £80? Sooo.. something to consider if the updated version is any better.

 

[Deleted member 174758]

I've had a BJV180 for about 8 years. Like the corded model (4350CT) it isn't the straightest cutter and needs to have the base adjusted slightly every time I change blade, but for rough flooring, thin plywood, etc it is perfectly OK. Both ofvthese models are substantially built and are "site durable2.

I've had a little play with the DJV181 and the main issue I can see with that tool is that the battery sticks out at the back an awful long way which means to me that it will potentially end up catching the rear overhang all the time when working in tight corners. The brushless models do, however, have more power than the older brushed model and a far longer battery life (about 50% from what I experienced) as well as being lighter. They also have variable speed which the 180 doesn't have. For that reason (and because the BJV180 won't run 4Ah batteries) I'll probably go with the 182 when I eventually replace mine

 

[wau5]

Just saw the angliatoolcentre website has some xmas offer on the djv181z , after coupon/quidco comes out to £151 + you get an extra 1815 battery ( I know 1.5ah battery+jigsaw doesn't makes sense)
But I was looking to buy one of those batteries anyway for my other tools so this effectively works out to £130 for the Jigsaw.

damn.. Decisions decisions if I want to spend that much on an unprecise tool such as Jigsaw.

 

[Deleted member 174758]

Yes, OK, but just what do you want to do with it? Inaccurate (iun comparison to a circular saw) or not I doubt that I'd be able to install a kitchen without one - or at least not so easily

 

[Doggit]

I've got a Dewalt DCS331 with a 4Amh battery, and it's one of my best tools. It's damn fast with the pendulum action set to maximum, but it wanders vertically a little; it's slower when set to position 3 of 4, but cuts much straighter. It'll handle a 40mm oak worktop much quicker than the plunge saw I've got, and even faster than an old Wickes circular saw that cuts through most things. It's great to be able to just pick it up and use, rather than finding a plug or extension lead for the corded one I had. I can't comment on the Makita, but I'd recommend the Dewalt to anyone.

 

[wau5]

that dewalt looks really tough however.. I have no dewalt batteries/charger so probably no good for me.

 

[wau5]

Ordered the djv181z , angliatoolcentre website has one on offer , the djv181z+ 1815battery for £169.
if you use their coupon+ quidco + sell the free battery it comes out to about £130 still bloody expensive for a jigsaw

 

[vards01]

Be great to know how you get on......whether this version will produce straight cuts.

 

[wau5]

Be great to know how you get on......whether this version will produce straight cuts.

will certainly give a review once I get it, but with the xmas season it may take a couple of weeks to arrive
If it won't be up to scratch and won't produce nice straight cuts ( of course when needed) and cuts that aren't 90degrees It's going straight back!

 

[wau5]

I have now used the DJV181z for some time and I have seriously started to use jigsaw as a tool 5x more than I used to do.

here's my quick review on it:
-at first when when you see it, It looks bigger than you expect it to be, however it slowly grows on you and feels just normal in few days.
-at first the control actually felt weird on it ( barrel grip) , and I was thinking about sending it back and swap for D-handle one, but again, It grew on me and I find it comfortable now.
-Compared to my old Jigsaw -Bosch GST135 this is a total Night&day, it has smooth power delivery,you aren't afraid to use it because it might snap at you when something wobbles etc, It cuts rather straight, ok I have measured it constantly cuts at 88.9-90degrees so NOT perfect, but it's a jigsaw and that's what they do,my old bosch If I was lucky it cut at MAYBE 85-86 degrees on a good day for a thick piece-it was that bad....
-The power on/off switch is reasonably good placed so have no problems of switching it on/off as I First thought it would be.
-I'm still not a fan of the weight of the unit, It has really good build quality so I can't complain much, but I have to use it with 1.5ah battery to be on border of it being too heavy for comfortable use.


-The best feature of them all on it- It has no damn Cord! I'm now using this thing everytime when I need to cut up something fast and total 100% precision isn't needed, before that I used a regular handsaw as it was a hassle to use my old corded bosch gst135 so I found it was faster just to do the stuff with handsaw, But no more!
Oh and I have found a new use for Jigsaw - You can use it as a mini Recip saw as well, I have cut up old bath with it, have cut up xmas tree to small bits , cut out few holes in walls, cut up some massive old doors and even took down few small bushes/trees with it lol


Super expensive -Yes, however seems like an excellent tool indeed

 

[Deleted member 174758]

... I have measured it constantly cuts at 88.9-90degrees so NOT perfect, but it's a jigsaw and that's what they do,my old bosch If I was lucky it cut at MAYBE 85-86 degrees on a good day for a thick piece-it was that bad....

Not all of them

and I think we'd already established that your GST135BCE was hardly in the best of condition. You never did tell us what blades you were using (and whose). I'm often surprised at how quickly some blades degrade if you cut tight curves with them - particularly the cheaper carbon steel ones. I think a lot of people aren't aware of how quickly jigsaw blades blunt and so keep on using them until there are virtully no teeth left. And more than a few of the guys I've worked with nover the years have no idea of what is available in terms of blades, nor of how to choose an appropriate blade for the task at hand (and contract managers are generally just plain ignorant). And they're joiners

Interesting that you say it's super expensive. Only in comparison with DIY kit, I'd say. Anyway, glad you've found something which suits you. Oh, and I'll let you into a little secret - many tradesmen use their jigsaws for lighter demolition and ripping-out work because (in my experience) so few have recip saws. But they don't need them, because they have jigsaws....

BTW, want to test your saw to the max for straight cutting? Try it with a Bosch T744D or T1044D blade