Accessories

Bosch is best; 1587 beats the 1590 for some things
I owned the Bosch 1581vs for 20 years before it finally played out (the blade hold mechanism wore out). I looked at other brands (Dewalt, Porter Cable)but decided that the Bosch is the best series available because of blade control and balance. I looked at both the 1590 and the 1587 and had an opportunity to use them in the field before deciding. These are the best two on the market, and both have their pluses and minuses. The deciding factors for me were 2:

1-Weight: The 1587 is lighter and therefore eaiser and more precise to control. I use my jig saw 60% of the time for coping joints. The weight of the 1590 makes it awkward when trying to turn and rotate as you need to do to cope with a jig saw. (I don't use a Collins coping foot).

2-Distance from handle to blade. The 1590 has a taller handle . In addition the blade does not project quite as far as the 1587. This doesn't make much difference until you are using the tiny scroll blade (119 bo) that i need for coping.

The 1590 blade changing mechanism is just simply the best out there today. If I could have combined the two I would have given the result 6 stars! It is also very powerful. Great cabinet shop tool for cutting out sinks, etc. But for the precise work I have to do with a jig saw, I prefer the 1587.

Hope this helps.

Helpful info
All of the Bosch jigsaws receive high praise for their cutting performance, so I thought I'd provide some info I would have appreciated before making this purchase (which I in no way regret.)

First this tools "low" points, which keep it from being a perfect tool:
1. Blade changes are a bit involved. Not at all what I would call difficult or confusing, but it's certainly not like changing a quick change drill bit or Milwaukee Sawz-all blade. This is more like a three step process rather than one step. This seems to be the main item Bosch improved for the 1590/1591 jigswas, so if it's a major concern might be worth the extra 50 bucks.
2. The case. This case suffers from the same fault as so many tool cases, there is limited space to store the power cord or to store additional blades. One has to carefully organize the cord in the case and hope it will fully close every time. Not the worst case in this sense I've ever had, but certainly not the best. At least the tool can be put in the case without removing the blade, but it will need to be in the upper half of it's stroke for a normal length blade.

Finally, I thought I'd list the blades that come with this version, to see if it's worth the 7 dollars over the 1587AVSK. Especially since there are a couple typos in the official list of included blades. Price per five blade pack for each is listed.

T101AO - Wood blade, specifically for curved cuts, splinter free. 5/64" - 3/4" material. (6.05/5)
T101BR - Wood blade, downward cutting (splinter free on top surface.) 3/16" - 1 1/4" material. (8.49/5)
T101DP - Wood blade, specifically for angled cuts. 1/4" - 2 3/8" material. (8.36/5)
T118A - Metal blade, basic straight cuts. (7.00/5)
T118G - Metal blade, straight cuts in thin material. 1/16" - 3/64" material. (6.97/5)
T123X - Metal blade, fast and long life, Progressor toothing for use in thick and thin material. 3/64" - 3/4" material. (9.78/5)
T144D - Wood blade, straight and fast cuts. 1/4" - 2 3/8" material. (7.87/5)
T234X - Wood blade, straight fine cuts. Progressor toothing for thick and thin material. (9.02/5)
T345XF - Wood with nails or metal blade. Progressor toothing for thick and thin material. 3/16" - 3 5/8" material. (13.89/5)

So that's 15.49 in blades... 1587AVSK comes with 3 blades instead of 9 (and the less expensive blades at that)... so I'd say there is an extra 11 dollars worth of blades in this kit.

Clean Cuts
THe Bosch jigsaw worked beautifully right out of the box. Very satisfied with the performance after using it several times. Very clean cuts using the progressor blades that came with the saw.

Best jig saw I've ever used
I grew up using a plastic jigsaw. Until I read about and bought this saw, I was unaware of the differences that existed between jigsaws. This thing is built tough and has a good motor.

I really like that if you want to cut slow, it doesn't bog down and stop as soon as it hits force. A cheap jigsaw may run slow in the air, but you can't control it when you are cutting. This thing will run slow in the air and barely bat an eye when you bring it in contact with plywood all at a slow RPM. (I make a lot of slow cuts to keep the temps down)

The forward-back action of the blade (optional setting) really chews a fast line through a board.

I've made 24" cuts though quarter inch steel to the point that the motor was dangerously hot (too hot to touch) and it kept on going.

The blades are not hard to change, I don't understand why all the fuss about that. It is easiest with the carriage all the way in the up position, but I can get them in there either way.

The metal base is rigid and sturdy, unlike all plastic saws, which are lousy and wiggle all around.

I recommend this product highly. As far as I am concerned, I never want to have to make a cut with any other jig saw.

What can I add - GREAT SAW!!!
I go out of my way to find reason to use this saw. It is simply a wonderfully designed machine that doesn't just do the job, it makes the job fun.