Ryobi Jigsaw: Is it a mistake? Read before you buy

When you want to make fun shapes in your boards, you will likely want to get a Ryobi jigsaw, scroll saw, or bandsaw. If you are on a budget or don’t have much room, then a Ryobi jigsaw may be exactly what you are looking for. But before rushing into buy one, you should get a good understanding of what they have to offer

What is a Ryobi jigsaw?

Ryobi is a company that makes tools for general DIYers and woodworking hobbyists. They are not generally recommended for – or by – professional contractors who prefer some heavier duty options like Milwaukee or DeWalt. Interestingly, the same company that owns Ryobi, Techtronic Industries (TTI), owns Milwaukee, HART, and other brands available in the United States.

The company offers a variety of power tools, batteries, accessories, and outdoor equipment. The Home Depot offers Ryobi tools as one of their two flagship brands that they market specifically to DIYers. Their other brand is Rigid, which Home Depot gears marketing more towards professionals.

Ryobi jigsaws offer competitive features to other brands and professional grade saws, including:

• varying speeds for different cuts and materials
• battery and corded options
• ability to make bevel cuts
• blades that work on both their and other brands saws

What is a jig saw?

For the real beginner, we can start with the basics, namely, answering the question of what is a jig saw (sometimes spelled jigsaw, including at times in my own post mainly because people often spell it as one word)?

In simple terms, it is the tool you turn to when you want to make oddly shaped or unique cut designs. While you use a circular saw or table saw for straight cuts, you use a jig saw to make curves or circles in your boards. And like a circular saw, miter saw, or table saw, they can make basic bevel cuts (angled cuts) or cross cuts.

Yes, you can cut a straight cut with them, but you will almost certainly need to use a guide to achieve a good cut, and they are really not a great choice for a rip cut compared to either a circular saw or table saw.

Jigsaws are like bandsaws, but they use more of a reciprocating action compared to the continuous circle of a band saw blade. Also, you to guide the jig saw through the wood instead of guiding the wood through the band saw blade.

A jig saw is handheld and requires you to clamp the workpiece down in order to make your cuts. You may also want to use or make your own guides.

Jigsaws, like the Ryobi jigsaw, make rough cuts compared to a scroll saw or bandsaw. This means you will need to make the cut a bit wide of your guide line or design and then sand, scrap, or router it to get the exact shape of the design.

A Ryobi jigsaw or any jigsaw is a good option if you don’t have space or budget for a bandsaw or scroll saw and still need or want to make curved cuts.

Features to consider before buying a Ryobi jigsaw

Jigsaws are relatively simple, handheld saws, so they don’t come with a lot of features or bells and whistles. Surprisingly, a lot of Ryobi jigsaw models come with features often found on contract grade saws for a lower price point. Here are some features to consider that different Ryobi jig saw models offer:

• corded and battery operated types
• speed control to help with making different types of curved cuts and through different materials like wood, metal, and plastic
• LED light for better visibility
• tool-free bevel adjustments
• 3 year warranty on both the tool and features
• ability to use both Ryobi jigsaw blades and other brand’s blades typically with a T-shank

Ryobi jigsaws currently available

Ryobi sells several different types of jigsaws, offering both battery operated and corded versions. The following are some of the available options.

Features available in every type of Ryobi jigsaw

Ryobi’s current collection of jig saws share some similar features worth mentioning. They include:

• Each comes with at least one blade
• Some battery operated jig saws come in kits with a starter battery
• All come with a 3 year warranty on both the tool and battery (if you get a Ryobi cordless jig saw)
• Ability to cut through different materials

Is a Ryobi jig saw worth it?

Some people consider a jig saw to be an essential tool of their workshop. They are good for making shaped cuts or cutting through wood, plastic, and metal with a quick change of the blade and setting.

The Ryobi jig saw models offer options that range in price, making them a potentially good option for anyone with a limited to moderate budget who wants or needs to add a jig saw to their arsenal of tools.

My Ryobi HP Brushless jig saw does a very good job of cutting through anything I use it for. It is also easy to find extra blades and replace them quickly.

Newer versions of the jig saw Ryobi offers use T-shanks. That may not mean much to you if you are a beginner, but blades on jigsaws have used either T-shanks or U-shanks.

T stands for the shape of the end of the blade that the saw itself holds onto. A T-shank does not need any tools to undo, which means you can change it out quickly.

The blades also come in standard sizes, which means you can replace your Ryobi jigsaw blade with any competitor’s options, or Ryobi also offers replacement blades for purchase as well. Ryobi replacement jig saw blades are universal and fit any saw type (T-shank or U-shank).

Given the price point for their jig saws, Ryobi offers a good balance of quality and features for the money. Ryobi has a relatively poor reputation among contractors, but they are really starting to up their quality quite a bit. Some of the higher end Ryobi jig saw models may hold up to rigorous use.

If you are a casual DIYer or woodworker, the options of jig saw Ryobi offers should work well for your needs. And if you plan to do a lot of design work in wood, such as making letter signs or toys, a jig saw is a great tool for those uses.

Where to buy a Ryobi jig saws

You can purchase a Ryobi jig saw in a few different spots, including:

• Home Depot: You have the most options visiting Home Depot either online or in store. Often if you visit the store, they will have a display model you can see and touch to get a feel for the saw. But if you prefer, you can also order one for shipment to your home or to your local store. Both shipping options are free. If you go to Ryobi’s website, they will open a cart from Home Depot, which gives you the same two shipping options.
• Amazon: You can find just about anything on this online giant, including different types of Ryobi jig saw. They generally offer competitive prices to Home Deport, but you may need to watch that you are not paying fully price for an older model and are getting what you expect.
• Second-hand sites: Facebook Marketplace (where I actually got a very good price on a brand new in-box Ryobi HP brushless jig saw) and other secondhand shops, like eBay, often have options to purchase Ryobi tools, like a jig saw. You may even luck out with a people off loading an unopened tool.

When to buy Ryobi tools

This may not come as a surprise to you, but there are better times of year to purchase Ryobi tools.

Home Depot runs a special every year around May or June called Ryobi Days. During Ryobi Days, they offer different discounts, buy one get one free specials, free tools with the purchase of a battery, and other deals. If you have a lot of cordless Ryobi tools, it is a great time to get extra batteries.

It’s also a good time to start or update your Ryobi collection, buy replacement batteries, or to pick up one of the many models of Ryobi jigsaw available. If you buy a replacement battery that comes with a free tool that you don’t need, you can always give it away, give it as a birthday gift, or try to sell it yourself on Facebook Market place or other sites.

During the holidays, Home Depot often runs specials on a lot of their tools and other products, so it may be worth checking out some of those specials too. You may also find you prefer a different brand and find a good deal on that instead during the holiday season.

Top 6 considerations before buying a Ryobi jig saw

Here are some of the top considerations before getting yourself a Ryobi jigsaw:

• Intended use: Most people who get a Ryobi jigsaw do so to make odd cuts that don’t go in straight lines or to have a relatively clean cut through various materials, like metal or plastic. If you have the space, you may want to consider getting a band saw or scroll saw as these two bench top tools offer similar cutting capabilities. The scroll saw is actually designed for making very small, intricate cuts and is great for detailed work and may be a go to option if you do delicate work a lot.
• Price: Ryobi jigsaws are generally lower priced than some of the contract grade brands, like DeWalt or Rigid, but they are a bit more costly than some of the discount tools out there. For the price, their tools work pretty well and come with several features. I generally recommend them for anyone interested in a good DIY tool option.
• Durability: The HP brushless model Ryobi jigsaw feels heftier without feeling heavier. It also powers through pretty much any material I have thrown at it, including some exotic and domestic hardwoods.
• Battery vs corded: Ryobi offers both cordless jig saws and corded models, which means you need to decide if the extra power you get from a cord is worth losing the flexibility of of battery operated options. Battery operated are generally lighter and don’t need a nearby outlet or extension cord. With one of my older Craftsman models that plugged in, I found it bothersome to work with the cord. I found it got twisted around quite a bit, so the Ryobi cordless jigsaw worked well for my needs.
• Reviews: Ryobi jig saws get pretty good reviews online. Many believe that the saws cut well through the material they are using and that it performs better than expected.
• Available accessories: Ryobi offers replacement blades, vacuum attachments, and replacement batteries for sale. You can also use competitor’s blades as long as they fit your saw. Most Ryobi jigsaw models fit T-shank blades, so make sure you both double check your saw’s manual and that you get the right saw tip.

FAQs

Here are the answers to some frequently asked questions about different aspects of a Ryobi jigsaw.

Is Ryobi jigsaw T shank or U shank?

Ryobi’s website mentions that they sell universal blades. In other words, they fit both U and T shaped shanks. But that is their replacement blades meant for both a Ryobi jigsaw and any other brand. The new Ryobi jig saws fit T shanks because they offer toolless blade changes making them easier to work with.

Why does my Ryobi jigsaw keep stopping?

There are a variety of reasons your Ryobi jigsaw may stop working. Here are a few things to check out:

1. Is the battery fully connected? This may seem obvious, but sometimes the battery may not be securely pushed in all the way.
2. Are you sure the battery is full or have at least a decent charge? A lot of newer Ryobi batteries come with LED indicator lights, but their older models don’t, so you may want to make sure the battery is not dead or just about dying.
3. Is there dust between the battery and the receptors on the jig saw? If dust gets into the battery holder, it could stop the power from getting to the saw properly, leading to sudden stops.
4. Is the Ryobi jigsaw fully plugged in? Sometimes you think the plug is in the outlet but a jarring motion or sudden turn can dislodge it, especially if you have an older outlet.
5. The blade is not secured properly.

Can you use any jigsaw blade with Ryobi?

The answer to this is two fold. Ryobi sells jig saw blades that have a universal fit. This means they fit both U and T shanks. The modern models of Ryobi jigsaw fit T-shank blades.

While the Ryobi jigsaw can fit any brand’s replacment blade, you need to make sure they have a T-shank. It should say on the box of blades. Also, before you go and buy a brand new set of jig saw blades, double check your Ryobi jigsaw’s manual for the shank it has. This can save you a return trip to Home Depot or Lowes.

Which is better T-shank or U-shank jigsaw blades?

Most modern jig saws, including Ryobi jigsaw models, use T-shank. They are sort of shaped like a T and allow you to quickly and easily change out a blade. U-shank jig saws often require a tool to switch the blade and it is a bit more of a process. In fact, some Ryobi jig saws offer features to let you pop a blade in and out quickly.

Takeaway

My Ryobi HP brushless jig saw serves my needs well. I have never had a complaint about it and was able to find it at a very good price. That said, I also do not use it every day.

Overall, Ryobi jig saws get good reviews from users. They are generally well built and have similar features to other, brands often more popular with contractors and other professionals.

If you are looking for a quality saw to help make odd shapes and help rough out some details, you will probably be happy with any one of the several Ryobi jigsaw models you can choose from.