Makita 4351FCT Barrel Grip Jig Saw, with "Tool-less" Blade Change

This is a really great jig saw. It cuts straight and smooth, and the LED task light is a great little feature that makes for a huge improvement in the ease of use. The saw feels substantial in your hand, but is also quite nimble when making tight corners or smooth curves. The cut is very smooth when the saw is in "0" straight cut mode and very quick and aggressive in the "III" mode. The speed control and pendulum cutting mode gives the operator a wide range of control over the quality the cut in a variety of materials and thicknesses.I strongly considered the Festool jigsaw as an alternative to this one, but I'm glad I went with the Makita and saved $150. I do own other Festool products so I appreciate their level of quality and design; however, this Makita saw easily matches Festool in terms of quality and "feel" of the tool. Of course there is no dust collection on the Makita, but with most cutting operations on the jigsaw most of the dust falls straight to the floor anyway so I don't really miss the dust collection.The saw comes with a durable hard plastic carrying case that has a little bit of storage in it and a fairly long heavy-duty cord, both of which are becoming quite rare on tools these days, but are certainly appreciated.

A good saw. The barrel design looks different than most jig saws, but I find it much more comfortable and controllable to use. It also permits you to easily make a cradle and clamp the saw (upside down) to a workbench and use it as a jig/table saw for making more precise or repetitive cuts in pieces that are not conveniently clamped. Granted not a common use, but handy if you need it, and something I can't see doing with a conventional top handle jig saw.The t-shank blades can be quickly and easily swapped out without tools, the saw includes a plastic cover for the shoe, and a small LED lights the cut line. A lever on the side of the saw allows the blade action to be easily changed from straight reciprocation to an orbital motion that helps in cutting through thicker materials by permitting the blade to shed chips more easily. The speed control lets you slow the blade for use on metal or speed it up for wood and softer materials, and the soft start means it doesn't try to jump out of your hand when you turn it on. It is also a very smooth running saw, and not obnoxiously loud.

I prefer the barrel grip design, because it gives you much better control over the tool than the top handle, and keeps the saw perfectly flat on the surface (means, no tipping like on top handle saws). I use it for fine woodworking and precision and cut quality are imperative.Makita has put a lot of features into this saw from speed control, led work light, tool less blade change, blade angle, easy bevel adjustment to dust collection hookup. The saw performs flawless and precise. It has seen substantial work since I bought 1,5 years ago and it runs smooth like on day one, which speaks for quality.

Typical Makita high quality construction. It is very smooth with minimal vibration and I'm very satisfied with it's performance(especially the quality of the cuts -really smooth). However, with the barrel grip design I was expecting a "one handed tool", which it really is not. It is larger and heavier than the picture would suggest . I can get my biggish hand around it but it feels pretty hefty and normally I use both. That takes nothing away from the tool as it is a good performer, way better than my old Bosch. Quick change blades, kind of standard now with higher quality jig saws is a big. big plus.Note the switch is mounted on the side of the tool and is just on/off , with variable speed dial on the rear of the tool. Unlike my D handle jig saw it doesn't stop if you drop or let go of the tool. If you want an infinite variable switch(0-max) this is not your tool as I believe it bottoms out at 800 rpm(at startup). This is a nice performing, mid priced jig saw, best quality manufacturer. If you've never had a pro grade jig saw before you'll really be pleasedupdate- I've used this for about 2 years and for the price point it's a great value.Cuts are very smooth, low vibration- you can shave off pretty small amounts which is good performance for a jig saw.Cuts are square it will do very tight turns without bowing or snapping off the blade. Great tool for the low price.

This is a great saw that fits well in your hands. The addition of an LED light near the blade was brilliant, it can really help when trying to do precise cutting and your body hunched over the work blocks the direct light. I debated between this one and the Festool and my ultimate decision was based on two factors:1) Price - about $70 cheaper than the Festool Jig Saw2) LED - that little light is a big dealMost jig saws have the same limitations (e.g., the blade can wander, etc) and you'll never get past them (if you can't stand any blade wandering, buy a scroll saw), but once you get to this price range ($150+) you are typically looking at a quality saw and it comes down to personal preference. To me, Festool excels when it comes to dust management, something I don't find to be too much of a problem for a jig saw. Makita is a brand that I don't think gets enough credit, you will have a hard time finding much of a selection at your local hardware store, I don't mean to say that Bosch and Dewalt are poor choices (I have quite a few of their tools, too) but recently I've made sure to take the time to evaluate the Makita offering before buying.The one note of caution I have on this saw is that the systainer style case shown in the picture was not the case that my saw came in. Not a big deal for me since I don't have other systainer style cases, but it could be to others.One other thought is that you should probably go to your hardware store and hold a barrel grip saw before buying this one. The experience is a little different than the standard grip and not everyone will love it.