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Bandsaw vs Jigsaw: Which One Do You Need?

By: David S. Miles | Last Updated: January 21, 2024

It may be really hard to choose the perfect saw. There are so many different options, and each of them has different abilities , or is better for various situations.

To make the right choice you must make good research. Especially when you have to choose between Bandsaw and Jigsaw due to their good performance. You can get easily confused when it comes to their functionalities, especially if you are a beginner in the world of saws.

There are both similarities and differences between bandsaw and jig saw, and we are going to discuss all of them today, so you can make the perfect choice depending on your needs.

General Overview Bandsaw vs Jigsaw


Let’s be honest- both of them are very good ones, but their functionality fully depends on the situation. At first sight, these two look similar. Both Bandsaw and Jig saw are using a thin blade for cutting, and both are easy to be controlled. However, there is one main difference. Jigsaw is considered better for making curves, while Bandsaw is more about cutting lines and re-sawing thin pieces.

Bandsaw

What is bandsaw?

Bandsaw has a thicker and larger blade, which is seated on two fixed wheels, one of them is above the cutting table, and the other one is below the cutting table. This enables the movement of the blade. There are many different models of band saws that can be bought, including cabinet models, mounted units, shorter units, etc.

The bench-mounted bands are not so expensive, but they are not as good as the cabinet models that have bigger motors and a lot more features. Keep in mind that It is important to make the right choice based on your specific needs. If you are not going to use it for professional work, you may save some money and get a less expensive model.

Functionality

The bandsaw is named after the blade it Is using. The blade used in these saws is a thin one, which makes it possible to make the perfect cuts. The ends of this saw are meeting, so they can form a circular band, mounted on the two wheels that produce the motion.

The band saws are pretty good for most of the cuts, but they can’t make cuts of all sizes, so you may have to change the raw sometimes. The bandsaw can be used for large-scale cutting, and it is most likely to be better at cutting larger pieces, instead of small ones.

 

Versatility of Cuts

As every other saw, the bandsaw has to be adjusted in order to work effectively and make the perfect cut. This means that you may have to adjust the wheel, to change the position, or to fix the blade in order to get the result you want.

However, if you know how to adjust the band saw, the cuts will be more than perfect.

When to use?

The band saws are the best when it comes to resawing. Their most popular feature is their professional ability to resaw wood. What is resawing? Resawing is basically cutting wood in half across its thickest portion.

Bandsaw can be used when it comes to big pieces, or to make repetitive and fast cuts. You have to make sure you know how to use a band saw before start operating. It is not an easy tool, and mainly experienced people use it.

Bestselling Bandsaws

Jigsaw

What is jigsaw?


Jigsaw is powered by hand and very good at cutting curves on different materials. This saw uses a reciprocating blade in order to make cuts. The blade cuts in an up and down motion, it is a small one and allows the owner to make different types of cuts with high accuracy.

The jigsaw is considered to be the best one for making precise cuts inside a wood without cutting the edge. It is easy to be operated and even though it is a powerful tool, its size and weight are great. One of the best features of the jigsaw is the safety it provides the owner. That’s why most beginners buy exactly these kinds of saws.

Functionality

As we already mentioned, jig saw is easy to be used. It is a safe, and powerful tool, that can make precise cuts in wood without cutting the edge. The jigsaw uses a narrow blade, which is about 5 inches long and seated on the C-shaped hand.

It cuts by up and down motion, and thanks to its small blade it can cut precise and more complicated curves. However, with this saw you can make almost every type of cut.

Versatility of Cuts

Please, don’t consider jigsaw good only for curved cuts. This small tool is extremely powerful and can do much more than you expect. It can be used with different materials like plastic, drywall, metal and, of course, wood. If you make the right choice of a blade it can work on almost every surface.

It can be used to make rough cuts, as well as curved cuts. And this is not all, the jigsaw can make even angled lines, straight lines and a lot more. Thanks to its many blades it can be perfect for almost every situation.

In order to be happy with a jigsaw, you should make sure you have picked the right blade.
The right blade can be based on width, length, material, but it will always differ depending on the configurations you want your saw to have. For example, if you want to have a long, straight cut you need a wide blade, but if your goal is to cut curves, a narrow blade will be a better choice.

You should be able to pick the right tooth configurations too. If the blade has large, and only a few teeth it will cut very fast, but the result will be rough. If you choose smaller teeth, the saw will cut slower, but the result will be smooth and precise.

When to Use?

You can use a jigsaw in many different situations. For example, if you want to make a cut on the interior , but you don’t want to cut through the other edge- jigsaw is your perfect choice. You can easily operate it, so it is a good idea for precise cuts too. If you are aiming at accurate curves, the jigsaw is an amazing choice.

If you are a beginner, this one may be your best choice. It is small, it is not heavy, it is super safe and last, but not least- you can really operate it easier than most of the other saws.

If you have a project that will require a variety of cuts, you can prepare yourself with the right blades and use a jigsaw.

Bestselling Jigsaws

Jigsaw vs Bandsaw: Similarities

Jigsaw and bandsaw have some similarities, even though the differences are a lot more. A similarity is that both of them can make straight cuts, or to cut the corners and around. Both use thin blades, and they make cuts with up and down motion. Last, but not least- both Jigsaw and bandsaw functionality depends on the type of the used blade.

Jigsaw vs Bandsaw: Differences

The differences between bandsaw and jigsaw are much more. We can start with their appearance and weight. While bandsaw is heavy, large and bulky, the jigsaw is a small and lightweight  tool that can be easier carried around. If you want to handheld your saw, you should definitely choose jigsaw.

The jigsaw is excellent for rough cutting and general work, while the bandsaw is better for large scale cutting. The bandsaw can do resawing, which is impossible for the jigsaw. On the other side, jigsaw can be used for making curves of all types.

The price of the jigsaw is usually lower than the price of the bandsaw, but this does not mean that its’ quality is not good. However, you can definitely find bandsaw on a budget too.

The blade of the jigsaw is usually located on the top of the saw, which makes the bottom left unattached, while the blade of the bandsaw is connected to the band. It is seated on the wheels and this allows the blade to go through the cutting material.

Even though both jigsaw and bandsaw can be used for different cuts, the bandsaw is better for large-scale cutting. It is often used to cut a large piece of wood, while jigsaw is most often used for smaller cuts, rough cuts and general cutting purposes.

 

Conclusion

To conclude, we can say that there is no better one. Both of the saws have good features and offer a lot of different options. You have to make your choice depending on the tasks you intend to accomplish with it.

If you are a beginner, your best choice will be a jigsaw. It is safer and the chance of causing injuries using this one is smaller. Jigsaw is handy for simpler cuts, it will help you to get used to using a saw. It is not heavy, its’ size is good, so you can carry it with you. Jigsaws are easy to be operated and no experience is needed.

If you want a sophisticated saw, and you are going to use it for resawing or large cuts, your best choice is a bandsaw. It is most often bought by professionals and woodworkers, who need a bigger tool for bigger projects. It is large and heavy, so you can’t carry it around with you and you should have a place to store it.

Good luck with finding the best saw!

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