This review was created as part of a paid affiliate program with the Home Depot.

My first order of business with this and every product review is a disclaimer: I am not a professional contractor. I am a farmer and a fine furniture maker. When it comes to construction and renovation projects, I’m a DIYer and weekend warrior. That said, I doubt many professional contractors will be reading my tool reviews. My goal in reviewing tools and products is to provide honest feedback based on my own use and experience with these tools to other regular folks like me- wanting to get their hands dirty, try new things, and get the best value for their hard earned dollars.

So let’s talk about the Dewalt 20 V Max Cordless Jigsaw:

Starting at the bottom, the plastic shoe cover on this tool is really nice because you can take it off for rough materials and put it back on for finer materials like pre-finished or painted materials so you don’t scuff them up. At first I was a little worried about the durability of that shoe being plastic, but it’s been bouncing around in the bottom of my tool bag for three months now and doesn’t have a scratch.

The detent lock on the base is really helpful for quick changes to the cutting angle at 45 degrees and 90. Instead of an allen screw, like most of Dewalt’s competitors, it’s a quick release lever. Anytime a manufacturer incorporates tool functions into the tool itself and outside tools are not needed for basic functions the tool performs is a huge plus for me.

The adjustable orbit on this saw is a great feature, settings 1-4 allow you to have a larger or smaller orbit, which will affect how aggressively the blade removes material. The longer orbit cuts quicker, the shorter orbit cuts slower and cleaner. The variable speed trigger, instead of a speed dial on many other jigsaws is great because you can adjust your speeds seamlessly depending on where you are in your cut and what you’re doing, ie starting the cut slowly and precisely, and speeding up once you get going.

The fact that this tool is brushless means that it’s quieter, runs cooler, and batteries last forever. Ergonomically speaking, heat is less of an issue on this tool than others, since the motor is so far away from your hand, but in my book, less heat is usually good regardless of motor placement. This is another super versatile, lightweight tool with a small, sleek design. I personally prefer the barrel grip design of this tool, but that is a personal preference, and this tool will see lots of use in my shop and around the farm regardless. At $179 for the bare tool, I’d add a 2.0 AH or 4.0 AH battery and be off to the races.