REVIEW:
Festool PS-300 EQ Barrel Grip Jigsaw
For many years I fought with an inexpensive Black and Decker jigsaw
when I needed to make some form of scrolling cut that could not be accomplished
with the band saw or other tools at my disposal. The cuts were often
disappointing and almost never “true”. So you can imagine my interest
in a number of postings in online discussion groups about the Festool
jigsaw where users talked about how accurate and powerful it was, even
when cutting thick material. I had been considering another brand of
machine that was highly thought of, but the combination of a sales promotion
and the willingness of Bob Marino, an east-coast Festool rep, to come
to my shop so I could try out all the toys sealed the deal.
Festool
Festool has been in the tool business since 1925 and although not a household name in the USA, they are very highly regarded worldwide. The key to their offerings is understanding that they sell “systems” rather than just tools. Every tool is made to work together with certain components, such as guides, vacs and their elegant stacking storage system called Systainer. The tools and other products are made to extreme quality standards and afford an unprecedented 3-year warranty as well as a 30-day Money Back Guarantee...if you are not satisfied with it, return it, no questions asked within that 30 day window. Also of note is the fact that virtually all the tools are designed to provide excellent dust control when used with the Festool Cleantec dust extraction system. Trust me...it works. Really well.
Although some retailers are starting to pick up the line, buying through a local rep, such as Bob, affords you a level of personal service that you rarely get from other sources.