SKIL 4495-02 Review: Is this your corded orbital jigsaw?

The SKIL 4495-02 is an orbital action jigsaw and once you’ve seen one at this price, you’ve probably seen them all.

We’ve reviewed several budget jigsaws lately and most of them are the exact same story: they do everything you need them to and usually have just one or two extra flourishes or nice design features to set them apart somewhat.

That’s not a bad thing though. What’s key here, is to identify precisely what it is that you look for when you buy a tool and then to read our review to see which one ticks the most boxes. That normally means looking at your tools as though they’re situated somewhere in a Venn diagram. You’re not going to be able to get all the features you could possibly want unless you’re going to spend a fortune and that means you need to choose which things are most important to you. You then find the tool that best represents the point where those ‘killer features’ meet.

So for example, you might choose portability and power. Or you might choose price and features. Or you might choose power above all else.

We’ve reviewed the SKIL 4495-02 to see what mixture of performance, functionality and cost it offers. Let’s see if it’s right for you…

Product Description

The SKIL 4495-02 is a fairly unassuming tool from the look of it. It has a very rounded design which we find quite appealing and this is capped off with a handle that arches at the top with a trigger at the front. It’s all very nicely laid out and easy to reach whether you have big or small hands.

The colorscheme is red, black and grey and while it feels quite plasticky, it is also solidly made and doesn’t feel as though it’s going to break if you drop it.

Now, what about that ‘features Venn diagram’ that I teased in the intro? Which features does this tool bring to the (work) table?

Well, the answer is that it mainly revolves around power. This is a 6 amp jigsaw that also comes with an orbital action. 6 amp is rather high for a tool at this price, which means you’re going to get some serious oomph and this should help you to chop through all kinds of materials. Adding to this is the orbital action. That means the blade will use a somewhat elliptical motion and this is ideal for when you want to cut through tougher materials and are less concerned about being pretty. In short, this has got the power and the skills to really make short work of whatever material you challenge it to take on.

Other than that, you also get a few additional extras though, which make this a good fit for even more people’s diagrams. For one, it has a laser which is something we always like to see on tools that revolve at all around precision. It also gives you the option to adjust your speed and that is very useful when you want to cut through metal or other materials. It’s versatile then as well as being powerful.

Pros and Cons

But like we said, you can’t have it all. The SKIL 4495-02 does have some limitations and for the most part, these are focussed on portability. The SKIL 4495-02 is a corded tool, which means you need to work near a power outlet and which means you need to consider your cable management as you position yourself around the work surface. Not a huge issue for a lot of people but definitely one thing to consider.

Personally, I am also not a fan of the variable speed trigger. It’s nice to have the option to change speed right there, but for me, it’s a bit too easy to speed up when you don’t mean to. And speaking of speed, it doesn’t actually tell you what the maximum SPM is, which is a shame. It also doesn’t offer bevel cuts.

Conclusion

Overall, this is a great tool that offers a lot of power and a lot of versatility. It doesn’t have it all but if you care more about power and precision than you do about bevel cuts and portability, it’s a good buy.

source http://www.toolerant.com/skil-4495-02-review-is-this-your-corded-orbital-jigsaw/