Black & Decker HS600K ZipSaw Multi Project Tool

List Price: $60.71

Features:

• Quick Clamp system provides tool-free accessory changes
• Unique design allows for horizontal or vertical cutting
• Compact size puts the power in the palm of your hand
• 3.0 amp motor operates unit from 1,000-3,200 spm
• Includes a variety of accessories for added versatility

Customer Reviews:

Black and Decker put the Zip in Zipsaw [Posted on 2002-12-10]
The unit had plenty of power to do the job. I was able to cut 2x material in a very confined area with no problem. I think the unit ran great and changing the blade was a snap. I also found the variable speed to be very helpful.

Black and Decker put the zip in Zipsaw [Posted on 2002-12-11]
I thought the unit worked great! I was able to cut 2x material in a very tight area with no problem. I loved the quick blade change and the variable speed gave me better control over my work piece. Overall I felt the tool was great for the job.

Black & Decker has done it again!! [Posted on 2002-12-13]
I have used my Zipsaw to cut 2X and 1X material along with plastic sheet material and it works great! It has awesome power and the control for the user is out of this world.

Thanks again Black and Decker!

Cute, ergonomic, but..... [Posted on 2004-07-22]
I bought this jig saw based on its ergonomics and its ability to be used in projects beyond cutting. However, I had to return it due to some issues:

1. It is underpowered. It was extremely difficult for me to cut through wood, even though it wasn't as thick.

2. The cuts are not straight as it is very difficult to cut when you have to "push" the saw for it to work. My arms were hurting when I finish cutting a piece of pine measuring 3/4" x 12" x 3". This saw has a very nice attachment, ostencibly to use one of the borders (which needs to be parallel to the cut) as guide during cutting. However, you need to have at a minimum distance between that border and the cut of about six inches. In my case, the width of the piece of wood was about 3 inches so it did not work.

3. It has plenty of nice accessories (such as an add-in for sanding) but one can also do so by using a drill, with a sanding kit.

Very nice looking tool, but not as useful as I expected. I bought the Black & Decker JS600K (which is the same manufacturer as the HS600K) and the difference is noticeable. The JS600K is not only more powerful and useful but also it is $10 cheaper.

If you are looking for a sig saw, do yourself a favor and don't get distracted by the multitasking ability of this machine.

Decent tool with a serious flaw [Posted on 2007-08-23]
I got a zipsaw for Christmas, for light wood & metal-cutting around the farm, and I'm happy with its performance. It's not a 60-dollar scroller saw, but it is plenty adequate for occasional use and worth the price. I'd have given it a 4 or 5 if it weren't for the difficulty of getting the special replacement blades the Zipsaw requires. If I'd know this up front, I wouldn't have bought it.

It has been discontinued by B&D, and I suspect part of the reason is because the Zipsaw will ONLY take its own special type of blades, not regular jigsaw blades. I tried several brands of various jigsaw/scroller saw blades, including Black & Decker's, but nothing else fits because of the peculiar "hole grip" its quick-change blades require. If desperate, one might be able to grind or drill a jigsaw blade somehow..... ugh! Bad idea, since I can't find any local source for replacement blades, and Black and Decker's website and 800 number were useless. The lady referred me to DeWalt's website (they now own B&D), but it looked like you could only order blades from their Parts Department, priced per blade (and they didn't give the price). And DeWalt's number isn't even toll-free!

I got lucky and found someone online who was dumping a bunch of zipsaw blades very cheap, and picked up 20 packs of 11 ea., which should last us long enough to not feel like Black & Decker burned us too badly. There are other online discount sources (as of Aug '07), since apparently Black & Decker just dynamited down their stock of replacement blade packs to cheapie re-sellers, not giving a second thought to those of us who bought the Zipsaw. This will keep me from ever buying a B&D tool again.

My advice? If a light-duty saw is enough for you and you can buy it at a steep discount, go ahead -- but FIRST go online and make sure you can score a dozen or two of the blades you'll need for the next few years. If not, just buy a regular jig or scroller saw -- but NOT Black & Decker. We already know what kind of after-sales customer service to expect from them.

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