Our pet peeve with jigsaws has always been the complicated, tooled method of changing a blade, but bravo to DeWalt for engineering this tool-free, practically effortless blade changeout system. The flip of a lever is all it takes, and you're back on the job. It's nice, too, to not have to handle that sizzling hot blade - the saw ejects it for you.

Control is phenomenal, and it really feels like the saw does the work for you. It's on the heavy side at about 7 pounds, but that weight turns out to be an advantage. The motor powers the blade at 0 to 3,000 strokes per minute, so whether you're cutting 1/8th-inch ply or a 2-by-4, this saw does not disappoint. In fact, it's so powerful that it's easy to forget that this is, after all, a cordless saw. You can tailor the speed and aggression to suit your cutting needs with a four-position selector that changes the attitude of the blade for different cutting applications. The non-marring shoe bevels to 45 degrees with positive stops, but we found it a tad difficult to determine the exact angle we'd set. A minor quibble, but one worth mentioning.

We particularly like how this saw feels in hand. Even though it's weighty, it's beautifully balanced, and the curved rubber grip feels good to grasp. The shape of the front of the tools lends itself nicely to your free hand for guidance. And while you're cutting, the built-in dust blower really does a great job of keeping your cutting line clear. Carpenters and contractors will love this saw, and the do-it-yourselfer will find a hundred uses for it. Well worth the investment, we think. --Kris Jensen-Van Heste