Milwaukee 18V Brushless Jigsaw for Precision Cuts Tool Only

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There’s nothing worse than being mid-project and fighting with a jigsaw that bogs down in hardwood or leaves you with splintered cuts that need sanding for the next hour. We’ve all been there—struggling with an underpowered tool that turns a 15-minute trim job into an all-day frustration. When Milwaukee released this brushless 18V jigsaw as a bare tool option for their M18 platform, we knew we had to put it through its paces alongside our existing cordless jigsaws to see if it lived up to the brand’s reputation.

After three weeks of testing on job sites—cutting everything from laminate countertops to 2×6 framing lumber—this jigsaw proved itself as a legitimate workhorse. The brushless motor delivers consistent power without the fade we’ve experienced with cheaper alternatives, and the orbital action settings make a noticeable difference in both speed and cut quality. If you’re already invested in the Milwaukee 18V battery ecosystem, this tool fills a critical gap in your cordless lineup.

The standout feature? It’s the combination of precise bevel adjustments and genuine cutting power that doesn’t sacrifice one for the other. Most cordless jigsaws we’ve tested either excel at delicate scroll work or power through thick material, but rarely both. This one bridges that gap better than expected.

Why This Milwaukee 18V Cordless Jigsaw Stands Out

The brushless motor isn’t just a marketing buzzword here—it translates to real-world performance improvements. During our testing, we ran the jigsaw continuously through 3/4-inch oak plywood for over 20 minutes on a single 5.0Ah battery without any noticeable power drop. Traditional brushed motors would have started struggling halfway through, generating excessive heat and reducing cut speed. The efficiency gains mean you’re getting more cuts per battery charge and longer tool life overall.

What really impressed us was the variable speed trigger combined with the 3-position orbital setting. The speed control is sensitive enough for intricate curves in thin material, yet you can ramp up to aggressive cutting when needed. The orbital settings (0, 1, 2, or 3) dramatically change the tool’s personality: position 0 gives you smooth, controlled cuts perfect for laminate or finished surfaces, while position 3 attacks thick lumber with a more aggressive blade action that clears chips faster and cuts up to 40% quicker in our side-by-side tests.

The bevel capacity from 0° to 45° locks firmly at common angles (15°, 30°, 45°) with positive detents you can feel and hear. We’ve used jigsaws where the bevel adjustment is either too loose or requires a wrench and three hands to adjust. This one hits the sweet spot—tool-free adjustment that’s quick but doesn’t shift during cutting. The LED light might seem like a minor addition, but when you’re cutting in a cabinet interior or under a deck, having shadow-free illumination right at the blade makes a bigger difference than you’d expect.

Compared to the DeWalt and Makita cordless jigsaws we regularly use, this Milwaukee holds its own in power while offering slightly better ergonomics for extended use. The grip angle feels more natural during overhead cuts, and at 5.8 pounds (tool only), it’s balanced enough that fatigue doesn’t set in during longer projects.

Key Features & Specifications

• Brushless Motor Technology: Delivers up to 3,500 SPM (strokes per minute) with consistent power throughout the battery charge. In practical terms, this means faster cuts and approximately 30% more runtime compared to brushed motor equivalents.
• Variable Speed Control: Trigger-activated speed adjustment from 0-3,500 SPM lets you match cutting speed to material type. Slow speeds for metals and plastics prevent melting and chipping, while full speed powers through dimensional lumber.
• 3-Position Orbital Action: Four total settings (0, 1, 2, 3) change the aggressiveness of the blade stroke. Higher settings cut faster but leave rougher edges; lower settings sacrifice speed for smoother finish cuts.
• Tool-Free Bevel Adjustment: 0° to 45° left or right bevel capacity with positive stops at common angles. The shoe locks securely without tools, critical when you need to make quick bevel changes between cuts.
• Integrated LED Light: Positioned to illuminate the cut line without casting shadows from the blade, a genuinely useful feature in low-light conditions or when cutting dark materials.
• Tool-Free Blade Changes: Lever-action blade clamp accepts T-shank blades (industry standard) and releases without requiring hex keys or special tools. Hot blade changes after extended cutting are safer and faster.
• Milwaukee M18 Battery Platform Compatibility: Works with all M18 batteries (sold separately). A 5.0Ah battery provides approximately 45-60 minutes of continuous cutting in mixed materials based on our testing.
• Weight: 5.8 lbs (bare tool), well-balanced for overhead work and extended use without excessive fatigue.

Hands-On Performance Testing

We put this jigsaw through a variety of real-world scenarios to see how it performs beyond the spec sheet. First test: laminate countertop cutouts for an undermount sink. Using a fine-tooth blade at medium speed with orbital setting at 1, the cuts were clean with minimal chipping on the laminate surface. The variable speed trigger gave us precise control starting the plunge cut, critical when you can’t afford to blow out the finished surface. Total time for the cutout was about 12 minutes including blade changes for the corners—comparable to our corded Bosch jigsaw.

Next, we moved to framing lumber—cutting curves and notches in 2×6 pressure-treated pine. Cranked up to full speed with orbital setting at 3, this jigsaw chewed through the material aggressively. The brushless motor didn’t bog down even when we pushed the feed rate. One full battery charge (5.0Ah) handled cutting dados and curves across eight 8-foot 2x6s before showing low battery warning. That’s solid performance for a cordless tool.

The acid test came with hardwood cutting—3/4-inch red oak boards for cabinet face frames. We’ve burned out lesser jigsaws on hardwood, but this Milwaukee maintained consistent speed throughout multiple 4-foot rip cuts. Setting orbital action to 2 provided the best balance of speed and cut quality. The LED light proved especially valuable here, as the dark wood grain made it harder to follow pencil lines without additional illumination.

One surprise during testing: the tool’s stability during bevel cuts. We made 45-degree miter cuts on 1×4 pine trim, and the shoe remained flat and stable throughout. Some jigsaws we’ve used tend to rock or shift during angled cuts, but the wide shoe base and secure bevel lock eliminated that issue. The cuts required minimal sanding afterward.

We also tested cut accuracy with a 50-foot length of 1/4-inch plywood cut into curves and circles for a decorative project. Following the line was straightforward thanks to the clear sightline from the front grip position and the effective dust blowing feature that keeps the cut line visible. Our finished curves deviated less than 1/16-inch from the marked line—acceptable accuracy for most professional applications.

What We Liked (Pros)

Legitimate cutting power without cord limitations: The brushless motor delivers performance that rivals many corded jigsaws we’ve used. The power doesn’t fade as the battery depletes, maintaining consistent cutting speed until the battery finally dies. This is a game-changer for job site work where dragging extension cords isn’t practical.

Orbital settings that actually make a difference: The four orbital positions aren’t just incremental adjustments—they genuinely change the tool’s cutting character. We found ourselves using position 0 for finished cuts in cabinetry, position 2 for general construction work, and position 3 when speed mattered more than finish quality. Having that versatility in one tool eliminates the need to swap jigsaws for different applications.

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