Ryobi 18-Volt ONE+ Cordless Brushless Jig Saw REVIEW! How Powerful is it? (Model # P524)

RYOBI Brushless 18V Jigsaw P524

If your wondering if the all new RYOBI 18 Volt cordless, brushless Jig Saw is powerful, you came to the right place, as this as this saw...

Provided by the Home Depot Prospective Program for review. 

If your wondering if the all new RYOBI 18 Volt cordless, brushless Jig Saw is powerful, you came to the right place as this saw is an absolute powerhouse. It may not be as heavy duty as the more pricey saws on the market, but if you are a beginning wood worker, or a DIY warrior this may be the saw for you.

Build

So lets just get this out of the way first. The casing on this has a solid build, but the levers and knobs are all plastic. Now when I say plastic, I don't mean like a thick industrial type of plastic, I mean (don't drop this saw cause it will break) type of plastic. It's definitely a DIY'er kind of saw, but that

doesn't mean that is won't get the job done. 

The over-mold on this saw feels great. It's textured and really prevents your hands slipping around while working. I also love the D-shape handle design that they put on this because it's really comfortable in the hands. Now even though there are a few plastic parts, your have to remember the price-point of this saw, and take it for what it's worth. 

Functionality 

Everything you get on a top shelf  you basically get one this saw. The added four different orbital positions 0 - 3 ( 0 being off, and 3 being high) The orbital action is crazy insane and tears through the wood like it's hungry for it. You also get a 45 degree bevel cut that will bevel left and right. All you need to do is open the lever, and decide which detent (angle) you want to cut. The pin can be locked in a 0, 15, 30 and 45 degree position, and is super easy to adjust. Not to mention, its all tool-ess. 

Orbital knob

A couple other things that I really liked on this saw was that they added a variable speed switch (not a variable speed trigger), and a lock button option that will allow you to keep the blade going without having to squeeze the trigger constantly. You will even get a pretty bright LED light on this saw. 

Two other things that I enjoyed about this saw was the quick release blade and the built in dust blower near the blade. The blade actually pops out when released, so you don't need to struggle with a hot blade, and the blower really pushes the dust out of the cut line nicely.  

Power

So here is the part I was excited to get to. This jig saw really shines when it comes to straight up raw power. It has a blistering 800 - 3,500 SPM, and the cut length is 1". It absolutely powers through anything you through at it. I used a 6Ah battery while testing this saw, and it was going through 2x6 pine like nothing at all. The orbital action on the highest setting is insane. It obviously won't leave the smoothest cut, but its not supposed to either. 

When on straight cuts (orbital off) it was smooth and glided over the wood. Plywood with laminate coating on it was as smooth as a babies bottom when finished. There was no bogging down, or any issue with maneuverability; it was simply impressive. 

Other specs 

Even though this is an absolute powerhouse of a saw, it's still a DIY'er tool. It definitely won't hold of to heavy construction sites, or professional wood working shops, but it is a perfect saw for the weekend warrior. I think it has a lot to offer, and Ryobi definitely gave the user a bunch of features that the higher end saws have, but keep in mind the price range of this saw, and understand that your actually getting a lot for the money