Skil Corded 6 Amp Jigsaw

I put the Skil 6-amp jigsaw to work on a week of mixed shop tasks—breaking down 3/4-inch birch ply, trimming 2x stock to scribe lines, shaping stair treads, and nibbling through aluminum angle and thin steel. It’s a compact, budget-friendly corded saw that promises a lot of capability: four orbital modes, a two-finger variable-speed trigger, tool-free blade changes, a dust blower, bevel shoe, and a halo-style LED. In practice, it checks most of those boxes well, with a few caveats that matter depending on how you use a jigsaw.

Setup and First Impressions

Out of the box, the tool included a wood blade and a metal blade—enough to get cutting right away. The body is compact and light (just over 4.5 pounds), with a rubberized top handle and a roomy two-finger trigger that makes feathering the speed easy. Power is standard 120V corded, and you feel the advantages immediately: no sag from low batteries, consistent stroke force, and a motor that’s ready to start and stop as often as your layout requires.

The “halo” LED is the first thing you notice. Instead of a single point light, a ring illuminates the entire nose of the saw. It’s genuinely helpful, especially when you’re following a pencil line on darker materials or working under cabinets.

Build and Ergonomics

Skil has kept the form factor tight. The grip angle is natural, and the trigger length gives you leverage to modulate speed even while negotiating curves. The shoe adjusts for bevel cuts, and it locks firmly. I like that the shoe markings are clear enough to set a rough angle quickly, though—as with most jigsaws—I verified 0 and 45 degrees with a square before making finish cuts.

Vibration control is decent for the class. In straight cuts through pine and plywood, the saw stays planted without walking. You’ll still feel chatter with aggressive orbital settings in thick stock (that’s physics), but it’s manageable with proper blade choice and feed rate.

One note on comfort: during a series of longer, continuous cuts in ply, the trigger area got warm. Not blistering, but noticeable. Work gloves took that off the table, and shorter cuts didn’t build the same heat. If your workflow involves very long, continuous cuts at lower speed, it’s worth being aware.

Cutting Performance

This saw ships with a 7/8-inch stroke length—fairly typical—and a 6-amp brushed motor. In wood, it has no trouble with common tasks. With an aggressive wood blade and the orbital action set to 2 or 3, it breezed through 2x lumber and construction plywood without bogging down. Dialing the orbit back to 0 or 1 reduces tear-out and improves control for visible edges and tighter curves.

In hardwoods, I ran it through 3/4-inch maple with orbit off and a clean-cut blade. Feed rate slows a bit—as expected—but the result was a respectable edge with minimal chip-out on the show face. If you need cabinet-grade edges straight off the saw, add painter’s tape or a sacrificial overlay to control splintering.

Metal cuts are the usual jigsaw compromise: doable with the right blade and patience. With orbit off and speed moderated, it handled 1/8-inch aluminum angle cleanly and made it through thin mild steel sheet without drama. Keep the feed slow and let the blade clear chips; the dust blower helps with visibility, but it’s not chip extraction.

Orbital Action and Control

The four-stage orbital selector is the heart of how this saw behaves. Here’s how I used it:
- 0: Non-orbital for metals, laminates, hardwoods, and tight curves
- 1: General-purpose finish work in ply and softwoods
- 2–3: Fast rip-style cuts and roughing in thicker lumber

The two-finger trigger gives good low-speed control for starting cuts and staying on layout lines. Under heavier load, you can feel the motor’s speed dip slightly—there’s no constant-speed electronics here—but it’s predictable. If you ease your feed pressure, it catches back up quickly.

As with any jigsaw, blade selection matters. Thick, stiff blades help reduce deflection in deep cuts; narrow blades turn tighter radii but flex more. On 2x material, I could induce a bit of blade wander when pushing the orbit hard and feeding aggressively. Slowing down and using a stiffer blade corrected it.

Visibility and Dust Management

The halo LED is excellent—bright and evenly distributed—so you’re not fighting shadows around the shoe. The onboard blower keeps the line of cut visible in most woods. There’s no vacuum port, which means fine dust will accumulate on the bench and in the air. For shop use, I’d love a dust extraction option, but in this price tier, a blower-only setup is common.

Blade Changes and Compatibility

Blade changes are quick: pull the front lever, the clamp opens, and the hot blade ejects without finger contact. The clamp holds T-shank blades securely. That’s the design intent, and it’s where the saw works best. If you have a stash of older U-shank blades, consider this a good time to retire them; T-shank is the standard and gives more consistent fit in this clamp.

The included blades are fine for a start, but you’ll get better results with quality aftermarket blades matched to your material—clean-tooth blades for plywood, high-TPI for metals, and extra-thick blades for deep, straight cuts in framing lumber.

Accuracy and Bevel Cuts

For square cuts, the shoe remained true across my tests, and the guide roller supported the blade well when I wasn’t over-feeding. On beveled cuts, the saw tracked predictably through 1x pine and MDF, though you can expect some tear-out on the exit side without prep. The bevel mechanism stayed put once tightened; I didn’t have to re-check mid-cut. As always, a quick test cut and a square are your friends before committing to visible work.

Reliability and Caveats

Across several shop days, the saw started and ran reliably. I did have a stall when I forced an inside corner with the orbit set aggressively—classic user error, and the motor came back to life as soon as I backed out and cleared the kerf. Let the blade do the work and you’ll avoid both stalls and wandering cuts.

Two cautions:
- Heat at the trigger during long, continuous cuts was noticeable. Not a deal-breaker for me, but gloves helped.
- No dust extraction port limits cleanliness in a small shop. If you rely on collection, plan accordingly.

Otherwise, the tool feels appropriately durable for its class. It’s a brushed motor, so expect brush wear over the long term—standard maintenance on a value-focused corded saw.

Who It’s For

• DIYers and homeowners who want a capable, easy-to-use corded jigsaw for mixed materials
• Woodworkers who need a secondary saw for breaking down stock and roughing curves
• Occasional jobsite use for trim, flooring, and on-the-fly fitting where compact size matters

It’s less ideal for:
- Production environments with continuous cutting or heavy metals work
- Dust-sensitive shop setups that rely on vacuum extraction at the tool

Recommendation

I recommend the Skil 6-amp jigsaw for DIYers and light shop use. It delivers the essentials—solid power, useful orbital control, a genuinely helpful halo light, and quick, tool-free blade changes—in a compact package. It tracks well when used with appropriate blades and feed rates, and it’s easy to control on both straight and curved cuts. The trade-offs are typical for the price: no dust port, a brushed motor, and some warmth at the trigger on sustained cuts. If your projects are a mix of plywood, 2x lumber, and occasional aluminum or thin steel, this saw offers very good value and predictable results. For continuous, finish-critical work or integrated dust collection, look upmarket; for most home and shop tasks, this one earns a spot on the shelf.