Tried to save $30 on a jigsaw blade... wasted 2 hours and a sheet of birch plywood

Last Saturday I was cutting out some cabinet doors and my old jigsaw blade was DULL. Instead of driving 15 minutes to the hardware store I grabbed a cheapo 10-pack I found in the bottom of my truck. Big mistake. That thing chattered through the first cut like it was chewing on rocks, tore up the veneer on a $70 sheet of birch plywood. I ended up having to scrap that piece and drive to the store anyway for a decent Bosch blade. Anyone else learn this lesson the HARD way or am I the only one who tries to cheap out on blades?

2 comments

2 Comments

derekgibson1mo ago

Is that $70 birch plywood really that expensive though?

grant_ross271mo ago

Around here in the PNW that same sheet jumped from 55 to 85 in just over a year. It adds up fast when you're building cabinets or shop fixtures. For small hobby projects maybe it's fine but for actual builds the cost is real. Birch ply used to be the go-to for good quality without breaking the bank, now it's more like a premium choice.