Improving the Jigsaw J-6500V
Moved from goo blog (Original article 2020-10-23 21:50:10)
I improved my Ryobi Jigsaw J-6500V.
I have been using this jigsaw for nine years, but the base plate has become bent.
As you can see, the right side is lifted. Since the plate on this model is made of metal, it bent when I accidentally dropped it on the floor.
It is a bit unstable, and it feels disappointing to use.
I thought about buying a new one, but when I looked into it, it seems that Ryobi power tool parts can be purchased individually.
<Checking the part number>
I am going to the Kyocera Industrial Tools support page. It seems the Ryobi power tool division was acquired.
https://www.kyocera-industrialtools.co.jp/support/
You can find the part number by asking questions to a bot called a "chatbot."
With this, I can find the bent plate.
Part name: "Base plate"
Model name: "J-6500V"
Price: ¥620
Part code: 6851148
If I order this at a home improvement store, I can fix it for 620 yen!
But then I had an idea. I remembered there was a product very similar to the J-6500V that had an aluminum base.
It is a product called the J-6500VDL. I wondered, could I buy this aluminum base and attach it?
According to Kamiya-sensei (https://www.youtube.com/channel/UC7EH_WSlrmV6lXp91KAUPCw), if you are going to buy a circular saw, he recommends one with an aluminum base that won't warp, rather than a metal base, even for cheaper models.
I thought an aluminum base would be better for a jigsaw too...
When I checked the parts needed to replace the base using the "chatbot," it looked like this.
Part name: "Base plate"
Price: ¥1020
Part code: 6851153
Part Name: "Base Plate"
Price: ¥890
Part Code: 6882572
Part Name: "Countersunk Taptite Screw S M4X8"
Price: ¥30
Part Code: 9150408
Note that four screws are required. If the dimensions are the same, regular screws sold at stores might work too. I wasn't confident, so I asked them to order them for me at a nearby home improvement store.
They arrived in about a week.
On the left is the iron plate for the J-6500V, and on the right is the aluminum die-cast plate for the J-6500VDL. Looking at the photo, the one on the right might look a bit like a toy, but in reality, the aluminum one feels overwhelmingly more premium. The small part on the far left is the piece that secures the main unit to the plate. It worked without any issues at all.
Screw the base plate onto the base at four points (photo on the right).
Attached to the main unit! I was able to upgrade just the base to the VDL version!!
It feels heavier in the hand compared to before. The center of gravity is now lower. Stability has improved significantly! Well, that's to be expected since it was warped, but I feel it's more stable even compared to before it was warped.
For reference, the weight of the iron plate was 156g, and the aluminum plate was 236g.
I'm going to keep using this for a long time!