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How to fit a jigsaw blade: unplug, then seat and tug

Updated: 22 October 2026

The spare is still in the packet while the blade in the saw has dulled. This page is how to fit a jigsaw blade on a mains or cordless saw in the UK: isolate the power, seat the tang, and tug the blade before you pull the trigger. Teeth stay as the packet designed them, and the back of the blade has to sit in the roller. Packs and prices are on the [jigsaw blade comparison](/hub/saw-accessories/jigsaw-blade). We read the amazon.co.uk listings and Electrical Safety First on 20 October 2026. We did not run a cut test. A qualifying purchase can earn a commission at no extra cost to you.

The spare is still in the packet while the blade in the saw has dulled.

Our top picks

Bosch Bosch 30-piece wood and metal set

Best overall

Bosch Bosch 30-piece wood and metal set
9.6/10about £18.64
View offer
TopsTools TopsTools 15 x T144D

Best value

TopsTools TopsTools 15 x T144D
9.2/10about £5.99
View offer
Dekton Dekton 5-piece B&D set

Alternative

Dekton Dekton 5-piece B&D set
9.0/10about £3.79
View offer
On this page
  1. 1.Isolate the saw
  2. 2.Click in a T-shank blade
  3. 3.Bolt in an older blade
  4. 4.Before you pull the trigger

Isolate the saw

Unplug the saw, or take the battery off, before your fingers go near the teeth. Electrical Safety First’s UK advice is to disconnect the power before maintenance on an electric jigsaw. A UK 3-pin plug on 230 V stays live until it is out of the socket, and a cordless pack can still drive the mechanism if it is clipped on. If the blade has just been cutting, do not hold the teeth. A hot blade is a pliers job. At work, a saw with a damaged lead or guard is a stop before any blade change.

Click in a T-shank blade

Most current saws use a tool-free lever and a T-shaped tang. Lift the lever, or turn the SDS-style cap if that is what your Bosch uses, slide the blade in shank-first, and let the clamp close. The back of the blade must sit in the roller. On a normal up-cut blade the teeth face the front of the shoe. A reverse-tooth blade still goes in shank-first. You do not flip it. The tang family is on T-shank or U-shank. If it will not click, do not grind the tang. The Dekton five-piece is B&D style and will not lock in a Bosch, DeWalt or Makita lever.
Bosch Bosch 30-piece wood and metal set

Testsieger

Bosch Bosch 30-piece wood and metal set
9.6/10about £18.64
View offer

Bolt in an older blade

Older clamps use a screw or a bolt rather than a lever. Loosen it, seat the blade so the back edge bears on the roller, and tighten until the tang cannot rock. If there are two screws, tighten them in turn so the blade does not sit cocked. The pack built for that holder is the Dekton DT80915, five high-carbon blades at 50 mm and 75 mm for £3.79. UK reviews say those blades bolt into an older Black & Decker. If your clamp is a lever, leave the Dekton packet closed. Do not overtighten until the screw head rounds.

Before you pull the trigger

Tug the blade downward, away from the clamp, before you reconnect power. It should not slide out. Then confirm the back edge sits in the roller guide. A blade that floats behind the roller flexes and snaps. Support the board so the offcut cannot pinch the blade. If the code is wrong for the board, the jigsaw blade buying guide is the place to change pack. Stop when the holder is rounded, the lever will not latch, or the blade still pulls out after two careful fittings.

Common questions

Do I unplug before I touch the blade?
Yes. Disconnect a mains jigsaw at the UK 3-pin plug, or remove the battery on a cordless saw, before you open the clamp. Electrical Safety First states that maintenance starts with the power disconnected. A trigger lock is not the same thing, because the motor can still start if the plug is in the wall. Leave the battery on the bench until the new blade has passed the tug test.
Which way do the teeth face?
On a standard up-cut blade the teeth face the front of the saw, so the upstroke holds the work against the shoe. A reverse-tooth blade mounts the same way: shank into the clamp, teeth as the packet designed them. Do not turn a down-cut blade upside down. The tang will not lock, and the teeth will not protect the other face.
Why will the blade not click?
The usual reason is the wrong tang. A T-shank lever wants the T shape. A B&D-style blade, including the Dekton set here, is made to be bolted and will not click into a Bosch, DeWalt or Makita holder. Do not file the tang. Bosch DIY says some U-shank blades fit a Bosch SDS holder, and that claim does not transfer to other brands. If the shape matches and it still will not latch, the clamp may be worn.
How do I change a bolt-in blade?
Loosen the clamp screw or screws, seat the blade with its back in the roller, and tighten so the tang cannot rock. If there are two screws, tighten them in turns so the blade stays square. The Dekton DT80915 at £3.79 is the bolt-in pack here, and UK reviews describe it fitting an older Black & Decker. A tool-free lever does not use this method. Stop if the screw head is rounding.
The blade snapped at the shank. Is that the fit or the pack?
It can be either, and one review does not settle it. A UK review of the WORKPRO 20-piece says blades snapped at the T on a Bosch at first use. That is a single account, not a failure rate. Reseat the next blade so it is not twisted and the back edge is in the roller, then tug it. If a second blade from a different pack snaps the same way, the holder is the suspect.
When do I stop and read the manual?
Read it before the first change if you have never opened that clamp, and stop again if the lever, cap or screw does not match the description here. Bosch’s SDS cap, a DeWalt lever and an old screw clamp are three mechanisms. If the holder is rounded, the blade pulls out after a careful fit, or the saw is work equipment with a damaged guard, the manual or a repair comes before another attempt.

Related pages

Reverse tooth jigsaw blade

Jigsaw blade

Best jigsaw blade set: the starter, refill or case

Jigsaw blade buying guide: shank, steel, then pack

T-shank or U-shank jigsaw blades: match your clamp

Sources

Public UK sources from the research digest, last checked on 20 October 2026. Shelf prices and star lines are the amazon.co.uk figures in the display file. Type-code thickness bands are maker figures for the code, not a result measured on every pack.

  1. Bosch Professional GB: T 144 D speed for wood (retrieved 20 October 2026)
  2. Bosch Professional GB: T 101 B clean for wood (retrieved 20 October 2026)
  3. Bosch Professional GB: T 118 A basic for metal (retrieved 20 October 2026)
  4. Axminster Tools: jigsaw blades, shank and steel (retrieved 20 October 2026)
  5. Tooled-Up: choosing jigsaw blades (retrieved 20 October 2026)
  6. Electrical Safety First: electric jigsaws (retrieved 20 October 2026)
  7. HSE: PUWER overview (retrieved 20 October 2026)
  8. HSE: WIS23, wood dust (retrieved 20 October 2026)
  9. legislation.gov.uk: Consumer Rights Act 2015, section 23 (retrieved 20 October 2026)