Festool Carvex 420 Jigsaw Review (2026): Which Model Is Actually In Stock?

“Festool 420” isn’t a single jigsaw — it’s the platform number Festool uses across an entire family of Carvex jigsaws, sold in both barrel-grip and D-handle bodies, corded and cordless. If you’ve been searching for “the Festool 420” and landing on a dozen different SKUs with different prices, that’s why. Below we sort out which Carvex 420 models are actually real, current, and in stock right now, verify the specs Festool itself publishes for the platform, and point you to the specific listing worth buying.

Our Pick: Festool Carvex PSBC 420 EB-Basic Cordless Jigsaw

What “Festool 420” Actually Means: The Carvex Lineup Explained

Every Festool jigsaw with “420” in its name belongs to the Carvex 420 platform — a shared motor, blade-guidance, and base-plate system that Festool sells under several different model codes depending on grip style and power source. Once you know the code, you know exactly what you’re looking at:

• PS 420 / PSC 420 — barrel-grip body (you hold it like a drill, gripping around the motor housing)
• PSB 420 / PSBC 420 — D-handle body (a pistol-style top handle, more like a traditional jigsaw)
• EBQ-Plus — corded, mains-powered version
• EB-Basic — cordless 18V version sold as a bare tool, no battery or charger included
• EBI-Plus / HPC — cordless 18V version sold as a full kit with battery and charger

So “Festool Carvex PSBC 420 EB-Basic” translates to: D-handle grip, cordless, bare tool. That’s the exact listing we verified in stock and linked above. The corded barrel-grip version — officially the PS 420 EBQ-Plus — is the same core platform but with a cord instead of a battery, and at the time of this review its main Amazon listing (576181/Sys 3) was showing “Currently unavailable,” which lines up with Festool’s broader shift toward cordless in this tier.

Verified Specs: What the Carvex 420 Platform Actually Delivers

Rather than repeat marketing copy, here’s what we could actually confirm against Festool’s own product listings and independent retailer spec sheets for the Carvex 420 platform:

• Stroke speed: variable, up to 3,800 strokes per minute — confirmed on Festool’s own Amazon listings for both the corded and cordless 420 models
• Stroke length: approximately 26mm (about 1″), consistent across the corded EBQ-Plus spec sheets we checked
• Max cutting depth in wood: Festool’s own listing copy states the carbide blade guides “virtually eliminate blade deflection, even when cutting in materials as thick as 4-3/4 inches” — that’s roughly 120mm
• Motor: Festool’s EC-TEC brushless motor, which Festool states is up to 39% more powerful than an equivalent brushed motor at the same size
• Blade guidance: triple blade guidance with carbide guide jaws plus a tool-less blade chuck — insert and twist to lock, a side trigger to eject, no grabbing a hot blade
• Base system: tool-free interchangeable bases — a Guide Rail Adapter Base (compatible with Festool guide rails, the same system covered in our guide rail comparison), an Angle Base adjustable ±45°, a Steel Base for metal, and a Hook-and-Loop felt base for delicate finished surfaces
• Lighting: quad-LED stroboscopic lighting that syncs to blade speed for better visibility of the cut line, adjustable to always-on, always-off, or stroboscopic

We did not find a single, unambiguous published weight for the platform — retailer spec sheets list anywhere from about 4 to just over 5 lbs for a bare tool depending on grip style and configuration, so we’re not going to hand you a fake-precise number. In practice, every version is light enough for sustained one-handed use, which matters more day-to-day than the exact ounce count.

Corded vs. Cordless: Which Carvex 420 Should You Buy

One real finding from checking every ASIN tied to this platform: the corded EBQ-Plus models (both PS 420 barrel-grip and PSB 420 D-handle) are getting harder to find in stock at their original listings, while the cordless EB-Basic and EBI-Plus/HPC models — especially the PSBC 420 D-handle we recommend above — are consistently available. If you already own Festool’s 18V battery system from another tool (a track saw, drill, or sander), the bare-tool EB-Basic version is the cheaper way in since you’re not paying for a battery and charger you already have. If you’re starting from zero on Festool’s cordless platform, the EBI-Plus/HPC kit version costs more but includes a battery and charger, which is usually a better deal than buying them separately later.

If a cord genuinely doesn’t bother you and you can still find a corded EBQ-Plus listing in stock, it’s not a downgrade — it’s the same motor platform and blade guidance, just without battery weight on the front end. But don’t count on a specific corded listing staying in stock; Festool’s own retailer network has been thinning that side of the lineup out in favor of cordless.

Who Should (and Shouldn’t) Buy This Jigsaw

The Carvex 420 platform makes the most sense for woodworkers and finish carpenters doing template work, sink cutouts, curved trim, and cabinetry where blade drift ruins a clean line — the triple blade guidance is genuinely the reason to pay Festool prices over a $150 big-box jigsaw. It’s overkill if you’re cutting a handful of holes in drywall or rough-cutting plywood for a shed a few times a year; a basic corded jigsaw from Bosch or Makita will do that job for a third of the price. If you want an even more budget-focused Festool jigsaw, it’s also worth reading our Festool Trion jigsaw review — the Trion is Festool’s older, separate jigsaw line and tends to show up cheaper on the used market.

How We Verified the Specs and ASINs in This Review

Because Amazon listings for Festool tools cycle in and out of stock more often than most brands, we checked every ASIN tied to this platform directly on its live Amazon product page rather than trusting an old listing screenshot. The corded PS 420 EBQ-Plus (Sys 3, 576181) came back “Currently unavailable” on its main listing. The cordless PSBC 420 EB-Basic (576531) came back fully in stock, at $399, with 7 verified customer ratings averaging 4.2 out of 5 — including one reviewer who specifically praised its control on tight curve cuts and another who ran into a stiff blade-ejection issue on their unit, which is worth knowing before you buy: it’s a well-regarded tool, not a flawless one.

We cross-referenced the stroke-speed, motor, and base-system specs against Festool’s own product description copy on that live listing, then checked stroke length and weight against independent retailer spec sheets (the kind of listings tool shops like Rockler and specialty Festool dealers publish) rather than repeating whatever number a previous version of this page happened to use. Where those independent sources disagreed with each other — weight was the one spec with real variance between sources — we said so instead of picking a number and presenting it as certain.

Maintaining the Carvex 420: Blades, Bases, and Common Wear Points

A few practical notes that don’t usually make it into a spec sheet. The tool-less blade chuck is genuinely fast once you’ve done it a few times, but it only accepts T-shank blades — standard for most premium jigsaw blades today, but worth checking if you’re carrying over a stock of U-shank blades from an older saw. The splinterguard insert is a wear part: it’s a thin plastic zero-clearance piece that will eventually chip up after enough cuts, and Festool sells replacements separately rather than bundling a lifetime supply. If you’re switching between the Guide Rail Adapter Base for straight cuts and a stock base for freehand curves, budget a minute or two per swap the first few times — it’s tool-free, but “tool-free” and “instant” aren’t quite the same thing until the motion becomes familiar.

On battery life for the cordless EB-Basic and EBI-Plus versions: Festool doesn’t publish a single cuts-per-charge number because it depends heavily on material and blade speed setting, and we’re not going to invent one. What we can say from the verified customer reviews on the current listing is that battery life wasn’t flagged as a complaint by any reviewer — the one negative review on that listing was about blade-change mechanics, not runtime.

Frequently Asked Questions

Is “Festool 420” one specific jigsaw model?

No. “420” is the platform number Festool uses across its Carvex jigsaw family. The actual model code — PS, PSB, PSC, or PSBC 420, in EBQ-Plus (corded), EB-Basic (cordless bare tool), or EBI-Plus/HPC (cordless kit) — tells you the grip style and power source.

What’s the difference between the corded and cordless Carvex 420?

Both use the same core motor platform, triple blade guidance, and interchangeable base system. The corded EBQ-Plus versions plug in and never need a battery; the cordless EB-Basic and EBI-Plus/HPC versions run on Festool’s 18V battery system. At the time of this review, cordless listings were more consistently in stock than the corded ones.

How fast does the Carvex 420 cut?

Up to 3,800 strokes per minute, variable, with a stroke length of roughly 26mm — confirmed against Festool’s own listing specs.

Is the Festool Carvex 420 worth the price over a Bosch or Makita jigsaw?

If you regularly cut curves or templates where a wandering blade ruins the piece, yes — the triple blade guidance and carbide guide jaws are a genuine, measurable upgrade over a basic jigsaw. If most of your cuts are rough plywood or drywall, a $120–$150 jigsaw will do that job just as well for far less money.

Bottom Line

“Festool 420” is shorthand for a whole Carvex jigsaw family, not one product — and right now, the cordless D-handle PSBC 420 EB-Basic is the specific listing we could actually verify as real, in stock, and matching Festool’s own published specs. If you already own Festool 18V batteries, that’s the one to buy; if you’re building the whole cordless kit from scratch, look at the EBI-Plus/HPC version instead so you get a battery and charger in the box.