saw question

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nwcatman

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i am in the market for scroll saw and wondered if anyone has an opinion. i can't afford the german one (hefner?) and the de walt is more than i want to go. is the delta shopmaster any good? the grizzly? thanks
 
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I see scroll saws on Craigslist all the time here. Last week I saw a Hawk scroll saw that sells for new at $1,500.00 go for less than $400.00.

Course I saw a Clausing cabinet TS go for $50.00 over the weekend and was a bit distraught I wasn't sitting at my PC the second it was listd[:(!].

Good luck.
 
Originally posted by TowMater
<br />I see scroll saws on Craigslist all the time here. Good luck.
Click to expand...
Same here...
I picked up a Delta 2 speed for $45 on Craigs List last summer..Other then light surface rust it was like new....
 
John,
It depends on where you are. One guy in my WWing club has two scroll saws for sale; one's an old, cast iron industrial size unit, one's a benchtop Ryobi.
 
the last time I was looking any good saw was expensive. the battle is eliminating vibration. there are some scroll saw groups on the net that could probably give you great advice and would be up to date on what is available. I have a delta and it works real well for the amount of scrolling I do (not much). but if I where to started spending a lot of time at it, it would either get replaced or bolted down, glued down, or something. and it does not even vibrate a lot.
 
I would guess that what saw you need depends on what you want to do with it. I have a Delta two speed for about 7 years and it does a decent job for me. It cost me about 180 and I think you could get one now for well under 100. I had a Craftsman before that and it was horrible. If I had to buy a new one, and I had the money, 400 bucks or so, I probably would go for a Dewalt. Maybe you could look at some photo albums and PM a person who has photos of what you want to do. If I am not mistaken, someone here scrolled an extraordinary wooden gear clock. If you are going to be doing a lot of fret work, a really good saw is a huge plus.
Good shopping [:)]
 
I'm currently using a Ryobi vs sroll saw that I picked up I believe in Home Depot.

500 - 1600 rpm, teflon coated table, integrated blower/light, accpets both pin and plain end 5" blades.

Don't use it very often, but when I have, it has been a good saw.

Amazon.com currently showing a factory-reconditioned one for 99.99
 
I have a dremel from Home Depot and have been happy with it. Did alot of scrolling 6-7 years ago but not so much anymore. Put rubber feet on it b4 you bolt it down and it doesn't vibrate much at all. Cost around $200.
 
I didn't initially weigh in on this as you said that the DeWlat was more than you want to go. Over the last 19 years I have had four scroll saws. I had seriously considered the Hegner as there use to be a guy that would demo and sell them at the Louiville Flea Market. Like you I found the Hegner to be way over priced but the lack of vibration was incredible. The last saw i bought was the DeWalt DW788. It was by far superior to the Craftsman, Dremel and Delta that I had previous. Minimal vibration and once I mounted it to a cabinet that I made special for the saw, most of the vibration went away. Blade change is a snap and we use sever different sizes of blades. One key factor is to keep a sharp blade in. Most of the work we do on the saw is 3/8" to 3/4" red oak as well as some hard maple. These woods wear down the smaller blades that we use pretty fast so we buy them in bulk. (Olsen & Flying Dutchman)
If you can swing the DeWalt you will never need to buy another saw. I have had ours for about 8 years now and don't think i will need to ever buy another. Watch eBay and you might find a pretty good deal. There is one now with the foot switch in Texas that looks pretty good.

Mike
 
Originally posted by trsmth
<br />I have a dremel from Home Depot and have been happy with it. Did alot of scrolling 6-7 years ago but not so much anymore. Put rubber feet on it b4 you bolt it down and it doesn't vibrate much at all. Cost around $200.
Click to expand...

I also have a Dremel. Good Machine and I think they get better reviews than the delta's.
 
I don't do much with my scrolls anymore.. I have a light weight Dremel maybe 13" and a bigger two speed 16" Dremel... (with a bad switch since the low speed is faster than the high speed)... I like my Dremels and they have served me well, but from what I've read, the Hawk is on of the best out there... if you can pick one up for $400 would be a deal.
 
With scroll saws vibration is the nemesis. You need well built and heavy. Look for the type where the upper arm does not go up and down. You best bet may be to look for a used saw. I inherited a very old Delta that was so heavy-duty it had a transmission with oil. The upper arm was spring loaded minimizing vibration. The avocation of cutting little holes and changing the blade a thousand times a day didn't appeal to me. I sold the saw for $250.00.
 
I am a moderator on one a the largest scroll saw groups on the internet and you have asked the question that comes up all the time.
It all depends upon how much you are willing to spend and the amount of usage you are going to have.
In the lower end I think that the Dremel is probably the most purchased and has the best reviews, as you move up the line the Delta SS350, next the Dewalt 788, then probably the Excalibur(now made by General), and then up to the RBI Hawk, Hegner, and Eclipse.
If you are going to use it quite a bit get some thing that has tooless blade changing and tension/speed controls that are up front. Reaching to the back of the saw to adjust blade tension is a pain, literally and figuratively.
Like anything, you will have a lot of differing opinions on which is the best and most reliable, mostly because of personal experiences. (You can get a lemon no matter what you buy).
I would stay away from the $100 saws if you are going to use it more than an hour or so a week.

Tom
 
I agree with Tom that this question gets asked many times in many different forums and the answers are always about the same. Buy the best saw you can afford. When you buy cheap $100 saws then that means you will not use it much and that may be good enough form you. But get into any kind of fret work where you have to insert a blade in a hole hundreds of times you will quickly appreciate a better saw. Of all saws mention the Dewalt is the lowest priced saw I would look at and it can do be either a top feeder or a bottom feeder which makes it more versatile. It has very easy blade changinging and blade tensioning system. Vibration free because it has weight to it and is very user friendly. You would have no problem selling if you decide it is not for you as with the other lower priced saws you won't be able to give them away. Watch ebay you can really get a great deal. If you ever see a Dewalt that is a type #1 saw as opposed to a type #2, jump on it without hesitation. That number is typed on the motor name plate. You can get deals with satnd and a light for around $450. Not bad for a great saw. I own 2 hawk saws and by the way that is a brand of RBI saw, a Hegner and a Dewalt. The RBI saws are the way to go but are pricey but then again I am into production. Good luck.
 
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