Replies

1. 
   PlaneWood | Apr 26, 2002 01:29am | #1

   Well, all I can say is DON'T get the el-cheapo Porter Cable variable speed scroll saw, unless you are budget straped.  I've had lots of problems with mine.  The bellows was busted when I first got it.  A replacement bellows was shot in 6 months.  Blade installation is the pits.  Won't cut anything over 1/2" worth a darn.   The work hold-down is a farce.  I can only get decent cuts by taking coping saw blades and cutting them to fit.  Regular scroll saw blades either break are have to little tension to cut well.  I needed one in a hurry and silly me thought that anything with the PC name would be acceptable.

   PlaneWood by Mike_in_Katy
   PlaneWood

2. 
   DaveinPa | Apr 26, 2002 03:45am | #2

   My wife bought me a Ridgid scroll saw form Home Depot. Works great but one problem. If you have big hands it going to be a gut buster getting to the bottom blade holder. I am a small guy (5'1" tall) and my hands are small so it doesn't bother me to much.

   Dave in Pa.

3. 
   BudChristian | May 01, 2002 01:35am | #3

   There's a world of difference between the bottom and top-of-the-line scroll saws, as you may have guessed from the prices.  My wife's the scroller in our shop, but I've spent enough hours on most of the better  saws to have formed some pretty strong opinions. 

    Yes, the Hegners are really nice saws (we own the 22 in.)... just about bullet-proof, easy blade changes, very little vibration, etc.  Some people don't like the small table size, but I've never found this to be a problem, and I've cut some pretty massive pieces on them. 

   RBI also make a heck of a line of saws, with equally nice features.  Excalibur saws are made just up the road apiece from where I live, and I've used most of their models at one time or another.  My only complaint with theirs is the bearings they use at the pivot point for their arms.. they seem to seize up or burn out frequently...at least according to a couple of dealers I've talked to.  (BTW, they also make the Dewalt scroll saw...it's an Excalibur in yellow plastic, for a lot less money.)

   Delta has come out with a couple of decent scroll saws in the last couple of years.  You might want to check them out.  Just stay away from the offshore cheepies that they also have. 

   The one scrollsaw that I'm dying to try is the Eclipse.  It's a limited edition custom-built saw that uses a completely different drive system from anything I've seen, and from what I hear, it's getting rave reviews from the best scrollers in the world.  However, with a price in the area of $3500.00 U.S. and a waiting list, it may be a while before one finds its way into my shop.

   Bottom line... try as many different saws as you can, preferably at a large show so you can go back and forth between booths, put each saw through the same tests, and see which one makes you the happiest.  The pay your money and take it home.   

4. 
   JWM | May 01, 2002 05:07pm | #4

   John,

   My wife and I have been using an RBI Hawk for about 7 or 8 yrs now on a production basis with no problems.  If the tool is going to see a lot of use a high end saw is worth the cost.

   We had a 16" Delta for about a year, no problems, but it was not capable of producing high quality results.  A high end saw will eliminate having to sand the edges of your work and will increase the overall quality of your cuts.

   I know there is a lot of difference between a few hundred and thousand bucks, but you get what you pay for.  Good luck on your choice.

   Bill, In the Ozarks