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General Category => General Scroll Saw Talk => Topic started by: jimbo on July 02, 2010, 03:19:45 am
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Hi every one in your opinion what do you think the best saw on the market is, I know everyone will probably say the one that they own, or , or,or,
Most of you know I had a ryobi [second hand] cheap as, i got the bug moved up o the best available down under and that is where I am now
I have a Excalibur and it is great and that is all I can say as i don't know if there is a better saw
Think and lets know and why
Jimbo
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I have a 16" Variable speed Delta but it has limitations on some things. I am happy with it but dream of a more expensive one as I would like to try some of the finer fretwork that would be better with less vibration & a bottom blade holder that holds fine blades better. I will be interested to see what is on the new ones. I am hoping that they sell the new Delta down under. I like the sound of the saw where the head of the saw tilts not the table - I want to try some inlay type items when I get the time.
We had a large Agricultural field day here in June. There was a great display of DeWalt tools - I asked for the DeWalt scrollsaw just to stir. The salesman knew about them & has been asked on occasion for one!! I told him he needs to get DeWalt to bring them down under.
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I have a Proxxon DSH/E variable speed saw. It does fine for me. No problem with blades, takes all kinds pins or no pins. The only thing it tilts only one way, so have to remember to cut in the same direction if I want to cut bevel.
David
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I have the DeWalt 788 which is a very fine saw. However, the Excalibur is my 'dream' saw. Maybe ... someday!
Dan
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i started out with a craftsman and it was a very good saw for many yrs until finally the bolt in the bottom arm broke in half, so i figured that was a sign to upgrade to a newer and better saw. i now own a dewalt and i love it, it cuts like a hot knife in butter, very little vibration, less noise also. the only drawback on the dewalt is no dust collector port.
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I was a staunch Delta supporter for years (20+) but when they became undependable for parts and then sold out, I switched to a Hawk and have been very pleased with its performance. Was concerned when the company closed but the new owners appear to be doing great, ordered parts with no problem.
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Another vote for the Dw788. I started many years ago with a two speed Dremel saw, then moved to a Craftsman which is the same as the current Hitachi CW40.
Love the Dewalt. I did have some initial problems with front to back blade movement, but I modified the saw and it's great now. I actually sent a video of the saw problem to Steve and he was nice enough to send me a video of his back so I could compare.
Ray
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So Jimbo what your asking is what we think is the best saw? My answer is I don't know.
I started with a Dremel saw which was a piece of c**p. I moved up to a DeWalt and have stuck with that. I have tried the Excalibur and like some of the features but I like the DeWalt better. I have not tried A Hawk or Hegner or an Eclipse so I can't comment on them. I am anxious to see the new Hawk though.
The DeWalt does have some problems, and I would like to see some improvements, But for the price the DeWalt is the best saw for me.
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My first scroll saw was a Hegner, Multimax, 22", which I used for a couple of years and was very satisfied before I got the opportunity to try a Hegner, 20" Polymax, for a couple of weeks. It?s Hegner?s Commercial Grade scroll saw and is used in shops where they run 12 hours a day every day and comes with a manufacturer?s seven-year warranty.
After using it, along with my 22? SS for a couple of weeks, I was convinced it was a much better saw and made the trade. The Polymax was eight years old when I acquired it, but looked like it had never been used. I?ve had it sixteen years and have made over 300 Intarsias with it and have never had to replace any parts, until last Monday I noticed the rubber bellows for the dust blower had started coming apart. I gave up the variable speed motor and the quick-change blade changing mechanism I had on the 22? saw for a heavy duty, smooth cutting, quiet machine. (It cuts Oak with the ease my 22? cut Pine)
The Polymax?s mainframe parts are all cast Iron. And, the saw weighs 104 pounds, which deadens almost all vibration. It has two stroke settings, which gives it a total of eight speeds. The long stroke is best for nearly all scroll work and the short stroke provides increased sawing control and smoothness when cutting thin and light materials, such as wood veneer or single layer sheet metal.
I got it for almost nothing in trade for my 22? model and I?ve made enough from it to pay for it many times over and think it?s the best saw on the market. However, that said, I can?t say a new one is worth three times the cost of any other top quality scroll saw.
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I started on a piece of junk Ryobi and moved up to a Dewalt 788, which I now have two of both of which I picked up used on Craigslist and both of which were like new. One is for me and one is for the wife and kids to cut on or take to a show if I decide to. Not having used anytihng other than the two types listed I couldn't say the Dewalt is the best out there but it certainly does what I need it to do and for the money is the best I could afford.
Don
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I started out with a Delta ( I think it was 16" ) it had a lot of vibration so I built a sand base for it and it did help. I now own an Eclipse, I have had it for about 4 months. I really like the Eclipse there is no vibration, the only thing I had to get used to was the blades go in from the back, but now I am used to it. It is a bottom feeder which I like. And I like the tension system, as long as you use the same blades you usually do not have to adjust the tension after a blade change. I also looked at the Excalibur and Dewalt and Hawk. I just chose the Eclipse. I cannot really compare it to any other saw as I have never used the other saws.
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we don't have a choice in NZ there is the rubish Ryobi and another, they can be bought from the hardware shops, the only others are the Carbatec that needs modifing and the Excalibur 21" & 30" so we cannot compare, it would be nice if we could, I also wrote to DeWalt and they just said they don't send to NZ or OZ. end of story
Jimbo
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I will be interested to see how the new Delta saw works out, it appears to be a Dewalt clone. It is supposed to be priced somewhat lower, I have heard in the $450.00 price range, which is a normal price range for the Dewalt from Grizzly. It is supposed to hit the market pretty soon.
Greg
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Speaking of saws, I just checked my local craigslist and the second ad is for a 226vs Hawk, they are asking $500, might have to call and go check it out.
Greg
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I love my Dewalt, it is however the only saw I have ever used. I hope to be able to try a Hegner or an Excalibur, someday, just to see the difference. However, until then, I highly recommend the Dewalt 788. A good saw and less expensive.
Barry
Barry
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I think the upcoming issue of Scrollsaw Woodworking and Crafts will feature a review of saws.
I tried a friend's saw for a little and didn't like it. It was old, single speed and required a tool to change blades. I wasn't sure I even wanted a saw after that. Then I found Steve's videos and learned it didn't have to be like that. Wanting to give myself the best chance of success, I bought the Dewalt 788. Having only had that old relic to compare it with, I am really happy with my saw, but that's a pretty limited comparison.
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I had a Hitachi...liked it.
I have a DeWalt now...Love it!
I would like an Excaliber....maybe after I get my 4yo and 1yo kids through college...
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If You really want it, just buy it sp. It'll always be something u need to buy otherwise.
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Started with a reconditioned Dremel (10 years ago I think) from Harbor Freight. It arrived broken. Harbor Freight was very helpful, sending the new part, and pointing the tricky part of putting it on. Of course had to use a tool to change blades. Did get a conversion kit, but still a chore.
Husband came home a year or two later with the Dewalt 788. It has been wonderful.
In the meantime bought an RBI, a demo at the scratch and dent sale when they were in Harrisonville MO, then sold it. A coupld of years ago bought an Eclipse Excaliber at the Texas picnic. Had to put sand bags on the lower part of the stand to keep it from vibrating. It gets used now and then.
Love the Dewalt. It is rock steady on it's three legs. Don't have a Jim Dandy and have been lifting the arm and top feeding without even thinking about it. Maybe, at my age, it helps keep me fit!! ;D
Pat B
PS-pays to reread what I post.
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I have owned a Hegner 18" variable speed scroll saw since 1992. I watched the saw demos at a wood show, and for some reason liked it the best. It has never given me a problem. I have never replaced a part on it, knock on wood, and it is almost vibration free with the heavy stand. Should the motor go out I would probably go with the dewalt because the replacement motor is over $700 on their web site. Wow! I barely paid that much when I bought it. So far it has been used by the kids, wife, friends, and myself with no problems. Hopefully I won't have to replace it. It's been a real workhorse just as they claimed when I bought it. I've cut everything you can imagine on this saw.
They just put out a new stand which is half as high for those who want to sit in a chair and scroll as to doing it standing up. Suprisingly they aren't much more in price than in the 90's. Check out their web site at Hegner.com
Elvin
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Sorry again. I'm having a hard time getting links to work, or the right ones in my posts. The Hegner web site is not Hegner.com. It's Advanced Machinery
Here is the link:
http://www.advmachinery.com/ (http://www.advmachinery.com/)
Hope this solves the problem. You may not even go there, but if you do this one works.
Thanks,
Elvin
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i stared with a master craft burnt 2 of them, then moved to a delta after that one burnt and couldn't get parts i moved up to excalibur and i have no complaints, love it. if i was to replace it i would definitly buy anouther of course i never tried a dewalt, eclipse or any other i'll stick with what i like and no this way no surprises lol
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I believe the Dewalt is being made in China now True or False?
Jimbo
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I believe the Dewalt is being made in China now True or False?
Jimbo
If not there, then it is somewhere overseas
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I believe the Dewalt is being made in China now True or False?
Jimbo
True, and so is the Excalibur.
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Just received the Fall issue of Scrollsaw Woodworking and Crafts today (Issue #40) and they do a comparison of 23 saws.
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Excaliber is now owned by General, and it is painted green like all the other General tools, and made in the Far East. I have a purple one. Think they were black before that.
Pat B
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I started off with the jet 18" which was total rubbish. I now have a hegner which is fantastic.
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I know the Ex. is made in the East although it doesn't say on the box, and it is owned by a Canadian company, thats about all the info I got when I got mine
Jimbo