# Which scroll saw...



## JustBen (15 Jun 2013)

I'm looking to get a new scroll saw in the near future but I'm struggling to find info on uk saws.

I currently have a powercraft cheap saw which is pretty rubbish for more than hobby use.

Of all the info I have found so far, it seems there are 2 levels. The £80-£150ish saws and the £450+ saws(Hegner/Excalibur).

Is there no middle ground? Am I missing some? Am I going to have to pay £450+ for a decent saw?

The selection in the states seems to be a lot better than here.

Any help is most appreciated.


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## Reggie (15 Jun 2013)

From what I gather, you will want a scrollsaw that is capable of taking plain (pinless) blades, if you get one that just takes pinned blades you will be quite restricted in the blades that you can use and subsequently the level of fine inside work that you can do will be limited too.

If you look on axminster, at the AWFS16, that is a pinned blade scroll saw, so avoid those types if you want to do intricate inside cut work, whereas if you look at the Jet JSS-16, it says it can take plain or pinned blades, I'm not making comments on either saw as I have no experience of them but use them as a reference for the types of blade system to look out for.

you could also look here:
http://www.scrollsawer.com/features/201 ... guide.html

Although it's written for the american market, you will find equivalent european makes for a few of the saws, the Grizzly 5036 is pretty much a clone of my FERM ffz-400n (minus the speed control).

I guess it comes down to what you want to do with the scrollsaw and how much money you've got to spend, if you've got plenty spare, get a hegner etc., if you don't have much at least try and get something that has the plain end blade changing system.


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## JustBen (15 Jun 2013)

Thanks for the reply.

I've adapted mine to take plain end blades. It was the first thing I did.

Of what I can see/read. Nearly all saws in the £80-£150 bracket are very similar to mine so I would want something far better.

I'm looking for a saw with a bit more grunt, a lot less vibration and an ease of blade change.
I know I can change mine for a quick release for a cost.

I see the Excalibur has the head tilt and the short upper arm which reduces vibration and is of a similar price to the Hegner. 

The Hegner is a very similar design to the £80-£150 bracket so what makes it worth the extra £300?

There just seems to be a big gap between the cheap and the expensive.


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## Reggie (15 Jun 2013)

I think essentially you end up with a better all round experience but you're still only in the mid price bracket, it's all about fit and finish, my FERM ffz-400n looks like a reasonable well copied design, however the blade tensioning is on the back, the mitre gauge is sloppy in the mitre slot, the blade changing is awkward and it seems to vibrate a fair bit, from what I've seen of the hegners etc. there seems to be much more that is taken care of for you, things like variable speed, tool-less blade changing and re-tensioning, a table that tilts in both directions, superior vibration dampening and overall better parts.


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## Chippygeoff (16 Jun 2013)

Almost all saws available in the UK now are Chiwanese and to be honest not very good. If you want a really good saw then don't even think about excalibur, they are as bad as the imported saws made from cheap materials but with a very hefty price tag. I you were to do some work on a cheapy saw and then do the same work on a Hegner you would realise immediately why they cost a lot of money. They are the best saws in the world, made from the very best of materials and will last you a lifetime, but like all good things, they cost a lot.


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## martinka (16 Jun 2013)

benjimano":1ascwbln said:


> I'm looking for a saw with a bit more grunt, a lot less vibration and an ease of blade change.
> I know I can change mine for a quick release for a cost.


You won't get rid of vibration unless the saw is bolted down to a substantial bench. My Jet saw, bolted to my steel and wood bench vibrates less than the Hegner on its own stand, and I can stand a coin on edge when the saw is running. Of course, bolt the Hegner to the same bench as the Jet and it's a different matter.


> The Hegner is a very similar design to the £80-£150 bracket so what makes it worth the extra £300?
> There just seems to be a big gap between the cheap and the expensive.


Hegner use better materials, is better engineered, though not without its faults, and it is better set up.
Buying a scroll saw, like buying hi-fi, invokes the law of diminishing returns. Unlike hi-fi, it seems there is no middle ground, only cheap and expensive.

If you are handy mechanically, some of the cheap saws can be made into good saws. My Jet saw is a perfectly good saw now except for one niggle - there's not a lot of room for feeding a blade from the bottom on bigger pieces. The Jet JSS16 is sold by the same company, though not only by that company, that produces the Hegner.

Martin


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## ChrisR (17 Jun 2013)

A further vote for Hegner, you do have to dig deep into the pocket I know, but you will never regret buying it. 
Go for the variable speed version if you can stretch your budget, as you cannot up grade a single speed, at a latter date.

Take care.

Chris R.


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## Bryan Bennett (17 Jun 2013)

You only get what you pay for,I bought my Hegner a long time ago,Multicut 1 single speed.I have been very pleased with the results of the projects that can be achieved with a scrollsaw.
You will not be able to appreciate the ease of changing the blades on the Hegner,compared with other makes,unless you see the machines side by side to compare,the blade on the Hegner is held in place at the bottom of the machine by a spring clip.In all the years the only part that I have had to replace has been the concertina spring on the back of the machine that puts tension on the blades.

Bryan


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## loftyhermes (17 Jun 2013)

Bryan Bennett":lixmkgsy said:


> You will not be able to appreciate the ease of changing the blades on the Hegner,compared with other makes,unless you see the machines side by side to compare,the blade on the Hegner is held in place at the bottom of the machine by a spring clip.In all the years the only part that I have had to replace has been the concertina spring on the back of the machine that puts tension on the blades.
> 
> Bryan


You need to put your machine at the side of a Delta with the quickset blade clamps if you want to see an easy blade change.


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## martinka (17 Jun 2013)

ChrisR":3ilj7t7n said:


> Go for the variable speed version if you can stretch your budget, as you cannot up grade a single speed, at a latter date.
> 
> Take care.
> 
> Chris R.


I'm not sure that's true, although it's true Hegner themselves don't provide an upgrade path, so you would have to buy a number of parts to convert it. Hmm, does that make it a conversion rather than an upgrade?  But with just the variable motor costing more than £400, it would hardly be worth it.

Martin.


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## ChrisR (18 Jun 2013)

[


martinka":1xv5274o said:


> ChrisR":1xv5274o said:
> 
> 
> > Go for the variable speed version if you can stretch your budget, as you cannot up grade a single speed, at a latter date.
> ...



Martin.
I am sure you are correct, maybe it should read uneconomical to upgrade at a latter date, because you could always connect an inverter to the existing motor, but you would pay an arm and a leg for a decent inverter.

Never looked on the motor plate of my Hegner, maybe the standard motor is four pole, and the variable speed a two pole or vice versa, which would mean their speed controller/inverter would be matched with the specific motor and not be suitable as a stand alone spare, as their speed controller/inverter is very basic.

Also maybe the base plate or shaft size is different between the single speed and variable speed, there are any number of ways of making it unviable/uneconomic to just upgrade.

I don’t have any spare part prices but if a simple small replacement motor is more than £400.00 ouch!!. :shock: 
I only paid just under £500.00 for the complete saw, that was a few years ago, when the Hegner franchise in the (UK) was a husband and wife team, very friendly helpful customer service, you became one of the Hegner family, they were always interested in what project you were on, and any suggestions/ tips you could give, if original, it would be put on their web site, to help others 

Take care.

Chris R.


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## Bryan Bennett (18 Jun 2013)

loftyhermes":ql1p1bqg said:


> Bryan Bennett":ql1p1bqg said:
> 
> 
> > You will not be able to appreciate the ease of changing the blades on the Hegner,compared with other makes,unless you see the machines side by side to compare,the blade on the Hegner is held in place at the bottom of the machine by a spring clip.In all the years the only part that I have had to replace has been the concertina spring on the back of the machine that puts tension on the blades.
> ...


 I am very happy with the quick blade change that I have,Your Delta maybe quicker,but with being retired time is not a problem. :roll: 

Bryan


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