what is the best scroll saw money can buy?

[Matt@]

as in for produucing fretwork. I have a cheapo £60 machine - in yellow, I trhink it may be Perform? It works ok but blade changing is an absoloute nightmare.....

Does anyone have any recommends for decent machines that work consistently well with no annoying faults and also an easy blade changing facility

 

[Blister]

Hegner make the best in my opinion

I have 2 :mrgreen:

 

[Scrollerman]

as in for produucing fretwork. I have a cheapo £60 machine - in yellow, I trhink it may be Perform? It works ok but blade changing is an absoloute nightmare.....

Does anyone have any recommends for decent machines that work consistently well with no annoying faults and also an easy blade changing facility

Hello Matt

To help what you are trying to find out, I feel you'd do better asking :

"What saws have you used and have experience of, and which ones do you prefer/recommend ?"

This will get you far more accurate answers in my opinion.

Scrollerman

 

[Grahamshed]

Listen to the clunk when the door shuts, it sounds just like a Hegner.

No. I dont have one but reading the various forums gives the imoression that everything is judged against them.

 

[bugbear]

Listen to the clunk when the door shuts, it sounds just like a Hegner.

No. I dont have one but reading the various forums gives the imoression that everything is judged against them.

Yeah - there may be better ones but Hegner are the benchmark. Sort of a le Creuset (*) of scroll saws.

BugBear

(*) there is definitely better cookware than Le Creuset.

 

[Gill]

"What saws have you used and have experience of, and which ones do you prefer/recommend ?"

That's an excellent way to phrase it.

Hegner - top quality but for fast blade changing you need the quick release clamp for the upper arm. Blade changing on older models is slowed by the lack of an upper arm tension release lever.

DeWalt 788 - the older models are excellent for blade changing. In fact, they're quicker than Hegners. The problem is they haven't been imported into the UK for many years. You may come across one being advertised in a local newspaper or on-line auction.

Diamond - very fast but a shade slower at blade changing than the latest Hegners even though the manufacturer claimed they are faster. Diamonds are no longer produced but they are durable and are no strangers to on-line auctions.

 

[loftyhermes]

A Delta with quickset2 blade clamps I have two, it will have to be second hand they're not made any more.
happy scrolling
Steve

 

[Gerard Scanlan]

Hegner

 

[hawkinob]

Hegner clone (lookalike).
Bob H.

 

[Harbo]

I like Hegner and Le Creuset - I have both

Rod

 

[bugbear]

I like Hegner and Le Creuset - I have both

Rod

I Like Hobbies A1 and Nacco.

BugBear

 

[Harbo]

My Dad had one of them!
Hobbies that is.

Rod

 

[Scrollerman]

"What saws have you used and have experience of, and which ones do you prefer/recommend ?"

That's an excellent way to phrase it.

Hegner - top quality but for fast blade changing you need the quick release clamp for the upper arm. Blade changing on older models is slowed by the lack of an upper arm tension release lever.

DeWalt 788 - the older models are excellent for blade changing. In fact, they're quicker than Hegners. The problem is they haven't been imported into the UK for many years. You may come across one being advertised in a local newspaper or on-line auction.

Diamond - very fast but a shade slower at blade changing than the latest Hegners even though the manufacturer claimed they are faster. Diamonds are no longer produced but they are durable and are no strangers to on-line auctions.

Thanks Gill.
Your post is very informative in a way that should help Matt in his quest for information based on experience of those particular saws and the differences between them. =D>

 

[Matt@]

excellent info, thanks everyone. I'm away on hols for 2 weeks now but will look around based on whats been said when I get back....

 

[Chippygeoff]

Hi Matt.

I am not on here much these days but thought I would give you the benefit of my experience. I will have a Hegner on Monday and I have a mark 1 dewalt 788, probably the finest saws in the world. The Mark 1 dewalt is no longer available and the new version, which is now made in Taiwan is not available in the UK. There was a lot of hype over the excalibur so I bought one and was very disappointed, basically a pile of rubbish so it went back. I have heard very good reports on the Hegner clone from Axminster, the AWFS18 and this will probably be your best bet if you cannot run to a Hegner.

 

[Grahamshed]

I am not really sure how relevant 'the best money can buy' actually is, If the best saw is by company 'X' it only remains the best if company "X's customer service/ repair facilities are equally good. ( does that make sense ? )

I tend to look for a 'good' tool and buy it either from a 'good' company like Axminster ( whose customer service seems to be reckoned as faultless ) or from a local firm who's counter I can go and band on if things go wrong.

I freely accept that anything can go wrong, its how problems are dealt with that matters most.

 

[Mike Wingate]

Hegner. It was once my most expensive power tool purchase.

 

[bugbear]

Diamond - very fast but a shade slower at blade changing than the latest Hegners even though the manufacturer claimed they are faster. Diamonds are no longer produced but they are durable and are no strangers to on-line auctions.

Diamond seem to be a bit of a dark horse - they sell (s/h only) for surprisingly little money, possibly because they look a little home-brewed and/or industrial.

If I wanted a power fretsaw, I'd probably go s/h diamond.
(anyone know the most recent retail price when they were made?)

BugBear

 

[Matt@]

Just looked up the Axminster saw, it's £385.

Hegners on eBay, £200 to £300 secondhand.

What's the best buy and is there a slightly cheaper Axminster that's decent?

 

[Blister]

Just looked up the Axminster saw, it's £385.

Hegners on eBay, £200 to £300 secondhand.

What's the best buy and is there a slightly cheaper Axminster that's decent?

Buy cheap twice , buy decent quality once :wink: