Which one to buy... choice of 2

[AdrianE]

What would be your preference... a brand new AXMINSTER TRADE AT460SS, or second hand Hefner 1 with variable speed, v good condition... asking the same price....

 

[eribaMotters]

I think the decision might be out of your hands. The Axminster is on back order.
I would be going with the Hegner anyway. The fact that it's [inflated] 2nd hand price matches a new machine should give you a clue on the longevity and build quality of them. We still had some in the school workshop when I left that I had sourced nearly 30 years earlier.

Colin

 

[scrimper]

Hegner saws are probably the 'Rolls-Royce' of fretsaws and will last a lifetime due to their quality build and I have no reservations about buying one and in most cases a good second-hand Hegner makes a better purchase than a brand new cheaper type machine. I bought my Hegner over 20 years ago; I do not regret spending the money on it and it is a joy to use.

I have never tried the Axminster machine you mention, it is obviously a Hegner 'clone' and probably a decent machine but you need the advice of someone who has one to find what they are like for operation and reliability, if I were buying from scratch I would certainly consider the AT460SS before spending the extra on a Hegner.

That said it does depend on what you are going to be using the saw for, if it's just general fretwork and woodworking then the Hegner you mention will be a good buy, however if you plan to do more intricate work including lot's of internal cutting then that Hegner model might be hard work for the simple reason that it does not appear to have the quick blade tension device fitted whereas the Axminster does.

This may not seem to be an important factor in your purchase but if you do lot's of internal cutting you will soon appreciate what I mean. For a full explanation of this please watch my video on 'choosing a scroll-saw' (the links are listed at the top of this scroll-saw forum) where I explain in detail my reasons.
I understand that it is possible to add the quick tension release but you need a whole new top arm which Hegner charge a whopping £130 for!

So in essence my advice would be try to get the opinion of someone who owns or has used the Axminster before spending your money. If the Hegner had the quick tension device or you can find one with that feature then I would say buy the Hegner without any hesitation.

One thing to add is that spares for the Hegner are horrendously expensive and in my opinion very overpriced, for example a tiny on/off rocker switch is around £20, you can buy the same switch from an electronics supplier for about £1! The simple plastic blower bellows is charged at approx £30 and a variable speed control unit £187, they even charge £26 for the little (non essential) alloy block that is used to hold the blade holder whilst doing a blade change.
Having said that it is only fair to say that in general Hegner machines are very reliable and do not normally give any problems.

Please do take the time to watch my videos before making a decision, they may help you in making your choice. Do let us know what you do eventually purchase and if you do buy the AT460SS your review here would be most helpful.
Regards John.

 

[AdrianE]

Hegner saws are probably the 'Rolls-Royce' of fretsaws and will last a lifetime due to their quality build and I have no reservations about buying one and in most cases a good second-hand Hegner makes a better purchase than a brand new cheaper type machine. I bought my Hegner over 20 years ago; I do not regret spending the money on it and it is a joy to use.

I have never tried the Axminster machine you mention, it is obviously a Hegner 'clone' and probably a decent machine but you need the advice of someone who has one to find what they are like for operation and reliability, if I were buying from scratch I would certainly consider the AT460SS before spending the extra on a Hegner.

That said it does depend on what you are going to be using the saw for, if it's just general fretwork and woodworking then the Hegner you mention will be a good buy, however if you plan to do more intricate work including lot's of internal cutting then that Hegner model might be hard work for the simple reason that it does not appear to have the quick blade tension device fitted whereas the Axminster does.

This may not seem to be an important factor in your purchase but if you do lot's of internal cutting you will soon appreciate what I mean. For a full explanation of this please watch my video on 'choosing a scroll-saw' (the links are listed at the top of this scroll-saw forum) where I explain in detail my reasons.
I understand that it is possible to add the quick tension release but you need a whole new top arm which Hegner charge a whopping £130 for!

So in essence my advice would be try to get the opinion of someone who owns or has used the Axminster before spending your money. If the Hegner had the quick tension device or you can find one with that feature then I would say buy the Hegner without any hesitation.

One thing to add is that spares for the Hegner are horrendously expensive and in my opinion very overpriced, for example a tiny on/off rocker switch is around £20, you can buy the same switch from an electronics supplier for about £1! The simple plastic blower bellows is charged at approx £30 and a variable speed control unit £187, they even charge £26 for the little (non essential) alloy block that is used to hold the blade holder whilst doing a blade change.
Having said that it is only fair to say that in general Hegner machines are very reliable and do not normally give any problems.

Please do take the time to watch my videos before making a decision, they may help you in making your choice. Do let us know what you do eventually purchase and if you do buy the AT460SS your review here would be most helpful.
Regards John.

Thanks John.... this is excellent advice. Adrian