a good first saw?

its supposed to say starter not atarter

-- wood takes time and effort... just like women

I have this saw, not at all impressed with it. You can say I got exactly what I payed for though…. bought it dirt cheap on sale, with a coupon.
If you at all think you are going to do scrollsawing on any regular basis, spend some more money and get something better. I am sure others here can say as to what saws fall in a mid-range price.
Just my 2 cents worth

That looks a lot like the Craftsman saw that I have. Like FlyFisherBob, I am not impressed with it. The main thing that I don’t like about mine (and from the picture, it appears the same would be true of this one) is the pin type blade mount. Also, mine really does not perform well on any material thicker than 1/2”. The pin type blade mount does make it easier to replace blades, but, it also severly limits you options for blades themselves. Most of the better quality blades are available only for the clamp type saws. I highly recommend looking for a good deal on a saw that at the very least has the clamp style blade holders and not pin style. I would consider checking Craigs List and Ebay for a good condition used saw. You can probably find one of much higher quality for similar cost if you are patient.

-- Hey, woodworking ain't brain surgery. Just do something and keep trying till you get it. Doc

There’s a Delta SM600 on CL in my area for $40, which appears to be the retired version of the B&D version still available. Both the Delta and B&D look exactly like the HF model above. I’m very tempted to pull the trigger on that CL deal now :)

-- The difference between being defeated and admitting defeat is what makes all the difference in the world - Upton Sinclair, "The Jungle"

I bought the Ryobi at Home Depot for less than $150.00 cad http://www.homedepot.ca/webapp/wcs/stores/servlet/CatalogSearchResultView?D=940136&Ntt=940136&catalogId=10051&langId=-15&storeId=10051&Dx=mode+matchallpartial&Ntx=mode+matchall&N=0&Ntk=P_PartNumber . I hope this helps.

-- www.markscreativeturnings.ca

I’d echo what the guys above said – I’m an avid Craigslist surfer, and there are tons of used scroll saws on there all the time for cheap. If you want a cheap saw to learn on, that’s probably the best way to go. Scroll saws seem to be an item that lots of people buy, experiment with for a while, then sell, so there are many that are nearly new, for a used price.

-- Robb

I guess I need to clarify my statement. I purchased my Central Machinery saw from Harbor Frieght for $49.00 with a coupon. Good, cheap price, and the saw has done what a $50-$80 saw should do. It vibrates more than I’d like, the fit on the parts are typical Import quality, it does have both pin & clamp blade mount systems… just time consuming to get the clamp type blade mounts set up right. The air blower is almost useless. The variable speed unit works good & may well be worth the price in itself.
With that said, and after using a friends DeWalt saw, the CM saw just leaves me desiring something more substantial. I use the CM saw rarely, but would probably use a better saw on a regular basis.
I suppose it all comes down to this: How often will you use a scroll saw?
And, and a different note, I have purchased quite a few tools on CraigsList, and have been quite pleases with the transactions

I,m confused, you don’t own this saw but you gave it 3 stars? What was your rating based on?

-- Don, Pittsburgh

don newton i did it on the price

-- wood takes time and effort... just like women

It’s a lousy scroll saw. I vibrates quite a bit. It has problem cutting throug 3/4 wood.
I just hate mine.
don’t waste the $69. If I have to rate it I would give it a one star

My first scrollsaw was a craftsman with an aluminum table and it vibrated like crazy. My reasoning, at the time, was to not spend too much money on a machine I might not use much. The problem is that when you go cheap to test out a tool, you get a skewed perspective based on what surely will be a negative experience. I hated that scrollsaw and it made me hate the art of scroll sawing, that is until I bought the Dewalt model.

I have read many complaints about this saw. Those that didn’t complain about vibration complained that the thing stopped working after limited use. I would save the money and wait on a deal through craigslist or look for another saw with better reviews. Look for one with minimum vibration. Keep in mind that scrolling is for detail work and if the machine is shaking, it defeats the purpose. Cast iron is more solid, vibrates less than the aluminum table models out there.

Good luck on your search.

btw – Please post questions regarding tools in the tool forums. A tool can’t be rated by price alone. Crap is crap no matter what price you put on it :)

David

-- There is little that is simple when it comes to making a simple box.

You can get nicer refurbished scroll saws from a company like CPO. I got a 18” Dremel scroll saw from them and have been happy with it. I was going to get that Harbor Freight tool until I came across CPO. This saw is light years beyond the HF model for not much more money.

bryan how do i get ahold of them?

-- wood takes time and effort... just like women

CPO is a company that sells refurbished products with a half way decent warranty. You can google them with CPO Dewalt, CPO Bosch, CPO Ridgid, etc. The site Bryan is talking about is CPO Rotary Tools.

-- There is little that is simple when it comes to making a simple box.

Hitachi got pretty good reviews for a starter saw and blowes had them on close out for 129 . That’s gone now but you could get the new PC which is basically the same saw for 180 . I wouldn’t get any thing less if you plan on doing any amount of work on it . 90 return makes for a nice trial run also .