buying a SECOND scroll saw....?

[danny]

Hello to EVERYONE....  I have a budget of $350.00 to spend.  I

I have a Great saw at present.  Hegner

I have my garage almost converted into my second work shop.

 

I have the opportunity at present to buy another saw.....

 

I do not want to make a mistake and make a bad choice....SO....

 

I would Appreciate it very much in hearing all of your feelings on a
Good Scroll saw at this approx. price. 

 

Thanks for any that respond........................Danny  :+}

[hawkeye10]

I am still waiting on my first scroll saw. I bought it on Ebay and I am afraid it might have been a scam as I have heard nothing from the seller. 

 

Back to your question. I saw on You Tube a review done by Steve Good on the Porter Cable scroll saw. He seem to think it was a pretty good machine for the price. You might take some time and look on Craigs List. In a lot of cases it takes a lot of time. I have been looking for a long time.

[meflick]

Have you checked your local area's craigslist to see if anything close in regards to a good used saw perhaps?   Just an idea I have seen others on here recently post that they have found some good saws that way.  Good luck. Let us know if you find anything and how it goes.

[Scrolling Steve]

Take your time and save a couple of hundred more dollars an get a EX16 as a back up......just my two cents worth!

[WayneMahler]

I kind of like Scrolling Steve's idea. I have an EX-21 and love it. You can also call Ray at Seyco and see if he has any used saws laying around for sale. A friend of mine in Georgia did that and never looked back. 

[Rockytime]

I see a Dewalt 788 for $350 on Craig's list in Denver. It is a Type1. I'm not in the market but am wondering if that is a good price providing it is in good condition. Also is it the Type 1 or 2 which is the better saw. Saw some discussion somewhere that one is better than the other. Just curious is all.

Edited August 16, 2016 by Rockytime

[rdatelle]

I would save a little more to If I were you and get a EX21 or a dewalt 788. I have both.

[Jim Finn]

Ifyou have a Hegner  you will be disappointed with another brand.  I have two Hegners myself. Very durable and dependable saws.

[Sorcier]

I would not go down to the Porter Cable.  Get a Dewalt 788

[Ron Johnson]

I agree with Jim, so if you have a budget of $350.00 set that to the side, adding to it when you can. Now when a Hegner or another with same qualities comes available (new or used) you'll have a better buying budget to work with. At the end you'll be glad you had.

[Fab4]

Hi Danny:

Having a back up never hurt especially if you do a lot of scrolling

It comes down to personal choice and how much KA-CHING

you have.

Personally, I would avoid E-bay, Craig's list unless you happen to

get someone nearby and you can have a look at it and try it

This is something I would not buy blind and go by a complete strangers word

You have some good advice so far,

Good Luck and maybe we will see you DTR

Fab4

[amazingkevin]

I got stung 7 times in a row on craigs list with the dw788,They wore out in no time???? all for $250.down to $100 in price rang.

[SCROLLSAW703]

Good evening Mr. Danny. As a long time scroller, my advice would be the same as several others mentioned. Save your cash, brother, & invest in a better saw that will be worth the money, & you can get your moneys worth. Personally, I own 5 saws, & 3 are on active duty. My first brand new saw was a CW - 40. We bought it 23 years ago, & its still goin' strong! I also have 2 craftsman saws, one is completely worn out, the other one is on a stand, & used when needed. My workhorse was a 220 VS Hawk. AWESOME machine! I just traded it off on a BM 26" Hawk. IMO, there is no better saw! I guess what I'm tryin' to say is, you're used to your Hegner, right? Try not to drop to a cheaper, less comparative saw. You'll regret it! Even as a back up saw. Hawk has a couple refurbished 20" saws in their show room for $500 - $600. And their tech support is the best in business, IMO, & the Hawk saws are made here in the United States. Its your money friend, & your investment. Do some research, & lots of reading. You won't regret your time spent learning.

[Dave Monk]

I started with a Porter Cable. After a month I returned it and got a Dewalt. dave

[MrsN]

If you have a Hegnar, you will likely never be satisfied with any of the lesser models, even as a back up. 

The porter cable is the best saw under $200, but it pales in comparison to the Dewalt at $500. I think there is a 16"  Ex for $600

 

If you really need to have a second saw in the garage right away, and only want to spend $350. I would go with the Porter Cable or look around to see if you can find a sale/used Dewalt. 

 

If it was me, I would go buy other tools or wood and stick to one scroll saw. 

[Lucky2]

Danny, stash the money away somewhere and save it until your saw breaks or wears out. Hopefully, by then you may have saved enough to buy a new good brand of saw. You wouldn't be without a saw very long, nowadays it takes very little time to have somsthing shipped to your door. By waiting, you will always have the money in case of a real emergency.

Len

[Rockytime]

The problem with the little 14" Hawk I have is that is a single speed as it was made to be mounted on a ShopSmith which would power it. I have motorized it making it a single speed with 1- 1/2" to 4" pulley. The shaft on both the saw and motor are too short for step pulleys.  Blade changing is ok as I have modified the lower clamp barrel and reworked the top clamp so that I no longer need a separate hex wrench. It works well and the two arm engineering is incredibly simple. The saw is nearly vibration free. It is a great practice saw. I have only been cutting the simple tutorial patterns. I can already see that a better saw is in the future. Thank you for all the responses. This is a very friendly and helpful site. Thanks again!

Edited August 16, 2016 by Rockytime

[hotshot]

I currently have Two Hegners, An EX 21, and a DW788 Type 1, and an old pcb370ss.

 

I disagree with the "If you are using a Hegner, you won't be happy with anything else."  I have countless  hours on the Hegner, and on the EX, and there are benefits to both.  Since the Hegner is not a top feeding saw, and since the EX does excel at this, and has a much bigger table, and has a better tilt mechansim, tooless bottom blade clamp, I prefer the EX (or 788).for most projects.  In actual use of the saws, the main advantage I can see with the Hegner is that it has less blade travel and an absolutely wonderful top knurled knob on the QuickClamp.  As far as blade travel affecting accuracy, there are very few scrollers that do the level of detail on their saws than I'm able to do on the EX, so the greater travel on the EX isn't that important for straight blades.  For spirals, I would probably only use the Hegner.  For several years, I have been using the Hegner exclusively for my puzzle boxes and most non-coin projects, but have recently switched to the 788 for the wood working stuff.  It's just easier/quicker for me to top feed.  If I have any issues with any of the saws, the Hegners will still be there.  By the way, that Hegner knob I love so much, I modified it and now use it on my EX also. 

 

From a longevity perspective, your Hegner will probably still be cutting when the EX is in the scrap pile.  But the EX will sure provide a lot of fun until it breaks down, and if you can forget all the money you spend on the Hegner, you might prefer the EX.  Then again you might hate it, everyone has different tastes.

 

 

------------Randy

Edited August 16, 2016 by hotshot