looking for a decent new/used scroll saw

[gagesgramps]

i went to look at a used hawk g4 today. after i got home i tried to contact bushton mfg. with no answer and no room left on their voicemail to leave a message.it just seems all the the caddilacs of scroll saws are going away. what's a good saw nowadays? just got my work room back, i wannna make dust. is everything made in china?

 

 

[rjweb]

Buy a hegner never need to buy another saw, will last a lifetime, RJ 

[Denny Knappen]

I would like to say Pegas, but as a distributor, a little bias.

[OCtoolguy]

Well, I'm not a distributor Denny but I'll say this, if the Pegas is half as good as my Ex21, that's the direction I'd go. As for the Hegner, they are bullet proof but also the most expensive. I had one and liked it except it had a problem with speed. Anyway, if you found a Hawk G4 at a price that you like, I'd jump on it too. They are a great saw even if the Bushton's aren't great about answering their phone. They are a small, family operated business so they are busy. Whatever you look at, just be sure to check it out closely. You can usually tell a lot by just the appearance. If it has a rusted table, chances are that it didn't have great care. You should be able to find a good used saw of most any brand for under $500. I watch Craigslist on a daily basis. So far, I've bought 4 used saws, sold two of them and now have two great saws with a total investment of $75.

 

[Roberta Moreton]

If I was to replace my EX21 tomorrow, it would be with a Pegas. 

[Ron Johnson]

I would suggest Hegner.  Price may be high but at least you have service and a quality saw that will last for years. 

[JTTHECLOCKMAN]

Boy wish you were closer. I have an 18" Hegner and a type1 Dewalt that we could have made a deal for.  

[kmmcrafts]

On 12/19/2019 at 9:50 PM, gagesgramps said:

i went to look at a used hawk g4 today. after i got home i tried to contact bushton mfg. with no answer and no room left on their voicemail to leave a message.it just seems all the the caddilacs of scroll saws are going away. what's a good saw nowadays? just got my work room back, i wannna make dust. is everything made in china?

 

 

Well at least you didn't get the automated machine to tell you to push 1 for English.. LOL  Bushton MFG is a very small family owned business and they are also Farmers.. so sometimes getting through to them is difficult.. Christmas time is one busy time of the year for many folks... so take that into consideration.. I know the owners have small children.. which also make for a busy time this time of year.. I think the best time to call is mornings.. they are Central time zone I believe..   

Best built scroll saw?  Probably just another " matter of opinion " but I'll say you don't see very many old Excaliburs and DeWalts around that are 30+ years old and still working flawlessly... in fact.. the oldest of the excalibur saws parts aren't available anymore.. It seems if you want a machine that you'll never have to replace.. Hawk and Hegner are the ones to look at... Still lots of old ones running production cutting out there.. parts for the most part are still available and upgrade-able.. 

Now... just because it might be the best built saw doesn't mean you'll like it.. those saws aren't for everyone..  Not everyone likes the way a Caddy drives... some would rather drive a small Pinto instead.. partly because it's cheaper than a Caddy.. LOL... So.. if possible... try to test drive a few saws to see what might work well for you... Maybe you won't like the cutting style of the Hawk or Hegner and you might not like the Excalibur either.. maybe a DeWalt will fit the bill... 

American made saw? Hawk and I believe P.S. Wood Machines is the only scroll saw still made in the USA..  

[Scrappile]

In my book, the only caddie is now a Hegner.  There is no way I would pay the big money for any saw that did not provide caddie service!  I feel if they don't provide the service, then why be in the business.  Just my opinion.  Nothing against the Hawk saw, I always wanted one, but part of the price for me is paying for a service level also.