Pegas Vrs. Seyco

[kmmcrafts]

First let me say I'm not in the market for either saw unless a deal on a used one popped up that I couldn't refuse. But I do look and keep myself informed on the many different scroll saw brands and prices etc.. 

Now that Pegas has upped their prices they've priced themselves out of their market and are the most expensive in their class.. and if I were in the market for a like saw I'd go with a Seyco hands down now.. BUT, Pegas "could " do something to change my mind on that. First lets take a look at the prices and see what I mean. These prices would be how " I " would buy the saw based on my needs / wants.. because the tiny table of a Pegas is pitiful at best ( for me and my opinion based on my usage of a saw ). SO below is what I would be buying "If" I was making the purchase of a Pegas saw. Prices from bearwood but believe they are the same price across the board.

Saw: $837

Stand: $82

Foot Switch: 33.50

Large Table: $137

Totaling: $1089.50 + shipping Approximately $80 - 100 we'll go with the cheaper $80 but it may vary depending where you live etc.

Shipped to your door $1169.50

Now where they could change my mind that I mentioned earlier.. There should be a credit / option to choose what table you want for your new saw.. why would one buy a new saw only to remove the small table that they paid for and discard it to the scrap yard or landfill and install the larger table they paid more money for.. You should get some form of credit when buying a new saw for the table swap.. OR just offer the larger table on the new saws from here on out. Can't imagine the larger table cost that much more to produce and save them money over the long run by just adding it as standard on all saws .. However this is a marketing ploy to put more money in their pockets and they don't care about the scrap metal of the old table going to a landfill they only care about the money in the pocket. (JMO).. You could get lucky and find a Excalibur owner that's like to buy that table.. but myself.. I wouldn't pay more than $40 -50 for a same size table that's in better shape.. and unless that person is next door.. shipping would be close to that price.. so not likely to get much money in return..  

 

Now for the Seyco saw.. Not much to say here on purchase options as the saw comes with the stand, larger table is standard, they don't have the Pegas clamps BUT they do come standard with a upgraded clamp that is better than the standard Excalibur clamps.. So basically there is nothing to add to the purchase of the saw. 

Saw price also includes the shipping... so you're out the door with a Seyco for 

Price: $929

 

Now go to the customer service and parts / repairs of each saw.. I'd say both have decent customer support.. But I would say that Seyco would have better customer support and parts on hand, and a person ( Ray ) to walk one through trouble shooting and repairs right over the phone.. I don't think Pegas has that knowledge.. now does any of Pegas distributors stock parts on their websites.. If you need parts for a Pegas you may have to wait for the ship to get your parts into the USA.. or.. maybe just buy them from Ray provided the parts needed are the same.

These prices are getting right up there with a Hawk 220 priced at $1200 + $150 shipping or that small Hegner priced at $795 but on the Hegner by the time you add the goodies you look at price near that of the much larger Hawk. But we'll end the discussion of the Hawk / Hegner as they are in a total different class of saw and a topic for another time.. I was talking about Pegas and Seyco. 

This is all just my uneducated opinion and everyone would have a different opinion based on their own needs / wants etc. such as.. I do realize the Pegas has a better angle adjustment mechanism and blade chucks.. but for me.. I don't do angle cuts so once set I shouldn't need to mess with it again. Both saws are great saws.. but now that the prices are this much different.. Seyco saws are looking to be a better bargain ( once again.. IMHO ). 

 

[WayneMahler]

Nice post and how your thought process goes. I don't watch the prices and stuff till I ready to purchase. And I never but anything when it is crunch time and you make a hasty decision. I believe you are correct about parts for the pegas saw. I have dealt with Ray @ Seyco and he when a very patient person and a pleasure to talk to. So customer service is outstanding other could learn from him. Thanks for posting this  and being clear and concise according to your thoughts.

 

[Dave Monk]

I totally agree with all your points. From a Dewalt I went to a Hegner.  Talk about a big change when it came to table size. The Hegner is super small but I got used to it. It doesn't bother me enough to put a larger one over top like some have.  When I purchased a Pegas I thought the table was huge. For the work I do I would never need one any bigger.  For what I do I would not want to give up the positive stop at 180 because I am constantly using the tilt for inlay work.  The Pegas also comes fully assembled other than the stand which I really liked.  I would also agree that you have to decide what your needs are.  A couple hundred dollars difference isn't going to be the deciding factor to me especially when I use it every day and hopefully a long time.  

[OCtoolguy]

I will add this, I watch the used places everyday. Craigslist, eBay and Marketplace. In the last 3 years or so, I've not seen one Seyco saw for sale. That means something. The folks who have them don't sell them. And if someone passes away, their Seyco saw must go to someone who was in line for it. I've seen maybe a dozen Ex's. I bought 2 of them. I'm not bothered by the small tables on them at all. I had both a Dewalt, (huge table) and a Hegner, (small table), and a Hawk ( large table) and it made no difference in what I made so that is not a problem. At least to me.

[kmmcrafts]

9 minutes ago, octoolguy said:

I will add this, I watch the used places everyday. Craigslist, eBay and Marketplace. In the last 3 years or so, I've not seen one Seyco saw for sale. That means something. The folks who have them don't sell them. And if someone passes away, their Seyco saw must go to someone who was in line for it. I've seen maybe a dozen Ex's. I bought 2 of them. I'm not bothered by the small tables on them at all. I had both a Dewalt, (huge table) and a Hegner, (small table), and a Hawk ( large table) and it made no difference in what I made so that is not a problem. At least to me.

One reason you haven't seen any Seycos for sale is they've only been in existence a short time.. same with Pegas.. That said I've seen 3 Pegas and one Seyco on Craigslist for sale.. Lots of DW,Hawk and Hegners.. BUT.. these saws ( especially Hawk and Hegner ) have been around for a long time too.. so in my mind I'd guess there is probably 3 times as many DW's out there than there is Excaliburs etc.. how many saws of each brand out there would make a difference on how many might show up in the used market too.. But I get what you're saying to as it does bare some weight too.. But you can't totally judge by what's in the used market..  

[Scrappile]

I have a Seyco... I purchase it because they had stopped making the Excalibur and I don't think the Pegas was available in the States yet...  I purchased it also because I had an Excalibur from Ray and knew how great the service was and the parts are available.  If the Pegas had been out it would have made my decision more difficult. The Pegas is so pretty!!!  I am happy with the Seyco... I have only tilted to head once and that was to see how difficult it was... It was really stiff at first, but I worked it back and forth several times and it was fine after that... I haven't done any inlay,,, but really you only move the head 3° - 5° so to me it is no big deal if I have to push the head over or crank it.. Someone that does it often may, of coarse, feel differently.  They are both great saws,,,, but, well, I love my Hegner best!!!!  I think is I do start inlay, which I hope to, I will probably still use my Hegner... I just cannot see a 5° or so tilt being a problem whether it is the head that tilts or the table.... I could be wrong..  But seriously,,, I can stand being wrong one in my life.... so far I don't know how it feels!!

[OCtoolguy]

9 minutes ago, Scrappile said:

I have a Seyco... I purchase it because they had stopped making the Excalibur and I don't think the Pegas was available in the States yet...  I purchased it also because I had an Excalibur from Ray and knew how great the service was and the parts are available.  If the Pegas had been out it would have made my decision more difficult. The Pegas is so pretty!!!  I am happy with the Seyco... I have only tilted to head once and that was to see how difficult it was... It was really stiff at first, but I worked it back and forth several times and it was fine after that... I haven't done any inlay,,, but really you only move the head 3° - 5° so to me it is no big deal if I have to push the head over or crank it.. Someone that does it often may, of coarse, feel differently.  They are both great saws,,,, but, well, I love my Hegner best!!!!  I think is I do start inlay, which I hope to, I will probably still use my Hegner... I just cannot see a 5° or so tilt being a problem whether it is the head that tilts or the table.... I could be wrong..  But seriously,,, I can stand being wrong one in my life.... so far I don't know how it feels!!

Paul, I've made a couple of things that required a tilt. If you get into the truly thin marquetry, that requires a tilt of 7 to 10 degrees. That bowl that I made used a 22 degree tilt. Being able to tilt the arm rather than the table was a huge benefit. If I recall, the inlay that I did in the bottom of the bowl was 20 degrees. It all depends on the thickness of the material that you are working with. The fact that there are positive stops at the more popular angles is a nice feature of the Ex/Pegas saws.

[Scrappile]

Okay, Ray, you got me.... You get into that much tilt... I can see it would be an advantage to tilt the head, I would think... Can't see where I would ever do that, but you never know..  But on marquetry,,, most don't use a scroll saw,,, they use hand fret saws... and that thin of wood... well I can't argue it,, you have more experience in that area than I...  Hope to try someday,, Marquetry, to me is the wood art of all wood arts.. Wish I had started so much younger..

[OCtoolguy]

1 hour ago, Scrappile said:

Okay, Ray, you got me.... You get into that much tilt... I can see it would be an advantage to tilt the head, I would think... Can't see where I would ever do that, but you never know..  But on marquetry,,, most don't use a scroll saw,,, they use hand fret saws... and that thin of wood... well I can't argue it,, you have more experience in that area than I...  Hope to try someday,, Marquetry, to me is the wood art of all wood arts.. Wish I had started so much younger..

Well, just remember, age is only a number. I'm not going to give in until I feel the fires of the oven chasing me. Once you give it a try, the mystery will be cleared up. The biggest and what I consider to be the hardest part is choosing which species of veneer to use for each different part of the picture. I'm reading right now about a bird picture and the guy is using about 10 or 12 different types of wood and he is able to see just how the grain pattern will effect the picture. I'm still at a point where I just care about colors and how they will look. I wish you had the book that I'm reading. It does a great job of explaining the procedure with great pictures. 

[kmmcrafts]

Just goes to show us all that the different saws that are liked / disliked by people is varied by the types of projects and cutting styles they prefer.. 

Like Paul, I have a Excalibur and I do enjoy using it on certain projects.. but 9.5 times out of 10.. I'd prefer to cut on one of my Hawks.. 

[OCtoolguy]

3 minutes ago, kmmcrafts said:

Just goes to show us all that the different saws that are liked / disliked by people is varied by the types of projects and cutting styles they prefer.. 

Like Paul, I have a Excalibur and I do enjoy using it on certain projects.. but 9.5 times out of 10.. I'd prefer to cut on one of my Hawks.. 

I'd be interested in knowing what type of projects you use your EX for. I think you'd be ahead to just sell your EX and shop for another Hawk.

 

[kmmcrafts]

38 minutes ago, octoolguy said:

I'd be interested in knowing what type of projects you use your EX for. I think you'd be ahead to just sell your EX and shop for another Hawk.

 

Yeah, I honestly could do without it.. I had intended to sell it last year but with all the lock downs of Covid etc. with our wonderful gov. shutting down the whole state. I wasn't able to really put it out there for sale and have people coming by my place to look / try it out. I don't really need another saw if I sell it.. the 3 Hawks are all like new condition.. doubt I'll need any parts anytime soon for any of them. I do want to get a Hegner.. just because, LOL.. often think about selling the EX and one of the Hawks and buying a Hegner.. maybe do that later this spring / summer..

[OCtoolguy]

2 minutes ago, kmmcrafts said:

Yeah, I honestly could do without it.. I had intended to sell it last year but with all the lock downs of Covid etc. with our wonderful gov. shutting down the whole state. I wasn't able to really put it out there for sale and have people coming by my place to look / try it out. I don't really need another saw if I sell it.. the 3 Hawks are all like new condition.. doubt I'll need any parts anytime soon for any of them. I do want to get a Hegner.. just because, LOL.. often think about selling the EX and one of the Hawks and buying a Hegner.. maybe do that later this spring / summer..

It sounds like you and I have governors alike. Ours has two sets of rules. His and ours.