Help with deciding on a scroll saw

[Sugarlander]

I need some help deciding witch Scroll Saw to purchase. Dewalt or Delta?

[Carter-Johnson]

I think the Delta 40-690 and the DeWalt 788 are now the same saw, so simply find the best price and availability. I used Grizzly.com for my most recent DeWalt. It arrived quickly, set-up was a cinch and it worked perfectly.

Good luck..... Carter

[lucky788scroller]

choose either one if your buying new, price should decide, because as carter said, they are now identical, unless that new version of the Delta is now available (the improved Dewalt design that Delta has come up with). Im not sure if the new version is available yet though.

[dgman]

The new Delta, 40-695 is now available at Woodcraft. this is not the 40-690 which is the DeWalt clone. it is the new improved version... So they say.

[Sugarlander]

Opinion on Delta, 40-695

Anyone out there have Delta 40-695?

[dgman]

I'll be teaching a scroll saw class on the 9th of June at the Woodcraft store in Ventura, CA. I plan on test driving the 40-695 if they have one in stock. If they do, I'll report back!

[CJoZ]

I just replaced my old DeWalt 788 with a new... Dewalt 788. Amazon.com actually had the best price at the time. You also get free shipping from Amazon with purchases over $25 or $50. This qualifies!

[Sawdust Surfer]

I bought my Dewalt 788 from Amazon.com because I live in Hawaii and they had free shipping. I could have bought an Excalibur 30 with stand for $800 but I was new to scrolling and I had to be sure I liked it first. I am very happy with the Dewalt 788 once my passion turns obsession maybe I will get EX30. Go with Dewalt 788 with stand, you will be happy you did.

[SteveK]

Try sharing Amazon price with Woodcraft. If you can get Woodcraft to match Amazon, you can have saw TODAY. my Woodcraft was within $20, so I bought it from them. Note both prices included stand and light.

[Sugarlander]

Thank I would like to hear what you think about that saw.
Nolan

[dogs]

my vote is for Eclipse !

[evilbadger]

Sugarlander

Saws are a personal preference what some people like others will not so it does not matter what we think as long as you like the saw your going to purchase. Some people like anchovies on pizza I personally do not.

I would suggest you try and find a place where you can test drive the saw. Craigslist might have a better saw for the same money. You should feel comfortable using the saw you choose, that is the most important part.

I have a 788 and have not had any problems with it, but when it comes time to replace it I will probably look at the Excaliber, Hawk and Hegner saws. Dogs mentioned the Eclipse which I have heard is a great saw, but I have also heard getting replacement parts for it is really a bad experience. I don't know because I have never used an Eclipse or tried finding parts for it.

Get a saw you are comfortable using and one that fits your budget, those are the most important factors when buying a saw. The forum is a great tool to use so you can check out how reliable the saw is going to be for you, but as far as picking out a saw you have to work that out on your own. Some people do amazing work on Craftsman scroll saws but I can tell you I will never even look at another one of those saws.

Good Luck!

[Terry Murphy]

I agree with Tim.

[CJoZ]

I don't like anchovies either! I also haven't heard anything good about the light that you can get as an accessory for the saw. There is a whole thread about lights around here somewhere.

[kindling]

delta 40-695

Today (6/09/2012) I went to the Woodcraft store in Ventura, California for a scroll saw class with Dan Gallo. I was able to see the Delta 40-695 in action. I think it was smoother than the saw I was using. Dan put on a great class and the five of us had a good time, and went home with some tips to make our scrolling hobby better. Thanks also to Woodcraft for having these workshops.