I'm in the market for a table top Scroll Saw and was astounded by the variances in price for what essentially is the same saw, made in the same country - China.
Brand name doesn't mean much anymore to me but quality does. Dewalt, Craftsman, Delta are pricey but how does Harbor Freight (Central Machinery) compare?
eBay is full of used but the shipping will kill any "deal" you might get, not to mention missing parts. Another option would be the local  Craigslist.

Any recommendations? I would really like a variable speed model.

Thanx, Doug

Micromark has the discontinued Dremel saw, which is what you need for stunt ships.

http://www.micromark.com/

I bought a reconditioned Dremell through www.cpooutlets.com They only show a Ryobi and a Skill available now. They usually have cheap shipping. I've also dealt with www.grizzly.com  shipping was 17.00  Best I can say is shop on line and try for the best deal you can. Harbor frieght is ok, I've never had problems with things I've bought.

I also bought the reconditioned Dremel saw.  It's very heavy, but will walk off the bench if not bolted down.

I think any of the current models out there re OK.  There are usually quality differences that go along with the price- things like. Table that tilts both ways, variable speed, quality off the hardware like the table tilt bracket, etc.

I'd look for model that uses blade clamps, not pinned blades, cast iron or aluminum table and frame, and at least a 16 in. throat, and variable speed.
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I have an old craftsman like that.  It can take pieces of standard hack saw blades and cut 3/4 in. Maple or go to any of the specialized blades for lighter cuts in thinner materials-.

When looking for a table scroll saw, there are several important features to consider:

1) Construction materials. Like any shop too, cheap models skimp on materials which result in warps and increased vibration. Unlike, saws, lathes or drills, table scroll saws are particularly prone to vibrate so quality(and heft) of materials used is particularly important.
2) Open/Closed casing. Entry level(read cheap) scroll saw are open so that the dust just falls down to the floor. This design has two issues: balsa dust just flows everywhere and difficulties with mounting the saw on a solid surface(dust falls right under the saw and eventually getting into the mechanics. The more expensive(and much better) design encloses the bottom portion of the saw and allows for hookup of a vacuum.
3) Tilting. Ability to tilt the blade/table is not really required for our needs. That said, table tilting is common but just like any other shop tools, if you till the table instead of the blade, you will end up with surface which is very hard to get perpendicular to the blade. It is better to find a model with a tilting blade instead. Of course, tilting head scroll saws are more expensive.


If you want a good table saw, Excalibur is excellent but somewhat pricey. Like everything in life, you get what you pay for. It has a port for a vacuum cleaner, tilting head(no the table) and of extremely sturdy, vibration isolating construction.This scroll saw is amazing. Cutting with it is just plane awesome.

http://www.amazon.com/Excalibur-Scroll-Saw-16-inch/dp/B004BG13FK/ref=pd_cp_hi_3

If $600 is a bit much, you can always go for Harbor Freight model($80). Yes, it's cheap, vibrates like crazy and won't stand up to regular usage but if you plan to use it occasionally(once a week for example), it will be enough. That said, these things are almost impossible to use to cut soft and thin balsa sheets(think ribs). you'll have to cut far away from the cut line and then finish by hand.

http://www.harborfreight.com/garage-shop/stationary-scroll-saw/16-inch-variable-speed-scroll-saw-93012.html

ShopFox makes a nice intermediate saw with dust enclosure and tilting table which is a copy of Dremel one with a few updates:
http://www.amazon.com/Shop-Fox-W1713-16-Inch-Variable/dp/B001R23T08/ref=sr_1_6?s=hi&ie=UTF8&qid=1344551510&sr=1-6&keywords=table+scroll+saw

DeWalt also sells a good one but I've never actually seen or used it.

The reconditioned Dremel saw I bought is very heavy and vibrates as you increase speed and starts walking.

My old Dremel saw from the early '70s was very light, had a power take off and only one speed, but it stayed put.

I guess my old Dremel scroll saw is getting old as I have to clamp it down to keep it in one spot.   Wife bought it as a Christmas present when we were first married.   Hate to think how much stuff it has cut.  But, saws are like any thing else,  how much money do you want to spend.   Went to a wood working show and the guy was do demo's on table saws.  Brand new table saws out of the box and could not get accurate cuts.   He stated 99% of the table saws are like that no matter how much you spend.  He showed us the several he had aquired over the years and were very great machines once set up.  Anyway he was selling the alignment tool for table saws, scroll saws and band saws.   Took the tool home and did the adjustment to my Shop-Mate and the Dremel.   Amazing much easiter it is to get accurate cuts. 

There are 3 kinds of scroll saws, you want one of the parallel arm type.  If it has a spring tension or a C frame type, I would stay away. 

Also look for one that will take both pin end and plane end blades. 
Also look how easy it is to change blades, you need to change blades often per material and only the bottom 1/2 inch gets used.  Sanding belts are a nice option as well
next is throat depth.  I use mine for cutting out profile blanks, and my 16 inch isn't big enough.  Deeper is better. 
Variable speed is a huge advantage, then you can cut metal and plastic with the right blade. 

The mid priced dremel, delta and riobie saws are good, they look to me like they are made in the same place.  The Dewalt is an overkill for our use.  Compared to scroll sawyers, we cut straight lines.  Big wide blades wander less.  I would also look for an old 22" craftsman, delta grizzly.   

I use mine often, but less since I have a table top band saw, and even less since I found a dremmel table saw.    It still does cuts that nothing in my shop will do like aluminum plate, inside cuts and plastic.