Power Tools 40-694 20 In. Variable Speed Scroll Saw

I was looking to replace my old Dewalt 20" scrollsaw. I had lost it several years ago and couldn't afford another, so I had been making do with various cheaper16" saws. None came close to the quality and ease of use of the Dewalt, so, when I came into the money, I came to Amazon for a replacement. This Delta saw was right next to the Dewalt and the price is $80 lower, so I took a look at it. The first thing I determined was that it is a parallel link design. I have vowed that I will never buy another parallel arm saw. What's the difference between parallel link and parallel arm? It's complicated, but parallel link has less vibration, all controls are right in front, and blades are easier and much quicker to move from hole to hole. Several commenters said that it was the same saw as the Dewalt, just with a different label, paint, and a lower price, so I thought I'd give it a try. It arrived yesterday.When I opened the box and read the instructions, they said that the saw was fully assembled, except for the table. This was not true. The bevel guide and knob assembly was not attached, but packed separately, and there were no instructions as to how they went together. After reading other reviews where the writers complained that their knobs arrived broken., and remembering that my old Dewalt had also arrived with a broken knob (which the company quickly replaced) I realized that somebody must have decided that the knob was subject to damage in transit if it was attached before shipping, so they have taken to packing it unattached. It was a bit of a hassle figuring how to assemble, but there were only four parts to figure out, so it didn't take long. Better to take a bit longer to assemble than to have to wait a week for a replacement knob. Attaching table was easy, just slide it into place and fasten two bolts.Once assembled, I could see that the Delta saw was not the same machine as the Dewalt. It is very similar, but there are some differences. First the table is round and wider than the Dewalt. The blade holders are almost identical and hold the blades quite firmly. One big difference is that there is a locking pin that holds the upper arm raised when moving or changing the blade. On my Dewalt, I had to either pay extra for a device to hold up the arm, or make some kind of block to hold up. The Delta also has a covered compartment for storing extra blades. What it looks like to me is that someone at Delta looked at the sales Dewalt was getting for their saw and said, " Okay, we can make one just as good, but with a few improvements, and sell it cheaper."After one session using the Delta, I have to say that, so far, it is just as good as the Dewalt. If the prices were the same, I would have a hard time choosing between the two. Both machines are top of the line in the mid price range. I haven't used any of the thousand dollar price range machines, so I can't say anything about their quality, but, if you have been using an inexpensive 16" saw and are thinking of upgrading to something bigger, this would be an excellent choice. You will be amazed at how much easier this saw is to use.

First off I'd like to thank Amazon, FedX and CPO Commerce for getting the saw to me four days early. We all love surprises, well most surprises. The saw took about thirty minutes to unbox and assemble. No parts were missing and everything went together easily. In that I have only owned two scroll saws, this one and a twenty year old Craftsman, I can only compare these two. I paid $50 for the Craftsman with a really heavy duty stand; it has served me well for almost three years. I made hundreds of small projects using the old Craftsman and don't regret buying it. As good as that old Craftsman is the Delta is far and away a better saw, I would guess that it is equal to the Dewalt 788 which cost a bunch more. Once I got it anchored to the old stand it operated nearly vibration free and cut very smoothly using the supplied blade. This saw runs so smooth that I can't imagine how even a saw costing three or four times as much could run smoother, but maybe they do. The saw operates so smoothly that it seems like it's running at half speed compared to the old Craftsman, I bet I break a lot fewer fragile little pieces.I've been wanting to upgrade my scroll saw for a long time but could never find just the right deal on CL. When the price of this saw at Amazon dropped to $332.00 with free shipping I couldn't resist. I saw lots of used Dewalt saws on CL selling for $400 and more and used Hawks selling for $500 to $700. Some of these saws were an hours drive or more away, so I bought a new saw and saved a couple of bucks. I also knew that Dewalt had had some problems with earlier models.Everything was well machined and the instructions were worthless.I am very happy with this purchase and would recommend the saw.

Awesome scroll saw . It is very quiet and has no vibration. I also like the storage compartment on top for the different blades. Very happy to have bought two so far.I have bought one for my father and one for my son. I will also buy one for myself soon. I would also like to suggest that one of these machines can be a wonderful life changing gift for a " special " person you may know. So many creative wood items that can be easily make with this saw and build a small business.I have two suggestions that I hope will be a help to you.1. The best and easiest way to attach the flexible air hose is to dip the end in a cup of very hot water for about a minute and then it will push on very easy. Simple solution2.There is a small adjustment that needs to be make to the angle degree marker under the table. This is best done with table removed and front blade guard off. There is a slot that the degree marker plate slides in when you adjust it.This degree plate is secured with one small screw and is adjustable but not enough to set the angle properly for zero degrees. It is a design flaw. So remove the small screw and degree plate. Use a 1/4 inch round file and file the slot on the left side 1/4 inch further left with the round file. It should take you about 5 minutes or so.Then reinsert the degree plate marker and install it will the one screw (not tight yet). You will now be able to adjust the cast iron table to proper zero degrees (use a small angle level to make the table 90 degrees to the scroll blade) and the zero degrees on the degree plate can be set to zero (now tighten the screw) and the table will be completely accurate at the zero degree marker,and for any degree you set the table for thereafter. I still gave it a five star because I love it. Oh, also my father really thinks it is a great machine as well.Alan Doucette