Hey there fellow scrollers.

I have only been into this hobby strongly for about 8 months now, but I feel I have some good information for other newbies, or even veterans that may be looking into upgrading to a new saw. Before I upgraded I was looking for answers that I couldn't seem to find so I kind of went out on a limb and bout the "best" I could. So this is to kind of help those who are in or will be in my shoes.

Brief History
I started out with no intention of doing intricate fret work on my saw. I bought my saw because I was building a new medicine cabinet for my parents and I wanted to make a nice scrolled top for it. I bought a Delta SS350LS 16" saw from my local True Value for about $200.00 without the leg set. Funny thing is, I never used the saw for this project. I used my band saw. A friend of mine (whom I never knew was into scrolling) started telling me about all of the awesome things you can make with a scroll saw and brought me over a couple of issues of Creative Woodworks and Crafts. I instantly subscribed to the magazine and picked out a couple of patterns and went to work. I found a new love. 

Now with the help I think I have to offer. First, I'll tell you about my experience with my Delta saw and move up from there.

DELTA SS350LS 16"

I bought this saw without doing ANY research at all. It was close (I carried it home), it was inexpensive (around $200.00) and I thought I needed it. I bought it with a sense of security because of the name. But I instantly had a concern about this saw. So here it is, Pros and Cons

Pros:

Price - Around $200.00 at my local True Value without the leg set. A good value for the money

The Name - Delta seems to strive on customer service. I have a Delta/Milwaukee Band saw that was made in 1948 and I needed parts for it. I could still get it all...., including an owners manual.

Quality - All in all the saw is very well built. It is rather heavy for a 16" saw weighing in at almost 70 lbs. and that helps reduce vibration. It also makes the built in handle a welcome feature. And it's rather handsome too.

Blade Clamps - They are a pretty nice feature, but no real advantage over thumb screws other than there is no chance (as long as the blade is inserted straight) of "tweaking" the end of the blade. But, on the other side of that, it is a cam and lever setup which I can see as wearing out after a while even though the clamps and the levers are obviously made out of hardened steel. Speed of setup is not really any faster then the thumbscrews.

Dust collection - This saw offers a dust collector that can hook to your vacuum system.

Cons:

Forward/Rearward blade movement - This was a big issue for me. Holding a square piece of 2"wood against the blade in the down position brought the blade square with the wood. Bringing the blade up left the top of the blade about 3/16" away from the wood while the bottom was still touching.

Vibration - Not too bad up to ¾ speed, but after that things get a little shaky. Perhaps with the leg set it wouldn't be too bad, but bolted to my small bench (made out of 2x4 and ½" plywood), it vibrated pretty good at wide open.

Tension system - Works great, but when a blade breaks, there's nothing to hold the tensioner from bouncing around like a dog peeing on an electric fence causing the user to deposit something on their stool that wasn't intended to be there when it happens at ½ speed or above. Also, when a blade breaks, the tensioner slams around so hard that it actually deforms it a bit. So I can already see that over time this would be a replacement part.

Table Tilt - 45° one way which never seemed to be a big deal until I bought a saw that tilts both ways. And it's kind of inconvenient because you have to remove the dust collector to get at the knob. Not that I have a design improvement to offer, it just seems kind of awkward.

Quality - I know I said this was a "pro", but it is also a con. The reason is because all of the pivot points use a bushing rather than a bearing meaning that you HAVE to lube it and maintain it and that it WILL wear out faster then permanent lubed ball bearing or needle bearings. But, it is only $200.00. It's still worth the money.

Conclusion:

All in all it's a VERY good saw, but I needed more. It will easily do very (as apposed to extremely) intricate work without trouble, especially after a bit of practice. A heavier bench would have most likely taken care of the vibration issue, but don't be mistaken. The vibration is still much less than some other saws I've seen even on my wimpy bench. After buying the DeWalt, I want to say that this saw is a piece of junk, but I just can't, it wouldn't be fair. It is an excellent choice for the hobbyist or beginner scroller.

Craftsman 20" Scroll Saw

After making some nice projects on my Delta saw, my mother-in-law wanted to get into the hobby. She went out and bought her own saw. I used this saw and it is VERY nice. I must admit to you that I didn't use it very much, but even with my inexperience with this saw, I think that I can give a pretty good summery of it based on my experience.

Pros:

Price - For a 20" saw I think the price is great. It is around $300.00 on the Craftsman site with the stand and the light.

Quality - The saw seems to be well built. It has bearings rather than bushings and it is a handsome looking saw. While lighter than the Delta 16", it seems very sturdy.

Forward/Rearward blade movement - Even though it has the same inner workings as the Delta, Craftsman managed to keep this problem to a minimum. Using the same test as with the Delta I found that there is only about a 1/16" difference. That's a major improvement when it comes to intricate cuts. I did some intricate cutting with this saw and found it very easy to forget about that movement.

Table tilt - The table tilts 45° both ways which I liked. With the motor enclosed within the case, there is no chance of it getting in the way. Weather that would cause an overheating problem during heavy use in hot weather, I don't know.

Vibration - VERY minimal. Mounted on the stand I could open it up wide open and it was VERY smooth. I was able to cut at wide open most of the time with ease.

Blade versatility - It takes both pin and pinless blades. Don't matter to me, I use only pinless anyway. But it might matter to someone. Point is, there's nothing to change to go from one to the other. You can just pull out a pinned blade, and stick in a pinless.

Blade change - When blades break, the arm has a much stronger "spring" than in the Delta which makes for much less noise when a blade breaks. In fact, it's not much worse than when the blade is intact. BUT, that also makes for a con..., see below

Dust collection - This saw offers a dust collector that can hook to your vacuum system.

Cons:

Blade change - When you loosen the blade clamp, the top arm springs up about 2". That's nice for keeping down the noise when the blade breaks, but it's kind of a pain to thread the blade into the clamp, hold the arm down and tighten the screw all at the same time. I found that by wedging a piece of wood between the case and the arm, it could be held down leaving both hands free to make sure the blade was in there right.

Light - I know why they gave it to her, it's virtually worthless. Unless you saw in a pitch black room, this light just seems to enhance shadows rather than help. Also, unless it was the way it was mounted at the factory, you have to practically twist this thing into a knot to get it to shine on the work. Like I said, useless.

Table tilting - The table tilts left and right 45°, which is good, but the detents did not line up at 90 and 45° like they are supposed to. When I started using this saw I noticed that the pointer was not adjusted properly from the factory. I set the table 90° to the blade and reset the pointer, but now the detent doesn't line up.

The foot - I found out almost immediately (after about 10 minutes) after using my Delta that I wouldn't use the foot. But the Craftsman is worse off because they've decided to mount the blower flex tube to the bracket for the foot. So if you loose the foot, you loose the bracket. Not too big of a problem, but the tube is sooooooo long that without the bracket the tube vibrates like crazy when the saw is at full power. Like I said it's not REALLY a problem, but kind of annoying. I wonder though how bad it will be after that tube wears in a little and gets loose trying to hold all of that length up.

Conclusion:
To me it's a very good saw for the money. In fact, if I had it all to do over again, I would have just spent the $300.00 on the Craftsman rather than buying the Delta in the first place and wouldn't have upgraded. I like it that much. But since I've decided that I needed to upgrade and I like the hobby, I decided to get the Cadillac of the "budget" saws.

DeWalt DW788 20"

I chose to make a wolf clock (the mirrored one with the shelf and the pendulum) out of a pattern from Scroller LTD. As soon as I got the pattern I said to myself, "There's NO WAY I can cut this on my Delta." The detail lines were that intricate. I wanted to do it nice and right the first time, so I put it aside until I could afford a good saw to cut it. I would have probably have gotten the Craftsman if it hadn't been for the friend that I mentioned at the beginning of this review. I asked him if he wanted to buy my Delta when I bought a 20" saw and he said that he wouldn't because he'd rather save the money for the DeWalt. He had told me that he had used the DeWalt before and that in all of the years that he's been doing this, it was the best saw he's ever used. He told me about all of the things that he liked about it and basically sold me on the saw. Well, it just so happens that True Value also carries DeWalt tools. So I walked down there and carried home the DeWalt for $479.79 with the stand. I've been using it for about a month now almost every day, so here's my opinions based on that experience.

Pros:

Forward/Rearward blade movement - None! And if there is, it's not detectable with the naked eye. I have read that with the blade not moving forward and backward, it could cause wood burning, slower cutting and more frequent blade breakage. I haven't burnt ANY wood yet, it seems to cut just as fast as the Delta, and I actually break LESS blades (weather that's the saw or me getting better with experience, I'm not sure. But it seemed to get a LOT better after I bought the DeWalt). So if you've read any of that, don't buy into it because I don't think it's true. Reading information like that almost deterred me from getting the DeWalt. I thank Mike for selling me on it.

Quality - This saw is very well built. It is heavier than the Craftsman, but still lighter then the Delta. But it is all bearing rather than bushing which means long life. The drive system is used only in this saw and the Excalibur (made by the same company). I again was almost deterred from buying it because of the "more moving parts, so bound to be more problematic" theory. But everything is bearings, no bushings.

Vibration - Virtually NONE. I stood a nickel on edge and turned the saw on full bore and it stayed!! It is quieter and smoother than any saw I have seen (no, I've never seen those shiny red and aluminum $1,000.00 saws). And with only the tips reciprocating, when a blade breaks, it's not much different than when it's not broke.

Table - It has a very small hole in the table. It's very nice as far as I'm concerned because that means you don't have to mess with inserts. That makes for a con, however. Read more about that in a bit.

Lifting top arm - At first I didn't think that this would be that handy after being used to my Delta. But it IS handy. In fact, I find myself lifting it every time I put the blade into a new cut no matter how small or large the project. But this too has a con, more in a bit.

Blade tensioner - It's the best I've seen. With it you can adjust the tension while the saw is running. That is very handy for the really fine blades I use sometimes. By being able to adjust the tension while the saw is running, I can get the blade just tight enough to do the job without snapping the little bugger.

Blower - This thing has a VERY strong blower. Strongest of the three I'm talking about here. It will defiantly keep your lines clear and visible.

Cons (yes, after all of my ranting, there ARE some cons):

The motor - The motor is above the plane of the table. So if you're cutting something curved that goes past the throat capacity of the saw, it will ride up on the motor causing the piece to lift off of the table. Nothing major, I could have just turned the piece around and come in from the other way, but if they could design it with the motor a little lower...

The table - When I got the saw, the table was extremely rough ground. I had to sand on it for quite a while to get it smooth. Using a full sheet of sandpaper on a straight 2x4 and using long, even strokes I had it smooth in about an hour. I've done some reading on this. Some people have bought it with a rough table, others with a smooth one. I think they were probably all delivered about the same, but I like my table like glass. Another thing about the table is the small hole. Even though it means no inserts, which I like, it has taken some practice to easily insert a blade into the bottom clamp because it's hard to see in there. I'm going to rig a small light on there so that when I want to change the blade I can just flick a switch and see what I'm doing. It could be easily mounted to the stand. Maybe I'll ask my mother-in-law for that worthless light off of her Craftsman. *scratching head*

The lift arm - It's an awesome feature. But DeWalt should have included a way to hold it up rather than with your hand. I have seen an add-on in Wildwood that uses a metal bar and a spring to hold it up. I almost bought it, but then I remembered the Craftsman. It would be the same thing, try to thread the blade, hold down the arm and tighten the screw all at the same time. I designed something better.

Dust collection - This saw doesn't have it. I wish it did. If anyone knows where there's a kit, let me know. If not, I'm going to design something. I just got done plumbing my shop for dust collection, and now my scroll saw port is useless.

Price - While I feel it's worth the money, it is expensive enough to be out of the budget of many (ALMOST myself included).

Conclusion:

After using this saw I feel that the only advantage over the Craftsman is the lift arm, I can see where on a very long project that would use up the entire throat depth the lift arm would be most desirable, but I don't feel that this justifies the almost $200.00 price difference. Don't get me wrong, I like the saw..., VERY MUCH. But I feel it's a little over priced. If you're torn over the hype of the DeWalt and the price of the Craftsman, get the Craftsman.

I hope this helps someone. I wrote this because of my inner conflict I was going through looking for an upgrade and I couldn't seem to find the answers I was looking for. I don't feel I made the wrong choice, but only more time and experience will really tell.

Bill Bierl

Sometime in the recent past, DeWalt moved the manufacturing for this saw from Canada to Asia. I recently ordered the saw for my father, and the one he got (and TWO replacements) all had problems due to poor quality control or manufacturing or both. I am a woodworker and own and have used many quality DeWalt tools over the years, so I was surprised at these problems.
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br /There are two bolts which hold the table in place, and on ALL THREE SAWS the bolt holes were apparently drilled off-center and mis-aligned, causing the blade to hit the side of the table slot (on the same side all 3 times). We spoke to the scroll saw manager at DeWalt and he was very aware of the problem but didn't offer to do anything to fix it other than return our money. (He even admitted to have several saws in his office that had been returned from customers with this problem.) He said he had "reported the issue to management" multiple times but nothing had been done for several months. Apparently this affects a large portion of the new saws coming from the new manufacturing facility in Asia. Buyer BEWARE.
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br /I am not totally surprised at the fact that DeWalt is having the manufacturing problem. I *am* surprised that they are doing little or nothing to fix it. At the very least I suggested that they put a quality check in place at the factory to check for this problem before they shipped out the saw and reject the ones with the problem. They have NOT done this, but instead tell their support people to ask the customer to "drill out the holes to allow the bolts to move over". Not on a brand new $500 saw thank you! We even asked the product manager if he could have someone in his distribution center open a box to check a saw for us and ship us a known good one; but he declined saying "he didn't have anyone who could do that". DeWalt is a better company than this and they shouldn't be allowing this kind of poor quality.
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br /UPDATE: Several months later after I wrote this review, we decided to give this saw one more chance and ordered a FOURTH one. Luckily this was was finally correct, and my father is very happy with it. The saw lives up to its original reputation. No vibration, precise clean cuts, etc. Now if you can get a good one in LESS THAN FOUR TRYs!!!
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The dewalt scroll saw has to be the smoothest saw I have ever used. It is very quiet and hardly no vibration. The upper arm lifts up to make threading thru holes from the top (no more lifting up the work and trying to find the hole on the bottom). The table is huge. Your work doesn't hang off the edge while your making your cuts. All the controls are up front so you don't have to reach to the back to apply the tension. Speaking of the tension it is not a spin type tension lever. It is numbered so you know just where to put it every time to make it just like you want it. The depth of the throat is also much bigger than all of the cheap saws out there. It is 20inches where as most of them are only 16inches. I've used the 22" Hegner and find that the Dewalt is a much better saw at a price that is so much less you could buy three of them and have $ left over. If your looking for a great saw don't waste your money on anything else.

I took my time before making this purchase. I not only read all the reviews but had an opportunity to check out the saw at a wood show. This saw replaces a Delta scroll saw that I bought 10 years ago. I wanted a saw that was easy to use, with very little vibration. This machine fit the bill. There's hardly any vibration at all. It's one of the quietest tools in my shop. Blade changes and tensioning couldn't be any easier. The electronic speed control is a plus. The saw arrived from Amazon.com in excellent condition. The only assembly was attaching the table. In less than 10 minutes I was scrolling Christmas ornaments. The quality out of the box was excellent. I've put about a hundred hours on the saw so far and I have to say that it is addicting. It was a surprise to find that this tool was not made in China or Taiwan, it's made in Canada. Form and Fit are perfect. I've tried very hard to find something negative to say about this saw and have failed. It's a well made tool, a pleasure to use and I'm looking forward to many years of use.

The Dewalt DW788 is my first scroll saw. Haven't even used someone else's before. So I would really like to thank everyone who took the time to write a review on it and the other scroll saws at amazon. It was the primary reason I chose the Dewalt.
br /I make boxe's, all kinds, shapes and size's. I have pretty much quit using metal fastener's, hinges, knobs, catch's, etc. I really enjoy making my own out of wood. Have been using a multitude of power and hand tools to make my own, but thought a scroll saw would allow me to make even smaller, more intricate pieces.
br /Assembly was very quick and easy. I added rubber feet to the base of the saw as it will sit on a workbench not on its own stand. Have a small shop, every thing has to be mobile. I also purchased a foot switch as everyone I talked with about scroll saws seems to feel it is a necessary safety feature. With a combination of the rubber feet and a rubber pad, the machine doesn't move at all, even on speed 8. Vibration is very minimal, and luckily the saw is at the perfect heighth when sitting on the bench. The dust blower works adequately, but I am going to rig a vacuum source up somehow. Changing blades is a bit of a challenge at first, but I think with time and practice it will become much easier. I also have rigged a swing arm lamp to use with the saw, old tired eyes ya know, need all the help I can get.
br /I mostly use hardwoods, and thickness's up to 1" so blade selection and speed are going to be critical items. So far I probably have spent 10-15 hours just practicing, using differant woods, blades, speeds, feed rate, etc., and taking a few notes to help later on. I am very happy with the results so far. Have made two sets of decorative hinges out of mesquite and am very pleased with the small kerf I was able to achieve and how well they fit and function. They took a bit of time to produce, but I know that will change as I become more practiced and comfortable with the machine's ability and of course my own.
br /I spent a lot of time researching scroll saw's before purchasing the Dewalt. It will not be used everyday, but hopefully will be used a lot for a long time. So I wanted a machine that would last a long time and I believe the Dewalt will do the job for me.
br /Recommend it highly.

I have been waiting to acquire a decent scroll saw for ten years. Previously, I used a Delta 16" two-speed scroll saw. That saw offered basic scroll saw capabilities; however, it was very inaccurate, with excessive blade side-to-side and front-to-back blade movement. It was **O.K.** but not great for delicate work.

The DeWalt is a solid performer, with very little vibration (almost none, actually), very low noise, and a great tension adjuster that allows one to adjust tension while the machine is running. I also like the generous-sized table. The blades are relatively easy to change (it is just a bit of work to load the blade into the bottom blade holder--I just clamp the blade into the top holder, then load it into the bottom holder). The manual is not available at the DeWalt site--I had to visit one of their ServiceNet sites to download an exploded view of the machine. I am still not sure how to adjust the table position in relation to the blade--the side of the blade runs through the hole in the table very close to side of the hole. It would be nice to be able to adjust the blade so that it runs through the center of the hole!!! All-in-all, the machine is a joy to use. I would definitely recommend this scroll saw above any others even close to the price range.

I bought this item as a Christmas gift for myself, after the short time it took me to assemble the stand & put the light fixture on , I started to do some delicate inside cuts with this dream machine.Believe me I emailed, called, sent in for information on all the saws I could find, I am glad I bought the dewalt 788 saw. I have no connections with this company, I am just a hobbiest who found a new toy with nothing but joy, for the money you cant go wrong, you'll be impressed with the size of the table to the lack of vibration.

If you like to saw out a few items in the garage then this will work for you, but don't expect it to perform day after day in awoodshop. First be careful of the blade holder. It is made of caste iron and if tightened too much will break. A replacement takes weeks to get. The blade tension lever will wear out which requires you to tape the lever into position. We have also "burnt out" two motors in a eight month period.Having said all that it realy is a good machine for the hobby person. The blade is easy to change, the table easy to adjust, and the variable speed is handy. Further, Dewalt has been very helpful in their customer service. We have also tried the comparable Delta saw, and find the Dewalt easyer to operate.In its price range, I would say it is the best available.

I entered the world of scrollsawing with a Dremel about 3 years ago. Not having used any other saws, I thought it worked pretty well. I couldn't use it on the higher speeds, though - even bolted on my bench it tried to shake my teeth out. I decided to upgrade, however, so I could work on bigger pieces. After reading everything I could I went with the Dewalt. Not painlessly, mind you - I'm not exactly made of surplus cash. I have to admit, though, that it has been worth every penny. Assembly was remarkably easy. I was up and running very quickly, and was amazed at how quiet the saw was. I can now crank up to any speed without having to hold on to my fillings. The lifting of the top arm to reset blades is a nice feature when fretworking, although it does take a little practice after years of working from the bottom up.
Overall, this saw has been a great experience. I only wish all of my tool buys worked out so well.

I have used this machine for a couple of months now and have been very happy with its performance. I have cut everything from signs to pictures with it using all types of wood from 1/8" plywood to 3/4" maple and oak. It has performed flawlessly. I live in a condo so noise is important. This machine is about as loud as a sewing machine (no complaints from the neighbors). Both the table and throat are large enough to handle any of my projects. The stand works great and the light is fine, not as weak as I was led to believe. The only problem that I had was a bent table adjusting knob when I first received it. One call to the factory and I had a replacement in less than a week. I highly recommend this scrollsaw.

After purchasing this saw, I read a review written recently by Jay. I had the same problem with the table screw holes not tapped in the correct location causing the blade to hit the table(only off by about 1/8th"). I called Dewalt and the service rep. told me that he wasn't aware of any problems with this saw. After speaking with the rep, he told me that I could file the holes that support the table. I asked if this would void the warranty and he said no. I filed the arm screw holes, however I am not happy with Dewalt. The saw seems to run good, but I just can't recommend it to anyone until Dewalt does something to resolve this issue. The only way I would buy it is from a local store so it can be checked out. Sorry for the lengthy review..GOOD LUCK!
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A year ago I purchased a very cheap ($50.00) scroll saw to see if I would like scroll sawing as a hobby. I did, so this year I decided to upgrade. Prior to purchasing my new scroll saw, as my Christmas present, I thoroughly read all the reviews I could get. After careful review it looked like the hands down winner in my price range was the DeWalt DW788. A number of the reviews indicated that the saw had minimal vibration compared to other saws, along with a number of other good features. Some reviews indicated you could balance a coin on its side. Contrary to the reviews, my saw definitely has vibration. Even more that my cheap $50.00 saw. I went to the Baltimore Woodworking show in January and discussed my concern with a DeWalt Service rep. He recommended I bring the saw into his service shop, but he was from Pennsylvania, so he recommended I take my saw to the DeWalt service shop in Baltimore, which I did. Unfortunately the service rep that looked at my saw was obviously not familiar with scroll saws. He didn't even tension the blade while he was trying it out! When I did tension it he kind of gave me a dumb look. Anyway he said there was nothing wrong with my saw. Other than the vibration, which I can live with reluctantly, I do like the saw, and it's other nice features. Especially, the ability to swing the arm up to thread the blade into large pieces.

I was pleasantly surprized tosee how well made the saw was. I also bought the stand and spent an hour or so putting all the nuts and bolts in, Everything lined up well and I was up and sawing away. Minimal vibration and reasonably quiet.

This is my first and last scroll saw. I am glad I spent the extra money for a good one. It is so smooth and the cuts are so smooth you do no even need to sand.

I originally had a R***i from[local store], purchased because I'd had good luck with all the other R***i tools I have. This was my first scroll saw, learning curve and all that. The light quit, then the upper blade holder broke from the mighty twisting of my feeble arthritic grip, I suppose. Took it back. Now being familiar with scroll saw problems, particularly pierceing cuts / blade handeling, vibration, etc, did more research, decided on the DeWalt design. Great price and shipping time here at Amazon. The DeWalt saw? What a sweet machine this is! Smooth as silk, no vibration compared to other designs until the speed is near the max,quieter than the wife's sewing machine, the table / blade zeroed right out of the box. I'll be happily sawing for years to come on this baby. I will agree with the others though, on the hold down foot, it's the one weak point of the design. Most fretwork guys abandon them anyhow. (Not a reccomended practice.) Some have the scars to prove it!

After receiving the scroll saw ahead of the original shipping date, I found the saw easy to assemble. It is vibration free and the blade stays rigid enough to prevent side slippage. The ability to raise the arm is a great advantage over saws that have a fixed arm. The controls are conveniently placed, the table is more than sufficiently large and the saw is mounted on the stand, it makes for an excellent product. The only suggestion I would have for the manufacturer is a retractable support for the arm when it is raised.

After reading some of the reviews I was hesitant to pop for this saw, particularly since DeWalt chose to 'asianize' this scroll saw. I read with fear the problem with the below-deck holes not in alignment. For the $419 price via Amazon, I decided to roll the dice. My delivery date was way out - like middle of Frebruary or later. Buyers remorse set in after I bought the machine so I went back to Amazon to cancel only to find out it was shipping. No turning back. The saw arrived in a couple days. Out of the box...no problems at all. Holes in perfect alignment and top is milled flat. Fit and finish is very good. Only 'problem' was a missing below deck hold screw for the blade. A call to DeWalt customer sevice got it here next day ovenight air. This saw is a good, solid performer. I would recommend it. In addition I would recommend getting Flying Dutchman blades from Mike (google it) - what a world of difference they make. BTW, I own several other off shore tools (Geetech planer jointer) and have found them to be pretty darn good - seem to be the best bang for your buck.

I had a Dewalt 788 scrollsaw several years ago, had to sell it when I moved. I'm glad to have another in my shop. I find that I use the Dewalt more than other saws. Very good tool for the price.

I ordered this saw online and was sooo excited when it was delivered. I read all the great reviews and had a bunch of projects ready to go. I have been using the $150 or less saws for years and was ready to move up to a 'real' machine. All I would have to do is bolt on the table, insert the blade and I would be ready to create...right... WRONG! Read Jay's review written on Nov 6th. Same problem. When I bolted on the table, the slot in the table for the saw blade was off center and the blade rubbed against the table. The problem is a result of the bolt placement under the table is off set and impossible to adjust. I also read in Jay's review that he returned the saw 2 times only to have the same problem with all 3 saws. I didn't bother trying to return the saw and modified the holes in the bracket, I don't recommend this as I was barely able to make significant improvement because of the limited room for this adjustment. The blade no longer rubs but I could only get it about 1/8th on an inch away from the table. Any side to side movement still causes the blade to rub, decreasing the life of the blade.
br /I had the 'pleasure' of an additional manufacturing problem. My saw was delivered without a dust blower! Again, my impatience pushed me to modify this $400+ saw and use a blower from one of my old non-working saws.
br /Over an hour and a half after pulling it out of the box, and after much extreme aggravation, I was finally able to use it.
br /Go ahead and read the good reviews about the blade changing ease, minimal vibration, accuracy of cut, and quietness. I do agree for the most part...but...anticipate that if you make this purchase online you will have problems out of the box. If you're not willing to make the necessary modifications you may have serious problems getting a working model. If you're going to purchase this saw, buy it from a store you physically enter and have it assembled before you get it home! I have a feeling they (Dewalt) know which saws are defective but instead of recalling them, they are selling them to the online retailers.

I think the DeWalt DW788 is a very nice saw for light hobby work. The cutting is very smooth, all the controls are up front and easy to access.

The only problem I have with the saw is the hold down bar. It is designed in a such a way that if you change thickness of woods a lot, you have to readjust it and this seems rather difficult at times. When you reapply pressure to the holding screw the bar moves down tighter. It takes a few corrections to keep it from pressing to hard on the wood or not enough.

Overall I think it runs very smooth and can be a great addition to any hobbiest looking for a reasonably priced scroll saw.

I have owned this saw for a couple months. I have played with it enough to get a feel for it but I have not worked with it enough to be an expert.
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br /Strengths:
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br /1) The cast iron table is nice (large and smooth)
br /
br /2) The saw doesn't vibrate hardly at all in fact I don't even have mine mounted yet. I have simply put it on a work bench and the saw stays put.
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br /3) The saw does make very nice cuts
br /
br /Weaknesses:
br /
br /1) It's heavy for moving (is also part of its strengths)
br /
br /2) It seems to be a little underpowered for larger stock
br /
br /Overall it is a nice machine with a fairly hefty price tag.

I used to use a $99 Craftsman 16" scroll saw and did okay with it. Then it pooped out and I decided to take the plunge on this Dewalt. WOW is there a difference! I'm faster, more accurate and generally better with the Dewalt than I was on my best day with the Craftsman.
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br /I'd like to detail the key features of the Dewalt that I like and compare them to the Craftsman:
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br /- The top arm of the saw lifts up
br /Don't underestimate this little perk. To do interior fretwork cuts on my Craftsman (which didn't have a moveable arm), I had to fenagle the piece between the arm and the table, while feeding the blade through the BOTTOM of the start hole. Many MANY times, I'd pinch and bend the blade or outright not be able to get the piece in there at all (if it was a bigger piece).
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br /The liftable arm means I just release the bottom blade clamp, lift the arm, feed the blade through the hole (MUCH easier from the top than the bottom), drop the arm down and reclamp/retension. What used to take 30-60 seconds now takes less than 10 and I barely lose any blades.
br /
br /- Easy tensioning
br /The Dewalt uses a 5 stop lever to tension the blade. That's to say, you clamp the blade in, then move the lever over to the right. The farther to the right it goes, the tighter the tension. Once you figure out what tension is right for that blade/wood, it's a snap to go right back to it after unclamping the blade.
br /
br /The Craftsman uses a knob that you have to loosen and tighten. It's easy to overtighten or undertighten the blade even between cuts. Very inaccurate.
br /
br /- Stationary blade clamps
br /This may be standard on other saws other than the Craftsman, but MAN does it make a difference. The Craftsman blade clamps would pivot forward and backward; ostensibly to allow the blade to center itself. The trouble was that the blade NEVER centered itself. Thus, I got bevelled cuts more often than not. Granted, they weren't very bevelled, but when cutting jigsaw puzzles, a straight up-and-down cut is absolutely necessary.
br /
br /The Dewalt's clamps are stationary, so when you lay the blade flat against the back of the clamp and screw it in, you KNOW it's absolutely straight every time. It's positively wonderful!
br /
br /- Adjustable blower
br /The Craftsman's blower was hooked to the hold-down clamp and blew the dust straight back at you. That really was bad for exotic woods like padauk which cause serious respiratory ailments when the dust is breathed in. I was flat on my back for 3 days after my first experience with padauk, mainly because the saw blew the dust back at me. I've since learned to use a mask when cutting exotics... Also, the tube just sat in a hole on top of the saw and popped out more often than not.
br /
br /The Dewalt's blower can be positioned wherever you want it and is attached to the interior of the saw somehow. I've used the saw for around 3 months now and never had a problem with the blower coming loose.
br /
br /- BIG table and deep throat
br /This is purely a factor of the size of the saw, but is worth noting. The Dewalt has a HUGE table to work with and the 20" throat makes it capable of handling just about any project you can throw at it.
br /
br /- Weight and stability
br /This is also a factor of the size of the saw, but also of the materials that make up the saw. The Craftsman was made of plastic and light metals, so it absolutely had to be clamped/screwed to the tabletop to be stable.
br /
br /The Dewalt weighs a TON. It's got a solid iron tabletop and the saw itself is made of steel or iron. I've cranked the sucker up to full speed and it doesn't BUDGE. The Dewalt doesn't vibrate until you get it up to really high speed, and that's probably because I don't have it screwed down. At normal speeds, it's perfectly stationary and smooth.
br /
br /Overall, I'd say you get what you pay for in a scroll saw. Drop $2000 on an Excaliber or Hawk and you'll love it and never look back. Drop $50-100 on a cheap saw and unless you're just doing circles or simple scrolling, you'll probably be frustrated. The Dewalt is a nice happy medium; not too expensive, but has plenty of good features. I LOVE this saw and will only trade it up for one of the big boys.

If you are a hobbyist, and you don't have plans to ever cut anything thicker than 1/4 inch, then you don't need this saw anyway. If you want to do quality work, you don't need this saw. If you want to pay a high price for extremely bad quality control, then this is the saw for you.
br /
br /Older models of this saw aren't so bad, older as in over 6+ years old. I purchased mine about 4 years ago, and the arms aren't even the same length. You can't get the blade square to the table. The top arm is literally longer than the bottom arm. How do you possibly miss something like that during manufacturing? Complaints from others includes a non-flat cutting table, too much distance between the arms making blade insertion difficult, or in some some cases, preventing it all together.
br /
br /The original design of this saw was excellent. Too bad that Dewalt can't figure out how to successfully manufacture it.
br /
br /If you think your saw is okay, you might want to tension up a blade and check it for square, side to side and front to back. You might be surprised at what you find.

I purchased the dewalt 788 about two years ago. At the time I was seriously considering the excaliber. However when I saw the dw788 and was able to test one at my local woodcraft supply store I decided to save some money and go with the dewalt. Historicly when ever I have "gone cheap" I have often regreted it. Not so with the dw788. It has many of the same features as the excaliber and runs just as smooth. It passes the coin test quite well. The only problem is the knobs to tighten the blade holders are a bit small. I plan to replace them. Blade changing is fairly easy, some blades more so than others. However this is mostly just getting used to knowing where to place the blades in the holders. I just wish someone would offer a scroll saw blade that is just an eight or a quarter inch longer than the standard. It would make blade changing soooo much easier. I would gladly pay more for such blades. Anyway if money is not an object, then by all means get the excaliber or that other big blue saw that has no blade wobble at all, costs about $1400. But if you have to watch your money like I do then get the Dw788 its a great saw and looks really cool in my shop. The lamp is a great addition as well. I bought the set, lamp, saw, and stand. It all works great.

Hi folks; Just a line to let you know how good the DeWalt scroll saw is. I have four scroll saws, craftsman, dremel, delta,and Dewalt. I also have used most high cost top brands and I can say the DeWalt is the best that I have ever used. Almost no vibration, easy blade changes, large table, quiet and I would recomend this saw over all others. I have been woodworking for many years and it is rare these days to see a tool of this quality. Craftsman would be a good low entry saw if you don't want to spend more for a more user friendly saw. Hope this review helps someone out there. good luck,,,,Owen Smith

I never knew I would have so much fun with a scroll saw. I bought this saw as a tool for pure fun and that it is. Very low vibration, plently of work space under the arm, and quiet operation create my list of advantages this machine possesses. My first pick was the Excalibur. After researching all the scroll saws available and realizing the business part of the Dewalt is made by and identical to the much more expensive Excalibur I settled my mind on the DeWalt. I actually like the fact that the table tilts instead of the blade mechanism, as with the Excalibur. I have found two mildly annoying quirks with the DeWalt. First and formost, the table tilting feature is clunky. I plan to fix this problem with a little machine shop work by installing guide pins around the tilt trunnion. Second, lifting the arm to thread the blade through a pilot hole requires acrobatics. I have read a few articles that depict how to install a foot controlled arm lifter for this saw. The lifting fixes look good, but I plan to put my own twist on this matter. Overall, this is a great saw and I am thoroughly pleased with my purchase. I have demonstrated this machine to several friends since I bought it a couple of weeks ago. I think I have sold them all on this saw. If you buy one I am sure you will have as much fun as I am having. By all means please experiment with tilting the table to make angled cuts - those whom are unfamiliar to this will be blown away! For my second project I sketched a topographical map on a piece of 1/2" plywood and applied 15 degree angle cuts to each gradient level. I pieced the parts back together and had a 3D wooden topo map - unbelievable fun I had!

Over all this is a GREAT saw. My only issue with it is the table on my saw has a high spot in it right where the blade passes threw the table. Makes it IMPOSSABLE to cut 90 degree angle's. And the powder coat on the lower arm was chipping off right out of the box, there was yellow paint chips all over the inside of my box. I just received my saw this weekend, (4-15-2006) So I have only had it for about 3 days now. The paint chips, not a big deal, the table not being perfectly flat, IS A BIG DEAL! Especialy when you pay what you do for this saw! The blade change system on it is great, especialy if you do a lot of Fretwork and have to constantly feed the blade threw hole's to do inside cutting. You just release the tension on the blade, turn the thumb screw and Walla! Blade is free. The upper arm moves up out of the way while fishing the blade threw the hole, I use a scrape block of wood I have in between the table and upper arm to hold it up out of the way. Would of been nice if they would of designed it with a spring or something to do that for you but O well, what do you do? Blade tension and speed control are right up front and easy to get to while cutting, although the on/off switch seems a little flimsy, but thats an easy fix buy getting a footswitch, that way you dont have to keep looking for the on/off switch while cutting, just take your foot off the switch and the saw stop's! The size of the table is great, nice and big(just not flat in my case) plenty of room for larger projects. And the 20inch's of depth on the throat is a plus also. Other saw's in this price range only give you a 16 to 18inch clearance. It could use a more powerfull motor and a dust collection system that would allow you to hook up to a shop vac or something. All in all its a great saw, but DeWalt, I dont know what you guys are doing over there but maybe you need to sit back and rethink some things! A saw of this quality should not be shipped with a sub par table! Is it really that hard to make sure a table has a nice level surface on it? Obviously the surface is machined down, you can tell by the machining marks left on the surface of the table. So how does it develope a high spot? Hopefully DeWalt will correct this issue and continue making great quality tool's.

I used to demo these seven years ago and was really excited about getting my own. They were very close to Excalibur then and were more than half the going price. After taking it out of the box I noticed the extremely poor job of milling on the table top. I was going to deal with it latter but after setting it up the variable speed control was not variable at all. No matter what I did it would not change speed (it looked to be stuck at at the low setting) and it is going back. On closer inspection the seam of the casing also seemed to be off and I could see clear gaps (1/32 to 1/16). The box was not dented and was in perfect shape so I don't believe it was done while shipping. If the next one is milled in the same manner I am going to go with an Excalibur, I have seen Dremel and Craftsman with better milling and finishing at half the price. Very disappointed and would never buy over the internet or without examining it at the store first, including turning it on and playing with the variable speed dial..

The cutting is smooth and quick

The hold-down is difficult to adjust and requires readjustment frequently.

This is one fine saw its like driving a BMW compared to a VW bug on bad roads. The only 2 problems I have had are the lower blade chuck and the on off switch.If you buy one and live aways from the repair shop be sure to get an extra on off switch it takes just a few minutes to put one in.Its a good idea to get an extre blade chuck both are the same part number. Keep the table clean and waxed and be sure to clean up the ends if the blades with sand paper also buff the table top with 300+ grite sandpaper befor waxing.The work piece hold down does make a fine hat holder,better than throwing it away.Have fun and enjoy spending the money you have saved.
Robert,Bend Oregon
E-Mail me at robert4028@earthlink.net

I am so happy with this scroll saw. I had a Craftsman for years and it was time for a new one. The blades kept breaking all to often and the vibration was terrible. The Dewalt is really worth the extra money. It runs really smooth and I haven't broken ANY blades so far. I almost purchased one of the $1000 plus ones and I'm so glad I didn't.

I have owned the DeWalt Scroll saw for about 5 years now and have to say out of all the tools I have bought for my shop this was the best money I have spent ! I had a Dremel as a starter scrollsaw and hesitated buying a second when the first was still going strong . Am I ever glad I made that decision ! THe ease of blade change makes it perfect for all the detail sawing I do! The dremel only took pin-end blades and took all of the fun out of my pieces.As a working mother time is extremely precious. All of the controls are up front so you don't waste time looking around.For anyone even the starting hobbyist don't be cheap because it pays off in a few cuts !

This saw came to me in good condition. No complaints there. However when I assembled the saw, which was quick and easy, I found that the blade doesn't line up with the center of the cutout in the table. In fact it is touching the side of the hole. I attempted to adjust the table by loosening the 2 mounting screws and was able to very slightly adjust it so that the blade was not actually touching, but it is barely clearing the throat opening in the table. I personally belive that is poor workmanship. The saw operates but the workmanship leaves something to be desired.

This is the first scroll saw I have owned. It waited 6 months after I purchased this saw To writhe a review. I read many reviews and looked long and hard before making the decision to purchase this saw. I had seen various saws at Lowes at close out and their prices were tempting but I kept on reading and reviewing. Finally an Amazon sale tipped me to this one. Since I have had it I have used it constantly. I have let my grandson use it so it has seen much use. The blade change and tightning system is easy with no problems . My 9 year old grandson has no problem changing or installing blades. The table depth is great and I am glad I didnt buy a cheaper unit at Lowes on sale because I can now see the advantage of the deep throat of the saw.
br /
br /I also purchased a stand and light with the saw. Assembly was a snap. The light is a real blessing. It stays right where I put it so far. The stand is 3 legged and I wish it was on some sort of roller but I am not sure how stable it would be on wheels with only 3 legs. I have to give this more thought.
br /
br /My only complaint is the simple hold down seems to not be level and is aggravating to adjust because when I tighten it up sufficiently it is like I glued it down. Is dosent want to let go to make any adgustments.
br /
br /I dont have the advantage of having used other scroll saws to compare it with but It seems to be well made and easy to use. If I had used more expensive scroll saws or saws of different designs, I might be able to complain about shortcomings or design flaws, but so far this machine has performed flawlessly and will probably be the only one I ever purchase.

This saw is astounding! After five years with a $99 Ryobi I decided to step up. The Ryobi was fine for occasional work but my needs changed. I researched many different scroll saws with varying capacities and prices. Bowing to human nature, I bought a Dremel 1800 scroll station. The price was half that of the DeWalt and it had a built in disk sander with pto. Astronomical mistake! I've learned through the years with power tools I usually get what I pay for. After three weeks with the Dremel I had already broken the upper blade bracket and done something horribly wrong deep inside the bowels of the delicate hobby toy. After much profanity I packaged it up and returned it to the place of purchase. Hindsight is definately 20/20. Should have bought the DeWalt in the first place. This saw is without a doubt worth the money. It's quiet, heavy duty, and a pleasure to use. DeWalt has won me over with this one.
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I am new to scroll sawing, this is my first (and hopefully last) scroll saw so I can only share first impressions of a neophyte scroller.

I have practiced with the saw and just completed my first real project: a retirement plaque for a fellow worker. I scanned, printed, and sawed our company logo. By using the tilting table I was able to cut the logo so that it sits in relief slightly above the plaque face. Kewl, if I do say so myself.

I'm not sure if scrolling is going to be both easy and fun or if it is the Dewalt that makes it easy and fun by making me a better sawer than I really am. The hardest part so far is scrolling with bifocals.

I have used Olson blades exclusively and like them very much. I have broken only one blade and that was while cutting on 1/2" oak. One blade hung up on a tight curve and jerked the small piece out of my hand. The blade was so deformed that I could not use it again but it did NOT break. And no, I wasn't using the hold down as I should.

I don't know how blade changes could be any easier. I attach the lower guide by feel and a quick twist of the knob does the top. Blade tension seems to be extremely important to both the quality of the cut and the smoothness. Once I experiment and find the best setting, the handle and tension numbers make settings easy and consistent.

Saw is smooth and quiet. It's a heavy machine and seems well made. Unfortunately it's not "made in the USA".

The machine gets FOUR STARS however, because the dust blower is practically worthless and some sort of dust collection port would help clean things up a lot.

The tilting table is very easy to use, the increments are easy to see and adjustments are locked down with a turn of a knob. The machine's controls are upfront and easy to use. I bought a foot pedal but have not used it. If I can find the receipt I am sending it back. The upfront controls make a foot switch superfulous.

I bought the Dewalt stand. If you are going to get one, shop around, I found that there was as much as $25 difference in pricing. I find the stand too tall for me if I use a regular desk chair. I am 6'4" so I obviously don't sit on phone books to drive, etc. but I have resorted to a tall bar stool in order to use the machine on the Dewalt stand.

Indispensible accessories:
1. Magnifying desk lamp (check Amazon's barbeque lights);
2. Needle nose files that clean up my arcs and semi-straight lines (Grizzly - good quality and low price);
3. Spray adhesive for attaching patterns to the wood;
4. Dust pan and broom or vacuum.

Yes, absolutely, positively I would buy the Dewalt again. I am an "old" guy and have found over the years that it doesn't make economic sense to buy entry level tools that will be discarded or sold at a yard sale in a year or so.

To that end I was interested in the ECLIPSE with its oscillating loop. I work till 2AM Pacific time so I have little time to play phone tag with eastern time zone companies. But, after a month of no-replies to my Email requests for information I "gave up" and bought the Dewalt.

I'm glad that I did.

Maybe the Eclipse is better but who knows? If you talk to the folks at Eclipse tell them I said, "Hey!" and to disregard my previous message.

after working several years with another cheaper saw, i was tired of broken blades and constant replaceing worn linkage. this dewalt saw is so wonderful to work with, i supplement my income with scroll saw projects so i don't have time for saw problems and this dewalt has no problems. it may cost more but it is well worth the price.
br / amazon.com was a complete joy to do business with. the saw and stand arrived two days after i orderd them. the light arrived exactly when they said it would.i am one happy customer and proud owner of a quality dewalt scroll saw,stand and light set up. carl williams,smithville ms.

I use 2 of these at a middle school woodshop. We have had nothing but problems with them. Now before you think it is because of the hours of use, let me explain. When they are running, they are only on for two hours 4 days a week. Within the first 2 weeks, they both died. The repair shop took their time (3 months) to fix and then they broke again a month later. Back to the shop and 4 more months! Both circuit boards went out and the linkage get very sloppy. I just had another circuit board go out this week. I wish I could replace these, any ideas?

have owned this saw for close to 4 years and it has been excellent. Very quiet, minimal vibration, reliable, and more than enough power. If I earned my living cutting scroll saw items might have considered the $1,000 plus saws but I don't so they were never seriously in the running. I believe in the law of diminishing returns and once you get to a certain level of quality and performance additional improvement gets very costly quickly. That is the way I viewed the expensive saws; perhaps slightly better but not worth the cost. As for comments about the blade hole being off center mine was dead on when I received it. Out of curiosity I looked to see where my saw was made but it wasn't marked. I don't have any problem with Asian manufactured products but there are some low quality manufacturers out there and frankly also here in US. I would hope Dewalt is not lowering the quality of this otherwise excellent saw by going to the cheapest manufacturer they can find and then skipping quality control inspections.

I talked my wife into buying this saw for me as a Christmas gift. I have been using a Delta 16" scroll saw for about 5 years. It is a good saw but the vibration is annoying, it seems to vibrate the entire shop sometimes. I have read many reviews about the DW788, all good, everyone says it is the smoothest scroll saw around (at least in this price range). At the time of this writing it is not yet Christmas so I am not allowed to use it, bummer! But after reviewing some of the earlier reviews especially the one by "Jay" pertaining to the ones made in Asia having the table mounting holes tapped off-center I immediately ran to check mine out. I first read the box--guess where it was made--Tiawan.
br /
br /Well, now I had to put it together, fortunately mine is perfectly centered. I was very concerned as it was an open box item but I did purchase it from Woodcraft, not Amazon. I didn't cut anything but I did turn it on, wow! It is very low on vibration, you can't feel it at all unless you turn the speed way up.
br /
br /As I said earlier I really didn't use it yet but it seems very nice to me, if it helps, the date on the shipping tag is June 2006. Maybe they have corrected that problem now. I am sorry to hear about the other folks issues though. I too like Dewalt products and have many.
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br /I am a retired mechanic, 30 years in the trade, I started working on vehicles made in the 60s and 70s. I have seen the trend to cut manufacturing costs in the automotive industry. I believe the US manufacturers are now beginning to pay the price. As profits went up, quality went down and now foreign manufacturers are taking a big chunk of the market, especially Toyota. People are not buying their cars because of price, gas mileage, looks or even 0% financing. People are buying foreign cars because of their superior quality...I say all this because I fear Dewalt, Delta and many other American manufacturers are following the same trend. Hope they change before it's too late!

If you read my review of the $200 Dremel, you'll know I tried that saw first because I didn't want to spend over about $200. Unfortunately, my Dremel experience was bad, I exchanged it for the DeWalt, and am happy with the latter.
br /
br /The DeWalt would earn 5 stars from me, but for the following: the light tends to "droop" of it own weight (this can be frustrating at first, but ends up not being a big deal); the blower is anaemic (but so are others I've tried); and the warranty is only 1 year (Dremel is 2); the price is a bit "pricey"--but the product is definitely better than the less expensive machines.
br /
br /In all other respects (throat size, materials, vibration, motor--even though its rating is a low 1.3 amps, these 1.3 amps are all you'll need-- speed range, bevel capability, blade changing) the DeWalt is a very good product.
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br /

Received the saw a couple days before the projected delivery date. Easy to set up. Table tilt knob was broken but a call to Dewalt had a new one on the way immediately and received a few days later. Did not prevent using the saw. Made many Christmas items and have found it to work great. Nice table size, easy controls. With a couple fine-tuning tips found on internet the saw has been flawless.

I was very skeptical at first about the DW788 scroll saw, due to the recent reviews about it being made in Taiwan now, and about the difficulty of clamping a blade. So, I went to a Wood store that sells this scroll saw and looked it over with a fine tooth comb, and even cut out a project. My conclusion? I left the store and ordered one from Amazon for $135 less!!!!
br /
br /I was shocked that the saw came as fast as it did! In fact, it came 3 days earlier then what the shipping notification stated! I opened the box, took out the unit, and had it running in less than 10 minutes. I could have had it running in 5 minutes, but I took the time to read the instructions manual just to make sure I didn't miss anything.
br /
br /The unit I got was just like the unit in the wood store, so I already knew what I was getting and it performed as I had anticipated.
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br /After all is said and done, here are the Pros: Very quiet, and very little vibration. I love the thumb screw type of blade clamps it comes with! The large table is rock solid, and the 0 degrees indicator was dead on. Everything about the saw says simplicity and smart engineering! The blade tensioning set up is so simple and direct, it's amazing! I love the variable speed turn knob and the on and off switch as it is up front and easy to get to.
br /
br /The cons: I agree with previous reviews that the motor could be lowered a bit. I bought the saw knowing this issue before hand, but for me it just really isn't a big enough deal to worry about. If I was that worried about it, I would have bought a saw with a 30" throat instead. Yes, the spacing between the blade clamps is a close fit and could have been an eighth or three sixteenth longer to make blade clamping easier, but it really doesn't bother me that much. I simply clamp the top thumb screw first since it is so easy to see where it needs to be clamped, and then I clamp the bottom clamp.
br /Overall, I am very happy! It's a great saw, for a great price.

This is a bum saw to change blades. Apparently, there was a misdesign in a "wedge" inside that keeps the arms too far apart and therefore, the blade is "too short". There is about 1/8 of an inch on each end to fasten to. There should be 3/8's or so. The earlier model Type 1 is very good in this regard. But this later model, the Type 2, is no good. DeWalt admits there is a "slight problem" with blade change but so far, no cure. We are stuck with it.
br /Other than the blade change problem, I really like the machine and it runs circles around all other scroll saws I have had or still have.... once the blade is changed. It takes quite a bit of time and patience to change a blade.

Have used the saw repeatedly since it was purchased and it is of the best quality. The buying experience was quick and the no shipping charge was a great addition to the purchase. Extremely happy with transaction.

It is an excellent scroll saw at an excellent price. I am very pleased with it, very little vibration. Far cheaper than some scroll saws similar to it, such as the excalibur.

Amazing is the word that sumarizes this machine. I did own a Delta and had put many hours on it and it did a good job. Vibration from this machine is hardly noticible, then it's weight and design have something to do with that. It is everything I wanted and more, it's like going from an old clunker to a race car. Only two negative items and they are small but aggravating. 1) One saw blade in the box, come on guys you could put in a mixed pack particularly for the beginner. 2) No hex wrench provided to set the angle gauge under the table to absolute zero. Otherwise if I could I would give it 10 stars.

Just got the saw set up and operating - in comparing my old Delta saw, it was like going from a Model A ford to a Lexus auto - a very quiet, virtually vibration free, easy to change blades and just overall, a much faster cutting machine - the tension control is super also - went thru a whole project without breaking a blade which just didn't happen with the Delta unit. A great investment for the scroll saw hobbyist!!

I was using a Delta scroll saw on a project with 30 identical cuts and each was taking me 15 minutes. Then I bought the DW-788 and the same cut was now taking 10 minutes! I think it has something to do with the way the blade moves more straight up and down rather than swinging through an arch.
br /
br /Do yourself a favor and also buy the easy-lift kit on ebay. It holds the DW-788 arm up out of the way for easily inserting the blade in inside cuts.
br /
br /Al Stewart
br /photocutouts

I received this saw recently. Unfortunately, the table was machined poorly, and the blade would not center in the hole in the table. I returned the saw for a replacement. The second one had the table machined correctly. I see this complaint on the scroll saw forums. It is a shame that Dewalt is having quality control issues with this saw.

this scroll saw is built nice and solid, this is my second scroll saw,
br /the first was an entry level saw which was not bad for what I paid for it.
br /but this one is noticeably a nicer saw, with the adjustable air blower and
br /the extra add on light and spring arm when you need to change the blade often. Dewalt has a good product here. You will want to consider the tool stand as this is alot heavyer then some of the other tools on the market. Wish I had more time to spend on makeing more projects, but I don't have an insulated garage yet, so will have to give it some rest for winter and hit it again in the spring.

This is the third scroll saw I have owned over the years and I would rate it the best.

I've had this saw for about 2 years now and I wish I had a quarter for every foot that I've cut. I threw the hold down away after the first couple of uses, but the saw is so smooth that you don't need it. The lack of vibration is truly amazing. If you keep the speed at low or high there is no vibration at all, especially if you have the saw mounted to a stand or bench. I think the blower is very adequate, you just have to have it positioned properly. The blower has started getting loose where it connects to saw and pivots, but a simple zip strip has fixed that problem. The arm pivoting up is an awesome feature. On a big fret project, it will save me hours over my old craftsman saw. I have used almost every brand of scroll saw on the market at one time or another. The Dewalt by far and away is the best for the price. The only saw that I personally liked better was the excalibur, but you will pay for that kind of performance. The newest excalibur is extremely similar to the DeWalt. Except for the tilting head and 5 year warranty they are about the same. I would highly recommend this saw to anyone, from beginner to expert, it suits everybody.

This scroll saw is a Bentley. By comparison, the other scroll saws on the market are Yugos, unless you want to fork over an outrageous sum of cash.

After looking at reviews of many scrollsaws and trying to stay uner $500, I bought the Dewalt DW788. I use it for Intarsia so it has to be able to do some fine cutting. I've already finished two projects with it and I am completely satisfied with it. There is virtually no vibration and changing the blades is a snap since no tools are required. It's well built and the only assembly was connecting the base plate which only required two screws.

I ordered this scroll saw packaged with the stand over a month ago in order to take advantage of getting both the saw and stand at a reduced price. Although the saw arrived in perfect working condition, the stand was missing approximately 50 percent of its parts. I immediately called Amazon and they were to ship another stand to me. When I received the new stand it was missing approximately 75% of its parts. I couldn't believe it -- two out of two times they couldn't deliver the goods!
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br /When I called Amazon customer service they blamed the shipping center and said they would get back to me within 24 hours with a solution. The next day I got an e-mail telling me to return the stand and that they would credit my account. They made no offer to send me a complete stand or to find out what was happening in their shipping center. That only left me with the alternative to go online to another store to purchase the stand at an extra cost of $40 to me.
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br /If that wasn't enough, the Amazon customer service department sent me return shipping labels, or so I thought that was what they were, and told me to contact UPS for the return. Our UPS guy did not recognize the labels, in fact there was no mention of UPS or Federal Express on the label at all, only a bar code. I later found out that the customer service person had misspoken and I had to send the items back through the post office. They also sent me new labels.
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br /This is the last time I will purchase an item like this from Amazon. Obviously they don't have problems delivering books and DVDs but lack the ability to deliver more complicated items.
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br /What really disappoints me is the Amazon's customer service department. You, the customer mean nothing to them. They were unwilling to talk about any compensation to me regarding the fact that I had to go elsewhere to purchase the same item for more money. Of course the people your are talking with can absolutely do nothing. How can they call it customer service?

This is with out a dought the best mid level scroll saw on the market.
br /I can find no drawbacks or problems with this product. I would highly recommend this product for beginer to professional.

My saw is bench mounted and is very steady when cutting. Quality piece of equipment.

I've been using this saw for 5+ years and love it. Several months after buying it I had to place it in storage due to a move and the warranty expired. Upon setting it up again and using it, I noticed the table was warped which made cutting jigsaw puzzles problematic. Even though the saw was out of warranty, DeWalt replaced the table without a hassle. I rate their customer service excellent. Forget the light option; not worth it. Instead get a combo magnifier/light from a separate source for around $100. Well worth it, especially if you do detail work like I do. The tension setting on this saw is particularly useful if you're working with a multitude of blade types. It's easy to get the same tension every time. And did I mention blade changing? A snap without tools!!!! Since I use a scroll saw in a hobby/business, I felt it was necessary to get a back-up saw in case the DeWalt went down for repairs in the future. I went with one of those $1,000+ fancy schmancy models I saw at a woodworking show. Had to return it because I couldn't get the vibration out of it. Then I bought another fancy schmancy brand for $1,000+ which I still have. It's been a year and I'm still getting used to it. Blade change is a hassle and tension adjustment is by feel. I still can't make my stamp puzzles using jeweler's baldes becaise the tension adjustment is strictly by feel. I have to use my DeWalt for that project. If I had to do it all over again, I would have purchased another DeWalt as a backup. Great saw and I know I can get parts and have it serviced just down the road.

I have found the DeWalt Scroll Saw as the best value and dependability of all the scroll saws I have used. I use this machine approx 30 Hrs a week.
br /This is the second machine I have bought. I bought it as a backup for the first machine which I have had for almost two years now. Both machines had initial problems with their assembly at the factoy. Once they were corrected by the repair service facility the machines have been working trouble free. Even with the initial problems I would strongly reccomend this Scroll .

My second Dewalt scroll saw, Wore out the first one, plan on having first one overhauled but didn't want to have the saw in the shop during this time. I have A Hagner scroll saw but I like the Dewalt better. I also purchased the arm lift from www.jimdandy.com. It really helps with a lot of inside cuts.DEWALT DW788 1.3 Amp 20-Inch Variable Speed Scroll Saw

I really like this saw. It doesn't shimmy or vibrate like the cheaper saws. Because of this it is easier to cut the very finely detailed projects I like to make. The initial saw had the problem with the gap being large enough the blade wouldn't fit but since I purchased it at Woodcraft (a great store) they stood behind it and got a different one from DeWalt that is just perfect.

Recieved my new saw in a short time. Saw worked wonderfully for me. Only minor problem I can find is the need for a better system of attaching the blades in the saw. I had some trouble with the blade slipping from under the set screw fastener.

I have not used this saw much, but I really like it thus far. The blade changing is very easy and it runs very smooth. The variable speed works very well. I accidently ordered 2 of these saws and both had shipped before I noticed it. I sent one back and Amazon took care of everything. Thanks Amazon

This was for my brother's 70th birthday, he is having a great time. He is really excited about the ability and ease of this instrument.

i have used others and for the price ,you wont beat it even though grissly has same for less/

Smooth cutting, large table and easy blade change. all in all a very good tool

Yes its a great saw. However if anything goes wrong don't hold your breath hopeing Dewalt will honor the warranty. Now I just have a great looking yellow sculpture. If there is one iota of moisture in the shop (above 75%) don't count on this machine working past a few months!
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br /Jeff
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br /Soon after this was posted I was emailed by Dewalt saying a rep "would soon contact" me....hey fellas, I'm still waiting....

I bought this saw 2 years ago to do a small project. I now only buy what is considered to be the best tool I can afford in order to avoid having to buy a second better one later. I used this saw for about 2 hours total and didn't have occasion to touch it again until recently. After 5 minutes of cutting some 5/8" plywood pieces the fuse blew. I replaced it but it blew again. Took the saw to the local DeWalt auth. service center. They tell me the motor is no good and it will cost me ... to fix! They called DeWalt to explain it was in new cond. but DeWalt says it's out of warranty. So if your saw fails be ready to throw it out and buy an new one.

We've been using these saws in our middle school wood shop for the last five years. In that amount of time, I've lost track of how many times I've had these in for repairs. It's more of a hobby saw that can not stand up to serious use. In addition, one saw that we purchased, stopped working a week after we took it out of the box.
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My Dewalt DW788 arrived from Amazon, and would not work whatsoever. Advise steering clear of this brand, and buy locallywhere customer relations are more important.