I purchased this scrollsaw at Home Depot some weeks ago, even after reading the previous less-than-stellar reviews. I purchased this one after returning a Craftsman so-called "Professional" scrollsaw that could only utilize pin-type saw blades. Unbelievable!
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br /I think a previous reviewer's comments about vibration may have applied to a badly-made saw, for vibration has not been a problem. Of course, I've got it bolted to a heavy-duty workbench that's attached to both the floor and wall of my attic. In addition, I have had no trouble positioning and repositioning the included work lamp. I really love that it uses a bright LED instead of a conventional bulb. It will likely not need replacement for the life of the saw. Also, the controls are all up front, very smooth, and well-protected from all the sawdust that's sure to follow.
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br /Blades, whether pin- or plain-type, are very easy to change, as the plated lower blade clamp really helps you see the blade during blade changes, as well.
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br /The saw's 18" throat capacity and its 90-degree rotating blade have already allowed me to do much larger pieces than any of the 16" saws the competition offers. However, what makes this saw REALLY shine is the included 5" sanding disk. It rotates very true, has adequate torque for larger sanding jobs (provided the speed control is adjusted properly), and takes readily-available 5" adhesive disks to keep operational costs low. For a small attic-sized shop space like mine, it's nice to be able to have two capable tools using a single bench footprint and only one outlet! What's more, being able to immediately sand a piece that's just been cut is a REAL time saver. However, for intricate work, I highly recommend swapping the included 80-grit disk for a 120-grit disk, so it's not quite as aggressive.
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br /One caveat, though: I DO NOT recommend the optional 225-01 flex-shaft attachment, as mine came with a stuck collet lock button, so the first time I hooked it up, it coiled up like a snake and destroyed itself. Also, you have to make a choice BETWEEN the sanding wheel OR the handpiece, and the wheel, due its solid design, is quite difficult to remove before installing the handpiece. Since I already had a Dremel Moto-Tool, I decided to hang it up and purchase a handpiece for it, as they are IMMENSELY better designed than the "$20 special" that must be used with this saw. Besides, anyone who enjoys doing fretwork as I do knows how important it is to be able to drill the fine starter holes necessary to do inside cutting work.
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br /The only thing I can't speak of is its dust collection abilities, as I use my wet-dry vac after I complete each job, and have yet to hook it up. All in all, this saw comes highly recommended to all but the most seasoned professional scrollsawyers, as it it is a time and space saver, comes with a two-year warranty, and will smoothly cut hardwood, softwood, and plywood up to 1-3/4" thick with no problem. Just take the time to set the saw up well, and don't hesitate to return a saw that runs rough, as clearly there ARE some lemons out there. But mine's a goodie, and the more I use it, the more I LOVE it! Hope this helps...

Blades change easily. Both Pin and non-pin are simple to change. The LED work light is a great idea, but it doesn't stay put. Every 60 seconds it must be readjusted. The blower is a better but also requires fequent adjument. Table is nice an spacious. I am going to try CA glue on the LED flexible shaft to see if it will stay in place.
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br /The workpiece foot is a big disappoinment. For the price, I would have expected a foot that was better. Also when then foot is lowered to hold 3/4" stock tightly, the foot holder gets in the way of the workpiece. I had to remove the workpiece foot and place in vise to bend it, to function better. I expected better.
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br /After "fixing" small problems the saw cuts nice, and allmost no vibration. I noticed that the things that I was disappointed with LED light, work piece holder seem to be new to this model. Maybe the next version will do better out of the box.

FIT AND FINISH
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br /I find this saw to be fairly good in this area the casting is reasonably good and the painted finish is very good. I guess my
br /only complaint it that the sanding disc table is a little cheesy. So fit and finish VERY GOOD
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br /CONTROLS
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br /The controls are very well placed and easy to operate handles both kinds of blades pin and straight and are easy as pie to change. Everything is right up in front of you where you need it
br /to be. Controls EXCELLENT
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br /VIBRATION
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br /Every scroll saw vibrates to some degree by the very nature of it's design. I find the Dremel 1800 has very low vibration, of
br /course it is worse at higer speeds but still very acceptable. I have a Delta that could dance it's way out of the country in a
br /short period of time if given long enough cord.
br /Vibration. VERY GOOD
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br /PRICE
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br /I got mine at Home Depot at a great price ($119.00)
br /Price. EXCELLENT
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br /OVERALL
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br /All things considered I would give this tool 5 S T A R S

Too many people knock this scroll saw for mostly reasons that are silly and lacking in basic mechanical knowledge. This saw will perform as well or better than saws costing three or four times as much. In particular, squawks about vibration are easily cured by bolting the machine to a firm foundation. If one will take the time and check everything, coming out of the box, tighten all fittings and set the proper alignments, they will enjoy many happy hours producing fine projects. The sanding wheel, the tool attachment, the placement of controls and the ease of operation make this a helluva bang for the buck. Pay more and you get less!

I had mine now for good month and I been working with it quite a bit. I find the vibration at higher speed to be so much so that it will be impossible to do any delicate work.
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br /I bought mine at Home Depot and I am going to return it tommorow, this saw is a disappointment for a name brand saw.

Like the person before me, I received my saw via shipping and it arrived with a good size hole in the bottom of the box and some minor parts missing. (Mine didn't come from Amazon.Com) I was still able to use it until the other parts arrived, but it would have been nice not to have gone through the hastle.
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br /The design of this saw is well thought out. Everything is easy to get too and simple to operate. The little sanding disk on the side is nice for finishing the edges of scroll work. The light is bright but mine is a little finicky about staying where I want it. The flex shaft the light is on is kind of stiff, and wants to straighten out. The blower stays on target and puffs plenty enough air to keep the dust well out of the way.
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br /The table is a little rough, but some fine sandpaper followed by car wax did the trick for me.
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br /Haven't got to use the hold down yet. The screw that holds it in was one of the missing parts and hasn't come in yet.
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br /The only real problem I have is the vibration. I too have had delta and a craftsman scroll saws, but the Dremel out vibrates them by a longshot. It's enough vibration that the light shakes on the work piece enough to throw shadows back and forth and tire your eyes out. Mine is bolted to a 4 X 4 2 X 6 constructed work bench which is built into the wall and is sturdy enough to have a 4' lathe, and radial arm saw mounted to it, and you can just barely feel them running, so I know it's solid. I put a piece of that stiff 1/2 inch foam padding used for sleeping bag padding under it, which did cut the noise down quite a bit, but the vibration didn't seem to get any better. At full speed, it makes quite a bit of noise, and the vibration while not worse, is just faster. Kind of disappointing for Dremel, but I guess there experience is in going "round and round" not "up and down". Hope they get it fixed. My other Dremel tools are terrific and perform very well, which is why I bought Dremel saw.
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br /I was kind of thrown by the ability to turn the blade 90 degrees. It is a neat idea, but it's not real convenient like changing blades. You have to dissamble the blade holders (2 screws), remove the blade holder from the square mounts, then put them back in at the 90 degree turn, put the screws back in, then put the blade in and go. (At least that's the way I did it, if there's another way let me know) While I can certainly see some applications for this feature such as rocking chair rockers, or long window boxes, it doesn't really help doing inside cuts on large pieces very much.
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br /Overall for the price I'm pleased and can do most of what I want to do in the two or three speeds I've found where the vibration is not too bad.

I was trying to upgrade from my 16" Craftsman and I am afraid I made a big mistake. I could not control the vibration on this machine no matter how I bolted it down. I tried the suggested carpet pad but to no avail. I have sent this back for a refund, thank goodness that Amazon allows me to do this. I will try to save my pennies and go for the DeWalt or perhaps save even more for a HAWK. I am extremely happy with all other products I have from Dremmel but this was a disappointment. I also had problems with the light and the hold downs as was stated in another review. This is certainly not the scroll saw I was hoping for.
br /D. Allen

Am very pleased with this product.
br /Good and fast delivery; easy to set-up and start cutting; really easy and fast blade changes; good professional customer service representatives when called in for additional assembly question;love that side sander--never thought it could be so handy and give such good results to finish projects!!!

The practice of just slapping an address label on a manufacturer's box and "shippin' it" is pitiful at best. The saw arrived coming out the bottom of the box and parts were broken (which I subsequently had to order from Dremel). My experiences with Amazon of late have been awful. The manual for the saw had been taped to the top of the box lid and was an older edition not showing the current parts for assembly.

My wife and I made our Christmas gifts this year in the form of turned ink pens each with a home made gift box. Each gift box had an emblem glued to the top. These emblems were all made using this scroll saw. The saw did an excellent job with one exception. We had to fight a lot with the foot. Either it was too tight and the work piece wouldn't move smoothly or it was too loose and it bounced. I spent a lot of time bending and shaping the foot so that it was functional enough to work with. I am going to get my machinest brother to build me a better foot and then I will have no complaints.
br /The light is ok but I think I preferred the incandescent light bulb of the older model better. We did a large number of items in a few months time using this saw and the saw performed very well indeed. I used the sander several times to help shape the edges of the final project and since I used the disk that came with the saw I had to use extreme care as it is a 60 grit disk. I plan to change it to a 120 to make it more user friendly :)

Wow! I bought the dremel saw as a present for my husband even after I read all of the horror stories about people who recived damaged saws or saws that did not work at all. When we recieved the saw the box was badly damaged as was the saw. We called the dremel customer service about the missing parts and they said that since they were not the ones to ship the item or sell the item they were not responsible, eventhough I went to Amazon only after they recommended them as a retailer on the dremel website. Amazon thankfully exchanged the saw and we recieved the new one this morning. The package was in much better condition and the saw seemed to be great. After spending time reading the owners manual and putting the saw together we went to turn it on and.... nothing, not a hum or buzz... nothing. The light works but that is it. Again we called the oh so helpful people at dremel that said try to swap the switches to see if you can get it to work, on our brand new saw. Nope, didn't work. They then said to put it back in the box, place it on the front door step and UPS would come pick it up sometime in the next week. They were also gracious enough to say that if it was stolen off our front door step they were not responsible. After being picked up the saw would be looked over by a technician and then returned to us... sometime. Screw that, we are tired of recieving broken saws, we don't care anymore, my husband no longer wants a scroll saw period. We are getting our money back. The one good thing that I can say is that Amazon makes returns oh so easy.

I bought this along with the $50 base which is quite heavy. Regardless, the thing shakes like crazy. There's a sweet spot with the speed where the harmonics of the vibration are less, but at pretty much any speed it shakes. I just use it to cut templates for my router, so I don't need much precision, but I couldn't imaging doing precision work with this with that kind of vibration.

Package arrived in great shape, and setup was straightforward. This is my first scroll saw, so having some blades included was a big plus. It would have been better had the blades been labeled so I could choose the proper blade for the task I wanted to cut. The tension system is easy to use, but the lower blade clamp can be a bit tricky to figure out at first when using plain end blades. Since I'm just starting out, I keep the speed to 1/2 or less, but have turned it up to test vibration. It does tend to vibrate a bit at the faster speeds, but it could be my lack of mounting the saw. It is just sitting on an antifatigue mat over a concrete floor.
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br /The directions for mounting the sanding wheel were a bit vague and hard to follow, and the sanding disk inculded was quite agressive with stock removal. The addition of a couple different grits would have been nice.
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br /Overall, a great system and a good price, and worthy of a look if you are in the market for a starter scroll saw.

Bought this tool to get into scrolling and make Christmas presents. I'm very dissapointed. Pinless blades can only be used once because the wing screw that holds the blade bends and breaks it. There is alot of vibration too. I normally buy higher end tools and won't make this mistake again.

I received my saw quickly, and the box was not damaged, even though the saw is heavy.
br /I do not think vibration is a problem. At the lowest speed, there is practically no vibration. Certain particular speeds do produce some vibration, so do bolt the table down.
br /I am giving 5 stars because the person at the Dremel service number 1-800-437-3635 was very kind and helpful.
br /Out of the box, there was one missing wing nut, both of the on/off switches were a little bulky, in that the ON had to be pushed hard to operate. The plastic dust covers may be to blame.
br /Also there was a chip out of the rim of the cast iron table, at the front where the notch is, about 2" long. The piece was not in the box, so the saw must have been shipped that way.
br /To my pleasant surprise, Dremel will replace the entire cast iron table. I expected that replacing the other parts would be no problem. It is not too hard to fix these problems. And there was no cost for the replacement parts.
br /I would not buy the extension shaft. It is hard to remove the sanding disk. The Allen bit to fit the screw is metric, and must be on the end of about a 5" screwdriver type handle. An ordinary "L" shaped Allen wrench will not reach.
br /My LED light is on a tight coiled shaft, and stays put now when new. I could anticipate, however, that in the future, there could be a movement problem. Taping a bent piece of #12 copper wire to the coiled LED light shaft may solve the movement that some reviewers have noted.
br /Also the blower functions well and stays in place, and the blades are easy to change.
br /The speed control allows good control, and overall, the saw is a good value for the money, since there was a very good Amazon sale. Having looked at other saws in similar price range, the Dremel has a bigger table, and sturdier construction.
br /The attached sander is handy, but the little miter gauge is just plastic.
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This seams to be a good product, but there are some things that you should be aware of before you buy this product. First off the sawcuts great. The thing I was most disappointed with is the power take off port for the flex shaft, it is not very powerfull at all. It is only good for drilling the pilot hole and that is it. I thought I could use some other dremil attachment with the flex shaft to do little things, but it has a hard time even cutting the pilot hole. The other thing that was a set back also was the packaging. The way it sits in the box during shipping, I think most of the saws rear (and possibly the front)table support will be broken when it gets to you. It was not big of a deal though because you can call the dremel number and they will send you the parts to fix it yourself the same day. The assemble and directions very very vague and I had a lot of parts that I could not find where they went. If you call dremel though they will send you a parts breakdown that shows where those extra parts go. All in all it is a pretty good saw.

See "Jeffery E. McCaskill" Review.He took the words right out of my mouth.DO NOT GET THE OPTIONAL FLEX SHAFT.Good luck switching the sanding wheel with the flex shaft. It's a pain in the , you know what ; to switch back and forth.The sanding wheel is perfect with this , so leave it on. Great for sanding up the rough ends.Just make sure you buy spiral saw blades with this.Which will let you saw in all directions without turning the workpiece.I wanted to rate it only 4 but if you leave the sanding wheel on and don't use the flex shaft it's a 5 out of 5 rating.........
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Dremel always supplies great products, so I expected one again. I was not let down. It works perfectly and I am becoming fast friends with it. Great product from a great company.
br /The best surprise was the customer service I received from Amazon. I had to talk to them a few times and hands down, got better than I could have hoped.

I did a lot of looking and research before I bought this saw, partly because I didn't expect to use it very often (if I was a heavy user, I'd have spent twice as much and got the DeWalt).
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br /Based on all the specs, plus a recent review in a respected magazine, plus lots of hands-on looking at the $200 and under machines, I decided to order the Dremel.
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br /When it arrived I was pleasantly surprised. Until then I hadn't seen one in the flesh. It is easily the best-looking machine out there, has excellent fit-and-finish, and uses quality materials (at least the visible materials). This, together with it's 18" throat, large table, good light, sanding attachment, 2-year warranty and $200 price tag made this seem a real winner.
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br /When I turned it on, all seemed fine. It had been reasonably easy to as-semble, blade attachment was simple, and vibration was quite moderate.
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br /But: that first trial was also my last. The saw never started again.
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br /I considered simply getting a replacement(Amazon makes returns easy), but I didn't want to worry every time I turned on the replacement, fearing that "this time may be the last".
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br /How can "they" make such a nice machine, overall, but screw-up on the motor??!!
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br /I sent it back, ordered the DeWalt, and am quite happy with it.
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The Dremel Scroll Saw that I received was defective, and previously owned. As received the saw would not run. I removed the access covers to evaluate the problem. During this operation I discovered tool marks made your provious customer when he tried to evaluate/repair the defect.
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br /The defect was a misinstalled auxillary drive arm. This was an original assembly positioning error. This indicated that the misassembled saw was not tested by the original manufacturer.
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br /I have corrected the misassembly and the saw appears to function correctly.
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br /I think the following actions are required:
br /1. Develop a basic quality assurance program with your suppliers.
br /2. Change your operation pattern to assume that when a customer returns a produce, it returned for a reason and not because he is an idiot that likes to ship things back.
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Well, it worked ok for awhile. Didn't use it a lot before that, so the warranty expired. Thought I was getting something with the 'Dremel' name, which meant reliability. NOT! I've had good luck with Craftsman tools, so I'm going with that.

I would tell you what I think of this product if I could use it!
br /The saw arrived a few minutes ago and after I opened the top and started removing the parts , I realized that there was a broken part, so I pulled the saw out to find the part that broke off and realized that the bottom of the FedEx delivered
br /package was open ,so of coarse I can't honestly return it for a full refund. This was going to be a Xmas present and I can't figure out what to do with it now. In the old days you would simply call someone for assistance,not anymore.