Dewalt’s DW788 20-inch variable-speed scroll saw looks to be the most popular model on the market. At a recent Woodworking Show, I took notice of the 3-4 scroll saw demo stations and woodworking club booths, and all of them featured this Dewalt scroll saw.
For a moment I considered that perhaps Dewalt sponsored these booths, but the saws all looked very well used. That, and if the scroll saws were provided by Dewalt, I would at least expect them to have a demo model at their own booth as well.
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Although the Dewalt saw is quite a bit more expensive than the very many entry-level models on the market, it looks to have earned top-dog status among woodworkers and crafters.
One of the reasons I was eyeing the scroll saw stations was because several readers have emailed-in recently, asking for scroll saw recommendations. I usually point to the Dewalt and Delta models as being higher-end options, and tell them to flip a coin when choosing sub-$200 models. But if there’s greater demand, I might look into possibly reviewing one or two units – please let me know if this is something you would be interested in.
Dewalt Scroll Saw via Amazon
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Parke
Hey Stuart, how do prices at a woodworking show compare to an online retailer like Amazon?
Stuart
There are a couple of deals, but in general there’s greater show-and-tell value. One notable deal was “buy 2 Milwaukee hand tools get 1 free,” but they only had a few styles, and I’m not sure how their MSRP prices compare to list prices.
Some brands/retailers had a couple of small discounts, but many don’t discount at all. For example, all of Kreg’s prices are their standard retail prices.
Allen
I wonder if weight would be a consideration for the crafters at such events ? Not of much importance in the shop, in fact probably more is better.
Stuart
Most if not all of the scroll sawers at the show were from local or regional clubs, so they probably just brought their personal saws. When giving demonstrations, working with a tool you’re familiar with is probably worth the slight weight inconvenience.
Monte
Best scroll saws = Hegner http://www.hegner-gmbh.com
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