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

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

Updates at the bottom.This is one of those rare moments where I purchased a fairly expensive product with no previous reviews to study so I took a bit of a chance - figured with the Delta name it would be a decent product. In my shop I have a 1.5 HP Delta shaper and a Delta 12.5" thickness planer, all of the other large stationary tools are Jet; I had a Delta Sharpening Center that I bought years ago and finally wore down the white grinding wheel and to my utter amazement I discovered that wheels were *not* available (and it's not a standard wheel), so off to the landfill with it - broke my heart (it also had some gear or motor issues) :(So with all of the turmoil over Delta having various owners in the past few years and a lack of business continuity I suppose I did take a chance buying another Delta tool, time will be the judge of my purchase wisdom.I'm not going to be the expert reviewer here, I haven't used a scroll saw in many years but I am a fairly experienced woodworker (and now learning metal work) but I'll give my analysis based on years of working with my hands and all kinds of tools as a hobby.Initial impressions of the scroll saw are very positive, the fit and finish is quite good, I would go as far as to call it excellent. Unboxing was uneventful except the the plastic articulated air nozzle was loose in the box and in three pieces, I'll get a replacement on the way; all other parts and assembly's were in perfect condition. There was also a loose screw and lock washer in the bottom Styrofoam housing so I grabbed it with the few other various packaged loose parts.The installation steps are fairly simple - mount the table guide/angle gauge to the bottom of the table, place the rear of the table in the retaining pin, mount the lower blade guard (NOT mentioned in the assembly directions that I could find), mount the work hold-down clamp/guard, install a blade (lower end first) and away you go. Speaking of blades, only pinless blades can be used. The user manual/install guide is fairly useless - not laid out well, the print is tiny and difficult to read and there are precious few operating tips other than "if you are breaking blades, you need more tension." Okay, thanks.I was off and running with a project in maybe 15 minutes and I will say I really, really like the saw. It's very quiet, there's practically no vibration, blade changes are ridiculously simple and easy (unlike my last scroll saw), there's enough air to keep dust blown off your cut line, and I love the 20" throat depth. So far I'm extremely pleased with the saw, I'll be even more pleased if Delta supports this product for many, many years.Updated comments:April 6, 2014 - Delta sent me a new air nozzle assembly several days ago and I pulled the old one off (as a complete assembly) and installed the new one, getting a new one on the way was easy-peasy. Yea - now the saw is 100%. The only gripe I can come up with and it's a trivial one is adjusting the hold-down foot - I think I get it set and then discover that when tightening the knob that captures the hold-down shaft it changes position a bit. Overall the saw continues to impress and I'm very pleased.

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