If you search this site, you should find many threads discussing this very thing. For every cutter there may be several opinions, but you can detect trends. First thing is to decide how much you want to spend. Second thing is to be patient while searching for a used machine you have decided upon after researching. Good luck.
DanK

 

There are a few things you'll want to look for in a scrollsaw that will help you along the way of your travels down the scrollsaw road. First I recommend variable speed, this will help when dealing with different woods and thicknesses. Next is a foot switch, this will keep both hands free when starting and stopping the saw. Some people stand while scrolling, some sit. This is strictly a personal preference, neither one has an advantage over the other. The biggest item is that the saw will accept pinless blades. This is huge especially if you get into fretwork.
As far as the saw is concerned, some of the top names are Delta, Excalibur, Pegas and King. I never used a Wen, but I hear good reports on them. For blades I recommend either Flying Dutchman or Pegas. Again blade choice is a personal choice, only time and experience will lead you to which blade works for you in any given situation.

Good luck on your journey, hope this helps at least a little.

Chris

 

I bought a King couple of years ago based mainly on price knowing it would get very little use, only real complaint is at full speed there is some vibration! Very rarely (never) use full speed usually 50%? Put it on a 1/2" rubber mat an problem disappeared The Makita is another machine that I would consider, it was only $20 - $30 more at the time and finish appeared pretty good. Money no object, buy anything you want😁

 

DeWalt is A popular brand along with many others. You might watch Craigslist or Facebook marketplace for a used one.

Personally, I have a Hegner which is German made and has almost no mechanical issues. However, they are expensive.

You will get many different opinions !!!

 

+1 for a used machine. The 24" Delta I have now was acquired at a yard sale for $10 within the past few years. There are many very adequate scroll saws gathering dust (if you can find them!)

 

Put where you are in your profile so locals can help your search. As for the saw, you don't specify what kind of projects you will be doing, but basically any of the name brand machines out there should suit your needs. Low end machines will be 16", so look for 18" or bigger. Used will get you a better machine cheaper, but you have to know what you are looking for, and stay away from the lower end machines that always turn up for skinny money.

If you want to go new, the Dewalt seems to be a favorite, as do the current machines offered by Porter Cable and Delta. Above those, you get into the top tier machines which will set you back a significant amount new - machines such as The Hegner, RBI Hawk and Excaliber.

If patient, you can find top tier machines for little cash as well. My first was an upper end variable speed Delta with lots of goodies for $35 at a garage sale. Fantastic machine that I really love and still use extensively. Although it is a C-arm design that many find too agressive (I don't). Just depends on how much time you are willing to spend looking, where you are and how much you want to spend.

Cheers,
Brad

 

Hegner.
I have 2, large Polycut and smaller Multicut
Both excellent machines.
New very expensive as well as spare parts.
Found them on the Bid-or-Buy site. Poor condition, and I refurbished.

 

All above is sound advice. Is there a wood club close by that you can join? Take a class in scroll saw if you can and that will help guide you in making a sound decision. I belong to a wood club in Reno, NV where we make over 2,000 toys each year for local charities. Probably 50% of them use the scroll saw in their design and construction. It is a great place to get ideas and to hone your skills. We have a scroll saw group that meets monthly and you can learn to do more than toys on the scroll saw there. My favorite is to make salad tongs that fold and collapse for easy storage. For the kids in the neighborhood I like to make name plates using a pattern maker from Steven Good's blog site. So much you can do, but you will get very discouraged very quickly if you get a cheap scroll saw. Doesn't have to be new to be enjoyed but decent quality.

 

Thank you very much! I will do a search to try and find a club in my Cincinnati, Ohio area to join .
have a great day!

 

Steve Good has become the scroll saw world's most prolific contributor. He offers very little for sale, as 90+% of his offerings are free. Over 3,000 free patterns, product reviews for saws and accessory tools, technique lessons, and more. Look him up on YouTube and check him out here: https://scrollsawworkshop.blogspot.com
Besides that, I always suggest using the pubic library system to find books about scroll sawing techniques. The Scroll Saw Handbook by Spielman is a compendium of techniques to help you. Other books at the library deal with toys, puzzles, ornaments, and more. Of course you can buy books, too...

 

I forgot to mention there at least 3 scroll saw "workbooks" that aim to teach basic projects in a progressive order. It includes basic practice like cutting straight lines, corners, curves, and circles, as well as basic methods like stack cutting and compound cutting.
Also, Steve Good recently reviewed a new saw by Wen that gives a good bang for the buck. In the past, he has reviewed many saws in different price ranges. While some say buy a cheap saw and upgrade when you have more experience, others say to spend as much as you can afford to gain experience on a better saw. Your call, but at minimum it should accept plain end blades and have a variable speed motor (or in a rare instance, variable speed via belt drive like on a drill press. And plan on using a 'deadman switch' foot pedal, so pressing turns it on, and not pressing turns it off.)
Another reference is a magazine for scrollers. Look them up at Scroll Saw Woodworking & Crafts - Everything for the scroll saw enthusiast, from tips and techniques and tool reviews to patterns and instructions for amazing projects including fretwork, intarsia, portraits, puzzles, and much more! They have tool reviews, basic tips, and a reference chart for selecting blades according to the wood and the project.

 

The scroll saw magazine has a bunch of tool reviews, too. This is one that makes some comparisons of beginner saws:
Review of Beginner Scroll Saws and they have other tool reviews, too.

 

There are also a number of very good YouTube's on scrolling.

Look up Sue Mey Scrollsawartist.com

 

safetygene,
All above is sound advice. Is there a wood club close by that you can join? Take a class in scroll saw if you can and that will help guide you in making a sound decision. I belong to a wood club in Reno, NV where we make over 2,000 toys each year for local charities. Probably 50% of them use the scroll saw in their design and construction. It is a great place to get ideas and to hone your skills. We have a scroll saw group that meets monthly and you can learn to do more than toys on the scroll saw there. My favorite is to make salad tongs that fold and collapse for easy storage. For the kids in the neighborhood I like to make name plates using a pattern maker from Steven Good's blog site. So much you can do, but you will get very discouraged very quickly if you get a cheap scroll saw. Doesn't have to be new to be enjoyed but decent quality.

Safetygene, can you give me more info on the wood club in Reno, NV. I also live in Reno and am looking at selling my scroll saw locally.