OCtoolguy Posted June 17, 2018 Report Share Posted June 17, 2018 I just found a used Excalibur EX21 near me for $300 with foot switch and a box of accessories. I emailed the seller because that was all that was available. If he still has the saw, I will run up to his place tomorrow to check it out. What should I be aware of besides the obvious? Do Ex's have any quirks to look out for? Just want to do my homework prior to going. Thanks to all. Ray Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JimErn Posted June 17, 2018 Report Share Posted June 17, 2018 I'm still fairly new at this hobby, but raise and lower the arm feel for binding, insert a blade and bring a scrap of wood, cut it at that price for an ex-21, you can afford to tweak it if you have to. Tell you what if it is in Texas, I'll go get it and let you know how it was> OCtoolguy 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rockytime Posted June 17, 2018 Report Share Posted June 17, 2018 I don't have an Ex, but I had the opportunity to try one a couple of weeks ago. I thought my Hawk was smooth, but holy smokes, that Ex was nearly perfectly vibration free. I did not try it but I'm sure the nickle would stand on edge at full speed. I was IMPRESSED! OCtoolguy 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
meflick Posted June 17, 2018 Report Share Posted June 17, 2018 You can check with Ray at Seyco and get his opinion/information. He is the King of the Excalibur as they sold them and repaired them for years. Seyco.com should get you to the "contact us" information on their site. Best to call as he prefers that over emails I gather. I bought a used Excalibur from them that they had taken on a "trade in" I think a couple of years ago. Other than a little worn on the table top, it was and is a great saw. I still have it but it is my backup to my Seyco hubby bought me new last year when they first came out. It will tilt more then the SEyco does. Scrolling Steve, OCtoolguy and WayneMahler 2 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
kmmcrafts Posted June 17, 2018 Report Share Posted June 17, 2018 I only have limited experience with my Excalibur.. My guess would be to look at the tension lever for wear ? not sure how much or quick they wear out... They are made much like the DeWalt and you have one of those.. so I would say look for things you would look for on a DeWalt.. The table tops on the Ex's I believe are painted and that paint wears off fairly quick.. I might have around 20 hours on my saw and the top looks like it would have 300 hours on it.. compared to a Hawk or DeWalt with the steel unpainted tables.. OCtoolguy 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rockytime Posted June 17, 2018 Report Share Posted June 17, 2018 2 hours ago, kmmcrafts said: <SNIP> I compared to a Hawk or DeWalt with the steel unpainted tables.. I have to check. I think my Hawk has a cast aluminum table. Have to check with a magnet. OCtoolguy 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
kmmcrafts Posted June 17, 2018 Report Share Posted June 17, 2018 14 minutes ago, Rockytime said: I have to check. I think my Hawk has a cast aluminum table. Have to check with a magnet. You're right.. I was just in a hurry and said steel Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
oldhudson Posted June 18, 2018 Report Share Posted June 18, 2018 4 hours ago, Rockytime said: I don't have an Ex, but I had the opportunity to try one a couple of weeks ago. I thought my Hawk was smooth, but holy smokes, that Ex was nearly perfectly vibration free. I did not try it but I'm sure the nickle would stand on edge at full speed. I was IMPRESSED! Was it on a bench or floor stand? If a stand home made or factory? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rockytime Posted June 18, 2018 Report Share Posted June 18, 2018 40 minutes ago, oldhudson said: Was it on a bench or floor stand? If a stand home made or factory? The one I tried was a black model on the factory stand. A fairly large saw and stand. Would be crowded in my small shop. Nice machine though. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Charlie E Posted June 18, 2018 Report Share Posted June 18, 2018 5 hours ago, meflick said: You can check with Ray at Seyco and get his opinion/information. He is the King of the Excalibur as they sold them and repaired them for years. Seyco.com should get you to the "contact us" information on their site. Best to call as he prefers that over emails I gather. I bought a used Excalibur from them that they had taken on a "trade in" I think a couple of years ago. Other than a little worn on the table top, it was and is a great saw. I still have it but it is my backup to my Seyco hubby bought me new last year when they first came out. It will tilt more then the SEyco does. Hey Melanie. How do you like your new saw. I won't be in the market for awhile since my Dewalt is still running good but I saw Steve Good reviewing the Seyco and it looks awesome. Well played by your husband by the way. Maybe I can start dropping hints between now and next Father's day. Charlie Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
OCtoolguy Posted June 18, 2018 Author Report Share Posted June 18, 2018 2 hours ago, oldhudson said: Was it on a bench or floor stand? If a stand home made or factory? Bench from the pics Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
OCtoolguy Posted June 18, 2018 Author Report Share Posted June 18, 2018 It is a green one. What age would that make it? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
kmmcrafts Posted June 18, 2018 Report Share Posted June 18, 2018 (edited) I don't know for sure... but I want to say the black anniversary edition came out around 2010-2012 ish.. then they just went to the solid black without the fancy gold anniversary badges.. and the green was run for quite a few years.. I think they started as purple? then black.. then green, then the anniversary black / gold.. then just black again.. Somewhere... Travis posted a timeline / history of the EX and then how they evolved into the new brands of recent and how the "NEW" Ex 21's are actually made in another factory or something like that? It gave the dates of the old purple saw then black then green etc etc etc.. I tried to search real quick in the reviews section and couldn't find it.. not sure what section that was posted in but it was posted a few months back.. Edited June 18, 2018 by kmmcrafts OCtoolguy 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
stevan Posted June 18, 2018 Report Share Posted June 18, 2018 11 hours ago, Rockytime said: I have to check. I think my Hawk has a cast aluminum table. Have to check with a magnet. Hawk definitely has an aluminum table. OCtoolguy 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
meflick Posted June 18, 2018 Report Share Posted June 18, 2018 (edited) 10 hours ago, Charlie E said: Hey Melanie. How do you like your new saw. I won't be in the market for awhile since my Dewalt is still running good but I saw Steve Good reviewing the Seyco and it looks awesome. Well played by your husband by the way. Maybe I can start dropping hints between now and next Father's day. Charlie I like my Seyco. It is a good saw. I was happy with my Excalibur. The issue for hubby is he struggles with getting me gifts as I am not into the typical things you get a lot of women like jewelery. I am more into the tech and gadgets. Fortunately or unfortunately, depending on how you look at it, my birthday is about a week or so after Mother’s Day which can compound his issue. they had just reviewed the Seyco in the scroll saw magazine, he saw it and decided it would be a good gift even though I told him I didn’t need a new saw yet. (At that point I had just been working with the saw about a year.) But he got it anyway as my joint gift for Mother’s Day and my birthday. It was one of the first one shipped out. He put it together for me with my help. Unfortunately, he did it before Steve did his video on it. Might have saved a few choice words if we had had Steve’s video. However, once it was together it worked great. I have seen Steve’s reviews on it and pretty much agree with what he has said. The magnetic top is “different” and I still don’t like the “hole” under it. I think it has to be there for the tilt mechanism to work right. We added the washers like Steve did to lift it up so the hole underneath isn’t really an issue that way. Maybe you can order a back copy of that issue of SSWC magazine and leave it laying around with a sticky note on it suggesting Christmas is coming. Edited June 18, 2018 by meflick Charlie E 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Scrappile Posted June 18, 2018 Report Share Posted June 18, 2018 Here is the thread with the Ex timeline OCtoolguy and WayneMahler 1 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bill WIlson Posted June 18, 2018 Report Share Posted June 18, 2018 16 hours ago, kmmcrafts said: I only have limited experience with my Excalibur.. My guess would be to look at the tension lever for wear ? not sure how much or quick they wear out... They are made much like the DeWalt and you have one of those.. so I would say look for things you would look for on a DeWalt.. The table tops on the Ex's I believe are painted and that paint wears off fairly quick.. I might have around 20 hours on my saw and the top looks like it would have 300 hours on it..... I would agree with this. I replaced my Dewalt with an EX-21 a few years ago. I chose the EX, mostly because it was so similar and I would have far fewer things to get used to in the operation of the new saw. I had my Dewalt for many years and was happy with it and very comfortable with its operation. The EX was pretty much a seamless transition from the Dewalt. As Keven mentioned, the tension lever is a wear item, so check to see if it generates and maintains adequate tension. Seyco sent an extra one with mine, when it was new. Now real worries though as replacements are readily available and not all that expensive. $300 sounds like a reasonable price, provided the saw is in pretty good condition. Does the table or the saw tilt on this generation EX? I really like the way the newer ones tilt. Leaving the table flat and tilting the saw body takes a little getting used to, if you are accustomed to tilting the table, but it is an easy transition. I did find that the lower clamp thumbscrew hits the table at around 38 degrees, when tilted to the left. No big deal. It works fine tilted to the right. OCtoolguy and WayneMahler 1 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
kmmcrafts Posted June 18, 2018 Report Share Posted June 18, 2018 The saw tilts.. I believe all the EX saws have the tilting saw and the table stays flat.. Unless one is going to be doing a lot of angle cutting.. I really see very little advantage of the EX over the DeWalt.. But for me I do see some negatives on the EX that the DeWalt has.. (ie blade much closer to end of table ( which is my biggest complaint with that saw).. table not as wide.. top speed is 1500spm vrs. 1750 ) these things aren't going to affect but a small percentage of people.. maybe only me cause I'm different and weird like that But personally I prefer my DeWalt over my Excalibur.. but that is only with my DeWalt having the Jim Dandy easy lift so the upper arm goes up and stays until I lower it.. I suppose a lot has to do with the fact that I've run my DeWalt A LOT! for 12 years.. and maybe I'm just accustom to it more than any other saw.. I will say... I haven't touched my DeWalt yet this year... mostly cutting with my old Hawk 220VS.. and the more I use it.. the less I like any of the other saws.. including the newer Hawk 226 Ultra..Maybe just because it's the only saw I've been using since the new year.. other than I did cut about 25 puzzles with the EX.. and I did touch my DeWalt last week and cut on it for a whole two minutes.. then switched over to that old Hawk OCtoolguy 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
OCtoolguy Posted June 18, 2018 Author Report Share Posted June 18, 2018 Here are two pics that were posted in C/L. The table appears to have very little wear. Do these pics give any indication of it's place of manufacture or age? I'm probably going to go see it in person later this week. I was in touch last night with the seller. He is still a working stiff so I have to work around his work schedule. It's about a 50 mile drive each way. Thanks to you all for all the help. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
scrollerpete Posted June 18, 2018 Report Share Posted June 18, 2018 I have exactly the same model, it is no more than 5 years old and like somebody said bring some blades and piece of scrap wood with you and testing at slow speed and full speed, also test that the head move left and right. I will say from the look it seems to be in very good shape. Do not worry to much about vibration because you can adjust this by moving the motor back and forth. Goid luck OCtoolguy 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
heppnerguy Posted June 18, 2018 Report Share Posted June 18, 2018 I how 2 dewalt's and 2 Xcalibers and a hawk I have to say I love my ex's more than the others I think it is a good idea to at least do a trial run on it but I think because of all the seals and bearings that you will find this song very delightful and well worth the money I would buy WayneMahler and OCtoolguy 1 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Scrappile Posted June 18, 2018 Report Share Posted June 18, 2018 Well reading what Travis posted we know it is prior to 2012. From the picture looks like not a lot of use on it. I think you may add to your saw collection! OCtoolguy and WayneMahler 1 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
tgiro Posted June 18, 2018 Report Share Posted June 18, 2018 Ray - Check the blade clamps closely, specially the bottom one. They make the bottom clamps out of cast aluminum and some people (like me) tend to over tighten them. That spreads the clamps and they won't keep a blade. Be sure to put a blade in there and put the saw through it's paces. If the clamps are spread, then you have a decision. Ray Seymore (SeyCo) sells replacement clamps for about $35. Or you can do like a lot of us did and get the Pegas replacement clamps for the machine - around $80 - $90. munzieb and OCtoolguy 1 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
OCtoolguy Posted June 18, 2018 Author Report Share Posted June 18, 2018 Well Paul, wifey says something has to go because she isn't going to let me bring one into the house and my little shop is out of space. I'm thinking of selling the Hegner but ..........................maybe not. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
OCtoolguy Posted June 18, 2018 Author Report Share Posted June 18, 2018 2 minutes ago, tgiro said: Ray - Check the blade clamps closely, specially the bottom one. They make the bottom clamps out of cast aluminum and some people (like me) tend to over tighten them. That spreads the clamps and they won't keep a blade. Be sure to put a blade in there and put the saw through it's paces. If the clamps are spread, then you have a decision. Ray Seymore (SeyCo) sells replacement clamps for about $35. Or you can do like a lot of us did and get the Pegas replacement clamps for the machine - around $80 - $90. Thanks Tgiro, that's the info that I need. I would not have known about the problem with the bottom clamps. I'm going to give the saw a good trial run too. I'm not familiar with the upper arm on these saws. Does it stay up on it's own or does it need some sort of "stay" added on? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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