Looking ahead for upgrade saw

[timelett]

Looking at saws for the 2022 year, I would like to purchase a higher quality than my starter saw, although has been a nice entree saw,so not to be negative on my post. 

Any advice.

[scrollerpete]

Pegas seems to be the go to saw right now and we have a member “Denny” that provide excellent service right here .

[TAIrving]

4 hours ago, timelett said:

Looking at saws for the 2022 year, I would like to purchase a higher quality than my starter saw, although has been a nice entree saw,so not to be negative on my post. 

Any advice.

You have come to the right place for advice.  A search in this forum will find lots of opinions about the best saw.  But, the opinions are all over the map on this subject.

To summarize, and I am sure I will be corrected in this:

1. The DeWalt and it's look-alikes are considered the standard and are quite good saws at a reasonable price.

2. Excalibur style saws are higher end saws, full of features and loved by those who use them.  This includes Pegas, Seyco, King, etc., but not those currently sold as Excalibur.  See Travis's article on What happened to Excalibur Saws 

3. Hegner saws are excellent saws, have the reputation of being extremely rugged and reliable, and are correspondingly expensive.  You can sometimes find a used one on the open market for a good price.

4. Hawk saws - do a search and read about them.

5. and more...

You need to consider what size saw is right for you.  Not everyone needs a 21" saw.  What will you be using it for?  If scrolling is a part-time hobby, then go with what strikes your fancy and fits your budget.  If you are going to be using your saw for volume production, you will want to think about production per dollar.  For that, some would say high-end, highly reliable saw while others would recommend you get 2 or more less expensive saws and plan on rebuilding them as needed.  

Enjoy!

 

[timelett]

Thanks ,that narrows my choice I have been using the Pegas brand blades and don't have any thoughts of using the ones I started with from the big box store, I will in the future order from "Denny " only because it is closer than  BC 

[OCtoolguy]

8 hours ago, timelett said:

Looking at saws for the 2022 year, I would like to purchase a higher quality than my starter saw, although has been a nice entree saw,so not to be negative on my post. 

Any advice.

What's your budget? If you can afford it the sky's the limit.

[Hawk]

I just bought a King 16". With the help of the folks here I finally got it dialed in yesterday and I can say it cuts like a dream with no vibration and that's just sitting on a tool stand. No bolts or clamps!

I can't speak to any other brands, but I know Excalibur and Pegas look like the King I bought, so I suspect they're all about the same.

Good luck, nothing better than a new saw, just give yourself time to dial it in and get used to it. Plenty of help here.

Chris

Edited November 11, 2021 by Hawk

[timelett]

Well, on the budget, I have been looking for deals or specials or nice used. But I expect to pay for a nice machine, not many super deals out there anymore.

[OCtoolguy]

18 minutes ago, timelett said:

Well, on the budget, I have been looking for deals or specials or nice used. But I expect to pay for a nice machine, not many super deals out there anymore.

I have 4 saws. All high end. I have bought and sold on C/L and Marketplace. Buying low and selling high, I have zero dollars invested. Take your time and wait for a deal. The Hawks seem to pop up more than any other saw near me. I know where there is a "green" Ex21 in like new condition with factory stand for $500. That is a great price for that saw. When I say green, I'm referring to the fact that they were made either in Canada or Taiwan. Once the Chinese got hold of the design they went to Hell. The King & Excelcior saws are good ones. Stay away from Chinese. 

Edited November 11, 2021 by OCtoolguy

[kmmcrafts]

Ray is correct about the Chinese saw.. stay away from them.. they have a virus that you can't get rid of unless you operate on it and give it a infusion of Seyco's Excalibur parts. 

I have a Hawk 220VS I'd sell fairly reasonable if you're close to Michigan.. also would sell a Excalibur that's made in China but it is virus free as I did the operation to give it the infusion of Seyco's Excalibur parts,    

[WolfmoonCT]

I love my Seyco. I was thinking between Seyco and Pegas. The larger area from the blade to the front of the table of the Seyco really helped me decide on Seyco. Also, when I called Seyco to ask them a question before buying, Mike answered it immediately.  Pegas, I had to wait a week to get back with me. By then, I had already ordered my Seyco..  The one issue i've had with my Seyco, Ray got back with me in about 2 days (the issue started on a weekend, so it's understandable), and talked to me about 30 min about what the issue could be, how to check it, and said that he would document the issue (it had fixed itself by the time Ray called) and said that if it happened again, they would replace the speed controller. I just had to call and say the controller was having issues again, and they would ship a new controller out.  Customer Service was awesome from them.

Edited November 19, 2021 by WolfmoonCT

[Scrappile]

Here is my take... and means little...  I have purchased 2 saws from Seyco.. the first was Excalibur.. It arrived already checked out and tuned in... I did not have to adjust anything...it was totally plug and play.... I purchased a Seyco when they first came out...I did not have to adjust anything...it was totally plug and play..  That is worth a lot to me... Seyco tested and adjusted their saws before shipping... Not many vendors have the luxury because their saws are sent from somewhere other than their shop...  Does not mean they are bad saws and does not mean they require a lot of setup adjustments... And I do not recommend any saw over another...  but,, just something to think about... This may be the same for Hegner at Advance Machine.. I do not know.  The one I purchased was tuned in,,, but it was a demo saw.  

[Jim Finn]

I think it depends on what you  will use the saw for.  Most do fretwork so lots of stops and  starts with blade disconnects and reconnects.  I do not do fretwork.  I do inlay and toy making so I do not need to do that changing all the time.  I use my saws 4-5 hours a day now for 12+ years.  I have a 2008 Hegner that I use for inlays and a 1988 -15" Jet that I cut the toys with.  Both are rugged machines with induction motors.  Different strokes.....

[Fedido]

As you can see, everybody has their own experiences. I started on a 1990 craftsman and upgrades to a Dewalt 21. Best move I made. Like everyone says though, so what you feel comfortable with. I am not ready to make the leap to the top of the line saws yet.