Come on, You Know You Want it!

[Scrappile]

https://www.advmachinery.com/products/hegner-multimax-22-v-scroll-saw

[kmmcrafts]

Hey, I mean.. if you're buying I'll take one with all the suggested bought together items too.. I'll gladly pay the shipping if you do buy one for me... 

They are nice machines for sure.. I need to set mine up in a permanent spot so I can run it.. It currently sets in the corner where there is not outlet close by so I don't use it much due to the hassle of getting out a extension cord.. or moving it near a outlet.. I don't like running things on a cord if I don't have too.. 

[JTTHECLOCKMAN]

Sold mine 2 summers ago. they are nice but love the RBI better. Sold the 18" and my Dewalt 788 saw. People got good deals on them. The 2 RBI saws will forever stay with me.  

[Scrappile]

1 hour ago, JTTHECLOCKMAN said:

Sold mine 2 summers ago. they are nice but love the RBI better. Sold the 18" and my Dewalt 788 saw. People got good deals on them. The 2 RBI saws will forever stay with me.  

Pleas tell me why.  I love my Hegner, but know they are not for everyone.  I, as of yet have not got to try a Hawk.   Would like to and am watching ones for sale, but I know some Hawks are better then others and I do not know them well enough to know which I should buy.  

[kmmcrafts]

I'm thinking the Hegner JT had was the old style without the up front tension release and without the quick clamp.. I might be wrong.. I wouldn't want one like that either.. Thankfully the one that was given to me last spring was the newer style one.. I really enjoyed using it and if my comfort zone wasn't the Hawk and if the Hegner had a larger model then I'd be a pretty close toss up on what I would buy if they were in the same price points.. But my Hegner is the 18" model put it in the smaller size range which most my products could be made on it.. I already have two Hawks and the Excalibur set up to go at will.. where as the Hegner just isn't set up to just walk in and set down to run it so I just don't use it much yet.. That said, the speed is fluctuating on my Excalibur as of lately so I may move it out and put it up for sale as it is and be done with that saw.. Maybe I'll swap in the Hegner in that space.. Won't be doing to much moving things around until spring though.. Just too busy right now to do any unnecessary shop tool moving.. LOL 

[dgman]

I’m a top feeder so no thanks. My Pegas is  fine for me!

Edited November 22, 2023 by dgman

[kmmcrafts]

One advantage of the Hawk over the Hegner is the fact that ( at least the new ones ) you can top or bottom feed.. as well as set the blade aggressiveness you want to have if cutting thick or thin wood.. Both are good quality saws.. Hawk also ( at least when I was looking ) has a better price and automatically comes with the stand.. as it's part of the design.. Having both brands in my shop and used both I can't really say one is better than the other.. I can say without a doubt that they are better built than any of the other saws out there.. that's not saying that the Pegas and like saws are not good saws.. But you won't likely wear out a boatload of bearings very often at all with the Hawk / Hegner.. and you most definitely can and depending on how much you cut probably will wear out a Pegas or like saw.. I have had to rebuild my Excalibur 2 times and the Dewalt before that a couple times.. The Excalibur has 75 more hours on it than my Hawk.. as I got it a year before the Hawk.. But I've rebuilt it not once but twice.. not had to do anything to the Hawk yet.. 

[Scrappile]

4 hours ago, dgman said:

I’m a top feeder so no thanks. My Pegas is  fine for me!

That is fine, but I think limiting ones self on wether they are a bottom feeder or a top feeder is like limitings oneself to being a flat blade veras a spiral is short changing ones self.  There are place where both shine.  Being a bottom feeder there are times I wish I was coordinated enough to become a top feeder.  I tried often when I had a scroll saw that would allow top feeding and if I ever get a chance I will try some more.  I have never regretted being able to use both flat and spiral blades.  

[dgman]

2 hours ago, Scrappile said:

That is fine, but I think limiting ones self on wether they are a bottom feeder or a top feeder is like limitings oneself to being a flat blade veras a spiral is short changing ones self.  There are place where both shine.  Being a bottom feeder there are times I wish I was coordinated enough to become a top feeder.  I tried often when I had a scroll saw that would allow top feeding and if I ever get a chance I will try some more.  I have never regretted being able to use both flat and spiral blades.  

Paul, I started off with a bottom feeding saw. I learned scrolling with that saw. I learned that I hated the fact that feeding from the bottom was a pain and thought there needed to be a better way. Along came the DeWALT saw that was capable of top feeding. I thought this was the best thing since…. Well you know. So, I don’t see myself as limiting myself. I’ve been there and hated it. I don’t have to worry about blade clamps that may fall off. I don’t have to find the right clamp to fit the right blade, I don’t have to think about chamfering the holes to fit the blade, I don’t have to lift the work piece off the table to thread the blade from below. I could go on and on, but the fact is I have found the best method for me. I don’t feel limited.

[JTTHECLOCKMAN]

13 hours ago, Scrappile said:

Pleas tell me why.  I love my Hegner, but know they are not for everyone.  I, as of yet have not got to try a Hawk.   Would like to and am watching ones for sale, but I know some Hawks are better then others and I do not know them well enough to know which I should buy.  

Kevin is right about the Hegner I had did not have the front blade tension handle and yes I could have put one on it but that is not why I got rid of it because I did use it alot when I was making the collapsable baskets years ago. I had that set to the angle I needed and it stayed that way. the reason I got rid of it is because I am downsizing out of the scrolling hobby. I am more a turner today than a scroller. I have seen that scrollsaw work has run its course at least in my circles. now I am into pen making mainly and other small items on a lathe. I also sold my Dewalt that was in mint condition and a type #1 saw. Again just making room and selling off some items. This Sunday I have a person coming for all my scrollsaw magazines and books. I tried selling them here but no one wanted them. Finally got a buyer. kept the 2 RBI saws because I like them the best of all the saws I scrolled on. So much easier. I am a bottom feeder and have been since I started and have no problem with the RBI saws at all. I keep saying I think they are the best saws on the market. I have not tried the new one that Kevin has with the adjustment of blade back to front but never found that to be an issue. My RBI saws are the ones the year they changed from the barrel clamps to the block clamps. I scrolled on my friends saw that had the barrel clamps and found them to be a pain in the butt. So glad they improved that. Just the reason I got rid of it. They are a good saw. 

[OCtoolguy]

On 11/21/2023 at 9:15 PM, dgman said:

Paul, I started off with a bottom feeding saw. I learned scrolling with that saw. I learned that I hated the fact that feeding from the bottom was a pain and thought there needed to be a better way. Along came the DeWALT saw that was capable of top feeding. I thought this was the best thing since…. Well you know. So, I don’t see myself as limiting myself. I’ve been there and hated it. I don’t have to worry about blade clamps that may fall off. I don’t have to find the right clamp to fit the right blade, I don’t have to think about chamfering the holes to fit the blade, I don’t have to lift the work piece off the table to thread the blade from below. I could go on and on, but the fact is I have found the best method for me. I don’t feel limited.

Dan, maybe you could do an instructional video and show us how you do it. I've tried it with ny Ex but couldn't make it work. I'd love to see someone who is proficient at it. 

[Scrappile]

On 11/21/2023 at 9:15 PM, dgman said:

Paul, I started off with a bottom feeding saw. I learned scrolling with that saw. I learned that I hated the fact that feeding from the bottom was a pain and thought there needed to be a better way. Along came the DeWALT saw that was capable of top feeding. I thought this was the best thing since…. Well you know. So, I don’t see myself as limiting myself. I’ve been there and hated it. I don’t have to worry about blade clamps that may fall off. I don’t have to find the right clamp to fit the right blade, I don’t have to think about chamfering the holes to fit the blade, I don’t have to lift the work piece off the table to thread the blade from below. I could go on and on, but the fact is I have found the best method for me. I don’t feel limited.

I never knew I was doing all those things. I don't feel limited. I just enjoy scrolling.  I have had three top feeding saws, but I never got it figured out, very comfortable with what I know. Never tried to convert anyone.  Just like spirals, I am very comfortable with them I use flat blades most often but glad I can use spirals because there are times that they do the trick.  To each their own, no right or wrong.  

[kmmcrafts]

I can top or bottom feed, yet I prefer bottom feeding unless I'm working on a very large project.. Also find it much easier to top feed with the Hawk over the Excalibur.. The spring loaded upper arm of the Hawk you have to pull down to get it to come down.. the Excalibur you also have to pull down but it's not spring loaded and once it gets to a certain point it just wants to drop all at once and fast.. I have to be careful / mindful of what's happening on the Excalibur.. not so much on the Hawk.. Still prefer bottom feeding with either saw.. But I started out sawing on a old Delta 16" 2 speed saw.. so I believe this is why I like my saw running fast and also why I prefer bottom feeding as it was only bottom feed saw.. The low speed on that saw was too slow and the fast speed was too fast, LOL.. I learned to scroll with it on high speed.. so I still prefer the saw to run faster than what most people run their saw at... it's just my style and probably how I learned..