The saw is OK but the plastic handle for one of the blade clamps broke and had to use a 4mm wrench to use it or else by a new piece. Since the original didn't hold up I thought a new one probably wouldn't either. It is variable speed but I found that using high speeds caused vibration so bad that it wasn't really usable. I set the speed at a point with the least amount of vibration and left it there. The saw was useable and I did a few projects with it, it is OK. YOU GET WHAT YOU PAY FOR.
One thing I did notice that there are a few companies that use the same saw but with their name on it instead of Ryobi. The saw is fairly quiet and fun to use however you cannot get in a hurry as you have to re-clamp the blade and adjust the tension via setting knob at he back of the saw and it takes time with every cut. I bought mine reconditioned for around $85.00 if my memory is correct. It will take pinned and unpinned blades.I used it for several months before upgrading to Dewalt. Major price difference but cut my time by at least 1/2 on each project. The change in time is brought about by the ease of blade installation (clamping) and tension setting. Dewalt also has larger table and will tilt both left or right as opposed to only left by the Ryobi.
All in all it is an OK saw to start with but you may want to consider the Delta or Dewalt from the get go as you will probably will upgrade in the future any way. I chose the Ryobi because it was cheap and I wanted to see if I would like scroll sawing before spend to much money.
