DW 788 Scroll Saw.. Yea or Nay?

[SARGE..g-47]

Good morning...

I am considering a DW 788 20" scroll saw. I have a Ryobi 16" that will get a few inside curves done in a pinch, but is it not exactly a machine that was built as user friendly or for large usage. You get what you pay for..

I am not a scroller and cannot justify an Exclaliber.. Hegner or one of the belt driven pro models as I won't use it daily. I have discovered though a local but large "scroll club" that the DW 788 is the weapon of choice for those that do not fit into a daily usage scrolling scenario. It is built after the Excaliber design and acutually built by Excaliber in Canada before switching to an off-shore manufacturer over there.

But at it's asking price (currently on sale at Amazon for $379 and $49 shipping.. total $428) even that is hard to justify for as much as I use one. So... I called a freind this morning that is a customer service rep for DeWalt at the large DW service center here in Atlanta.

He can get me a re-conditioned 788 within a week for $225 and that's seems justified for what I am willing to pay and know of the DW 788. Are any of you scrollers and have or have used the 788? Any bad experiences you know of or have heard from those that do use it?

I would appreciate any in-sight you can give as I will probably "pull the trigger" later in the day or tomorrow morning if I don't get any negative feed-back on the purchase.

Thanks in advance for any help recieved...

[gary]

I have a Ryobi and have used the Dewalt in a week long marquetry class. There is no comparison between the two. The dewalt advantages:

- Solid machine - built to last you a lifetime
- Upper arm - can raise the arm to help threading the blade - a BIG plus
- Blade attachment - much bigger and solid surface to clamp the blades
- table size - size counts
- speed control - much better low speed control

Can your friend get two? I'd go for that in a heartbeat..... Let me know.

[HarmsWay]

Great machine and good value at $428 let alone $225. I've had one for a few years - old enough that it was still built in Canada. I haven't heard anything about quality problems since they went off-shore.

Bob

[siliconbauhaus]

Sarge,

Have a look at the blue box. Hitachi just realeased a scrol saw and maybe it would suit you?

[bthere]

Sarge, it's a great machine at twice the price you would pay. An in-law has one that he uses rather frequently. I am pretty sure it is from the post Canada period. No problems. I have used it a fair amount and it is just a much nicer machine than my Delta. Lower vibration is a huge plus for me.

By the way, he has a special jig that he added to hold the arm up while changing blades. It's a bungee cord. Sure makes it easier, especially if you are threading through on an inside cut.

[SARGE..g-47]

After All...

Gary..
Thanks for the insight on the DW you have found from experience. I would love to get you one at that price... but DJ is getting it under his name and then I will pay him. DeWalt used to sell them RECO from the service center but now distribute all to the big retailers as Amazon.. Grizzly which mostly sell them on-line.

It would probably compromise the fact it is not for himself if he ordered two and I won't put him in a position that would jeoprodize his job. Maybe down the road I will ask or ask him to alert me of some kind of deal that could be had avoiding going under the table. Again.. sorry!

Bob..
Thanks for your in-put. I have not heard any bad omens since they went off-shore either. Still the Excalibur design.. just you know where labor as it seems to be well touted. I checked with Don Brown a while back (local Scroll Guru) and it it what he uses. He did retire from DeWalt I believe, but he says its all he will use as he doesn't have production run requirements that would lead to the EX or Heg.

Siliconbaus..
I had given thought to the Hitachi as I saw it metnioned here. I was by my Blue Box just and hour ago, but they don't have it yet. Not on-line at the Hitachi Site yet even though there National Service Center HQ. is about 8 miles from me on Steve Reynolds Blvd. From what I have heard it falls more in the class with the Dremmel and even though a good machine.. not on the same level with the DW 788 as it has the old style action arms. So....

Bthere..
Thanks for the local in-put and especially from someone you know. As stated above I have heard of no drop in quality after the off-shore move. From what has been posted here... I think I am going to make the call now and get DJ to pull the trigger.

Now... have also heard much good about the DW 3 leg stand adding to the already low vibrating DW 788 as opposed to a 4 legged stand. Not sure why that would be true? I do like the idea of the taper to the front so you can drag up a seat and straddle it with comfort. Was even thinking of making my own 3 legged stand from yellow pine and adding a hinged seat on the front that will flip up and lock in place, but fold down to conserve room when not in use.

Anyone got a "take" on that 3 legged booger that might be of interest as to whether to buy or build! Again.. in-sight is welcome.

Off to finish trim.. before adding the addition to the deck so I can paint the entire inside then get moving on that wood sitting in the rack slated for the new BR suite. Other than that.. I have plenty of free time to chat about scroll saws. But I do enjoy doing my home-work before plopping down my cash. ha.. ha... ha..ha..ha...

Regards...

[backpacker85]

Sarge-

Not sure, but it may follow the same principle as a chair or stool: one short (or long) leg on a 4-leg stool will cause all sorts of wobble, while it's impossible to have that situation on a 3-leg stool. The seat may not be coplanar with the floor, but unequal leg lengths will not result in a wobble. Just my .02

[SARGE..g-47]

Afternoon Ken..

Coffee break and I read your post. I must be getting old and developing cob-webs upstairs. In the words of those two English geysers that used to do the Guiness commercials, your reply was.. well........

Brillant!

Regards...

[HarmsWay]

Yes, tri-pod would be superior. I was too cheap to buy it so I recycled my BT3000 stand and mounted it corner to corner to allow me to sit close.

Bob

[siliconbauhaus]

Sarge,

do they ever sell stuff from the hitchi service centre ?

[drumpriest]

I've had my dewalt for a while now, and have used it to cut fretwork, layerscapes, and mostly marquetry. I like it, good saw for the money. About the best I've used under 1k$. I just got the dewalt stand for it, and it's nice enough, though there isn't storage...

I've gotten some really nice marquetry pieces out of the dewalt, so it can cut well.

[SARGE..g-47]

Evening Bob.. Siliconbauhaus.. Keith....

Bob...
Agree that the tri-pod is the ticket after Ken woke me up from a deep sleep. Got an idea on getting a "tri" mobile also...

Siliconbauhaus...
I don't know if Hitachi sells RECO from the service center or not. I almost called to find out when purchasing a 12" Hitachi SCMS several months ago to replace my Hitachi 10" I sold. But I got Lowe's assistant mgr. (co-incidentally I know her) to match Amazon sale price and then applied for a Lowe's credit card. Though it was worth a shot. 5 minutes latter I buggied one to the counter with a match price ticket given me. Picked the newest cashier I saw and showed her the ticket and ask her if I got 10% off for having a new Lowe's credit card. She said sure... and the new SCMS went home with me for around $530. he.......

I will call on Tuesday to see what gives on that front and reply to what I find. And that is a very good question indeed!

Keith...
You mentioned not enough storage. I think I might follow the advice on the "tre-pod" for stability and build one from wood with storage under-neath. Then I could go "mobile" with a TRI by adding two casters to the rear of a wood base and a recessed larger locking caster to the front. That gives me a tri-pod for stability.. storage to reduce dead space and mobility to move it from one spot to another.

And... if we're going that far.... why not just add a built-on folding seat and add a Briggs Statton engine with a drive chain and pulley to cruise around the "hood" doing fret-work and chatting with neighbors at the same time.

The lovely lady of the house says that I do not lack imagination! ha.. ha...

Regards to All...

[drumpriest]

Nice, yeah, it's not so much that I need the storage there as it just seems a waste that there isn't storage there. It'd be vibrated a bit, as the saw does vibrate when on high speeds. I don't typically cut with it over about 75% speed though...

The dewalt tripod is also tilted, so that the saw is leaning toward you, if that helps at all.

[siliconbauhaus]

Sarge,

Sounds like you got a good deal there. I'm looking for the discontinued hitachi floor DP but I cant find one anywhere at the moment so I may end up with their new bench top model. Hitachi has some wierd ideas about what to discontinue sometimes.

[SARGE..g-47]

Afternoon SbH..

I'll call as stated and listen for "scuttle-butt" on the Gwinnett Co., Georgia WW Club site. They have a ton of members that move up the ladder and replace with what they should have got in the first place as most of us have done with $$ constraints having families.

Your "Reconnaisance Man" in Ga... that brought back memories from LRP

Regards...