King scroll saw

[Timberwolf]

Any good??????? I'm on the edge........

[Bill Wilson]

Any good??????? I'm on the edge........

They are based on the design of the Excalibur and made the same factory (to the same specs, I presume).  There was some upheaval in the scroll saw market a few years ago.  As I understand it, General Tool, which marketed the Excalibur, switched manufacturing from Taiwan to China.  When this happened, several new scroll saws showed up on the market.  All based on that design and made in Taiwan.  This would include the King, Seyco, Jet and Pegas, as well as Excelsior (which I don't think is available in the US).  

Anyway, the Excalibur was an excellent saw, until they switched mfg to China.  I would not recommend one now.  I own an EX-21, which I bought just before all this happened.  The bottom line is, the King should be every bit as good as the Excalibur was.  I think they are only available in the 16" and 30" sizes, in the US.  If you want a 21" saw, you would need to go to a Pegas or perhaps a Seyco or Jet (or Excelsior, if you know someone in Canada who can get it for you).  Pegas saws have been getting very good reviews in the scrolling forums.  They don't have a huge dealer network yet though, so they aren't quite as easy to find as some others.

[Timberwolf]

They are based on the design of the Excalibur and made the same factory (to the same specs, I presume).  There was some upheaval in the scroll saw market a few years ago.  As I understand it, General Tool, which marketed the Excalibur, switched manufacturing from Taiwan to China.  When this happened, several new scroll saws showed up on the market.  All based on that design and made in Taiwan.  This would include the King, Seyco, Jet and Pegas, as well as Excelsior (which I don't think is available in the US).  

Anyway, the Excalibur was an excellent saw, until they switched mfg to China.  I would not recommend one now.  I own an EX-21, which I bought just before all this happened.  The bottom line is, the King should be every bit as good as the Excalibur was.  I think they are only available in the 16" and 30" sizes, in the US.  If you want a 21" saw, you would need to go to a Pegas or perhaps a Seyco or Jet (or Excelsior, if you know someone in Canada who can get it for you).  Pegas saws have been getting very good reviews in the scrolling forums.  They don't have a huge dealer network yet though, so they aren't quite as easy to find as some others.

............................
the King should be every bit as good as the Excalibur was.

Thanks Bill..I appreciate your opinion...they seem to have similar features and look pretty much alike...The 16" would be fine for my needs...With my hands, ease of blade changing is pretty important to me...I think it is coming down to King or Pegas but I will wait awhile before making a decision. I can get the King at my local Woodcraft about 1/2 miles away.....

[gMike]

How does the DeWalt rate in the scroll saw community?  I bought one for the LOML when she retired a couple years ago and she enjoys it quite a bit but this is her first foray into woodworking so she has no basis for comparison (neither do I ).

[Timberwolf]

How does the DeWalt rate in the scroll saw community?  I bought one for the LOML when she retired a couple years ago and she enjoys it quite a bit but this is her first foray into woodworking so she has no basis for comparison (neither do I ).

........................
From the online research I have done recently, it rates pretty highly, but not as high as the much more expensive brands like King, Pegas, Excalibur Etc...

I understandthe cutting performance depends on the blades and so far the Pegas {Swiss made} spiral blades beat the Flying Dutchman brand...at least in one comparison on Youtube. At twice the price tho, I expect better performance....I would like to hear what Bill Wilson has to say on the subject.

[Bill Wilson]

The DeWalt has been the favorite, mid level saw for a number of years now.  One reason is that it had very little competition at it's price point.  I had a DeWalt before I bought my EX.  I had no problems with it and liked it a lot.  The design is pretty user friendly, IMHO.  It does seems like production cutters tend to wear them out fairly quickly, but there are videos on the web that show you how to do most of the common mechanical repairs.

If I were buying new today, I would probably give a lot of consideration to the Pegas.  They're relatively new to the scene, but the design is pretty much an EX/DeWalt clone.  They've upgraded the blade clamps and people seem to love them.  You can get Pegas retrofit kits to fit most of the clone saws and people rave about them as well, so I think the manufacturing is solid on them.  Like I said earlier though, they aren't in retail stores, so you can't see before you buy.

[JohnnyEgo]

I am not a scroll-sawyer, but periodically I find myself wanting to be one. I had looked at the Dewalt and the King quite a bit, as the local Woodcraft sells them both, but I had shied away from the King as it was not a brand I was familiar with. This has been a very informative thread for me. Thanks, Bill!

[Bill Wilson]

The right blades make all the difference.  Saws have different cutting characteristics, due to their design and the geometry of their cutting motion.  Saws with the truest vertical blade motion will cut slower, but allow more control.  Match the saw with the blade and you can really maximize your cutting preference.

I read a lot of positive reviews of Pegas blades.  I think part of the deal is that they are the new kid on the block and folks get enamored with them.  Personally I've never tried them.  I use Olson and Flying Dutchman blades.  There really is no "best blade" or "best brand" out there.  It is really very much a matter of personal preference, based on your cutting preferences (control vs speed), the pattern and the material being cut.  I've said many times, you can give 5 veteran scrollers the same pattern and the same wood and they will most likely use 5 different blades to cut it.

[Timberwolf]

The right blades make all the difference.  Saws have different cutting characteristics, due to their design and the geometry of their cutting motion.  Saws with the truest vertical blade motion will cut slower, but allow more control.  Match the saw with the blade and you can really maximize your cutting preference.

I read a lot of positive reviews of Pegas blades.  I think part of the deal is that they are the new kid on the block and folks get enamored with them.  Personally I've never tried them.  I use Olson and Flying Dutchman blades.  There really is no "best blade" or "best brand" out there.  It is really very much a matter of personal preference, based on your cutting preferences (control vs speed), the pattern and the material being cut.  I've said many times, you can give 5 veteran scrollers the same pattern and the same wood and they will most likely use 5 different blades to cut it.

............
Interesting but very understandable, Bill...Reminds me of our Woodnet sharpening threads..many differing opinions and experiences. I suppose it's all about what works best for you....Thanks for your input..I know you have lots of experience to share.

[kwadams]

Thanks, informative thread. No mention of Hegner...is that simply a price thing or issues?

Kevin