Earlier this morning, in our Home Depot Black Friday 2017 deal post, Barbara asked:
I’m looking for a good deal on the DeWalt Scroll Saw. Has anyone seen anything?
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I was prepped to reply with a link to Acme Tools’ site and recommendation that she should wait to see what their Cyber Monday deal looks like. Right now there’s a $25 off $100+ promo, but they might have a 20% Cyber Monday coupon again this year.
But then I saw Amazon’s price. At the moment, it’s $489, and minus $25 off $100+ promo, and the out-the-door price is $464 plus tax. Shipping is free.
$464 is a very good deal on Dewalt’s scroll saw. That’s as good a price there is right now.
Dewalt’s DW788 scroll saw is extremely popular, and it’s the kind of tool that doesn’t have a lot of competition, and as such, it is very rarely discounted.
The Dewalt scroll saw is currently $489 at a few retailers, and as much as $560-570 at others, presumably to absorb some of the costs to ship this beast.
If Acme Tools has another Cyber Monday deal this year, and it’s a 20% discount like last year, that would bring the price down to $424, baring any unforeseen exclusions. If they price rises to $570 before discount, the final price would be $456 after discount.
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So the choice is to buy it for $464 from Amazon right now, or wait to see if Acme Tools, or another retailer, will have it for less as part of their Black Friday or Cyber Monday 2017 promos.
It’s a risk, to give up a $464 price in hopes of a better one, but personally I’d take the risk and wait and see.
Buy Now(via Amazon)
Buy Now(via Acme Tool)
The same applies to some other specialty tools. Black Friday and holiday deals tend to be centered around highly competitive tool categories. If you want a discount on a more specialized tool or equipment, chances are you’ll have to wait for a good percent-off offer. Or maybe a “buy more save more” offer.
Or send a request my way. I’ve been scrutinizing these deals for years, and might have a tip to share. At the least, I can keep a lookout for deals on what you’re looking for. I can’t make promises, but I’m willing to try.
Have you seen a better deal on this scroll saw?
fred
This is a very popular – and well regarded scroll saw. While I would not give up my Hegner-22, I think if I were to do it again I’d by this Dewalt and save a bundle of money. In my shop the Hegner gets used at this time of the year for doing Christmas decorations and small gives to give away – then sits idle for most of the year.
Simon D Honeycutt
I’m interested in this deal as I have a lot of Dewalt tools and prefer their brand, but admittedly I have never used a scroll saw. Can someone help me understand it’s best/primary use?
Thanks!
Stuart
Detailed, curved, or intricate cuts in thin wood and other sheet materials.
johnny bright light
I’ve cut 2 x 4 and she came out with very good results. but she really shines on thin wood. worth every penny.
johnny bright light
scroll work dude
Stuart
It was a valid question.
There are lots of tools that everyone at one point asks “what would I use that for?”
Shawn
Excellent response Stuart!
fred
Picture a very thin blade jig saw – where the blade is supported under tension at both ends. Draw a pattern on a piece of thin wood and you can cut out the pattern outline. Then for interior cutouts – you can drill a starter-hole, unclip the blade, feed it through the hole, then reattach the blade and cut interior curves. Mostly for crafts, but also used if you are restoring a Queen Anne style or other house that has lots of fret work. Its is sort of like the powered version of a fret saw or coping saw.
Unless you do mostly crafts, for a woodworker starting out, you probably want to invest in table saw first, then maybe a band saw second as your primary and secondary cutting tools. The scroll saw is then a “nice to have” adjunct – but you might have spent your stationary tool budget first on the table saw, band saw, planer, miter saw, jointer, router table, sanding station, drill press and dust collection system.
Bolt
The good thing about a scroll saw is that the normal 16” ones depreciate in value like no other tool. I got mine for 15 bucks from a guy cleaning out his shop which was crazy since he was asking 200 for a small bench sander and almost 300 for a 12 inch craftsman bandsaw.
fred
The way some inexpensive scroll saws vibrate – after a half of an hour of use – you would have to pay me to take it. I hope your $15 investment was better. It is one of those tools (My Hegner included) that you think you might use more often – until the reality sets in.
Simon D Honeycutt
Thanks for the detailed response–already have invested in a nice DeWalt table saw after using a cheap Skil brand saw for several years. Haven’t done a lot of work in thin wood but this makes a lot of sense.
Stuart
You’re welcome!
As Fred mention, it’s almost like a jigsaw, but a very gentle one, and instead of moving the tool along the work, you move the work along the tool. That gives you the control and precision to do things you can’t do with other power tools.
If you’ve used a coping or fret saw, this is almost like that, too.
Searching for scroll saw designs or patterns can show you examples, some of them good, others extreme, of what can be done on a scroll saw.
https://www.google.com/search?tbm=isch&q=scroll+saw+design
Nathan L
How’s a scroll saw for coping baseboard junctions? Sounds like it would be awesome but maybe i’m missing something because i’ve not seen anyone use one for that purpose.
Blythe
It would work great on short pieces, but since you’re moving the work not the tool it would get difficult to swing a 10ft piece around following the contours of the moulding
fred
You might try a barrel-grip jigsaw with a Collins coping foot
https://www.amazon.com/Collins-Tool-Company-Coping-Foot/dp/B00B5IPTLG/
We had some older Bosch jigsaws with these mounted – and some (not all) of the lead carpenters like them very much.
fred
I should have mentioned that there are various jigs from purveyors like Rockler, Kreg, Easy Coper, Cope-Pro and CopeMaster – some costing into the thousands – that purportedly all speed up the process of coping crown moldings and/or baseboard. I’ve not tried any of these – so can’t say much about them.
I saw a portable scroll saw from Dremel (MS20-01) that supposedly allows you to take a scroll-saw-like tool to the work. It sells for about $80 and gets rather mixed reviews. I recall that Stuart posted about this tool some years back.
fred
While on this topic, I should say that you can mount a jigsaw upside down under a table. The old Bosch MT250 was a way to do this. This gives you some of the functions of a scroll saw as you move the work along the table into the blade. But even with a fine toothed scroll jigsaw blade – the cutting action is not too smooth.
BTW – I’ve found the Pegas brand of Swiss-Made scroll saw blades to be rather good.
Lack
Lowe’s has it for $489. Get a $60 of $400 coupon from your post office movers packet or buy for $2 on ebay.
Buy Lowe’s gift cards whenever they go on sale, often at $90 for $100 value.
Combine the two and you can end up with a sub $400 price.
Jason. W
This is the exact saw I’m wanting to get, but probably won’t be able to now that my roof is leaking (yay!)
Maybe next year.
Bill
The insight from Fred and others above, regarding what a scroll saw is used for, reminds me of my childhood. A scroll saw was probably my first experience with a power tool. When I was seven or eight my dad bought me a used Delta scroll exactly like this one:
http://lumberjocks.com/projects/30661
I spent many hours on this saw cutting out the various animals I had traced onto thin sheets of plywood. I would then take a wood burning iron to add details of everything from eyes to antlers and feathers to the creatures I made.
I would love to have this saw today if for nothing else than the fond memories.
Tim
Anyone have experience with the Jet saw and if its features justify the price difference with the Dewalt?
Stuart
Unfortunately no, but here’s a preview for those that want to know more about that Jet saw: https://14cyiuhvcgv.com/jet-jwss-22-scroll-saw/%3C/a%3E%3C/p%3E
Tim
Thx
Adam
Grizzly has one of the best deals ive seen. Comes with stand and light for $475
http://www.grizzly.com/products/DW788-20-Scroll-Saw-with-Stand-and-Light/H7414