Craftsman  16'' Variable Speed Scroll Saw (21602)

I have to say I really like this saw. While I am sure it does not compare to the dwalt $400+ unit, this is a good value for the money. I had a ryobi scroll saw from Homedepot that I returned after only one use to upgrade to this saw. I can tell you hands down the craftsman saw is a far superior unit. The craftsman is quieter, has less vibration and was a heavier unit. The craftsman is also more accurate than the ryobi. If your looking for good middle of the road saw I can recommend the craftsman 21602.

After reading reviews on several different scroll saws and working within my budget, I chose this saw because it is a Craftsman product. Several of the reviews I read on this saw led me to believe that the instructions were not read before actually using this saw. The project I bought this saw for is time consuming that of which I knew before even beginning the project. I knew I needed something that was going to help me do the job and do the job well. This saw has proven to be the right tool. The aluminum I am cutting is 3/32" or ..0938 and this saw works absolutely great. I have used both the pinned blades and the regular blades and both work fine cutting this aluminum as well as wood. I guess the bottom line is that you have to read the instructions and have to have some mechanical knowledge to use this tool as well as any tool and you have to have some patience also. A light would be nice but if you have a shop, you should have efficient lighting anyway.

Plenty of throat clearance, easy to adjust and easy to use. Not too noisy.

I needed to quickly replace a 1940s scroll saw so I could complete a project on which I was working. Searched the Internet and asked friends for recommendations. This saw was on sale and well within my price range. I did not expect much at this price, but was pleasantly surprised. This is a sturdy machine. Out of the box all I had to do was connect the blower hose. I checked the set up and it was fine, so I went right to work. I was doing many inside cuts which required me to keep loosening the blade. It was easy. I was surprised at how quiet the saw is and vibration free.

I purchased this to upgrade an older model but sorry to say the older one is much better. Scroll saws work from vibration but this one vibrates excessively to the point that keeping it on a given line is very difficult. If accuracy is not important then this will probably work fine for you.

I just bought this saw and I think it is a great saw for the price. I am only a hobbyist and new to doing scroll work, but I know my way around power tools. Everything works as it is supposed to except for the ability to use the pinless blades. FORGET ABOUT THEM! The pin blades work just fine. I have used several different ones in different teeth per inch and they all worked just fine. I have done some small intricate hardwood work and even cut through 1 1/2 inch pine with no issues. The only other problem is the air duster, it is almost useless at low speeds. Good dust collector, easy to get it set up, and cheaper than most.

This saw is worth the price, but for one thing, the table top is so rough it is like a file, literally. I had to grind it down to make it usable.

The blade opening in the table/deck is quite large, large enough for small stock to fall into when feeding into the blade, if one is not careful to keep the stock level. This is because the opening must be expanded to allow for tilting the table up to 45 degrees. Not a big deal, but prospective buyers should weight the frequency of use with the table tilted, against other products offering a smaller blade opening. Otherwise, the product is very good, with the exception of the lower blade holder not having enough clearance to allow all blades to be installed unless they are clipped shorter between blade-end and pin. There is no provision to mount the blade at 90 degrees to the throat, as was the case with my last Dremel scroll saw. That feature allows long stock to be cut without running into the 16" neck limitation.

I like the blade and wrench storage. I like the easy access to the motor and controls. Could use a quick release on the saw dust clean out panel