Best Scroll Saws Reviews 2021 – Top Picks & Buying Guide

1. DeWalt DW788 Scroll Saw - Top Overall Pick

When you first pick up the 20” Dewalt DW788 scroll saw, it screams quality, which reflects its price at around the $500 mark.  The machine comes in at over 65 pounds which makes it sturdy yet manageable, and with a stand and a cast iron table with two spare blades. The table is solid and can be tilted both left and right to 45 degrees.

The scroll arm can be lifted all the way by loosening a knob on the top, which makes changing blades a breeze. Once a new pin-less blade is in place, the top of the blade is easily fixed in position using a wingnut, and the blade is tensioned with the conveniently placed front mounted tension lever.

The dust blower that comes with the scroll saw is also excellent. It is long enough to be easy to position at any angle and is capable of producing a clear area of work approximately 2 inches around the blade. When it comes to precision the scroll saw is top notch mainly due to its blade rocker arms, which produce minimal vibration, and precise cuts.

What really stands out with the Dewalt DW788 scroll saw is the ease of use. The machine is pretty much ready to go straight out of the box and requires minimal fettling to produce quality work, that is why we pick this as our best scroll saw on the market today.

With variable speed control, easy adjustments, and a scroll arm that lifts up, the machine can handle almost every imaginable task, from Fret work and Intasia work, to general cutting of small work pieces–the Dewalt DW788 can handle everything you throw at it.

Sadly, nothing is ever perfect in life, and even though the scroll saw is a pleasure to watch and work with, it does have a minor issue. The only drawback of the scroll saw is the 2 blades that come with it. They are somewhat lacking in quality, and you are better off purchasing some aftermarket quality blades to get the best results.

2. Rockwell RK7323 BladeRunner X2 Scroll Saw - Best Value

This compact scroll saw is one that you can use both on job sites and at home because it weighs only 15 pounds. Designed to cut through different materials such as plastic and aluminum, it doesn't work as well on hearty woods. The included rip fence both gives you more control and helps make accurate cuts.

It takes only three seconds to change the blade without any tools. Rockwell also gives you a five-piece blade set and a three-year warranty.

3. Hegner M22-V Scroll Saw - Premium Choice

Basically, the Hegner 22” is a beast of a scroll saw, with a price to match costing nearly $2000. It is the ultimate saw and costs nearly double the other most expensive scroll saw on the list. With that much throat capacity (22”) it can handle almost anything you throw at it.

This is a professional grade scroll saw that comes with a powerful motor that runs quietly and can cut just about anything. The variable speed has a SQM of 400 to 1700. The build quality means that even at the highest speeds there is no detectable vibration in the blade.

Hegner has its own unique dust management system that gives you three choices. You can opt to use the included blower to eliminate the dust from around the cutting area. You also have below table dust extraction. Alternatively, you can use both at the same time which will eliminate almost all the dust produced by the machine.

Overall the Hegner 22" variable speed scroll saw ticks almost every box; it is a quality machine that can slice through a variety of materials—even steel with the right blade. The scroll saw has a super solid table that and can be tilted both left and right giving you great versatility.

The only issue with the Hegner is the price; the machine has few drawbacks. Watching the Hegner do “its thing” might fill you with the desire to have one, but the price is hard to justify,unless you are making some serious money from your scroll sawing.

4. WEN 3921 Scroll Saw

5. Jet 727200K Scroll Saw

The Jet 727200K Scroll Saw is one of the larger ones on our list at 22” and comes in at close to $1000. The scroll saw comes with a stand and is equally at home in a professional shop or a garage shop.

Like most quality machines, it comes with a large solid cast iron table, giving you a sturdy top to work on. One of the unique features of the table is the SLOT from the front of the table to the blade, as can found in band saw tables. You can tilt the table in both directions up to 45 degrees.

The scroll saw has an innovative and integrated blade clamp and tensioning system. The upper portion of the blade is easily inserted into its holder, and then a cam lever is used to both secure the blade and tension it at once. The lower blade is also easily removed and changed.

The machine comes with an inbuilt tool that lets you fully secure the blade in its lower mount. Changing saw blades is made even easier by the top arm, which can be lifted up to 10” to give you ample space.

The above table blade tightening tool is integrated in the blade storage rack, that can be mounted to either side of the scroll saw—making it easy to use whether you are left or right handed.

When it comes to dust collection the Jet 727200K is equally innovative and comes with both an above table dust blower, and below the table dust extraction. The blower makes easy work of dust particles and leaves the area around the blade clean and visible. The under-table extraction is good but like with all scroll saws, it is not exceptional.

This scroll saw is professional grade with plenty of cutting power, versatility and a generous throat depth. The footprint of the scroll saw and stand is small so if you need to tuck it away in the corner of your garage shop it won’t take up too much precious space, leaving you ample room for the rest of your power tools. A 5-year warranty gives you peace of mind and shows that Jet are really standing behind their product.

Unfortunately, the scroll saw is not ready to use out of the box and needs a little tune up and maybe some research before first use. You may find that the blade holder screws need tightening before first use.

6. Delta Power Tools 40-694 Scroll Saw

The Delta Power Tools 40-694 Scroll Saw will put a near $700 dent in your pocket, but it is a great variable speed scroll saw, with a range of strokes per minute going from 400 to 1,750 SPM. The scroll saw features a 1.3 Amp motor which delivers plenty of power for most cutting tasks, although with harder wood you will have to back the SPM down to ensure a smooth clean cut.

The variable speed scroll saw has parallel link arms which eliminate vibrations, resulting in stable and accurate cuts. At 20” throat capacity and a cutting depth of 2 1/8” the scroll saw can handle most tasks. The table is made of cast iron and is large enough to support most pieces of work. The table tilts to 45 degrees both left and right, although at that angle the depth of cut is REDUCED to 1 5/8”.

Delta Power Tools 40-694 scroll saw uses pin-less blades, and changing blades is tool-less. It only takes a few seconds to change blades, which is made even easier by the front blade clamp, and the lifting scroll saw arm which can be moved up and locked into position. Seeing the scroll saw at work, the included dust blower is seen to work reasonably well and leaves a nice clean area around the blade.

This Delta Power Tools 40-694 is the best scroll saw for entry level with plenty of features and enough punch for most tasks. The ease of blade change combined with low vibrations makes this scroll saw a great piece of kit, especially if you do a lot of fret work.

The tool does not come with its own stand, which can be a pain if you don’t have some dedicated space for it in your shop. You will either have to reorganise or build something for it to stand on. Opting to purchase the scroll saw with a stand and integrated light significantly pushes the price up.

7. Shop Fox W1713 Scroll Saw

8. Porter Cable PCB375SS Scroll Saw

The Porter-Cable PCB 375SS is a decent scroll saw that is mid-priced at around $300. It comes with a host of features including 18” throat depth , which lets you handle slightly larger pieces of wood. The saw has a solid aluminium table and comes with an aluminium framed stand.

With a 1.6 Amp motor and a variable speed of 500 to 1500 strokes per minute, the machine has enough power and versatility to cut through various materials.

The saw tilts both left and right, enabling cuts up to 15 degrees on the right and 45 degrees on the left. There is no dust collection below the table, however there is a goose neck blower that keeps the cutting area around the blade clear.

The saw takes both pinned and pinless blades and includes tool-less blade change. This is achieved in a second or two with two thumb screws, one at the top blade mount and one at the bottom. While easy to change, getting new saw blades in place can be a little awkward until you get used to it.

Porter Cable variable speed scroll saw has incorporated a host of clever features in the scroll saw. The small LED light is on a flexible arm and can be positioned just where you need it. Although small it provides ample lighting for the work. Another great piece of forward thinking by Porter Cable, is that most of the features like blade tensioning and such are at the front of the saw, making them easy to reach and use.

Checking out the saw you can see where this saw fails to deliver, and it is on its overall build quality and the aluminium table. Together they give the saw a less than stable feel, making detailed and intricate cuts difficult and a hassle.

9. Dremel MS20-01 Scroll Saw

Keep your area clean with this Dremel MS20-01 scroll saw, which comes with a dust port adapter that works with any vacuum system. Thanks to its design, you can use this as both a table saw and a handheld saw. When using it with a table, the included clamps keep it secured.

The quick-change design of the Dremel MS20-01 helps you quickly attach any accessories and adjust the blade to make it as taut as you need. It is compatible with various blades, including those designed for side, metal and fine wood cutting.

10. Craftsman 16″ Scroll Saw

With a Budget friendly price close to $150, the Craftsman 16″ Variable Speed Scroll Saw comes with a 2” depth of cut, making it suitable for most simple scroll sawing tasks. The machine is powered by a 1.6 Amp induction motor which provides plenty of power. The scroll saw has a wide range of strokes per minute, from 400 to 1600 strokes per minute.

Like a lot of craftsman products, the build quality is great with most of the scroll saw made of metal, and the table made of cast iron. The table is only capable of tilting left, up to an angle of 45 degrees. The table is relatively large 17 1/8″ by 10 1/4″ which offers plenty of support for most work pieces.

The scroll saw comes with a dust blower, which although short is quite ingenious in design allowing you to accurately direct the dust both away from the blade and the operator. Under table dust extraction is also included, and you can hook up a shop vac to eliminate dust from under the table.

Both pinned and pin-less blades can be used with the Craftsman Saw. Although unlike most scroll saws on this list changing blades is not tool-less, and you need to use the supplied tool to loosen a set screw to release the blade.

The scroll saw comes with integrated blade storage, four pinned blades and 1 pin-less blade. The inbuilt storage is convenient and makes storing a multitude of blades very straightforward.

For a budget saw this craftsman’s motor is batting above its average and packs a lot of power. Combine this with a solid cast iron table, and the versatility of using pinned and unpinned blades, and the scroll saw provides a good balance across the board.

Not surprisingly with its budget price when you see this saw in action, it becomes apparent that the saw is suspect to a little vibration at higher speeds, although this is relatively minor and can be coped with by dialling the cutting speed back a little, which is a happy compromise between speed and vibration.