Good deal or not

[Chad Young]

A co-worker is selling a Dremel 1680 Scroll Saw with stand for $50. It is about a year old has has only been used for about 3 hours. I have no experience with any scroll saws but have wanted to learn. I looked around and saw them for $169 new on Amazon.

[Chris Padilla]

Depreciation of like 70% in just 1 year...jump on it. Sounds like a great find and perhaps a good way to get your feet wet and if you don't like it or it breaks, you aren't out a lot of green. I would think you could get $50 for it in 1 more year.

Look on eBay and see what they are going for...might give you a rough idea what it is really worth.

[Hank Walczak]

Chad - I've had this one for about a year. Four things I've learned about this saw. Light isn't bright enough. Difficult to clamp blades under the table. Not enough clearance to thread blade into stock from underneath, hold down is always in the way. Tension release at back of arm isn't the most convenient placement. You do both of the previous operations a lot on a project. I had trouble with tracking until I found out that table was not square to the blade; after correcting this, it was much better. Could even cut 8/4 without any issues. I also extended the blower assembly so that I could blow the dust to the back more easily. Some of these issues may be why the guy is selling cheap. But IMHO, you can't loose with what he's selling it for.

[Gary Max]

Sounds like a great price--even if you have to tune it up.

[Tony Falotico]

Bought a Dremel about 10 yrs ago, about the $130 price range, got it on sale for about $100. Terrible piece of equipment, vibrated like crazy, cut lousy, blade holders were inadequate ...........

I would walk away and hold out for a good Delta or preferably DeWalt.

[Michael Ballent]

So what is your real opinion ;)

[Betsy Yocum]

I've been the dremel route and agree with tony - back away and try to find a good deal on a used Dewalt - or better yet - find a creeker with one near by that will let you take a spin. Long and short though I would not waste money on the Dremel.

[Bart Leetch]

Bought a Dremel about 10 yrs ago, about the $130 price range, got it on sale for about $100. Terrible piece of equipment, vibrated like crazy, cut lousy, blade holders were inadequate ...........

I would walk away and hold out for a good Delta or preferably DeWalt.


Tony

If I read this right yours is about 10 years old & the one Chad is looking at is about 1 year old. What say old buddy do you think they may have made some changes in the last 9 or so years? :)

I have the old one with the round table & wouldn't recommend it for real scroll work but for the occasional small amount of cut out work or to make a few letters for a sign like I do it works fine. Other than that it sets back in a corner patiently waiting & collecting dust till the next year I might need it.

I think for $50 you could have some fun & if you decide its not the kind you want or decide to upgrade you could easily get your $50 back. :D

[Tony Falotico]

If I read this right yours is about 10 years old & the one Chad is looking at is about 1 year old. What say old buddy do you think they may have made some changes in the last 9 or so years?

You Read it right. Yes, they may have changed, that's why I specified when I had it. Sold it at a garage sale about 8 yrs ago for $35. I personally do not see Dremel as a serious tool company and other than a Dremel tool, I wouldn't buy their products.

I have the old one with the round table & wouldn't recommend it for real scroll work but for the occasional small amount of cut out work or to make a few letters for a sign like I do it works fine. Other than that it sets back in a corner patiently waiting & collecting dust till the next year I might need it.

I don't want to start an argument here, but perhaps the reason you don't use it is because of it's poor quality. I also had the Craftsman C arm, it was almost as bad as the Dremel. I finally sold it also and purchased a DeWalt and use it all the time. One can find all sorts of uses for a good machine.

I think for $50 you could have some fun & if you decide its not the kind you want or decide to upgrade you could easily get your $50 back.

I wouldn't get caught up in the price, a POJ is a POJ no matter what the cost. It is difficult to 'have fun' with a machine of poor quality, and I would hate to see someone turned off to scrolling because of a poor machine. As I stated above, I don't want to start an argument here, but Chad asked for my opinion and I gave it to him. Doesn't mean anyone has to accept it or agree with it.

[Chad Young]

I appreciate all the feed back and spoke with the co-worker and mentioned some of the feedback I got about it. He said that he would take $35 so I said I would take it. Even if it is not that great I feel it will be ok to learn on. It is also something that I can let my son start using as he is showing some interest (mostly in using the air compressor to blow saw dust around).

Once again thanks for all the feedback.

[Bart Leetch]

Tony

Not a problem at all with what you said.

Now with the fact he purchased it for $35 if his son likes it when dad upgrades he could even give it to his son.

I don't do scroll work, but on occasion do need to get on the inside of something & I do believe as you do that the saw I have isn't much of a saw.

However the DeWalt is a super saw I have used my friends DeWalt & there is a great big difference between my saw that use to be his saw & the DeWalt. In-between the Dremel & the DeWalt he owned a floor model big old cast iron Delta which was lost in a fire. He got the DeWalt at a garage sale along with a Jet cabinet saw & an industrial Porter Cable router & a 20" planer/sander/moulder & a whole bunch of misc other stuff like clamps etc.

Some people have all the luck. But he needed it as he lost about 1/2 his shop tools in a fire where he had his tools stored. :) :) :)

[Tony Falotico]

Tony Not a problem at all with what you said.

Bart, Thanks for accepting my comments in the spirit of discussion.

Chad, Sounds like you won, Enjoy the saw!