New to Scrollsaws

[sarc]

Has anyone any knowledge or experience of the Fox 18" Variable Speed Scrollsaw ?
The distributers blurb is shown below and it sounds OK to me but being a complete novice with scrollsaws I do not know how much faith to put in it
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Weighing 22.5kg this heavy duty machine is packed with features, making it ideal for the professional cabinet maker and the discerning home user. The high torque 120W motor has electronic speed control that is variable between 550 and 1600 strokes per minute offers minimal vibration levels to the user. The combination of the 45 degree tilting cast iron table and a throat depth of 18" offer excellent performance when cutting a wide range of materials up to 50mm in thickness. This scrollsaw features a directional air blower which removes dust and waste from the cutting line to give improved vision. Also the dust extractor port gives the user the option to attach a dust extractor to improve waste removal. The addition of the high-tech LED flexi-light also helps to improve visibility of the workpiece. The flexi-drive shaft runs at a speed of between 1500 and 5100rpm and fits directly into a drive socket in the electrical control unit, as well as featuring a handy storage tray for rapid access to tooling items. Included is an extensive range of accessories for drilling, sanding and polishing.

Bob








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[Gill]

Welcome to the forum, Bob .

It's not a saw I'm familiar with. The specifications look good but scroll saws can be funny beasts - specifications aren't necessarily a good guide to performance. You're quite right to ask if anyone has experience of a saw before you buy one because personal recommendation by a user is undoubtedly the best guide to quality.

It's not clear from pictures of the saw as to how you change blades. Even the interactive picture on the Hobbies website isn't clear. I suspect it uses some sort of lever locking system, so blade changes should be quick. Weight-wise, it's on a par with comparable Hegners so it should be heavy enough to absorb vibration. I'm a bit concerned that the machine has a flexi-drive attachment because I've heard of these sometimes causing problems. They also seem a like a bit of a gimmick and tend to be associated with under-powered saws. However, the motor is rated at 120w (which should be powerful enough) and Diamond also have flexi-drives on their saws, so it's by no means conclusive of a weakness.

If someone else here has experience of a Fox, I'm sure they'll be only too happy to offer advice. However, I don't know of anyone.

Gill

 

[Canadian Scroller]

I agree with Gill, it is hard to make a decision based on a write up and a single picture.

Most of the features discribed are great features and it sounds like someone put a lot of thought into the design.
My concerns would be blade changing. There is no mention of pinned and pin less blades, no mention of tool less blade changes.

One of the things I would check is how easy or difficult it is to put the blade into the lower clamp. Some saws can be quite a pain in the lower area if you know what I mean.

 

[sarc]

Thank you for the advice to date.

The blades are plain or pin but no mention of tools needed to change them.