Delta Scroll Saw Model 40-680

[scrollin4fun]

Long time reader....first time poster....

Your opinion counts!

I'm interested in buying a new saw. Like another thread in this section, is this a good saw:
http://www.deltaportercable.com/Prod...roductID=11202

I am new to scrolling (about 1 year) and am looking for a saw that has easy blade changing, and no vibration. I am currently using a cheap Tradesman Scroll Saw. It has done the job of training me on the saw and will continue to until I purchase a new one.

Thanks for the help. As they say on the radio...I'll hang up and listen

Scrollin4fun

[Mick Walker]

The Delta 40-680 better known as the P-20 as far as I am concerned is the best mid range saw on the market. 4 years ago I looked long and hard at the Dewalt 788 and the p-20 and chose the P-20. I suppose I was somewhat swayed by the fact that my first scrollsaw was a Delta and I liked the Quickset II clamps. I believe the Dewalt is a good saw but I believe the Delta is a heavier, more industrial type saw and you don't need a 2 X 4 or whatever to hold the arm up while changing holes. Finding a way to try both saws would be a good idea. Both saws sell for around $500 or a little less. Good luck with which ever saw you choose.

[William Young]

That P-20 is one heavy duty workhorse of a saw. It is the last saw you will ever need and we certainly cannot say that for some of the other more poular makes on the market .
It is a deam to top feed with and once you start top feeding with it you will never go back to botton feeding. Should take no more than five minutes to learn how incredibly easy it is to top feed with it compared to some other top feeders .
Mine has many thousands of hours of trouble free use on it and those Quickset clamps in my opinion are the best on the market. I still have the original set on mine and the entire saw is still working as good as when I took it out of the box.
I wore out other makes of saws in way less time than I already have on my P-20 and there is absoloutly no sign of wear or malfunction anywhere on it after over 4 years of hard use. .
The choice is yours but I feel that you would be wise to spend a little more and get the P-20 rather than get a brand that is more "popular" .
Then of course if you are doing mainly light hobby scrolling and not planning on selling a lot of what you make , then pretty well any saw will do a fair job for you.
W.Y.

[Max]

I bought my P-20 last year and made the best purchase for the money. Like Mick, I compared it side by side to the Dewalt 788 and found the specs more appealing. I read a few comments (both positive and negative) about both saws and found more complaints about the 788. I agree with William about top feeding. I wasn't sure at first, but now it's the only way I feed the blade. I think the 788 would also be a good purchase, though. I worked with a Craftsman for 5 years and was extremely happy to upgrade.

Good luck on your purchase.

[sawdustus]

I have used a P-20 for almost 10 years and it has stood up to everything I have thrown at it from 1/32" ply for bookmarks to 1 1/2" oak for puzzles. It is also everything everybody says; quick blade changes, relatively vibration free, good sized table, easy speed adjustment and convenient on-off switch.
I have also had a Hawk 426 for the last year and I am very fond of it. Blade changing is not as easy as on the Delta but it vibrates much less. I also like the magnifying light that you can get with it.
The biggest difference, beside the Hawk being twice the price of the Delta, is that the Delta is a much more aggressive saw and thus is more difficult to use on very thin wood or very intricate projects. This is due to the way the saw is built. The Delta is a C arm saw which means that the blade moves foward and back at the same time that it moves up and down. The Hawk is a parallel arm saw, which means that the blade only moves up and down. This gives you more control of the cutting when using very thin wood or doing intricate cuts.
I love both saws and which I use depends on what I am cutting. You can't go wrong with either one. Good luck and happy cutting.

[Rick H]

Sawdustus I think you are talking about the Q3 if you have a C arm. The P20 is a parallel arm saw. The bought the first P20 to arrive in the stores here in December of 1999. My saw is painted more like the white that Jet uses, just the first run of P20 saws were white from what I have found out. Now they are all Delta grey.
I also prefer the P20 over the Dewalt.

[Mick Walker]

George, if your saw is the P-20 there is an adjustment to control the back and forth motion of the blade. Two tiny hex screws just behind the tension lever, they are 3/32 hex screws. Loosen them and it can be adjusted back and forth.

[William Young]

George, if your saw is the P-20 there is an adjustment to control the back and forth motion of the blade. Two tiny hex screws just behind the tension lever, they are 3/32 hex screws. Loosen them and it can be adjusted back and forth.

Yes, that is true. And apart from that adjustment there is also a way to adjust it even finer so it has the same back to front blade movement of a Hegner which is approx 6 or 7 thou compared to fixed and non adjustable on some saws in the 20 thou range and one make is set at 30 thou.
I won't go into the finer adjustment here because it could void a warranty so I don't publicize it but it sure made mine into a super cutting machine for fine fretwork where the least back to front movement is an advantage.

W.Y.