bellows blow out

[fallingacorn]

hiya, i've been scrolling for a month now. so a month ago i bought a saw. neither i nor the one friend i have that is also a beginning scrollsawer (don't see many californians on this site) really knew much about what saws to buy. he is a lifetime carpenter, while i am a total novice at any form of woodworking. he recommended that i buy a 16' craftsman from sears, mostly based on their warranty and fairly painless price. well, the day after i bought it the blower stopped working. i couldn't figure it out until my friend told me that someone else's craftsman popped its bellows.
does this sort of thing happen often. should i buy 10 bellows to ensure my blower is always working (i usually live very far out in the country, a long way from a post office or Sears). i was able to patch it up for a couple weeks, but now that it's not working again i notice a few other issues. the first i learned how to fix searching these forums i think-- the angle dial was off, it didn't zero out when it was level.
the second is a bit more troublesome. it doesn't hold pin end blades very well even though its designed for them basically. the pins end up bent at an angle and you have to set them straight sometimes when you tighten the tension lever. i've recently discovered and my friend now agrees that pinless seems like the only way to go anyway, but sometimes i prefer the faster cutting big blades. i haven't checked to see if this problem stems from improper fundamentals of my technique though.
i'm considering returning it if these are common reoccurring issues, but just thought i'd ask here first to see if the saw is worth keeping. i have noticed that one persons signature here seems to be a joke about 16" craftsman saws. i don't mind spending even a couple hundred more. but for someone who has never even taken wood shop, maybe i shouldn't bother yet?
i'd appreciate any comments. i realize the value of searching these forums before posting more general questions, but this one is a bit more specific. and after all, i've never met anyone that knows any more about this art form than i do.

[Max]

My first scroll saw was a Craftsman. For the first two years it was trouble-free. The only thing I did was buy a heavy-duty stand to reduce the vibration. What a difference that made. Then the bellow blew out. I ordered several of them because they were cheap. After a few more month the control board for the motor went out. I ordered another control board and motor, but that one only lasted about a year and cost 1/2 what I paid for the saw. At that point, I convinced the wife that I needed to upgrade.

I don't know who makes the scroll saws for Craftsman now, but for the price, I got two good years out of it. That being said, I won't buy one again.

I never used pinned blades so I don't have any input there.

[doodle1]

I have had a craftsman 16" for almost 3 years now and love it. The only problem I have encountered is when I let hubby try it out and he tightened the tension too tight and popped the tension rod out of place. Easily fixed after posting a help question on this forum with lots of quick replies to get it working again. I had a bit of problem with pinless blades when I first started out, but it turned out to be user error and after a bit of practice and patience I got it figured out. Nothing has ever broken on my saw that was unfixable and needed servicing. I love my craftsman!

[CanadianScroller]

Bellows Blow
I have had bellows go on a Delta machine too. The easiest solution, rather than buying lots of bellows and refitting the saw is to buy an aquarium pump and use the hose to blow the dust away.
Painless and cheap. They last for ages, and only cost a few dollars.

[minowevie]

Yep, what Carl said. on my old craftsmon. thats all I had for air, it works pretty good. just till you resolve yours. that way you don't have to stop cutting. your friend Evie

[Jim8Mad]

I don't know how this will affect Craftsman owners.

http://toolmonger.com/2008/01/21/bre...raftsman-split

If you are serious about getting a different saw I recommend a Dremel. It's not too expensive and it holds up pretty well. I've had mine for about 5 years and it's still going strong. The only problem I've had is the light bulb going out, but that was an easy fix after a trip to Lowe's. Now if you are looking for a good quality saw and don't mind paying a bit more then the DeWalt 788 seems to be the saw of preference around here. I haven't gotten that far yet. Hopefully soon!!

Acorn, what part of California are you in? There are a few of us here, some north and some south. I hope to get the opportunity to meet up with a couple in the next few years.

[fallingacorn]

thankyou everyone for the input and the temporary fix idea. i will consider it all in my decisions. it's good to know my friend's advice wasn't too far off base.
jim i live in northern california. i spend the rainy season in auburn and the rest of this year in Lake county-- anyone who knows that area might understand how someone could find a lot of time to scroll saw... zzzzzzzzzz. haha
i am seriously considering the dremel if any more problems arise, which hopefully they wont.
just got my first shipment from mikes woodshop. 3 gross+ blades, so the pin ends wont really be a consideration anymore.

[SNAPPER]

Ditto on the aquarium pump. This provides a consistant air flow at all speeds. On the pinned blades: Are you applying to much tension on the blade causing the pin to bend. Do not get discouraged. My 10yr old $100 Delta has not let me down yet. Many Fret work projects.
Practice, Practice.
Dean

[fallingacorn]

to add to the craftsman's problems... i had my on off switch go out on me two days ago.
so, the level gauge on the table was totally off and i still haven't figured out how to get into it. the bellows blew the first day. the pin blade holder was uneven from the first day on. the screws that held the regular end blades needed to be buffed down with a grinder to hold properly, and the on/off switch stopped working within the first month of ownership.
maybe i got a lemon. i'm returning it asap. i;ve been interested in the 20" dewalt. popular mechanics gave it a thumbs up and it seems nice to me. if anyone wants to give a yay or nay lemme know. i'm not going to return it til i get a new saw (practice practice practice).
on a side note, i got my olsen foot pedal in the mail from sloan's and what a nice experience! that mixed with my first Flying dutchman order from mike's workshop, really has opened up the world of scroll saw art for me. what a difference. i'm so hooked. when my first order of baltic birch arrives from rockler this week, i'll really be rocking.
thanks for the positive reenforcement all

[CanadianScroller]

Well Sears has always had that satisfaction guarantee, and it doesn't sound like you are satisfied so I think you should take it back.
If nothing else it has been a learning experience for you.
It is hard to buy that kind of training.