Excalibur vs. Eclipse - Scroll Saw Woodworking & Crafts Message Board

cl112002 · 11-18-2008, 07:14 PM

Ok, I know this poor dead donkey has been beat to death for most of you but..........., I have been srolling for about two years now and have a DW788 great saw no problems. But I jsut got a bonus and have thoguht I would upgrade to with an Excalibur or an Eclipse. What is the difference between the two. At of the woodworking show I couldn't get the Excalibur salesman to compare and contrast. Its a lot of money and I don't wish to spend the extra on the Eclipse if there is no difference on the other hand if there is a difference then I don't mind.

thank you one an all

kerry

Jediscroller · 11-18-2008, 07:46 PM

Kerry,
The eclipse is an awesome scrollsaw. If I did a lot of intarsia or that type of work it would be my hands-down choice. As I do primarily intricate fretwork, the fact that it's a bottom feeder eliminated it from my choices (I don't like bottom feeding). The other big difference now is the tilting head on the Excalibur. I'm not sure of the warranty on the Eclipse but the new EX's are only warranted for 2 years. If you don't do a lot of bevel cutting and don't mind bottom feeding then I would recommend the Eclipse.

cl112002 · 11-18-2008, 09:06 PM

thank you Kevin, I've gotten used to the bottom feeding with my Dewalt DW788 and I do almost all intricate fret work and some compound cuting using Diana Sutherlands patterns. I like the idea of the long cutting stroke on the Eclipse it would seem that would make a difference in the quality of the cut.

kerry

the-novelty-man · 12-16-2008, 04:39 PM

There are many good things about the Eclipse
#1 it is made in the USA
#2 if you ever need parts you give mr melon a call and he will take of it asap
#3 customer service is the best ive found
#4 blades dont break very often if they do there is a safety feature that shuts the saw off
this is just a few of the good things give mr melon a call and he will be glad to talk to you I use a Dewalt now but I will Be ordering a eclipse real soon

RAIN MAN · 12-16-2008, 05:58 PM

I Dont Get The Statement As To The Eclipse Being A Bottom Feeder. I Have Always Gone Thru The Top On Mine. Am I Missing Something Here ? Tks, Rain Man---(the Eclipse Is More Than Worth The Money, An I Do All Kinds Of Fretwork On It )

the-novelty-man · 12-16-2008, 06:24 PM

[QUOTE=RAIN MAN;159677]I Dont Get The Statement As To The Eclipse Being A Bottom Feeder. I Have Always Gone Thru The Top On Mine. Am I Missing Something Here ? Tks, Rain Man---(the Eclipse Is More Than Worth The Money, An I Do All Kinds Of Fretwork On It )[/QUOTE
I dont get it eather rain man

JohnB · 12-16-2008, 11:38 PM

G'day Kerry,
Here's my take on it.
As you are using a Dewalt, you will notice very little difference with the EX.
The tilting machine rather than the table is a great feature that the Dewalt doesn't have.
A lot of parts are actually interchangeable.

Can't comment on the Eclipse.

12-16-2008, 06:24 PM	#6
the-novelty-man Junior Member Join Date: Jan 2004 Location: Faribault Minnesota Posts: 4	[QUOTE=RAIN MAN;159677]I Dont Get The Statement As To The Eclipse Being A Bottom Feeder. I Have Always Gone Thru The Top On Mine. Am I Missing Something Here ? Tks, Rain Man---(the Eclipse Is More Than Worth The Money, An I Do All Kinds Of Fretwork On It )[/QUOTE I dont get it eather rain man __________________ Happy Scrolling Joe N Johnson

12-16-2008, 11:38 PM	#7
JohnB 1 Tin Soldier Rides Away Join Date: Sep 2007 Location: Kalgoorlie, Western Australia Posts: 4,859	G'day Kerry, Here's my take on it. As you are using a Dewalt, you will notice very little difference with the EX. The tilting machine rather than the table is a great feature that the Dewalt doesn't have. A lot of parts are actually interchangeable. Can't comment on the Eclipse. __________________ Regards John "The Golden Mile" I got holes in both of my shoes Well I'm a walking case of the blues Saw a dollar yesterday But the wind blew it away Some of my Stuff Retired Medically Unfit WA Police Officers

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11-18-2008, 07:14 PM	#1
cl112002 Geppeto Join Date: May 2007 Location: Northern Illinois near WIsconsin Posts: 39	Excalibur vs. Eclipse Ok, I know this poor dead donkey has been beat to death for most of you but..........., I have been srolling for about two years now and have a DW788 great saw no problems. But I jsut got a bonus and have thoguht I would upgrade to with an Excalibur or an Eclipse. What is the difference between the two. At of the woodworking show I couldn't get the Excalibur salesman to compare and contrast. Its a lot of money and I don't wish to spend the extra on the Eclipse if there is no difference on the other hand if there is a difference then I don't mind. thank you one an all kerry

11-18-2008, 07:46 PM	#2
Jediscroller American Crafstman Join Date: Jul 2005 Location: Galaxy far, far away Posts: 3,174 Blog Entries: 5	Kerry, The eclipse is an awesome scrollsaw. If I did a lot of intarsia or that type of work it would be my hands-down choice. As I do primarily intricate fretwork, the fact that it's a bottom feeder eliminated it from my choices (I don't like bottom feeding). The other big difference now is the tilting head on the Excalibur. I'm not sure of the warranty on the Eclipse but the new EX's are only warranted for 2 years. If you don't do a lot of bevel cutting and don't mind bottom feeding then I would recommend the Eclipse. __________________ Kevin Scrollsaw Patterns Online Making holes in wood with an EX-30, Craftsman 16" VS, Dremel 1680 and 1671

11-18-2008, 09:06 PM	#3
cl112002 Geppeto Join Date: May 2007 Location: Northern Illinois near WIsconsin Posts: 39	thank you Kevin, I've gotten used to the bottom feeding with my Dewalt DW788 and I do almost all intricate fret work and some compound cuting using Diana Sutherlands patterns. I like the idea of the long cutting stroke on the Eclipse it would seem that would make a difference in the quality of the cut. kerry

12-16-2008, 04:39 PM	#4
the-novelty-man Junior Member Join Date: Jan 2004 Location: Faribault Minnesota Posts: 4	There are many good things about the Eclipse #1 it is made in the USA #2 if you ever need parts you give mr melon a call and he will take of it asap #3 customer service is the best ive found #4 blades dont break very often if they do there is a safety feature that shuts the saw off this is just a few of the good things give mr melon a call and he will be glad to talk to you I use a Dewalt now but I will Be ordering a eclipse real soon __________________ Happy Scrolling Joe N Johnson

12-16-2008, 05:58 PM	#5
RAIN MAN Senior Member Join Date: Jan 2006 Location: KENTUCKY Posts: 243	I Dont Get The Statement As To The Eclipse Being A Bottom Feeder. I Have Always Gone Thru The Top On Mine. Am I Missing Something Here ? Tks, Rain Man---(the Eclipse Is More Than Worth The Money, An I Do All Kinds Of Fretwork On It )