Customer Reviews for WEN 1.2 Amp 16 in. 2-Direction Variable Speed Scroll Saw

I’ve used it on multiple projects so far

With a little practice its fairly easy. But I'm still getting a feel for it.

I have had this Saw for about a week now. Gave it a real test cutting 3/4 inch pine into yard ornaments. It handled the curves very well. Would recommend it to everyone looking for a nice saw to do scrolling.

Saw works great! Really like the variable speed control as it allows to cut soft, thin balsa without tearing it up. 1/4 inch plywood is a breeze with the higher speed. The dust blower is adequate and the work hold down is adjustable to obtain the correct pressure on the work piece. Have noticed that the center piece is a bit lower than the table as noted in other reviews. This can be fixed by laying a piece of material (thin cardboard or other product) under the piece. The vacuum attachment is nice!

I am now on my 3rd Wen scroll saw... my 1st one was destroyed in wildfire, so when it was time for me to replace my tools & saws, I compared all my options & primarily due to the price point, I went with a very similar Wen model to the one I already had experience with. My 2nd one, the rear tension knob came completely out during normal use, after only having it a short time & was not repairable, so that one got returned to the store. I am now on #3 and so far, it is functioning well, I can only hope this one holds up better than the previous one. The good - I have tried other scroll saws, some higher end (belonging to a friend) & others of similar price range from a different mfr, that I was less pleased with. For the price range, this has been one of the better scroll saws as long as it continues to work properly. This is a case where you get what you pay for, if I could afford a higher end scroll saw, I would probably move on to a higher end, but for now, this has been the best bang for my buck & a relatively good beginner scroll saw. As with most scroll saws, there is still a lot of vibration & you will definitely want the saw mounted in some way... that can present a challenge depending on your working surface. I had my previous Wen saw mounted directly to a wood table that allowed for the application of screws. My current work table is metal & drilling holes for mounting is a challenge. I attempted using a rubber mat to keep it from sliding, however, that did not work. I came up with a solution of using heavy duty velcro type mounting tape & it is working great, no movement now. I like the light feature that doesn't come with many other scroll saw's, I just wish it was a bit brighter & I have still found need to add additional light if I do not have full daylight to work in. Blade changes take some practice & experience, but gets easier over time once you figure it out. If you're new to a scroll saw, anticipate some frustration until you get the hang of it. The bad - other than my 2nd Wen saw coming apart on me after only using a few times, the "air pump" that is supposed to blow away dust as you saw, is a joke! It really doesn't blow anything & was more in the way than anything, so I eventually just removed the rubber attachment that kept getting caught up in my wood pieces, as I continually have to just keep blowing wood dust away myself to see what I'm cutting. The dust port that is intended to connect to a shop vac is directly in front of you & although I have a shop vac, I don't bother to connect it because it would be more in my way & cumbersome. You will get covered in sawdust but that is the nature of woodworking.

I'm very happy with this WEN scroll saw. I have never used a scroll saw before but something I've always wanted to have for my crafting of wood plaques. So, my first try out-----it turned out great. The instructions to setup the saw were easy to follow and easy to do. I found very little vibration with the saw. In fact I only had mine sitting on a metal work bench (not screwed in). I didn't experience any shifting or movement of the saw. I will say, the owners guide recommends adhering the saw to the work surface. I also, think the saw was pretty quiet. As I said, I've never used a scroll saw before and while I agree there's a learning curve using it (as stated in the instructions), I was successful in cutting out a 6" x 3" seashell pattern from 1/2" plywood, without breaking the blade. My pattern had one sharp turn and a bunch of curves. It took me about 10 minutes to cut out the shell. I don't know whether that's a reasonable amount of time or a long time, though. I'm very happy with this WEN saw and the results it produced.

EASY-to-USE; VERSATILE; WELL-DESIGNED — The WEN 16-inch Variable Speed Scroll Saw is appropriate for both novice and experienced users. It has many features which make it easy and fun to use. I had never used a scroll saw before, only saber saws and coping saws. This scroll saw comes with excellent, illustrated instructions so it was easy to get started even though I was inexperienced in using such saws. It makes cutting patterns so much easier. It did take me a little practice before I became proficient at cutting curves. I used the saw to cope a piece of baseboard to fit into a corner. Since the table tilts, I was able to get the angle slightly less than 90 degrees so that the piece fit perfectly. It took much longer to get such a piece right with a coping saw. This saw is well-designed so that all the controls and adjustments are easy to locate and use. The most useful feature for me is the adjustable air port which cleared the saw dust from my cut line. I used the saw blade that came installed with the saw. Since it did not break, I did not need to change saw blades. The dust port fits my shop vacuum perfectly. The saw has a drop down side panel to store extra blades and the Allen wrench. The saw which has a two-year warranty is made in China.

This WEN variable speed scroll saw is a great addition to my woodshop. It allows me to produce creative wood projects that are impossible to produce using other power saws. It’s inexpensive and has many features found in other saws costing two or three times as much. It has a 9/16 inch stroke and cuts through 2 inch thick hard woods quickly and easily. The motor speed can be simply adjusted with the turn of a knob. Blade changes are quick and easy thanks to a fold-down side panel and require no tools. Not all was well with this saw. WEN, if you’re listening, all three of the base hold down screw holes are partially blocked by a part of the saw, making a straight shot with a driver impossible. This issue could have been avoided with some engineering forethought. Notable features: 16 inch throat depth 550 to 1600 SPM variable speed 1.2 amp motor 2 inch cut capacity at 90 degrees 45 degree left table tilt with built-in angle gauge Accepts pinned, unpinned and spiral blades Thumb screw blade adapter for tool-free blade changes Includes three spare blades and a hex wrench 27.5 lb. weight Aluminum non-corrosive table 1-1/2 inch dust collection port Adjustable blade sawdust blower Lockable power switch Two year warranty

I have used a portable jigsaw for curved and interior wood cuts for many years, but those days are over. This bench mounted scroll saw allows me to move the woodwork instead of moving my jigsaw, and this allows far more accuracy in both edge and interior wood cuts. The 16" arm clearance and 16"X10" work table size have proved quite adequate. I also really like the integrated air pump that keeps my work area clear while I am cutting. The controls on the saw which allow on/off operation, making angle cuts (up to 45 degrees), tightening the blade, and changing strokes per minute (550 to 1600 strokes/min) are well placed and easy to use. Removing or replacing the blade for doing inside the woodwork scrolling, (or just changing the pinned or pinless blades) is done easily without needing tools. Three blades are included. Using only 1.2 amps it plugs in to my standard workbench outlet and is ecologically friendly. I have not used it to cut thicker wood but it nice to know it will cut up to 2" vertically. I had become fairly proficient with my jigsaw but this is making my wood scrolling both easier and more accurate. It is a very welcome addition to my garage.

One very handy little saw. For years I have been putting off getting a scroll saw, trying to compensate by making several cuts with a band saw and then filing something to final size. No more. With the WEN scroll saw, now I can cut circles, odd shapes, wood, plastic, or metal, at even acute angles without having to make continuous cuts or final manual shaping to fit my project. The saw comes completely assembled. After a few minor tweaks to ensure the table was level and square to the blade, adjusting the blade guard foot, and the sawdust blower, she was ready to go. The variable speed is also handy, depending upon the thickness and material you’re working with and it comes packaged with three blades.

Excellent scroll saw for the money. Set up was quick & easy. Just make sure the blade is at a true 90° to the table before starting. The bendable air hose is great to keep the sawdust away from the work area. Saw is small enough to be easily portable but I would suggest mounting it to a 3/4" or 1" thick piece of plywood as it does vibrate at high speeds and will move across the table if not attached.

This scroll saw exceeded my expectations so far. I have cut out various shapes of different sizes for the past couple of weeks with the orignal blade. It is easy to use and was fairly cheap given what it can do. I was able to cut out shapes for the seasonal projects I like to do. This was my first time ever using this type of saw and it was a breeze. I added in some pictures of some of the shapes Ive cut so far!

Love this thing. So easy to change blades can be done in seconds. Blower works great. My only complaint is light tends to lower on its own from vibration and black plastic table centerpiece is not flush with the surface of the table so pieces may get caught. Had to bend the work rest to make more level but for the price it does the job quite well. I put tape on the bottom of said plastic piece and that seemed to help or a 1/16" shim should do the trick.

I have been using this scroll saw for about 10 months. It has a good amount of vibration even when bolted to a solid surface and will randomly make a higher pitched squeaking noise during operation, despite being well oiled. Replacing pinless blades requires patience and can easily add up to 5 minutes for each time you need to thread the blade into the work piece and then tighten it back into the special blade holders using the tiny Allen wrench. Advertising this product as "no tool blade change" only refers to when using pinned blades. The light broke during the tenth month; the bulb became so loose within the socket that it just stopped functioning and there is no way to tighten it. Overall, I think this product is okay; it's nothing special. I was a beginner when I bought this, but quickly got into cutting more advanced designs which makes the Wen quite annoying to work with. If you're just looking for something to mess around with and create fun little gifts for people, than it's a good way to start, but if you're looking to do any kind of fret work or inside cuts, then you might lose your cool pretty quickly with this tool's design. You can make some pretty cool things, especially with the variety of patterns online, it just takes patience and some frustration. I will definitely be upgrading to a more user friendly scroll saw as soon as my wallet allows. I've included some pictures of what I've been able to do.

Very pleased with this saw. I bought it to replace an old Delta scroll saw, that broke. I realize it’s not as good as a Dewalt, but it’s also $300 less in price. It uses both flat and pinned blades. Works best with pinned blades in my opinion. There is a little difficulty in changing blade positions in intricate scroll projects using flat blades, but for my basic hobby needs this saw is a winner.

Making a U.S. map from different types of wood for each state. Having the variable speed allows me to make accurate cuts in hardwood and softwood. Good price. Came in the mail quickly.

This is my first scroll saw. I've had it about two weeks and have done 5 projects with it (4 bowls and a dog silhouette). It was easy to set up and get going. Also light enough to move around if necessary. My first couple of projects were mostly outside cuts not requiring many blade changes through cut holes. But when I moved to projects that used 1/2-3/4 inch plywood and many blade changes through cut holes with non-pinned blades, it became exceedingly frustrating and time consuming trying to get the blades set. You need very small hands to reach under the table to try to move the blade adapter over the hook and too often it will fall off as I tried to refit the top adapter to the blade. The thicker wood also gave less vertical space for maneuvering the blade and the blower and piece holder got in the way. It would help tremendously if the bottom non-pinned holder had a way to lock it in place or some easier way to hook up the non-pinned blades. Another problem I had that may be unique to my saw is that the insert is just a small fraction too low and would occasionally catch a piece as it was being moved and the piece had to be lifted slightly to free it. The blower worked well to keep sawdust from the blade while cutting and the light was handy. For relatively simple projects, the saw is great for the price. But if you want to do a lot of projects that require many blade changes through cut holes with non-pinned blades (like fret work), I would look at other saws. Since this is the only scroll saw I have experience with, I don't know if others are designed for much easier blade changes but reviews suggest some can be much easier. Since non-pinned blades are more common and spiral blades are only non-pinned, it would be nice for Wen to have an alternate product designed from the ground up for non-pinned blades and much easier blade changes (pinned could use an adapter, perhaps).

Has been an excellent saw for the price. Not only can you turn your pin end blades 90° but you can also turn pinless blades. Just remove screws from adapters and put them in the other holes. I'd suggest ordering another set from Wen so you can have either configuration in an instant.

We bought this as we wanted an inexpensive scroll saw for cutting the occasional shape for our carved wood sign hobby. We already had a WEN spindle sander and were very pleased with that. The scroll saw is easy to figure out in terns of changing blades, adjusting blade tension and leveling the table. I cut out a small wooden coyote and it turned out well considering I've never used a scroll saw before in my life. The blade didn't break which was a relief. We had a extra vacuum hose that fit on the sawdust port and attached to our Rigid shop vacuum and other than the noise the 2 machines running at once made it worked very good. I gave it 4 stars because the hose to blow off the sawdust from your work is worthless and the light doesn't want to stay put. Not a huge deal for me but I think if you put an accessory item on a machine it should work. Time will tell as far as the durability. It looks nice and works great so far.

Great saw for the price. A little less vibration would be nice. Put a spiral blade on and cuts like a dream.

I ordered this as I am looking for a new hobby and didnt want to spend a lot. Used one as a kid in shop class but not real experienced. The saw arrived in good condition, packaged well. It came with a blade installed (pinned) and 2 extra blades (1 pinned and a pinless). It came with 2 Allen wrenches and the adapters for painless blade use. I just placed it on a table just to try it, .not securing it down. I tensioned the blade and turned it on. It ran pretty quietly with no vibration, unless speed turned up to higher setting. I free hand cut a leaf outline as I had no pattern and then switched to the painless blade for some internal cutting. The dust blower is useless as others said and painless blade changes takes a bit getting use to. The table is also a bit rough so wood doesn't slide well. Overall I like the saw and will be spending more time using it.

First thing I noticed was how quiet this saw is. Right out of the box, setup was really simple and I was able to start cutting. I cut wood that was 1" thick and some plastic that was pretty thin. Cuts are more accurate when you let the blade do the work and don't try pushing the material through so hard. The variable speed is really nice. On low speed I couldn't believe the lack of noise, especially compared to other scroll saws I've used. I'm happy with the operation, quality and price.

my wife got this for me as a gift 2 years ago. never heard of a scroll saw before, so obviously, I'm a novice with it. jump forward 2 years (and a few YouTube videos for inspiration on what to do with it), and my first attempt at a project with this handy little saw was a HUGE success. very easy to use and also very easy to unhook and rehook the blade (Olson 5" pinned blades work very well with this saw). only complaint that I would have is that it will vibrate all over unless you have it mounted. adding a pic of my first project just so you'll be able to see what a first timer can do with this quality saw.

First of all, I have never owned or used any other scroll saw. I have no benchmark for this review. I am rather pleased with this saw. It has a LED light, blower, dust port and even little compartment for spare blades etc. it comes with 3 blades, two with pins and one pinless. it does vibrate time to time. Manual recommends bolting it to the table but the cuts I made were done without it. It is easy to change blades with a pin. I haven't used pinless ones yet and I don't think I will. Blower is quite helpful in removing sawdust from the workpiece. Dust port helps removing big part of sawdust, but not all. However, due to the very thin kerf, this saw doesn't produce much of a sawdust. Maybe I should hook it up to the bigger shopvac. I used my small, secondary one. Light tends to vibrate and if it shines on the upper blade holder you will get a stroboscope effect. The blade holder is chrome or nickel coated and very shiny. Rubber band solves the problem though. It keeps the light in place. I wish the arm for this LED light would be an inch or two longer though. There is a dial to regulate the speed of the saw. I just use it on the maximum speed. Slower speeds might be handy for sharp turns. It wasn't too difficult to control the cuts, even though I have no experience yet. I can't say I haven't ever made a off line cut, but errors were small and fixable. I cut some numbers for the clock with it (see picture), some patterns in 1/3" thick poplar and even resaw little block of walnut (about 1/2 x 2 x 5"), which took a while and I broke the blade at the end. Nevertheless I was able to do it. In general pretty good tool, I would say for competitive price. I can't talk about machines longevity yet, as I owe it for only 2 weeks and worked on it for about 2-3 hours.

Very impressed with this saw.. Just received it UPS today, To replace my 16 inch RYOBI.. took it out of the box.. very sturdy and well built scroll saw. The Light is very bright and stays where you put it.. The Air Blower could use a little better pump but pumps more air at high speed...this is my third scroll saw in 16 inch and its definitely the quietest by far.. even at high speeds if mounted on a rig its extremely quiet. Pinned blades are a breeze to change even with the small allen key it comes with but if your doing small intricate scroll and fretwork pinless is the only way to go..BUT. they are a pain in the butt.. You have to tighten them very well to keep from slipping blades.. and the allen key could have been about 3 inches longer and with a T handle to make things easier to work with. especially on the bottom blade lock. Table was not set up 90 degrees to blade out of box but was very close to being accurate when set to 0 on the table lock. Comes with 3 blades, one installed. immediately replaced with better blades. supplied blades are ok for rough cutting thicker wood or outer perimeter projects... Really liked the ability to cut 2 inch blocks.. Has a nice little storage compartment on the side for extra blades and allen keys..Table plate is nice and flush with table. The blade tensioner works well but would prefer it on top front instead of rear. With a premium blade this thing makes beautiful cuts and does the job of higher end models for a great price. I also have a 20 inch dewalt for larger projects and this saw works JUST as well but smaller and ALOT quieter. I got this saw this morning and within 30 minutes of tweaking and setting it up i had made my first small project for my wife... My wife was diagnosed with two types of cancer two years ago and after many months of chemo and radiation treatments,TODAY of all days she got the call that she was cancer free and in remmission. So i made her the most fitting project i could think of. Over all the only complaint i have with this saw is the small allen key it comes with to change blades with. Add a 4 inch T handled allen key and it would be the perfect small project saw at an unbelievable price.. Granted i have only had it one day, i highly recommend and LOVE this saw!!! Pictures included of my first project and saw. GREAT JOB on this saw WEN! I will definately be ordering the 6 inch disc and belt sander at another great price!!

This saw is almost exactly the same as several other brands out there, Ryobi, Skill, Craftsman to name a few. This one however comes with a light, and a few $$ cheaper. The light is a great detail. I only wish it had a separate on/off switch. Its very hard to change the blade in the dark! It does lack the tool less blade change that the Ryobi has. I suspect that one could order the blade change bolt from Ryobi and swap it in if one was so inclined. The instructions say it will accept pinned and pinless blades, and even comes with a pinless blade, however for the life of me I cannot get one to stay in. I tried to the point of frustration and switched it over to a pinned blade so I could finish my project. All in all it seems to be a great little saw at a great price.

I bought this saw and all I can say is Woooooow. for the price you get a decent size scroll saw and lot of power .This is my 1st scroll saw and trust me so easy to use and not heavy at all. I've been doing a lot of portrait pictures and I can't even believe I did those cut .. I will buy this product again and planning to buy the Wen press drill soon ..

With no reviews, but good features and a great price, I took a gamble and purchased this product on-line. It arrived to my home very quickly with free shipping(!). After un-boxing, I studied the manual for a few minutes. This is clearly a product made in China, you can tell before you ever seek that info out. The manual is written very plainly, and the illustrations are suspect. It does not say, but you will need a a #2 Phillips screwdriver and a small (adjustable) wrench to complete the set-up. Also, there's a likely too late warning inside the book that you should not pick-up the saw by the upper arm. How does it work? Well, I used it to create some literal scrolls for the corner trim of my porch. The one pinned blade it came with is sharp, thin and now broken. It didn't stand a chance really. The blades they sell at HD are mainly intended for use in hand saws I think, as they are broader with a thicker kerf (metal thickness). But maybe they will prove more durable. I did not break the replacement blade I bought. The "foot" or what sewing folks would call a presser foot, is less than useful in my opinion. I removed it, but kept the adjustable arm that holds the little blower tube to blow away the saw dust. That's a nice feature. Really, for the price and features you can't go wrong with this product, unless you plan on making a career out of cutting with it. This thing is for occasional, homeowner use.