Dremel Moto-Saw Review - A mini scroll saw for hobbyists.
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- เผยแพร่เมื่อ 18 ธ.ค. 2024
- Here' is the first test drive of my great little Dremel Moto Saw Scroll Saw. I bought a full-sized, Delta scroll saw a few years ago and just found it intimidating. A little bit scary, to be honest. I've always wished I had bought something a little smaller; and geared toward the hobbyist. But, I had made my choice and was committed. Until recently, when I saw some foreign TH-cam videos (in German and Russian, I think) of people really enjoying this neat little tool.
The Motosaw is so easy to use and works so well, that I can't imagine how this product won't become a Dremel Classic.
Take a look at my "test drive" video, and judge for yourself.
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I have several other videos about the Dremel MotoSaw:
Misconceptions About the Blades: • Are Dremel Moto-Saw Bl...
How to Install the Blades: • Dremel Moto-Saw Review...
How to Identify the Blades: • Are Dremel Moto-Saw Bl...
You can find more information on www.Dremel.com
Here is the link to Moto-saw product page: www.dremel.com/...
And Dremel's Blade Identification Chart: www.dremel.com/...
Hope you find them helpful!
Mimi
www.heymimi.com
After watching your video I decided to take the plunge and buy one - I am so happy I did!
Buy a sewing machine you pages of clear instructions on use - buy a 'mans' item no clear instructions just pictures and 1 page of unhelpful instructions!! Thank you so much for taking the time to do this it helped me a lot x
*This is my second WEN tool and they are both great **MyBest.Tools** I needed to do some trim work around the house and needed a scroll saw for the intricate work. No complaints so far.*
Great video. I just purchased the same scroll saw as well. A momentary foot switch will go a long way in utilizing this saw. Great video!
Thank you! Thank you again! For this demo. I have had my moto saw for about a week and was intimidated by the lack of instructions in the manual. You're right! They most definitely need to improve it. But after watching you video; I found out everything I need to know! You Rock!
+Sandra Evans You're welcome! I'm so glad it was helpful to you!
Ask a man to explain it. Men don't need manuals.
You had me in stitches when you thought of your sewing machine in relationship to your Dremel Moto Saw. It did not take you long to go from being highly annoyed to loving the machine!
Thank you so much for this! I had the same frustrations with their lack of instructions. You helped so much!
Eduardo, thanks for sharing your experience in the comments! I'm not sure why I don't have the option to reply directly to your comment? I'm glad to hear someone is as impressed with this handy little scrollsaw as I am. Regarding difficulty installing the blades: I posted a video just this week called "How to install Dremel MotoSaw Blades" th-cam.com/video/IrCvLvKk7Ck/w-d-xo.html . The first minute and half are about setting it up, so if you want to jump to the close-up of the blade installation here's the direct link on the video: th-cam.com/video/IrCvLvKk7Ck/w-d-xo.html?t=1m35s
Thanks for your feedback!
Mimi
Thank you for sharing this video. I am wanting something to cut balsa wood up to 1/2" and lite ply up to 1/4". This appears like it would do it - just concerned about how loud it is.
i wish i had found your videos sooner i've just unboxed my moto saw and had a real struggle getting the blade in thank you so much for posting your videos
Thanks for showing this....I think I will stay with my big scroll saw!
Hi. I work a lot with foam and wondered how thick a piece of foam I could cut with it. Somewhere it says 18mm but I often work much thicker foam. Things like round bar stools around 50mm thick.
THANK YOU! I just picked one of these up and was a little lost...and the blades weren't marked and it was making me crazy! Thanks for making and sharing these videos
I'm glad to know it wasn't just me! And really glad my video helped sort it out. Thanks!
Thanks for the review. I had the same problem, trying to figure out which blade which is which until you pointed out that the info is on the box. Once I did that, I put them in separate bags and marked them. for future reference, Olson (Blackstone Industries) makes better blades, specifically for this saw (4").
Hi, I know this is a pretty old video now, but just happens I bought one of these off Amazon recently (had same issue with the blades, no change there, and thanks for the info on this), but my big complaint with it is that it will not make straight cuts, the blade always wants to wander off at a slow curve. Really frustrating.
Maybe it's my technique, but I've tried moving really slowly too and it still does it.
Surely this isn't right?
Greetings from Scotland. Do you have any ideas how to cut a 45 degree mitre given the table does not adjust from 90 degrees?
Yes. It is easy to install like that. But when you are trying to get it through a small pilot hole on a fretwork piece, it slips out of the bottom holder because the top arm is in the way and prevents placing the piece straight down over the blade.
I see what you mean. I haven't used it for any inside cuts yet. It sounds frustrating!
HeyMimi DIY I’m ready to throw it out a dam window
Hello and greetings from Colombia!! I have just receive this scroll saw replacing my 35 year old Dremel Moto-shop. It is a beautifully made tool and it really works very nice. It is very well thought out and engineers really designed a very efficient saw. My model airplane building will be much easier now. One of the things I like is its portability and small size. Now I can attach it to my working table which is very convenient. I agree with this review about the drawbacks including difficult to attach saw and confusing instructions. But apart from those little issues, the tool is a five star winner!!
I did a demonstration of this at the store I work at, it is very noisy. You are correct about the blades, slightly confusing. This machine comes with a detachable dust port that accepts a shop vac hose that really controls the dust. There also an optional miter gauge available.
Thank you for the video. I was debating picking one up till this. Looks like it will serve my needs nicely.
TheDraec I'm glad it was helpful. Thank you for saying so!
My blade is not running in the centre, can the blade spacing be adjusted?
I have only used mine to cut 1 inch rough sawn pine, goes through it without problem.
thank you for sharing this video ,i have a question . can this saw cut soft metal like copper,silver ? can i place a regular jewelry saw blade on this or doe this only take it's own saw blades?
It takes a 4" pin in blade. Will accept another brand 4" pin in blade.
thank you so much
I was entertained and informed. Thanks! Great video!!
Hi :-) im really considering getting one of these as I need to do alot of fine cutting for my hobby. You dont happen to know whats the thickest wood this can take? Thanks
Hi Brian! Personally I have only cut 1/4" Plexiglas, 1/4" Craft Plywood and 1/2" Poplar Wood and it breezed right through all of them. From reading reviews and the speed settings chart in the manual, my best answer is: it sounds like 3/4" wood is max thickness that it is intended for.
The product description and the box don't give much guidance about the max thickness of wood the Moto-saw can cut. So, I checked the instruction booklet and the only mention I found was on the "Speed Settings" chart, where it gave a tool speed and "Recommended Thickness." For WOOD it listed:
Plywood, Pine & Poplar - Recommended Thickness: .75" at the top speed of 6.
Balsa Wood = 1.75" at speed 6.
Laminate Flooring = .5" at speed 6.
METAL:
HVAC, Tin, AL Sheet, and Galvanized Sheet Metal = All 20 gauge recommended thickness at speed 6.
PLASTIC:
Plexiglass = .2" thick at speed 4
PVC Pipe = .75" at speed 4
The only reviews I've read from people unsatisfied with the performance of the saw or blades, is people trying to cut hardwood over 3/4" thick.
Hope that helps you with your decision!
Mimi
stonysilenceworkshop thank you :-) that should be ideal for what im planning
Brian Williams
Have you seen this video about it? th-cam.com/video/59hBzbR0zIk/w-d-xo.html by CopTools
It shows the Moto-Saw cutting some pretty thick wood; much thicker than I have attempted. The video says "up to 1.5 inches" which sounds a little high to me, unless it's Balsa Wood.
Does it have a way to help you cut straight? This is pretty cool. Now I really want one.... Does it have to be secured to a table or is it heavy enough to not have to be?
Hi Leila. There are grooves in base that are meant for a Fence/Miter Gauge, but as far as I can tell, it's an added accessory that is not yet available. I don't think it would be difficult to rig something up. I didn't have any trouble cutting a straight line drawn onto the wood with a pencil, but a fence would be nice!
As far as the weight, It's pretty light weight and you definitlely need to use the clamps (included) to secure it to the edge of a table or workbench.
Appreciate the info! Thinking about getting one...just need to find a place to clamp it down.
thanks for the video.. i'm going to buy it soon hopefully.. could you tell upto what max thickness it can cut?
Hi, I was wondering if you *COULD* cut paper with this if you wanted? Like thicker cardstock type stacked on top of each other (to make multiple greeting cards).
See Sharon Hmm. I'm not sure. Seems like it would leave a raggedy edge. I'm about to use it to cut some 5/8" EVA foam and film it. I'll try to do a test run on a stack of cardstock and let you know what happens.
Thanks for your very helpful review. However, after attaching the saw blade I tend to notice that it isn't perfectly straight, resulting in angled cuts and making it challenging to get the wood straight in. The wood piece always tends to move away. As a fix I need to start at an angle and push it in at angle different from 0°, which isn't very ideal. Any help from anyone would be highly appreciated! Thanks...
Thank you sooo much for this! Did you get to cut copper and brass sheets with this for jewelry making?
Will the Moto Saw render a tidy cut through magazines and hard cover books (1.5 inch thick) ? Which blade do you recommend for paper?
+Arturo Domingo Hmm.. I've never tried anything like that. I'm doubtful about the 1.5 inch thick book, but maybe the magazine?
Do you know if there's any sort of straight edge guide for this so you can ensure you cut perfectly straight lines?
It does come with one but don't use it unless you like breaking blades. This tool is inherently freehand, forcing parts through via a jig will break the blade.
@@himeccms893 I was wondering about that...the blade looks rather delicate, a lot like the small coping saws I use in my metal crafting.
Oh gee!!!!! I need one lol!! Love the mini village idea.
Janelljos Thanks! I'd better get started on that; the holidays are only a few months away!
Please share the village when you make it.
What's the thickest material you can cut with this? Could you cut 1 inch thick wood or metal? Perhaps 2 inch?
+Jonathon Weeks I believe the manual says up to 3/4" inch thick wood. Unless it was very soft wood, I wouldn't attempt over 3/4". Not sure how thick of metal it could cut, but they only recommend it for "soft thin metal sheets."
I'm looking at buying one of these for cutting very thin metal, does it have an attachment for making sure you do straight lines ?
Here's what Dremel Co. had to say on Amazon Q&A: The Miter Gauge for the Moto Saw is available through our Service Center. The part is a MISC part and the locking levers are included with this Miter Gauge. The price is $5.00 + state tax and $2.50 shipping.
HeyMimi DIY Thanks for that, I forgot Amazon had the Q&A section!
thanks for sharing.. but why can't spiral blades be used in this ! :( :( anyway to fit spiral blade in it?
"Blade facing forward and downward" Translation: Burs of the blade pointing down, cutting edge of the saw away from the saw.
For the tension/stabilizer, you want to apply pressure against the wood to keep it from vibrating and rocking the blade.
Will this cut pallet planks?
hi there, i just got one today & not sure if im doing something wrong. When I start cutting, it always goes slightly curved to the left... and I cant for the life of me cut a straight line ... is there a trick, am I not being patient enough.
Im at a stage that Im nearly ready to return this saw!
Hi Justin, I noticed a similar pull to one side when I was cutting approx 1/4" Plexiglass with the Fine Wood/Plastic blade. I thought I must be doing something wrong, because I had to compensate by steering the Plexi in the opposite direction. It felt wrong, but I still ended up with a darn straight cut. I switched to the Coarse blade, even tho the the plexiglas was only 1/4" thick, and to my surprise it worked much better with the heavier blade. Dremel has a new document on their website that helps users identify which blade is which: www.dremel.com/en-us/Documents/DremelBladeGuide.pdf
I'm trying to find the link to another page where they address the issue of having to adjust to the material pulling to one side or the other. I know I read about it somewhere in their support docs. I will post a link when I find it!
Hi again Justin: I knew Dremel mentioned this somewhere. It sounds like they are saying any Scroll Saw can pull like this. I found this part on page 18 of the manual:
--------------
• Saws that scroll can present a challenge
when attempting a straight cut. With some
practice, it’s easy to do. Practice
compensating for the grain by turning the
material slightly to stay on a straight line.
Once the degree of compensation is
determined for any material, being able to
then cut a straight line will only be a matter
of blade selection, speed, and feed rate.
thanks, very much appreciated. I watched a few videos on scroll saws & they all seem to pull to the side - something about how the teeth of the blade is slightly angled. Ill pick up a set of those coarse blades today & give it a try. Unfortunately, my dogs has just destroyed the original box so, returning is not an option - so I better learn this thing.
Thanks so much for you help!!!
Justin Dallas Your Motosaw should have come with ten blades: 4 fine, 4 coarse, 1 metal, and 1 side cutting blade. Unfortunately they are all packaged together with no identification. I have a video that helps identify them: th-cam.com/video/O4OOKurfvSk/w-d-xo.htmlm56s this part of the video discusses how I figured out which is which. Hope it helps!
Is this for small items only?
+Laura Calderon I've never cut wood over 1/2" thick with it. I think they say it can cut wood up to 3/4" thick. It also depends on whether you are cutting hardwood, or something less dense like pine. As for the dimensions of the wood that you can work with: the throat of the saw is only 10.5 inches deep. So, I would say yes, mostly small items. It definitely would not replace a band saw, miter saw, or circular saw. I've been building small shelves lately, and I usually break out the Jigsaw for that. But I'm wishing I had a table saw or miter saw.
But the blade can be mounted sideways so you can cut way longer pieces that way. you efinitely can cut shelves
I like mine, too, but for fretwork you can lose your mind trying to get the blade in the bottom holder. You can't even get to it from the bottom, otherwise I would tape some kind of holder there!
Hi Andrea, Thanks for your comments! Did you see the new video I posted last week about how to install the blades? I shined a light down into the base, and filmed some good closeup shots of the mechanism inside. I was surprised what the footage showed, when I watched it back. There is a u-shaped thing that looks just like the presser foot on a sewing machine. I could never see it, until I filmed it! Here's a link to the video, with a jump right to the close up shots. th-cam.com/video/IrCvLvKk7Ck/w-d-xo.htmlm35s I hope you find it interesting or helpful! Mimi
I bought a foot pedal at harbor freight for mine and it made it so much easier to use
I didn't know Dremel had one like this. I bought the big bulky one.
+Laura Calderon I used to have a big scrollsaw, and it scared me, so I never used it. But the big scrollsaws are better for hardwoods and larger projects, in my opinion. Also the blades are easier to find on a standard scrollsaw. If you are not doing intricate curved cuts, a Jigsaw might do the job! Those are only about $50, I think.
is this any good for cutting steel?
It is best to use this on non ferrous metals such as aluminum and copper, and you have to slow it down to about half speed.
Hi Mimi! Your review was awesome! One of the best I've seen over this product. I had one question for you. Will this cut hard over books that are 1 1/2 inch thick? Thank you!
Does this god damn scroll saw comes with a guide for cutting str lines? My OCD tendency hates even the slightest mistake.
+Alex That's a good question. I know they used to say it was on backorder, but I've never seen it available. If I find it online, or figure out how to make one ... I'll reply back or make a video!
thanks, not I now there is a side cutting blade I can use the two "adjustable angle" rails i got off Fix and then put a small 3/8ths" square piece of wood between them and use them as an adjustable fence for cutting widths
wonder what size or type of blade the side cutter blade is? prolly utility, wood, metal, plastic.. OK now it just got simpler, hope I can get side cutter blades in types and thickness, of so my project just got so much easier, might even use aluminum between the rails for a fence? hmm...
I was just commenting they installed those rails the wrong direction to have any sort of practical use, but with a side cutting blade! yay!!! thanks for thoroughness, Imay have never known this if not for your video? really makes it a more efficient tool now..
I'm glad that I found your video because I'm interested in this saw but first I need some feedback. I want to use this saw to cut chess pieces. Do you think it can cut through hard wood about 2" thick? Is it really noisy? I'm going to use this in my apartment with lots of neighbors and I don't want to receive any complaints. Thanks for sharing your video!
serialkiller1971 Well, with a name like that, let's hope the neighbors keep their complaints to themselves :) It's pretty loud, I must say. I wouldn't use it past 9pm, if I lived in an apartment. It's been awhile since I read the manual, but I'm pretty sure 1.5" is the max recommended thickness. I don't think it's the right tool for your task. I'm trying to think of a suggestion, but I'm drawing a blank. Hopefully, someone else reading the comments, will chime in and suggest the right tool? Good luck and thanks!
After watching some how to videos I would be confidant in investing $80 in this for light hobby/craft work. Most similar tools are fiddly about removing and reinstalling blades for inside cuts.
Cuts foam board beautifully!
how about small tree branches maybe 2 inch thick?
NEVER!!
Are these expensive?
+Laura Calderon Hi Laura! Right now they are about $75 on Amazon. Somehow, I lucked out and found it on clearance for $35 at Lowes; and I just couldn't pass it up. But that was several years ago.
I can’t get the blade in! This is ridiculous I have watched this video at least ten times and I can’t get the blade to stay in. When I thought I had it I turned it on and the blade didn’t cut or move.
Will it cut jigsaw puzzles
never mind your review.. am more shaky about how long the life of the motor!!!.. its pretty quite.. i loveeeeeeeeeeeee quite thing
This isnt useful for very small curves right?
Hmm. I'm not sure. I found it better for curves than trying to get a straight line.
Thanks so much for your helpful video! I found the elusive saw blade guide here:
www.dremel.com/en-us/Documents/DremelBladeGuide.pdf Speaking of elusive, does anyone know where the fence guides can be purchased?
I'm so glad you liked the video. About the blade guide: Yes, I have that listed in the description, but you have to click "Read More" for my list of links, so I'm glad you included it in the comments too! Regarding the Fence Guides .. I found the following answer on Amazon's Q&A section, posted by a user named jsonic :
It does not come with the fence/miter but is mentioned as optional in the use manual. here is the response i received from the awesome Dremel support:
Thank you for emailing Dremel. The Miter Gauge for the Moto Saw is available through our Service Center. The part is a MISC part and the locking levers are included with this Miter Gauge. The price is $5.00 + state tax and $2.50 shipping. You can order this by calling our Dremel Customer Service.
It's a nice little machine but I think the blades are very bad quality.
Traducir en español
That scroll saw is nice and i was going to buy me one But It is tooo Loude !!! NO GOOD.
If you are willing to spend $379-1,200, you can get a machine a bit quieter.
Light duty saw ONLY. Inaccurate and the tiny blades are very easily bent away from your cutting line. Good for cutting cheese and not much else. Very disappointing.
actually iv done some pretty nice size projects , its awesome
...Small, but noisy. :)
When you switched it on...sounded like Celine Dion... ;D
smaller teeth are finer blades larger are courser.
Too much talkie talkie
WOW, please, if you have so many problems with it, dont use it, you are going to heart yourself. If you need a manual that says wich blade is for what, and where the tooth must be facng, this is not for U.
Sorry girl, just because you have difficulty in figuring out stuff and obviously lack a degree of common sense and knowledge, is no excuse for you to try and downplay the product, its packaging, functionality or whatever you have difficulty with. As soon as you mentioned you found no manual for which blade is which and then realised it was actually in big print on the actual box, I thought oohh noooo,... Bimbo. Your intentions are good, but just learn how to apply yourself better as you move along this wonderful journey called life. Got it ..?? :)