JET 18-Inch Scroll Saw, 120V 1Ph (Model JWSS-18B)

Had to return the first saw that arrived and reorder one, as a forklift or other machinery had punched a large fork-sized hole completely through from one side of the carton to the other and I feared damage. Returned the carton unopened for replacement. Second arrived fine.There was no owner's manual in the carton but I understand that nowadays, consumers are sometimes expected to download and print off a manual for themselves at home. Well! There's a bunch of printer ink gone... I'm a retired toolmaker and am quite particular about tools. This 18 inch Jet JWSS-18B scroll saw checks all the boxes for me. Flat ground and nicely coated steel plate table, parts aligned, no rattles and everything functions for me as designed. Thickness of the stamped steel frame steel and all other metal components, in my opinion, are appropriate for application. Any small plastic components appear to be quality material and quite rugged. Did I consider the Jet 22 inch version? Sure did. But this more compact 18 inch Jet fits my needs well. I don't need a car hauler to go to the grocery store for bread and milk, and likewise I don't need the extra 4 inches of throat depth in our little shop. And for me, shorter translates to less potential flex of the upper arm.Vibration of my saw in use is very minimal. But I only have experience with my Dremel scroll saw at age 12 in 1970, my Delta 2 speed in the 1990's, and my beloved wife's WEN made 3 years ago. I have no idea how my saw's vibration compares to a Hegner or Pegas, but I do know that I can stand a nickel coin on edge on my particular saw's table where it will remain standing while I run the saw through the entire speed range. The nickel will rotate on edge but will not fall over. Impressive.One feature I learned I was not particularly fond of is the Jet lower blade clamp. I sometimes switch up feeding the blade for an inside cut from top feeding to bottom feeding. I found that I prefer the Pegas style clamps upper and lower, so I fitted them aftermarket onto my saw with a minor modification to the length of the table blade opening. The aftermarket clamps secure the blade and allow me to thread through a pilot hole easier, but different operators may have different approaches. Someone else may prefer the Jet clamp. The factory blade clamps do stand by at the ready for future use when and if the need arises, so I cannot fault the design or execution of the blade clamp system on my Jet. I just have different preferences.My saw has plenty of power for everything I ask of it. On the upper extreme I often cut 1 inch thick kiln-dried white and red oak into puzzles, 1 1/2 inch thick kiln-dried black walnut puzzles, all plywood thicknesses up to 1 1/2 inches (laminated), and black cherry from 1/4 inch up to 1 1/2 inches thick. Blade selection is critical and allowing the blade time to cut the stock and clear the dust and chips is very important. I invested time in learning best blade selection based on wood thickness and hardness. I purchased top quality Pegas blades from the outset also. There are several well-made blade brands available in addition to the Pegas blades. For me, all top-quality blades have to be mail ordered anyhow.I do not use power dust collection but rather prefer a fine particle mask for personal protection equipment when sawing. Quiet and effective for me. And good safety glasses. I do my work with our shop doors wide open and only in warm weather (I'm old and demand comfort in the shop, returning indoors to do leather crafting during poor weather). The Jet factory-included dust blower works very well for me. It stays in place without drifting in use, doesn't create a tornado, nor let dust accumulate at the kerf line. Fine and dandy with mine.For speed, safety and ease I use a momentary foot switch, and my beautiful Jet 18 inch scroll saw (named Joan, after the Rock N Roller) is attached to a rolling (locking caster) hinged tilt top table of my own design. I cut thick rubber washers from old band saw wheel tires to mount between my saw and stand. A goose neck LED sewing machine light with a magnetic base from Amazon is the perfect light source for me. Hard to beat the $10 price too. A slide-out accessory drawer, scrap bin and hinged side table surface complete the stand picture.So. Am I happy I bought my 18 inch Jet scroll saw? Absolutely. Do I use it 8 hours a day 5 days a week? No. That's a job, and I'm retired. Fun and creative saw to use? Mercy yes. I wish I'd have known about how much fun a well designed and made scroll saw is 40 years ago. But better late than never for me.When friends ask me about choosing a tool I always tell them to choose and buy the best one they can afford because that's what I myself do. I've upgraded scroll saws several times and I can now stop upgrading. I've found my machine which meets all my needs and more, with a few custom tweaks. For ME, this saw is perfection.

This is a very well-made scroll saw. It is easy to use and set up, has a good steel table, and the arm, rather than the table, pivots for bevel cuts. I find this much easier to use than a traditional tilting table. Best of all, blade changes are a snap, and only take a few seconds.The reason I gave it only 4 stars is that it vibrates a bit more than I would expect at this price level. I greatly improved the issue by bolting the saw to a 3-inch thick stone table, but that’s a bit more trouble than most people will be willing to undertake.

I really enjoy using this saw. With the right blade it cuts effortlessly and nice and smooth. I also love the dust collection ability on it. It works great, saves a lot of cleanup time. I just wish the lower blade holder had a clip like on the larger saw so it wouldn’t fall out when you release the tension on the blade. I ended up buying the Pegasus blade holder for it.I do production cutting on it, 6-8 hours a day cutting 3/4” pine and have had no issues other than the lower blade holder.

1. This scroll saw is awesome!2. The directions for setup are clear.3. Jet makes excellent prosumer and professional shop toolsI upgraded from a craftsman that I learned on. I’d say this saw is not really for beginners mainly because if you want to make just a couple things and be done with the hobby then buy a cheaper saw. If you want to really get into scrolling then this is great saw that will last you a long while.I gave the saw 4 stars because I feel like it vibrates too much at the highest speed and I do have it mounted to a heavy cabinet on hd wheels. To alleviate this, I put sound deadner (you read that right: search Noico) on my cabinet and on the saw and it helped dramatically. Another way to fix this is to just buy the 21in Jet (but it costs 400 more)This saw is made at the same factory as the Seyco, and King in Taiwan. Do NOT buy the current Excalibur that looks similar. That saw is made in China and they don’t have their manufacturing up to the same quality as the Jet, Seyco, and King right now. If you want to read about that then google “Excalibur not made in Canada “

Excellent, easy to intarsia with.

I am new to scrolling but not woodworking in general. Jet has an excellent reputation in the industry and I already have one of their drill presses which is a great tool. I researched scroll saws extensuvely on line and along with my previous knowledge of Jet made my choice easy. This saw is the same high quality and performs beautifully I am still learning this new skill but I am very happy with my choice..

The scroll saw is made well. It is smooth running. I can't believe that I put up with a mediocre scroll saw for so many years. The convenience of being able to change blades quickly is very nice. Definitely would recommend to a friend.