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Scroll saw buying guide

Updated: 16 October 2026

You are comparing scroll saws on amazon.co.uk, and the listings disagree. One row prints a speed that cannot be a real stroke rate. Another bullet talks about a grass trimmer. This guide, from the Products Compared editorial team on 16 October 2026, is the order that changes the cut: throat, blades, height at a tilt, speed, then dust. Ranked fit stays on the [scroll saw comparison](/hub/power-saws/scroll-saw). We did not run a lab test. A qualifying amazon.co.uk purchase can earn us a commission at no extra cost to you. Wattage here only runs from 70 W to 150 W, so it is a weak way to pick a winner.

You are comparing scroll saws on amazon.co.uk, and the listings disagree. One row prints a speed that cannot be a real stroke rate. Another bullet talks about a grass trimmer.

Our top picks

Bucktool Bucktool SSA18BV

Best overall

Bucktool Bucktool SSA18BV
7.1/10about £227.99
View offer
Dremel Dremel MS20

Rank 2

Dremel Dremel MS20
7.3/10about £99.95
View offer
Einhell Einhell TC-SS 406E

Preis-Tipp

Einhell Einhell TC-SS 406E
6.6/10about £99.99
View offer
On this page
  1. 1.What throat size means on a UK hobby saw
  2. 2.Pin-end and pinless blades
  3. 3.Cut height, tilt, and speed
  4. 4.Dust, power, and listing traps

What throat size means on a UK hobby saw

Throat is the distance from the blade to the back of the arm: how wide a panel you can turn before the arm hits the wood. About 406 mm, often sold as 16 inch, is the usual hobby size here. The Bucktool listing states 457 mm, at 26.5 kg and £227.99. The Dremel MS20 states no throat, so treat it as a compact fret saw, not a 16 inch bench. Both Katsu listings state 406 mm, while their size rows, about 40 × 25 × 9.5 cm, are smaller than that throat. Keep the throat bullet. Einhell puts 406 in the TC-SS 406E name, and the UK product page states the class. Who should buy which throat is on best scroll saw.

Pin-end and pinless blades

The blade system decides whether a pierced opening is practical. Pin-end blades clip in quickly and need a starter hole of about 5 mm, because the pin has to pass. Plain-end blades are finer, and Woodworkers Institute’s scroll-saw basics use them for fretwork. Dremel’s FAQ says the MS20 takes only its own pin-end blades, about 4 inches, not standard 5 inch blades. Einhell’s UK page for the TC-SS 406E says cross-pin and pinless. An amazon bullet that says circular saw blades is wrong. The Bucktool names pinless blades of 130 to 133 mm and pinned blades. Both Katsu listings are silent. The hole and the rethread are on scroll saw internal cuts.
Bucktool Bucktool SSA18BV

Testsieger

Bucktool Bucktool SSA18BV
7.1/10about £227.99
View offer

Cut height, tilt, and speed

Where a cut height is stated, it is 50 mm at a square cut: the TC-SS 406E, both Katsu models, and the Einhell Vario. It is not on the Bucktool or the Dremel. A tilt reduces it. A manual copy for the TC-SS 406E says 23 mm at 45°. Do not assume 50 mm survives an angle. Most tables tilt to 45°. The TC-SS listing says 47°. The Bucktool arm pivots plus or minus 45°, so the wood stays put. Read speed only as a stroke range. Katsu states 400 to 1,600 strokes a minute. The Bucktool bullet says 550 to 1,600. Slower speeds suit plastic and thin cuts. The TC-SS 406E prints no range. The Dremel row of 2.25 RPM is not a usable speed. Do not paste an older 405E range onto the 406E.

Dust, power, and listing traps

A blower clears the pencil line and throws dust at you. A port lets you add a hose. The TC-SS 406E states a 36 mm connection and a suction adapter. The Bucktool mentions a blower and a dust hood. HSE WIS23 sets workplace limits of 3 mg/m³ for hardwood and 5 mg/m³ for softwood. A householder is not that duty-holder. Extract the dust anyway. UK mains are 230 V, with a BS 1363 plug. The Dremel and the Bucktool state 240 V. The TC-SS 406E states 230 V AC. The Katsu listings, the Vario and the generic 16 inch do not state a voltage. A sheet or a worktop is a different class, on scroll saw or jigsaw.

Common questions

What throat do I need for a hobby scroll saw in the UK?
About 406 mm, the usual 16 inch hobby size, covers puzzles and thin parts that fit under the arm. In this set the Bucktool states 457 mm. The Dremel MS20 states no throat, so do not treat it as a 16 inch bench. Throat is how wide a piece you can turn. It is not capacity for ripping a full sheet.
Should I buy pin-end blades, pinless blades, or both?
Pin-end blades change quickly and need a larger starter hole, often about 5 mm. Plain-end blades are finer and are what fretwork uses. The TC-SS 406E on Einhell’s UK page, and the Bucktool in its bullets, state both. If the listing is silent, as both Katsu pages are, you do not yet know which hole you can drill.
Is 50 mm the cut height once the table is tilted?
Where this set states 50 mm, that is the square cut. A manual copy for the TC-SS 406E says 23 mm at 45°. The Bucktool and the Dremel state no cut height. Angle the table, or the Bucktool’s arm, only after you know the height left in the piece you are holding.
Why is wattage a weak way to choose among these saws?
These listings run from 70 W on the Dremel to 150 W on the unreviewed generic. The hobby benches cluster at 120 W or 130 W. That spread does not tell you the throat, the blades, or whether UK reviews describe a dead motor. Read watts after those, and do not treat 120 W as continuous output.
Which listing lines should I ignore?
Ignore the Dremel speed of 2.25 RPM, the TC-SS bullet about circular saw blades, and the grass-trimming bullet on that page. Ignore the Vario’s 5.0 from four reviews as a UK verdict, because the raw texts are from Spain and Germany. Ignore a soft-metal claim on the generic listing, which has no thickness and no reviews.

Related pages

How to use a scroll saw

Scroll saw

Best scroll saw 2026: top pick and who should skip

Scroll saw internal cuts: hole size and rethreading

Scroll saw or jigsaw for curves, sheets and worktops

Sources

Public UK sources and the amazon.co.uk listings in this comparison. Page updated October 2026.

  1. HSE WIS23 wood dust (retrieved 16 October 2026)
  2. HSE PUWER overview (retrieved 16 October 2026)
  3. HSE woodworking noise (retrieved 16 October 2026)
  4. Einhell UK TC-SS 406 E (retrieved 16 October 2026)
  5. Yandles Charnwood SS16F (retrieved 16 October 2026)
  6. Dremel FAQ (retrieved 16 October 2026)
  7. Woodworkers Institute scrollsaw basics (retrieved 16 October 2026)
  8. Amazon.co.uk Scroll Saws best sellers (retrieved 16 October 2026)