Scroll saw or jigsaw
Updated: 16 October 2026
You need a curve, and two tools on amazon.co.uk both claim to cut one. A scroll saw holds a fine blade through a table while you steer the wood. A jigsaw is the handheld saw you take to a sheet, a worktop, or timber you cannot lift onto a bench. This page, from the Products Compared editorial team on 16 October 2026, is that choice. The scroll saws are the seven in our [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.
You need a curve, and two tools on amazon.co.uk both claim to cut one. A scroll saw holds a fine blade through a table while you steer the wood.
You need a curve, and two tools on amazon.co.uk both claim to cut one. A scroll saw holds a fine blade through a table while you steer the wood. A jigsaw is the handheld saw you take to a sheet, a worktop, or timber you cannot lift onto a bench. This page, from the Products Compared editorial team on 16 October 2026, is that choice. The scroll saws are the seven in our scroll saw comparison. We did not run a lab test. A qualifying amazon.co.uk purchase can earn us a commission at no extra cost to you.
Our top picks
| Badge | Product | Cut height | Throat | Job | Note | Price | Offer |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Best overall |  Bucktool Bucktool SSA18BV | Not stated | 457 mm | Wide panels on a bench | 7.1 | about £227.99 | View offer |
 Dremel Dremel MS20 | Not stated | Not stated | Thin craft, clamp-on | 7.3 | about £99.95 | View offer | |
| Preis-Tipp |  Einhell Einhell TC-SS 406E | 50 mm at 90° | 406 mm | Models and fretwork | 6.6 | about £99.99 | View offer |
On this page
When a scroll saw is the better buy
Buy a scroll saw when you will steer thin wood through tight curves, fretwork, puzzles or model parts, and the work can come to the bench. You turn the wood. Einhell’s UK page for the TC-SS 406E describes that saw for model making, not for ripping.
Where this set states a cut height, it is 50 mm at 90°, on the TC-SS 406E, both Katsu models and the Einhell Vario. A manual copy for the TC-SS 406E says 23 mm at 45°. The Bucktool and the Dremel do not state a cut height, so do not borrow 50 mm. The usual hobby throat is about 406 mm: how wide a panel you can turn, not sheet-goods capacity. The Bucktool states 457 mm at 26.5 kg and is still a bench fret saw. Throat and blades are in the scroll saw buying guide.
When a jigsaw is the better buy
Buy a jigsaw when the work is a sheet you must rip or cross-cut in place, a kitchen worktop cut-out, demolition, or structural timber you cannot bring to a bench. A thin scroll-saw blade is a poor rip saw. The throat stops the panel, and the blade flexes if you hog through thick stock. A handheld jigsaw reaches a worktop that is already installed.
A jigsaw leaves a rougher edge than a fine fret blade, acceptable under a hob and a poor result on a fret. This page will not name a jigsaw. Models and UK prices for that class are on the jigsaw comparison.
Coping saw, Dremel, and the bench
A hand coping saw, which many people in Britain still call a fret saw, is the occasional curve with no motor and no bench throat. One skirting scribe, or one tight corner in a craft knife handle, is a hand frame. Frequent pierced work is the electric scroll saw.
The Dremel MS20 sits between the two. It is £99.95, 70 W and 1.75 kg, and the fret saw comes off the table. Detachable is not a site jigsaw. The listing states no throat, and Dremel’s FAQ limits the blades to the maker’s pin-end, about 4 inches. UK reviews use it for thin craft, often 1.5–6 mm ply. A clamp-on table in a flat is a real use. A kitchen fit-out is not.
Which one to buy first
If the next job is fretwork, a puzzle, or thin model parts, buy the scroll saw and use best scroll saw to match a small flat, a first bench, or an 18 inch throat. If the next job is a worktop, a sheet, demolition or structural timber, buy the jigsaw and leave this comparison. Buying both because the listings both say curves is how a 70 W fret saw ends up under a worktop it cannot reach.
We have not claimed a lab test, a noise figure, or that these scroll saws cut metal easily.
Common questions
Is a scroll saw better than a jigsaw for curves?
A scroll saw is the better buy for tight curves in thin stock, fretwork, puzzles and model parts, because you steer the wood on a table. A jigsaw is the better buy when the curve is in a sheet, a worktop, or timber you take the saw to. Where this set states a square cut, it is 50 mm. Both tools cut curves. The thickness and whether the work can come to the bench decide it.
Can I rip a plywood sheet on a scroll saw?
A scroll saw is a poor rip saw. The usual hobby throat here is about 406 mm, and the blade is fine enough to flex if you hog through a panel. Ripping a sheet is a circular saw or a jigsaw, depending on the cut. A scroll saw can shape a small ply piece that fits under the arm. It will not break down a full sheet.
Which tool cuts a kitchen worktop?
A jigsaw is the usual tool for a hob or sink cut-out, especially once the top is in place. A scroll saw cannot reach that opening. Where this set states a cut height, it is 50 mm at 90°, which is not a worktop. Named jigsaw models are on the jigsaw comparison. The detachable Dremel does not stand in for that job.
Can the Dremel MS20 replace a jigsaw because it comes off the table?
The MS20 is a compact fret saw at £99.95 and 1.75 kg. Handheld mode is still a fine blade for thin craft, not a site saw for sheets and worktops. The listing states no throat, and the blades are Dremel pin-end, about 4 inches. UK reviews describe thin ply, not demolition. Detachable means you can lift it off the clamp.
Do I need both tools?
You need the tool that matches the next job. Fretwork and thin parts point to a scroll saw. Sheets, worktops, demolition and structural timber point to a jigsaw. Buy the second when that second job is real. A hand coping saw covers a rare curve in the meantime. Wattage on these scroll saws, 70 W to 150 W, does not make one class do the other job.
Related pages
Sources
Public UK sources and the amazon.co.uk listings in this comparison. Page updated October 2026.
- HSE WIS23 wood dust (retrieved 16 October 2026)
- HSE PUWER overview (retrieved 16 October 2026)
- HSE woodworking noise (retrieved 16 October 2026)
- Einhell UK TC-SS 406 E (retrieved 16 October 2026)
- Yandles Charnwood SS16F (retrieved 16 October 2026)
- Dremel FAQ (retrieved 16 October 2026)
- Woodworkers Institute scrollsaw basics (retrieved 16 October 2026)
- Amazon.co.uk Scroll Saws best sellers (retrieved 16 October 2026)