Rikon tools, anyone have experence with them?

[reible]

I was thinking of a gift to the grandchildren and the scroll saw that caught my eye due to the price and size was the Rikon 10-600VS.

You can see it here:

http://www.rockler.com/rikon-10-600vs-v ... qa-content

I don't own any Rikon tools, just never thought much about them but happened to see this in the store yesterday.

I know when I was a boy I got one of those vibration type saws and spent hours making all sorts of projects. I later upgraded to a dremel version with actual drive system and made even more things..... it was a lot of fun and kept me busy for a lot of hours.

Still have to bridge the subject with the parents. I'd like to get him into some woodworking and it is pretty hard from 800 miles away.

Ed

[wa2crk]

Hey Ed
Some of our club members have a few Rikon tools. One has their newer variable speed lathe and loves it. Two others have the Rikon 14" band saws. One has the actual Rikon and the other has the Sears version of the Rikon and both are very satisfied. The member with the Sears version wanted the fence which Sears does not carry. He said that the salesman said go but the Rikon fence it is exactly the same thing because it is a Rikon saw. He bought the Rikon fence and it fit perfectly.
I personally used the actual Rikon model and was very impressed with the smoothness. It was very stable and was very easy to follow a cut line even with the table set to 45 deg.
The lathe is well made but it did have a thumping sound when my friend first started it up. The thump was traced to the perforated disc on the spindle that is part of the speed readout mechanism. It was touching the "U" shaped bracket that holds the photo transistor. A light touch with file corrected that problem.
Everything considered, I was favorably impressed with these two items.
Bill V.

[wa2crk]

ED
Sears does have the Rikon scroll saw on their website.
http://www.sears.com/rikon-16-34-scroll ... ockType=G1#
Perhaps your relatives could pick it up at a closer Sears store if a Rockler store is too far away.
Bill V

[Ed in Tampa]

Be careful with Sears. I can not confirm this but I have been told more than once that Sears put out bids and the manufacture has the choice of upscaling their product to match bid requirements or downscale. I'm told downscaling happens the most often.

Example to meet bid cost they may use one grade lower quality bearing, or a grade better motor, and etc.

Many guys pointed this out with the Ryobi equipment. The similar model from Sears may be better or lower quality than the Ryobi model.

I don't know, I took a solemn oath 30 years ago that if it has a motor or engine I will not buy it from Sears. And so far I never regretted that oath

[ERLover]

Craftsman is now referred to as Crapsman by many. I live by the philosophy,
"Friends dont let friends buy Crapsman"
I have a friend that wont listen, and continues to get screwed by Sears and lack of customer service/repairs.
Example, he has a Sears gas engine generator, he did not run/use for about a year, went to fire it up no electric out put. Took it to a Sears service center, they sent it out to there repair facility in the Chicago area, a month latter gets a call that it is back where he dropped it off, and unrepairable. No reason why. Their is a place here in Milwaukee where he lives also, Bills Power Center, they sell lawn mowers, snow blowers, generators ect, and have a service department. $45.00 latter, his generator is up and running with electric output. The Generator lost its magnetic field do to not being used for about a year. Sears could not figure that out!!!

[reible]

Getting off subject......... not going to by from Sears.

I'm wondering about the Rikon brand and in particular the model of scroll saw they sell at Rockler.

Rockler ships for free so long as it meets certain standards like not over sized, not going over seas etc. I checked and it would ship for free from them to DE.

I have not had time to look for better prices so it could be I can find it even cheaper???

Mostly just interested in other owners opinions, ones from real people who are wood workers.

Ed

[c2h6o]

I have the 14 In Rikon band saw--have had it for 5 years or so. Great size, good price no issues.

[RandyGunny]

I have a Craftsman 14" band saw. It's a great bandsaw and it's a Rikon. I frequently use it to mill lumber up to it's capacity.