The Dremel 1671 Swing V-acer is a very nice saw with a lot of potential. However, like many things in life, it can also have its disadvantages. I have purchased several other saws over the years and have come to some definite conclusions. The following is my honest review of this great saw and what I have found it to be lacking in.
One major shortcoming that I noticed right away is the saw’s inability to cut through wood easily with most scroll saw blades. The problem is that the saw does not move at all when you are performing a cut. So, you either need to stop and wait for the blade to start moving, or rip the wood with your hands. The other major shortcoming is that the leg set is very poor.
Even though the Dremel 1671 has a very nice blade, the blade is still quite poor when it comes to cutting through both soft and hard woods. This is the main shortcoming of this scroll saw that I found out by personally testing the device. When comparing the quality of each saw in relation to each other, it is obvious that the Dremel was far better than the others when it came to overall quality.
Another issue that I found with the Dremel 1671 was its blade holder tension knob. Although the Dremel is extremely sturdy and holds onto both blades tightly, it was very difficult to tighten the blades without using excess force on the handle. To solve this issue, I bought a Dremel accessory called the blade tension knob.
One other thing that I really liked about the Dremel is the fact that it only uses light gauge steel for its cutting teeth. If you need to cut thicker materials, you are going to find that heavy gauge metal blades won’t work as well for you. Because the Dremel 1671 only uses light gauge steel, you won’t have to worry about sharpening it up and spending extra money on blades that will not be useful to you at all. Another great feature of the Dremel is the fact that it is very easy to adjust the height of its scroll saw blades which is a real plus if you are a taller person and need to reach the blade height that is necessary for the job that you need to accomplish.
One feature that I didn’t really like about the Dremel is its lack of any type of blade guard. I suppose some people may view this as a negative since they think that having no guard on their saw could cause safety hazards. To me, however, it was simply a matter of convenience and ease of use. With no blade guard, there is nothing to stop your hand from accidentally touching the saw blade when in use. Plus, the Dremel 1671 has some really cool design features such as the push button tension knob which allows you to change the tension easily from one level to another.
The Dremel 1671 also came with two extension tubes and a knife block, which make it easier to quickly sharpen your saw blade. Of course, you can always buy an extra blade or several extra blade extensions to make your job of cutting thicker materials even easier. The Dremel also comes with a cord and a carrying case. Although, the Dremel did fall short in one area, which is the light gauge of its blades.
Overall, the Dremel 1671 does everything that a power saw should be able to do but it just lacks a few things that would make it more efficient. I think overall that the Dremel is still a great saw and will do the job that you need it to do. If you want a saw that will last for many years and does not have to always be plugged in, the Dremel is definitely worth looking into. However, if you are looking for a saw that cuts fast and sharp, the Dremel may fall short in one department. That being said, overall the Dremel series is great power tools.