Great Value for Money : The Dremel Power Coping Saw MS20 

I cannot imagine my workshop without A Dremel power coping saw! When scratch building you must have a reliable method of cutting complex shapes in plywood and this saw fills the bill!

My saw is years old and nothing like as sexy looking as the latest, but I am sure it will last the rest of my liftime

This is what my Dremel hobby saw looks like, after a good session. It is over 30 years old and still going strong! This gives you an idea of what to expect when you buy a Dremel product. 

Dremel Power Coping Saw Features

• Detachable saw section for handheld use
• Quick change mechanism allows fast blade replacement and optimal blade tensioning
• Variable speed for optimal cutting of a variety of materials
• Fast clamp allows quick attachment to various benches or tables
• Dust port adapter can be attached to vacuum hose (Not included)
• Two year conditional warranty

What's in the Box?

Not a lot, but enough to get you sawing!

• (I) MS20 Power coping saw
  
• (1) MS50 Side Cutting Blade
• (4) MS51 Wood & Plastic Blades
• (4) MS52 Fine Wood Blades
• (1) MS53 Metal blade
• (1) Vacuum Adapter
• (1) Plastic Storage Box

Extras Required

Extra saw blades are always good to have. Please note that the prices are fora 4 or 5 pack. Here is the range available-

A Fence/Miter Gauge would be a useful accessory. I new such a thing must be available, but it was a real mystery to find it! No reference could be found on the Dremel site, but after contacting them direct, we discovered that the mystery article did indeed exist!

The three photos below show the gauge and it is available only by contacting Dremel direct. It cannot be found on Amazon.

The part # is 2610031628. The price is $5.55 plus S&H. The phone # is- 1-800-437-3635

Specifications: Dremel MS 20 Moto-Saw

• Amperage: 0.6A
• Length of Cord: 9 ft.
• Dust Collection: Yes
• HP: 0.1
• Voltage: 120V 60Hz
• No Load Speed: 1500-2250
• Throat Depth: 9.84"
• Blade Stroke: 0.31"
• Blade length: 3.8"
• Weight: 2.4 lbs
• Width: 8.5" 

Videos

The first two videos are Dremel official movies. Quite short but useful to look at.

The third video is good and it does briefly show the Fence/Miter Gauge as well as mny parts that have been cut.

The final video shows the method of changing the blades. This may be difficult at first but soon becomes second nature.

Materials that can be handled

The table below was copied from the Dremel Manual. You can see the manual by clicking here.

For your reference, 20-ga metal thickness is 0.032" (1/32").

In my experience, the maximum thickness of plywood that I use is 1/4" and sometimes 3/8". I am sure that you could cut 3/4" but it would be at a slow rate and have a few spare blades handy!

The most popular material I use is 1/8" thick plywood and 3mm thick liteply. Balsa up to 1/2" thick is OK as well. This is well within the saws capacity and cuts extremely well and never over heats.

I have not had good results in cutting metal, but maybe you will be more successful!

Reviews

The vast majority of reviews were very positive and most customers were very satisfied with the power coping saw and would recommend it to friend. 

The biggest complaint was regarding the blades. They were difficult to load, broke easily and were expensive to buy.

I would defend the power coping saw by saying it is intended for hobby use and is in no way an industrial unit! The blades can be changed easily but the procedure does have a learning curve, patience is required!

The price of blades can be very high at the large hardware outlets. I can suggest you shop around at the local hobby shop or check out on-line (See above Amazon links). 

Pros and Cons

Pros

• Great value for money
• Able to cut straight lines well along with curves (Essential in model making)
• Variable speed allows optimizing for different materials (Plastics tend to melt at high speeds)
• Material hold down device works well and is simple to use.
• Easy to pack away in the provided box
• Clamps to work table top
• Low noise and little vibration

Cons

• Fence/miter guide should be included (Apparently it is in Europe but not in the U.S.A.)
• A little heavy for hand held use (Which I never do)
• Blade change has been complained about but I find it to be easy after a few times using the saw.

Conclusions

The Dremel MS20 Moto-Saw is an excellent hobby tool, that should give years of reliable service.

I do own a larger power coping saw which I rarely use for thicker materials. One big difference I see is the difficulty in following straight lines, with the larger saw.  The little Dremel is far better. Just take your time and do not force the material-let the saw do the work! Pushing too hard and fast will just result in broken blades!

This is a great tool for the scratch building hobbyist. 

The Dremel MS20-01 Moto-Saw Variable Speed Scroll Saw Kit is in stock. Price=$72.79