WEN Two-Direction Variable Speed Scroll Saw

Last updated: April 15, 2019

WEN Two-Direction Variable Speed Scroll Saw
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We looked at the top Jigsaws and dug through the reviews from some of the most popular review sites. Through this analysis, we've determined the best Jigsaw you should buy.

Overall Take

In our analysis of 161 expert reviews, the WEN Two-Direction Variable Speed Scroll Saw placed 6th when we looked at the top 8 products in the category. For the full ranking, see below.

From The Manufacturer

Remember when your scroll saw could cut in two different directions? Take on the most intricate and artful cuts with the WEN 16-Inch Variable Speed Two-Direction Scroll Saw. The 9/16-inch stroke saws through hard woods up to two inches thick. Adjust the speed anywhere from 550 to 1600 strokes per minute with the simple turn of a knob. The cast iron base prevents vibration and walking during operation while the spacious 16-by-11-inch table bevels up to 45 degrees for angled cut. The adjustable air pump clears saw dust from your work area to give you a clear line of vision as you cut. This combined with the 1-1/2-inch dust port keep your work area clean so you can focus on your woodworking. The saw also includes a hold-down foot clamp for securing your project in place along with a flexible work light that bends and adjusts to whatever position your heart desires. This unique blade holder accepts both pinned and pinless blades while also allowing users to change the direction of their cut to accommodate their particular workpiece. For pinned blades, simply pop the pins out of the front holder and turn the blade 90 degrees. Now, your cuts are no longer confined by the 16-inch throat of the scroll saw. On top of that, our removable pinless blade holder design tightly grips blades to prevent them from coming loose during operation. Onboard blade and holder storage creates simple organization solutions between jobs. And because its a WEN product, your scroll saw comes backed by a two-year warranty, a nationwide network of skilled service technicians and a friendly customer help line, all to make sure you remember WEN. Do not use power tools in the presence of flammable liquids or gases

Expert Reviews


What experts liked

The large cast-iron table with a throat depth of 16-inch is stable and solid. The scroll saw can also be easily bolted to a workbench for more stability.
The WEN 3920 has dual direction cutting capability. So you can cut both forwards and backward which will save you a great deal of time and help speed up your projects so you can get back to doing things that you love on your weekend instead of working.
The saw runs fairly quiet at different speeds, and is a great saw for a variety of small tasks such as cutting underlayment for purses. Even intricate designs are possible, if you know how to make them.
Quick assembly – It’s a fairly light saw and arrives almost ready to go, with just a few steps to set up.
The WEN 3920 is one of the most affordable scroll saws, but the manufacturer didn’t compromise on quality.
The support table is quite wide and has a tilt mechanism that allows you to tilt your workpiece at 45 degrees to the left and right for angular cuts.
The saw is extremely durable and stable thanks to its sturdy cast iron base. The fact that it supports both pinned and pinless blades put this saw in a class above the rest. From the look of things, this is a saw that every woodworker should have in their workshop.
The model is relatively lightweight – at 28 lbs – which means you can quickly move it from one workbench to the next. It also does not consume much space and can comfortably fit in the boot or back seat of a small vehicle.
The Wen 3920 includes a versatile tilting table that is 16 inches deep, allowing you to make lengthy cuts for large projects.
The package is great due to the fact you get a dust blower, blades and air pump. Most other saws come without these additions.
Perhaps the key selling point of the WEN, aside from its cutthroat price, is the proprietary design which allows it to accept blades in 2 directions. This means you can be even more creative when it comes to the designs you carry out with your scroll saw.
What stands out about this saw is its ergonomic design. This will allow the user to be more comfortable and therefore do better work for longer than with it. It’s large work surface also helps make it really versatile and able to handle pieces if different sizes.
Precision and accuracy are given priority, and this is evident with its accessible switch buttons coupled with its air pump and flexible light feature. The weight of the product is also a good point since it is quite light so it can be brought to different workshops.
An interesting part of this product is the way in which there is a line that blows away sawdust, allowing you to not feel overwhelmed by the amount of dust you are creating while sawing.
WEN 3920 Scroll Saw is easier to operate; it’s so simple that even a beginner can operate this device without facing any technical issues. The blade changing system is very easy to deal with and can be used with both pin-less and pinned blades.
There is a tension release switch that is situated right at the top of the machine for instant blade changes and which you can easily access. It can easily cut through a wood of up to 2 inches thick effortlessly.
One thing which we found pretty impressive in this purchase is that it comes with a clamp. Depending on the size of the material, you can move the clamp up and down. This clamp comes handy for keeping the material in place which eventually reduces vibrations to a certain extent.
There is one feature that makes it accessible, and best scroll saw, and that is throat depth. It includes 16-inches throat depth which means that you can quickly cut and handle more significant pieces.
The saw also comes with a 16” x 10” table that a great size; perfect for small pieces, but can support most projects. The table is also designed specifically to reduce vibration.
The WEN 3920 can be set to a range of speeds, from 550 to 1600 strokes per minute. It’s easy to change the speed for different cuts using a convenient knob located on the front of the machine.
It comes with a great table—the work surface is generally spacious (16 by 11 inches) and bevels at up to 45 degrees. It is also well-built—the cast iron base featured on this unit ensures that you’ll have a stable workspace and minimal vibrations.

What experts didn't like

The motor is a little under-powered and suitable only for woodworking.
Difficult to switch blades.
Vibration could be an issue but if you hold down the clamp and do not try cutting too fast, vibration should not be a noticeable issue.
Blade quality – The stock blades included aren’t the best, so you’ll probably want to buy better quality replacement blades.
The motor is slightly underpowered and may not be suitable to work on metal materials.
The process of switching blades is cumbersome.
However, cutting through metal, even after retrofitting with a carbide-tipped blade, will make this unit struggle.
Blade holder is difficult to reach.
Not possible to buy this scroll saw on WEN’s own website although you will still get that 2-year warranty.
Not designed well for internal cuts as well as not designed for professionals.
According to some customer reviews, one aspect that may need improvement is the strength of the machine’s vibration. It is not very stable even when mounted on a thick surface and it causes crooked cuts as a result.
Bottom blade holder is hard to access.
What turned me off about this tool was that even though it could be used on a table top, it is not possible to bolt it down which leads it to vibrate and bounce a lot.
The main disadvantage is weak blades. Therefore, we recommend you to purchase few extra ones just in case. And use protection while cutting for your safety.
There isn’t much, but one thing is the difficulty in finding this product at all. It seems to be in short supply. There have also been some reports of weak blades.
While the WEN 3920 cuts thin materials well, it isn’t able to handle anything more than 2” thick.
This tool is designed to handle smaller workpieces,not good for larger workpieces. Some users mentioned that the adjustable speed component doesn’t work properly.
View our Jigsaw buying guide for in-depth advice and recommendations.

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