Saxon vs Skywatcher vs Bintel

[Darren Dooecke]

Hi guys I'm new here, I want a 12" DOB which is best,a Saxon, skywatcher or Bintel cheers 

[Epick Crom]

G'day Darren and welcome to Stargazers Lounge!

I assume you are a fellow Aussie because you're named Saxon and Bintel. 

I think you won't go wrong with either three. I own a Saxon 10 inch dob which I believe is identical to Sky Watcher and possibly Bintel as well. It is my first and so far only telescope. I can highly vouch for the quality of Saxon, my 10 inch has surpassed my expectations. 

Sky Watcher has a very good reputation. I've bought several items from Bintel and have always been happy with them. Like I said I don't think you can go wrong with any of them, which is a good thing! Good luck with your choices. 

 

Clear Skies

Joe

[John]

I know Skywatchers but I've not actually seen a Saxon or a Bintel over here in the UK.

Looking at the photos of them, I would day that the Saxon was identical to the Skywatcher, probably made by the same manufacturer, Synta. The Bintel looks to me to be a GSO made scope so the same as the Stellalyra branded dobsonians sold here by First Light Optics:

StellaLyra 12" f/5 Dobsonian | First Light Optics

Plenty of discussions on the forum along the lines of Skywatcher vs Stellalyra / GSO. Generally, optically they seem to be equal but the GSO made scopes seem better equipped.

 

[Louis D]

The big three Dob makers are Synta (Celestron, SW, and Saxon), GSO (SL, Apertura, and Bintel), and JOC (Explore Scientific and Bresser).  I would look for a local ES dealer to compare a third option.  The GSO ones generally have the most features out of the box while the ES have the best altitude axis (true trunnions).  Synta's Celestron Starsense Explorer app has been well received, but the scopes themselves are unremarkable with antiquated 2" focusers.  They generally require the most tinkering.

Make sure you see how big a 12" Dob is in person before buying one.  They can be quite an armful.  You might consider a truss tube over a solid tube at 12".

[Moonlit Night]

On 29/02/2024 at 03:01, Louis D said:

The big three Dob makers are Synta (Celestron, SW, and Saxon), GSO (SL, Apertura, and Bintel), and JOC (Explore Scientific and Bresser).  I would look for a local ES dealer to compare a third option.  The GSO ones generally have the most features out of the box while the ES have the best altitude axis (true trunnions).  Synta's Celestron Starsense Explorer app has been well received, but the scopes themselves are unremarkable with antiquated 2" focusers.  They generally require the most tinkering.

Make sure you see how big a 12" Dob is in person before buying one.  They can be quite an armful.  You might consider a truss tube over a solid tube at 12".

Indeed