Sears 12" Band Saw

[Roy]

I am in the market for a new band saw and have been comparing the Delta 14" and the Sears 12". Other than wheel diameter, the saws are very similar except the Sears includes a fence, work light, and has a 7" resaw capacity.

The Sears is $299 and the Delta is $379, but by the time you add a fence and riser block, it is over $500.

Does anyone have any experience or know anything about the Sears saw?

[Monty]

You mean this one?

I have heard that it's the same as the Rikon. That may help you find some more info on it. I have not heard bad things about it. Maybe someone else who is familiar with these saws will comment on the specs.

[Roy]

Yes, that is the saw. Model BAS300. Even if I went to the BAS350 (14"), it would still be cheaper than the Delta and have a 1hp motor.

[Travis Porter]

I have recently become very familiar with the Delta 14 inch bandsaws, more than I would ever want to know.

Buying a saw is dependant upon what you want to do with it and the level of use you are going to have. All the little things need to be considered including availability of parts and upgrades, actual cutting capability (resaw and crosscut), general ease of use, and quality of manufacturing.

I cannot speak for the craftsman, but I can for the Delta and others in general. The 14 inch Delta has been the standard on which all of the clones have been manufactured. It can resaw 6 inches out of the box and be upgraded to 12 inches with a riser block kit. If you are going to do any resawing at all the bigger the motor the better. I would recommend at least a 1 hp and if you go with a riser block a minimum of 1.5 hp. Most of the lower priced saws today (under $1500) the quality of manufacturing is not as good as it used to be IMO. Castings are fair, bearings are cheap, and mechanisms are not as good as they should be. Delta has a very good guide adjustment system that is patented and works very well. Before I upgraded my bandsaw I just hooked up the vacuum cleaner to the mini dust collection port. After reading and researching, I decided I needed to put a wheel brush on it and upgraded the dust collection hookup to a 5" port. Makes a big difference so check that out.

Pretty much all the saws are now made in Taiwan or China so that really doesn't matter.

Check out blade sizes, what widths can the saws take? If you are going to resaw you want at least a 1/2 inch blade.

Check out the guides/thrust bearings. How easy are they to adjust.

How hard is it to change the blade? Do you have to disassemble the saw or is it fairly easy?

Does it come with a fence? Is the fence adjustable for drift?

I had a 1/2 HP motor on my Delta and it was a joke. Unfortunately, HP isn't really a good comparison. I would check the amp rating of the motors and compare there.

What is the actual blade speed of the saws? Most run between 3000 and 4000 FPM and from what I have seen faster is better.

Do they come with a light or can you easily add one? I bought one after the fact and would recommend so to anyone.

Are the tires glued or do they fit in a groove? Most 14 inch saws have rimmed wheels so you don't have to glue the tires on if you ever want to replace them.

Most of the time, I don't think the wheels are parrallel in these saws so getting a shim kit helps the quality of work the saw will do and eases blade tracking.

A quick release tension lever is a plus and simplifies the task of tightening and loosening the blade. Originally, my Delta had a PITA knob that took forever to tighten and loosen the blade. I upgraded it to a "spinner" from Iturra Design and it is now a simple thing to tighten and loosen blade tension as you do not want to leave the blade under tension for extended periods as it puts undue strain on your bearings and can flatten your tires.

How big is the table? Bigger in general is better, but depending on your needs, it is something that should be considered.

Lots to consider. I am not advocating one way or the other just giving you some things to think about and consider before you bite the bullet.

Good Luck

[Monty]

You might PM Woodguy1975. He has the 14" Rikon, which I believe is the same as the BAS350. He can tell you about the quality and features of that saw.