What to look for in a bandsaw?

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stal023

New User
Stal
I'm looking to expand my tools to getting a bandsaw. Seems like there are many on the market. Here are my questions/concerns: I am pretty new into the woodworking department. I have a table saw, router/table, planer, miter saw, jigsaw and your regular normal tools...In order to get curved cuts, appears I need a bandsaw. I don't want to spend a ton of money but also don't want to waste my money. I am just looking at the smaller models ($100-$300 range). What size do I want to go with? 9", 10" or spend more for a bigger unit? Does the HP/amp matter? Some are claiming foot per minute flow (does this matter)? Blades seem to be a major consideration. Please help out on anything I need to look for and what not to have without being overly complicated :)
 
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Henry W

Henry
Corporate Member
Stal:
You have a TS, so the considerations for a BS aren't much different: table size, power, blades, maneuverability, cost, and mass are some of the ones I can think of.

Bigger, heavier, more powerful machines typically operate more smoothly, with less vibration. That's great unless you have to move it into place to use it and/or store it, or just have a smaller shop. Purchase price is of course an issue. The old adage does hold: You get what you pay for. I have purchased all of my equipment used from individuals who have advertised here on NCWW or on Craigslist. So all of that is general advice for WW machinery.

Specific to a BS - I would not really consider a bench top BS, and or any of the three wheeler machines. They have the illusion of being able to do what you need, but tracking the blade, and any other adjustments are generally painful and transient (i.e it is hard to keep these guys operating the way you want a BS to operate). I would suggest trying to find at least a 12" (the wheel size) or 14" (much more common size) machine from any the typical WW brands (Jet, Rikon, Delta, etc). Of course to fit your budget that may need to be a used machine. I have just read on other wood related bulletin boards that capable WWers have purchased new 10" benchtop BS (I believe both Jet and Rikon) and eventually returned them because they could not get or keep the blade to track properly. This is of course second hand, now third-hand 'knowledge' or more appropriately opinion.

Finally, if cutting curves is what you want to do - then many times a good jigsaw with a good blade (i.e. a Bosch or DeWalt etc, not a $15 B&D or Craftman) can accomplish that quite well. A zero clearance plate helps with the quality of cut here.

In my view a BS is a better choice for:
- cuts in thick wood (>2"; though some jigsaws can handle that well too)
- resawing boards to thinner pieces,
- roughing bowl blanks to round for the lathe
- ironically - it is often safer for cuts in small pieces

A good jigsaw is a great choice for really big pieces that would be tough to tackle with a BS, pieces up to 2" thick, and cutting many curves.

I hope that helps - posting more info about the types of projects you do, and would like to do, would help others make more specific recommendations.

Henry
 
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Jeremy Scuteri

Jeremy Scuteri

Moderator
Jeremy
You need to ask your yourself what you would like to get out of this bandsaw. If you want to resaw, then the demands of the bandsaw are greater. If you just want to cut some simple curves, then the benchtop models should work fine. My first bandsaw was a 10" benchtop Rikon and it worked perfectly fine for cutting curves. It was no good for resawing though.
 
smallboat

smallboat

smallboat
Corporate Member
I started with a 14" 3-wheeler and can safely say- skip that!
For all the reasons Henry mentions its just not worth it.
Plus, I have a feeling that 3 wheelers put more stress on the blades due to the smaller dia wheels, I know I had blade failures on that saw I haven't had since.
When the motor went out, I was more than happy to toss it and start looking for a replacement.

My advice is look for a used 14" two wheeler- Delta, Rigid, Jet etc, Grizzly etc.
Set your price point and just wait until you see one and be prepared to grab it.
My 14" Delta was $175, including the mobile base.
Sure, it was advertised as having a bad motor, but a quick cleaning was all it took.
Most of the time it seems a bad motor needs either a start capacitor ( <$10) or a good cleaning (free)

I spent $ on a Kreg fence for it and I'm very pleased with the combo.
Take the time to learn how to set it up correctly ( applies to any machine) and you'll be happy too.

Others will know the fine distinctions between brands better than I do, but it seems that the basic design of most of the 14" band saws is very similar to the Delta.

Higher HP will give you greater resaw capability if that is a goal.
A better built saw will have smoother adjustments with more reliable locking features.
You may find one with a good fence and save the money I spent on the Kreg.
A quick release on the blade tension is a nice feature as well.

As with any used machine, check it carefully and make your choice based on whether you feel comfortable fixing whatever is wrong with it.
The more you learn about how to set it up the better you'll be able to make that assessment.
I'll put in a plug here for Care and Repair of Shop Machines, by John White- ( my second plug in two days!)
 
Z

zzdodge

New User
zz
Decades ago I got a Reliant 14" 2 wheel band saw. With a riser block I was resawing. With a Jet dust collection adapter, I was breathing easier. I use it about 15 times a year, and sometimes for the unconventional. This saw will spin fast enough for metal, but I never have cut metal on it. Being a cheap clone, it does not have a TEFC. And it is underpowered. But I can still resaw 8" black walnut and hard maple. And I hope to make a couple of chairs soon.

The saw set up nice, and has a cheap but servicable base. It handles modest resaw jobs, and is has a big enough table so that I can do most things I want to. If your budget is limited, shop around and use your imagination to help you assess your needs and potential projects. If your budget is more generous, there are at least a half a dozen very nice bandsaws with recognizable names on them, which can help one find bandsaw happiness. I would suggest that unless you are making small stuff, you avoid smaller benchtop saws. They are great for small jobs, but talking with friends, I have been impressed that we have all exceeded the size of things we thought we would do on our bandsaws.

Mark Duginske has a couple of nice books and a video on bandsaws. There are some other books which are similar. Take the time to setup the machine. Even my cheapo one set up nicely, and kept it's setup.

It took some shopping to know what I was getting, but the Reliant was about $200, and I added another $60 to it with the riser blocks and the Jet dust adapter. I've used about $90 worth of blades on it, and it has given me over 20 years of having a band saw in a otherwise reasonably well equipped shop. I just don't tell anyone what brand it is.

The point is, not every tool in the drawer has to be top end. My preference was to stay with a clone, and with something that I could get some kind of servicable parts for. Someday I might get a Powermatic, but then again, I might not.

ps: The Reliant I have is a DD 90, and posters on other forums say it is essentially identical to the 14" saw currently offered by HFT. I have not looked at the HFT saw in person, so I cannot confirm that. The HFT price is $359 less whatever coupons you might have, or a sale price. Reviews on the other forums say that the setup is a project, and one commenter said it took over 8 hours. My DD 90 took me probably the same amount of time.
 
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Canuck

Canuck

Wayne
Corporate Member
stal023 said:
Well, how important is resaw?

I'd go for used but I'm not sure what I'd be looking for. I saw a used 10 Rockwell but seems a bit high at $200.

Sears has a couple of craftsman models. Are these crap?http://www.sears.com/search=vertica...ORDER&viewItems=50&storeId=10153&levels=Tools
Click to expand...

The ability to resaw has a lot to do with the types of projects you work on.

I hate to think of the number of bdft of nice wood I have left in the DC taking down 3/4" thick material to 1/4", 1/2" or 5/8" using my planer. At least with a resaw you can save some material. (ie 2 nice 1/2" boards out of 5/4 stock.)

Check with "Berta" one of our members. She purchased the Craftsman last year I believe. (Looks a lot like a Rikon clone.

(BTW. Continue to check CL for a used Delta 14" as well. Got my 1st bamdsaw for $100. Claimed to have fried motor! Nah. Got it home, hit the little red reset button on the motor and it has ran fine ever since.)

A couple...

http://raleigh.craigslist.org/tls/4347509003.html

http://greensboro.craigslist.org/tls/4358285487.html

http://raleigh.craigslist.org/tls/4365587702.html

(Oops. Didn't realize that you were out West.)

Wayne
 
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merrill77

merrill77

Master Scrap Maker
Chris
The only reason I bought a BS was for resawing. Mine (Jet 16") does it reasonably well, but I wish it had a few more inches of resaw capacity. That said, now that I have one, I use it for a lot of things. I've occasionally considered upgrading.

Personally, I would NOT buy a benchtop BS.
 
MarkE

MarkE

Mark
Corporate Member
I would not be so quick to dismiss a bench top bandsaw. They certainly have a lot to offer.

For cutting curves and most of the small cuts that I do, I really like my Rikon 10-305 10" bench top bandsaw. I put a Carter stabilizer guide on it and it will cut very tight curves using a 1/4" blade. It would not be a good choice for any kind of resaw, it is just not designed for that kind of work. It does fit into your budget.

I use my Grizzly G0514X2B for resaw and other stuff that the Rikon cannot handle.
 
Hmerkle

Hmerkle

Board of Directors, Development Director
Hank
Staff member
Corporate Member
stal023 said:
Are any of these worth me looking at?
Click to expand...
Stal,
As many of us have pointed out - it really depends what you want to do with it...
I had the 12" and replaced it with a 14" Delta with a riser block - BUT I wanted to be able to resaw, and cut bowl blanks for the lathe...
It was a "Good little saw" the 14"Delta is MUCH better! (more enjoyable to work with)

I think the $350 saw in Arden is worth a look if you can get there - but for $350 it better be GREAT... you can buy a new Porter Cable at Lowes for $449...
Too bad he didn't post a picture...

There is an Ohio Forge brand in the classifieds - not familiar with it, but In my opinion $225 is too much for it (as Jeremy points out he would only give $250 for a used Delta! I gave more for mine, but it was new and I didn't have the support of NCWW back when I bought it!) plus you have to buy a blade... but maybe you can make an offer on it - unfortunately it is up in Greensboro...
 
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