Tools, which is which - Bandsaw..

Newton

Newton

AzB Silver Member
Silver Member
My wife planned to spoil me for Christmas with a Bandsaw for my shop, but she couldn't managed to get one delivered in time.

So now I have the choice of pointing out one and I have been looking on different brands for a while now.

What's strike's me is; They all do look the same ... :confused:

I have read a lot about tools the last couple of years scouting for the right thing and one thing I have seen is plenty of tools "rebranded" and sold as the same thing - even most likely produced on the same place (for sure apply in the lathe business)

So then, which one should I go for ?

Here's a couple I have looked at which has different dimensions but looks pretty much the same - but big differences in price (some of the text is in my local language but a tech data is hopefully understandable):

http://woodworking.jettools.com/Products.aspx?ByCat&cat=333152

http://www.clasohlson.no/Product/Category.aspx?id=251724&_path=251882;251520;251145;251743;251724
Price $1000, speeds 400,900

http://www.finn.no/finn/bap/object?finnkode=12822488&sid=xz5cbato8cH189670&WT.svl=Link
Price $660, speed 370,800

http://www.finn.no/finn/bap/object?finnkode=12797704&sid=xz5cbato8cH189670&WT.svl=Link
Price $2000, 460,980

http://www.finn.no/finn/bap/object?finnkode=12658833&sid=xz5cbato8cH189670&WT.svl=Link
Price $1000,

http://www.finn.no/finn/bap/object?finnkode=12838354&sid=xz5cbato8cH189670&WT.svl=Link
Hardly used, Price $600

Usage would be our regular work and possible some other small stuff for loudspeaker building.

Thanks'


N
 
What are you planning on using the band saw for? My band saw is the worst tool I own. 20 year old (or more) 10" craftsman that I got for free and it does everything I need it to do. I keep saying I'm going to buy a new one, but there's really no need. I do own about every other kind of saw you can imagine, so this one gets limited use. I think spending $1,000 on one for cue making is a bit excessive, unless maybe you're going to make full splice cues with it.

If I were you, I'd take the $1,000 and get a cheap band saw, a cheap table saw, a cheap planer and a drum sander. You might be able to get all of those for under $1,000 if you're lucky. If you're planning on making cues with points, the planer and the drum sander are two tools I don't think I could live without.
 
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To be honest, it would only be to cut of corners of the squares stock wood I would use, and cutting this to correct dimensions. Also do some cutting of natural unfinished wood for other purposes.

I'm working on another setup for splicing but if this would not work out I would need to go back for the bandsaw.

I pretty much have a big pile of saws which could do pretty much everything, but would need some alterations/extra bits.

A table for my circle saw could work as well, but then a bandsaw was my Christmas gifts so I feel pretty much "Why not".. I think however the $2K one would most likely result in getting my balls kicked by a certain lady :D

N
 
Kicked or licked?

I use my band saw to cut corners off square stock and to cut squares into point stock.

I cut them in half, then run them through the planer or the drum sander (depending on type of wood), square up the edges with my router table, than cut them in half again, then run them through the planer or the drum sander again so I have 4 equal squares. Then I use the band saw to cut the 4 squares in half, giving me a total of 8 points.

I also use it to trim the points close to the forearm after glue up before I put it on the lathe.

None of these operations take anything too powerful and none need to be super accurate.
 
He he he. I would put my money on the first option..

So I guess I could pretty much go for one of the cheap one then, like in the $600 - 1000 range then....
They all look pretty much the same, have some small differences in max cutting height and other details which I guess would not make a massive impact on the use it's planed to.

I was more concerned by the power capacity and any blade length issues.

N
 
I bought a 16 inch Grizzly years ago for about $600 and have been pretty happy with it. The cheaper lighter duty bandsaws that I had would not slab four or five inch thick Ivory correctly. But they would cut corners off and wood slabs okay. But for Ivory work I feel mine is about the least you can get by with. I once used a old Powermatic that I borrowed and it cut circles around my Grizzly on Ivory slabs and it was even using a smaller blade.
 
I have a 14" Grizzly, use the crap out of it. I wish i'd bought a $1000-$1500 saw instead, but the Griz is doing ok. Get one with a pretty common blade length so you'll have lots of blades to choose from, or else you'll be paying extra to get blades made. I know a guy with a Powermatic 14" saw & he can't find a blade to fit so he has them custom made. I buy blades at the local hardware store.

I use my saw for cutting many, many things. I also have a $100 9" saw from Lowe's that gets excessive use. The saw I use the least is my table saw(s), well besides my scroll saw that hasn't been turned on in two years.
 
Alex has the 14" grizzly too with the oddball blade size 93.5" or something,we use it quite frequently actually.at least every week for one thin or another.in fact we have both wished that we had one of the bigger super bad bandsaws before.
 
Go big or go home,laguna is the way to go.But I have a tool sickness I demand the best.For what you need though most saws over $400 that are set up right will work just fine.
 
I have learned that buying to cheap could be expensive.... So I usually go for something little above the average.
But my feeling in this case is that many of the saws look the same and then is this due to same production place?
In case, I don't bother do blow money on a rebranded tool just because it has the posh name.
So then the question goes, where should I draw the line..

The more I dig the more I get unsure on what to go for. I came over these
http://www.yandles.co.uk/acatalog/Record.html
Prices in $ is ?*2.1 .
But then in my end of the world a BS350 costs ?900/$1999... in stead of ?350/$740 :(

N
 
Shop fox actually makes a pretty nice saw too. I have a bunch of their tools and they seem to be holding up pretty well. You can get in a 19 " for about 1100. well built saw.
 
RocketQ said:
Shop fox actually makes a pretty nice saw too. I have a bunch of their tools and they seem to be holding up pretty well. You can get in a 19 " for about 1100. well built saw.
Click to expand...

John,
That looked like a good saw !!! http://www.woodstockint.com/Products/42000000/W1729/

I guess however that these are not available as "Shop Fox" in my world (Norway).... But as mentioned, they pretty much look the same and have lots of different names but looks the same, so I guess I may see something like it but with a different name.

Thank's for the tip anyway.

N
 
And I found that this could be delivered in my home town $1200 without any discount
http://www.ps-tools.com/catalog/product_info.php/products_id/777
Very few pictures on the manufacturers home page and I have a sneaking feeling that this is also a Asian made one (even if it suppose to be German I think) however it looks like a quality item.
Could be adapted for a belt sander as well...

I guess I have to search for a newsgroupe about tools :D

N
 
Newton said:
And I found that this could be delivered in my home town $1200 without any discount
http://www.ps-tools.com/catalog/product_info.php/products_id/777
Very few pictures on the manufacturers home page and I have a sneaking feeling that this is also a Asian made one (even if it suppose to be German I think) however it looks like a quality item.
Could be adapted for a belt sander as well...

I guess I have to search for a newsgroupe about tools :D

N
Click to expand...

I'm not good with metrics but the way I figured it the blade length is 2240 mm long and at around 25mm to an inch that would make the blade length around 88 inch long. Most 14 inch band saws use a blade around 94 inch long. I would not consider buying a band saw less than 14 inch and 18 inch is really what is needed. It is a little hard to re-saw material for veneer and inlay material with the largest blades that can be used on a 14 inch. It is much, much easier on a larger saw and at the price that it looks like you have to spend you might as well get a saw that will take care of all your needs, both now and in the future.
I've got 3 band saws. one is junk and needs carried out, one I use for just general cutting and one I leave set up for re-sawing. It is a cheap 14 inch Taiwan saw but I took a lot of time setting it up with different bearings, guides and a 150.00 fence. I started to buy an 18 inch Jet this past Fall but decided I'm to old to be spending any more money on tools.

Dick
 
I have the 18in jet saw and love it. I can jam blocks of malachite and turquoise thru it without stalling the saw. However the blade will not like you for doing it. I have blades custom made for it for $18 from a local saw shop so 1 a year for slabing stone is fine with me. The larger saws are built so much better than the cheaper models I felt it was worth the extra few bucks to step up. Plus if you ever buy wood in log form as I do you will appreciate the extra power and throat clearence. Chris.
Old pictures, I know it was messy.
shopphotos06extra4003.jpg

shopphotos06extra4004.jpg
 
rhncue said:
I'm not good with metrics but the way I figured it the blade length is 2240 mm long and at around 25mm to an inch that would make the blade length around 88 inch long. Most 14 inch band saws use a blade around 94 inch long. I would not consider buying a band saw less than 14 inch and 18 inch is really what is needed.
Dick
Click to expand...

Thanks Dick, this was good info to get.

My initial thought was this one :
http://www.clasohlson.no/Product/Category.aspx?id=251724&_path=251882;251520;251145;251743;251724

Tech Info,
Table size:16x22" (400x550mm)
Wheel diameter:14" (355mm)
Blade length:99,6" (2490")
Max saw size (height)= 7.2"
Motor: 1Kw

This is from a company which do "parallel" import and have this in the marked as their own
"brand" saw. Most likely made by the same factory that many others, I'm not sure which...

But then I have also checked the Record BS 300 and the BS350 which might be a better choice.
http://www.yandles.co.uk/acatalog/Record.html

Pretty expensive over i Norway, $1200 and $1600 but looks good (They have a special spring special also over here
so the previous $1990 was reduced to 1600).
Currently checking if I could buy from abroad and get it here and hopefully save some $.

Chris:

I did have a look at the Jet, but they are pretty pricy as well. And then I read the reviews on this page : http://www.amazon.com/710750-JWBS-1...f=sr_1_12?ie=UTF8&s=hi&qid=1206465776&sr=1-12

Is this the same saw as you have Chris?


Anyway, I see how the import part goes... I'm tempted on one of the Record ones, since the next Metabo one is way out of my league (and my wife :D )

N
 
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KD Cues said:
This link gets the one I would select. I saw it this year at the AWFS in Las Vegas:

http://rikontools.com/productpage_10-325.htm

I thought it had the most bang for the buck (about $800.00). Best of luck, Kent
Click to expand...

About the same as the Grizzly I bought. I have liked it a lot.

http://www.grizzly.com/products/14-2-HP-Deluxe-Bandsaw/G0457

This one is on sale for $550, $145 off. It looks like a lot of saw for $550.
http://www.grizzly.com/outlet/14-Industrial-Bandsaw-1-1-2-HP/G0570
 
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