HF 4x6 Red Bandsaw review

[terabyte]

So I really needed a saw to cut raw materials as I wanted to start cranking out some welding projects. So I get one from the store and wasn’t happy about paying the full $250 but I figured it’s still cheaper than anywhere else. I bring it to the shop, assemble everything and start my first cut with it. It goes about 1 inch into ¼ angle and BANG!!!

The blade snapped off. I go to HD and pickup a Rigid branded blade. I tightened this one as hard as I could and it came off about 4 times even without toughing anything. I started messing with the adjustments and then I really did it. I snapped off a 14mm bolt on the idle part of the wheel. The one that holds that wheels axle. I was finally pissed. I threw it all in the back of my truck and figured I would exchange it. I didn’t even bother to unassembled it.

I took it to the store I bought it and they were out of stock. There is another store about 25 min. south and they had 5 in stock. I figured what the heck… I exchanged it with ZERO hassle. They helped me get it off my truck and everything. I bought a couple of things and went back to the shop.

So I unboxed this one and notice there is lube all over the place. CRAP!!! I knew immediately where it came from. I remembered reading on one of the 4x6 sites that they recommended to take out all the lube it comes with and clean out the cavity really well then replace with good gear lube. So I took my sweet time cleaning out the jelly they called lube. Then I sprayed everything really well with brake cleaner and cleaned some more. I replaced with Mobil 1 gear lube and buttoned everything back up. Figured that by showing this one some love it might reward me back.

So I don’t even bother to assemble the stand since I was going to just return this one if it gave me problems. I tighten the hell out of the blade and it wants to come off the wheels. CRAP!!! I adjust the top wheel so that it sits nice and flush with the back lip of that wheel. The bottom one still sticks out about ¼ inch. I start my first cut and BANG!!! It fell off again. I reinstall the blade 6 times and BANG every time. I finally adjusted the bottom guide bearings and it seems to do the trick a bit better. I start another cut and just wait for it to pop and wait and wait. Wait a minute its working!!! Then I realize that because the blade it sitting about ¼ inch off the bottom wheel it’s eating the hinged blade cover. Ehh… I don’t really care.

I did several test cuts and it keeps working. I finally start a cut on 2x2 11gauge tube and it takes a while but it cuts it just fine. I assemble the stand with care and mount the saw up. I finally have a working bandsaw. Like all things in life, you get your moneys worth. I’m just a hobbyist and can not justify 1000 bucks on a saw so this does the trick for me.

[zuspiel]

Thanks for sharing your experience! I'm glad your persistence paid off. I've been looking at those but luckily I don't have any room...

[Uncle Buck]

Another piece of good advice learned through experience. Go to an industrial tool supplier or machinery supplier in your area and have them make you up a blade. Specify that you want the blade to be of Bi-metal material, and a skip tooth type blade.

I think you will find the quality of the blade should make quite a bit of difference. Generally the better brands of blades I am familiar with would be Lennox, Morse, I think even Starrett. I am sure there are many I am not familiar with but that will give you an idea of some of the better quality brands. Good Luck!

[eschoendorff]

Thanks for sharing your experience! I'm glad your persistence paid off. I've been looking at those but luckily I don't have any room...

Roger that! :beer:

[terabyte]

Another piece of good advice learned through experience. Go to an industrial tool supplier or machinery supplier in your area and have them make you up a blade. Specify that you want the blade to be of Bi-metal material, and a skip tooth type blade.

I think you will find the quality of the blade should make quite a bit of difference. Generally the better brands of blades I am familiar with would be Lennox, Morse, I think even Starrett. I am sure there are many I am not familiar with but that will give you an idea of some of the better quality brands. Good Luck!

THANKS for the heads up dude. So like Grainger should be able to hook me up? I work a normal day job and it's hard for me to get to these places so I was thinking of ordering from here...
http://littlemachineshop.com/products/product_view.php?ProductID=1853

they have a really comprehensive guide on how to buy blades...
http://littlemachineshop.com/Info/bandsaw.php

[PAToyota]

I picked up one of those cheapy bandsaws over fifteen years ago. It served me well and is now serving my father well. A quality blade and cleaning the grit out of the lube are definitely the first "upgrades" to make.

A few websites with tips, tricks, and recommendations:
http://www.mini-lathe.com/Bandsaw/Bandsaw.htm
http://tinyisland.com/4x6bsFAQ.html
http://www.kwagmire.com/shop/saw/4x6saw.html
http://www.4crawler.com/Machining/index.shtmlEarlier this year I happened to find one of these for $250 - which is what I had paid for the original one:

https://www.northerntool.com/images/product/images/145733_lg.gif

So it made for an easy upgrade. It was from a equipment reseller who had gotten it in on a trade and his normal clients didn't have much use for a "little" saw. I was the first to call, but when I picked it up he admitted that he should have asked for much more because his phone kept ringing off the hook about it.

The current "red" HF version has looked to me to be less sturdy than the one I bought years ago, but I've only given it a cursory look. I think your story confirms my suspicions.

[Uncle Buck]

I think yours is like the red saw on steroids. It is beefier and better equipped if you ask me.

[terabyte]

I think yours is like the red saw on steroids. It is beefier and better equipped if you ask me.

aren't those actually bigger as well?

[Uncle Buck]

aren't those actually bigger as well?

Yes, considerably larger.

[RAYJAY]

i have the same saw for over 2 years ( the red HF ) and never had a problem with it, the factory blades are junk, a good bi metal blade and it cuts like butter,

any saw out of the box wil need setup to cut straight, the HF directions like all there direction "suck " ....sorry but thats the only word i can use, i just used grizzly manual (same saw different color ) for the cost the saw is a life saver and cuts great

http://grizzly.com/images/manuals/g0622_m.pdf

[terabyte]

DUDE!!! thanks a bunch for that link to the grizzly manual. that is SO much nicer.

[PAToyota]

Yeah, the Jet is a 7x12 - so a bit of an upgrade in size as well. I agree with HHolmberg that the Jet really isn't a enormously significant step up in quality - still an import. But the increase in size, fluid cooling, and such made it worthwhile to upgrade.

My original 4x6 was like this Jet:
http://www.dogpatch.com/bobp/shop/jet_4x6.jpg

Slightly different from the "new" red one.

[l_bilyk]

I think that's the case with all of that offshore machinery. It all requires some tuning and tweaking to get it to work.

[terabyte]

I think that's the case with all of that offshore machinery. It all requires some tuning and tweaking to get it to work.

my prazzi lathe worked perfectly fine right out of the box ;)

[terabyte]

Update!!! I keep poping blades even if I crank the bejesus out of the adjuster. It no longer comes off the wheels they just break at the welds. Does anyone have any advise to offer? If not I'm going to return this and try and get a JET branded model.

[Uncle Buck]

I know there is a Yahoo group dedicated to tinkering around with those import saws. You might try them.

[terabyte]

I know there is a Yahoo group dedicated to tinkering around with those import saws. You might try them.

i tried joining but they have not approved my membership and that was about a month ago.

[RAYJAY]

Update!!! I keep poping blades even if I crank the bejesus out of the adjuster. It no longer comes off the wheels they just break at the welds. Does anyone have any advise to offer? If not I'm going to return this and try and get a JET branded model.


if your breaking at the welds couple of questions

kind of stock your cutting?

brand of blade your using?

hows your feed rate on the saw if its set to fast for the material?

blade speed ? to fast or to slow for stock ?

also did you square everything up? is the blade cutting square not binding on the cut

the HF saw will be The same as Jet for set up, we bought a ENCO model at work and had the same setup that i had on my HF saw at home, in all my HF saw ran better than the ENCO did out of the box,

Jeff

[terabyte]

thanks a bunch Jeff! :beer:

kind of stock your cutting?
mostly 1/8 square tube
or 1/16th angle or 1/4 angle
brand of blade your using?
rigid from HD i tried both the 24t and the 14t
hows your feed rate on the saw if its set to fast for the material?
i dunno I'm new to these things but the last time I set the saw so that the spring almost held up all the weight ... so pretty darn slow
blade speed ? to fast or to slow for stock ?
middle setting on the saw
also did you square everything up? is the blade cutting square not binding on the cut
mostly yes. it's cutting about 1/16th off
it was not binding at all ever though.
the HF saw will be The same as Jet for set up, we bought a ENCO model at work and had the same setup that i had on my HF saw at home, in all my HF saw ran better than the ENCO did out of the box,
my buddy has a Jet and his works with SO much less headache. I know many people say they are exactly the same but I really think Jet holds the factory to a higher set of tolerances.


/jose

[RAYJAY]

is the HD blade a import blade? is it bi metal?


i would try a starrett or a good name bi metal blade first, and rember you can install the blade inside out, i cut a lot of stock on mine and only on my 3rd blade 2 HF blades both cut like crap and welds broke and the one from granger i think it was a morse blade

Jeff

[terabyte]

I fixed my problem.

I found this on craigslist; (pics at end of post)

when I went to look at it i brought some scraps to do some test cuts

this thing cuts like a champ. the only thing is that it's supposed to have a coolant system and all that was missing, as was the hydraulic feed... this one was designed to use the spring

looks like the dayton is now actually a wilton :confused:

http://www.grainger.com/images/products/enlarged/XL-3Z990.JPG

i returned my horror freight saw and since it was over $100 they will mail me a check.

I got a saw that cuts like a champ for $100 less than the HF one. yea I'm a happy camper

[PAToyota]

Yep, that looks like a version of the original HF one that I got. Also looks like Wilton added a coolant system to it - although, is that a hand pump system?