bandsaw favorite

[camarojim]

anyone have / use a horizontal band saw in their shop ? are the cheap ones worth the money or a waste of time and $$$.

thanks

Jim

 

[astroracer]

I have a 4x6 Horizontal that I have been using since the very early 80's. I use it nearly every day and it has performed nearly flawlessly over all these years with the only problem being a leaky gear cover that I fixed by dimpling the mating surfaces with a punch to keep the gasket from walking out. I have no complaints...
Mark

 

[kartracer55]

People love them for cutting meavy stock. Just set it and forget it... kinda like a ronco commercial. I have never used one, But I have used Big industrial verticle bandsaws, and they are pretty handy. Bandsaws are much slower than chopsaws, but dont throw sparks, are quieter, and you can do otherthigns while its cutting.

For brands, people have been happy with the HF, AFTER they re-engineered the stand, played around with bandtension and settings, and got a enw blade. Others Swear by thier JET modle. For me, If its gunna be an import, Its going to be a jet.
Jim

 

[camarojim]

thanks for the opinion on the jet stuff kartracer,

and what brand are you using , astroracer ?

it sounds like most of the 'economy' models require significant engineering mods to make them work correctly..

Jim

 

[astroracer]

I don't have a clue as to what it is. I bought it through a mail order clearing house before the advent of H/F. It is identical to most of the off shore saws you can buy currently. I have never modified anything on it other then getting some good bi-metal blades and it works just fine.
Check Enco for blade sales...
http://www.use-enco.com

 

[kartracer55]

Basically, All the HF, Jet and grizzly stuff is the same design. Some people even speculate that it all comes from the smae factory. The reason for the price differences is the quality. For example, A Hf bandsaw and a Jet bandsaw look identical, but, the jet bandsaw doesnt take 4 hours of fiddling aroudn with and strengthening to get it to cut straight.

Basically, bottom of the barrel is the chi-com import stuff from HF. Next, would be grizzly. Still not as good as USA made, but pretty cheap and good enough. then, you get to Jet, which is probably as good as an import is gunna get. with Grizzly and Jet, you dont need to clean off all the sand and cosmoline like you do on HF ****.

Jim

 

[imported_banzaitoyota]

I use a HF chi-com special, works fine lasts a long time

 

[camarojim]

thanks guys, you've given me some good things to think about...

Jim

 

[kartracer55]

Thats what were here for!! got over to hobart and search for "bandsaw" there are bandsaw threads up the **** overthere.

Jim

 

[Darren M.]

Reviving this thread to ask about the general concensus of Delta brand band saws. Have a line on a 10" Delta w/ roll around stand for $75. I have only one question.

Deal or no deal?

 

[W-Cummins]

I hate them. If some one gave me one I would smash it with the backhoe and send it back to china to be recycled into some thing else There are tons of web pages with information on how to make them work "better" Most start out with change the blade ( some thing you will get very good at if you intend to use them on any thing even close to 1/2 its joke rating of 4"X6") Then they suggest you change the stand, the vise, change the pivot point etc..... IF you did all that you would still have a piece of **** ( the main frame is way too weak to tension the blade properly even if the tensioning device could do it The guides ****, the wheels ****, the gear box is often full of sand from the casting and is for sure full of cheap as hell chinese made bearings, the motor ***** and gets really hot I guess you could cut the cord off of it and rewire a lamp with it Say... did I mention they ****???



There are tons of GOOD US made saws out there. I had a greenlee model about the same size as the **** 4X6s that worked well ( it was used, and free!) I gave it away. I picked up a used wellsaw 59B on e-bay for $335.00 And it was a SWEET little saw, Sold it to a buddy when I got my wellsaw 10"X16" out of storage. That saw cuts soooooo nice I don't think I will ever part with it....

here is a picture of the 10X16

 

[eschoendorff]

I hate them. If some one gave me one I would smash it with the backhoe and send it back to china to be recycled into some thing else

This is SOOO off topic, but ever since I was a little kid, I've wanted a backhoe. I wish we were closer. I'd love to get in on the smashing s*** with the backhoe thang!

 

[W-Cummins]

This is SOOO off topic, but ever since I was a little kid, I've wanted a backhoe. I wish we were closer. I'd love to get in on the smashing s*** with the backhoe thang!

I'd kinda like to have a nice tracked smasher like a d6 cat... I got a charge out of the biker builder type show that the guy took a sledge hammer to the 4X6 bandsaw.....

BTW back to the bandsaw thing I would also suggest looking at the portercable carbide blade metal cutting chopsaw. They work really nice for smaller stuff and are about $435 or so on amazon after the $75 dollar deal they have now

William....

 

[Brian]

I used a Jet bandsaw quite a bit at a place I used to work. That thing had been to hell and back and it still cut great, (if not perfectly straight). The only limit to the thickness of material it would cut is how wide the clamp would open and how long you were willing to wait. As someone else said you could just set it up and go do something else while it cut.

At the same place we had front end loaders we would sometimes use to crush stuff. We even had a damaged Craftsman tool box and monster trucked it with a Case 821B, that was fun.

 

[imported_banzaitoyota]

For the whooping $165 I have in the CHI-COM Cheapie, it allows me to have access to a saw and spend the $$$ elsewhere until I can fully justify the outlay

 

[krooser]

You can often find a used USA saw at auction or Ebay for under $250.00....

 

[BOSS351C]

Ive got a Jet 4x6. I figured for the little extra $ I wouldnt have to fiddle with the blade tracking. I was right. Took it out of the box, assembled the stand (legs really) and it cut perfectly straight. The first blade even lasted through a fair number of cuts, until I tried it on a hardened axle shaft That stripped a bunch of teeth off it. A new Morse blade and Im back in business. It was a much better buy than my Chinese drill press!

 

[imported_banzaitoyota]

You can often find a used USA saw at auction or Ebay for under $250.00....

And you can often WAIT for these deals to fall into your lap. For MY needs, the Cho-Com POS has served its purpose, I am still searching for a mill deal, where my $$$ is better spent at this time