I bought a Craftsman 14" band saw model BAS350 before Christmas. It is a rebadged Rikon 10-320 14". I tell about getting it here:
https://www.garagejournal.com/forum/showthread.php?p=6896302#post6896302
I am well pleased for what I got at the price. It cuts well with a new blade, and setup was just as tedious as you might expect. A few people online have mentioned issues with the saw, but I found that close attention to detail in the adjustments solve most of the problems they mention. I used a machinists square to set up the angles on the blade and table, getting them as dead nuts as possible. Almost non existent drift after setting the tracking correctly, and I have resawed a 6" piece of poplar with good results, just a bit of ripple on a 1/8" thick cut. I'm sure as I get more practice the surface finish will improve.
The stand is sturdier than I expected, and the mobility kit works like a dream. Just press the pedal with your foot and it locks the wheels down. Press again and it lowers on the legs.
The Fence is better than some and worse than others. I can see some improvements I will make soon, but I have to get the milling machine going for that. Basically, it needs a beefier and taller resaw fence section for my uses. It should only take a couple of hours to make a new one out of billet aluminum.
I think it was a good buy, and the Rikon bandsaws are a pretty good value anyway. The 10" Craftsman (Another Rikon) is in my garage, and I like it a lot and it excels at scroll like tight curve parts, but this gives me a larger capacity to handle some projects coming up.
Sorry, but no pics at this time. I find myself without a camera that works and I only use a stupid phone. I'll try to get my daughter to take a few later.
https://www.garagejournal.com/forum/showthread.php?p=6896302#post6896302
I am well pleased for what I got at the price. It cuts well with a new blade, and setup was just as tedious as you might expect. A few people online have mentioned issues with the saw, but I found that close attention to detail in the adjustments solve most of the problems they mention. I used a machinists square to set up the angles on the blade and table, getting them as dead nuts as possible. Almost non existent drift after setting the tracking correctly, and I have resawed a 6" piece of poplar with good results, just a bit of ripple on a 1/8" thick cut. I'm sure as I get more practice the surface finish will improve.
The stand is sturdier than I expected, and the mobility kit works like a dream. Just press the pedal with your foot and it locks the wheels down. Press again and it lowers on the legs.
The Fence is better than some and worse than others. I can see some improvements I will make soon, but I have to get the milling machine going for that. Basically, it needs a beefier and taller resaw fence section for my uses. It should only take a couple of hours to make a new one out of billet aluminum.
I think it was a good buy, and the Rikon bandsaws are a pretty good value anyway. The 10" Craftsman (Another Rikon) is in my garage, and I like it a lot and it excels at scroll like tight curve parts, but this gives me a larger capacity to handle some projects coming up.
Sorry, but no pics at this time. I find myself without a camera that works and I only use a stupid phone. I'll try to get my daughter to take a few later.