Which one... 10" Band Saw ?

[Holz Mechaniker]

So I am in the market for a new band saw, had a 14" deluxe Rikon sadly had to sell it a few years back because our heating bill was... Anyhow. That was a bit too much for my small shop space. I am looking at the Rikon 10", Sears 10" (the Rikon made) and a Wen 10"....
With that, I hope someone (or 3 ++) has first hand knowledge of one of these.

 

[its_virgil]

If you liked your Rikon stick with it.
Don

 

[KenV]

I have had hands on time with the Rikon 10 inch saw. Within the capacity of the saw, it was a fine piece of gear.

Good reputation for customer Service.

 

[Dan Masshardt]

I wish I could help but hearing 14" bandsaw might be too much sounds like you're speaking a whole different language. ;-)

The nice thing about 14" bandsaws is that the footprint is still pretty small really. The price tag is quite a bit more than the 10" bench top models. If you're cutting pen blanks to size etc, I'm sure you'll be fine with any.

The nice thing about sears is that you can get some great online coupons etc and pickup in store.

I think highland woodworking has one of the best prices on the rikon 10".

Just please don't get a 9" saw.

 

[Rockytime]

<SNIP> Just please don't get a 9" saw.

I don't usually like to disagree but I have had the 9" HF band saw. In spite of the bad press it has been a reliable work horse for me. I do have a nice 12" Craftsman band saw but the little 9" sits on the bench in my small shop and cuts blanks accurately. I have made a small sled. It cuts very accurately. Of course if one wants to do larger work a larger a bigger saw makes sense. But the 9" HF saw is quite nicely made and worth the inexpensive price.

 

[Penultimate]

I have the Craftsman (Rikon) 10", I was involved with Rikon to mKe it Craftsman. I think it is a great saw, of course I biased.

 

[dogcatcher]

I have both a 12" Craftsman from the 70's and the 10" newer Rikon Craftsman. My 45 year old saw works better than the almost new one did when I got. The 10" was 2 months old, it belonged to my neighbor that that was transferred and he could not sell and did not want take it with him after he used mine.

My recommendation, find a real bandsaw, not one the 10" saw, look for 12" or bigger. Check Craigslist, I see the old Craftsman 12" band saws come up all of the time in major cities.

 

[keithncsu]

So glad this thread came up. Been sitting here for a few days researching the same exact thing. I've seen some of the old 80s model craftsmen 12" saws on Craigslist. I just figured that there was no need to go with a larger saw than I need just to save $30 or so. Have been looking at the 9" skill. Steered away from the ryobi at the same price point just because of the odd band size. But now this thread is starting to make me reconsider that 12" after all... Very interested to see the ongoing discussions here.

 

[jaywood1207]

I have the Rikon 10" and bought it specifically to cut blanks for razors and my finger rings. I am very happy with it so far. I keep my 14" set up with a coarser blade for resawing and larger work.

 

[Holz Mechaniker]

I wish I could help but hearing 14" bandsaw might be too much sounds like you're speaking a whole different language. ;-)


Just please don't get a 9" saw.

Sadly the 14" Rikon Deluxe not only too big for my shop but it pulled a lot of amps for my antique home.

and I will not get a 9" one.

 

[TellicoTurning]

Just please don't get a 9" saw.

I also have a 9" Ryobi band saw that I bought in a pawn shop about 12 years ago... if I can keep the squirrels from using it as a storage unit (another story), it's a great little saw and served me well when I was doing pens, key rings and game calls. I still use it occasionally when I'm cutting resin blanks or antler..... I have a 14" Delta now with a Grizzly riser that I use for bowl blanks and try to keep the blades clean.

I don't know anything about Rikons, but have heard good reviews.

 

[keithncsu]

I know there are plenty of comments against the 9" saws but I found a Delta locally on Craigslist this weekend for $40. It works and just had a new drive belt and tires in the last year - just needs a new blade. The guy also gave me a 2-3 ft piece of 3/4 black walnut once he found out what I was going to do with the saw. That piece of wood paid for the saw!

 

[rudya7]

I have the 10" Craftsman and a 14" band-saw as well. The 10" is a little under-powered, but great for anything pen related. I like the all ball bearing guides on such an inexpensive saw. I use a 1/2" bi-metal 14tpi blade on it and you can trim down blanks to be perfectly square with the cut smooth enough to skip the sanding. I only use the 14" for bigger work now, like trimming bowl blanks.

 

[Fish30114]

I have the 10" Rikon, and I've been well pleased for over 18 months. I caught it on sale for a very reasonable price at Woodcraft--it seems there is a Rikon sale a few times a year. One thing about it, the miter slot on the table is non-standard, it's maybe 5/8" and you can't find a quality miter attachment that fits it--and the Rikon miter gage is a POS. That's my biggest beef with the saw---I probably need to spend some time looking on you tube or whatever and learn how to make a sled that will fit in the slot that's there. Overall, I recommend it, it is pretty simple and functional.