bandsaw advice

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richstick1

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Ok, I can see I'm going to need a bandsaw - I have limited funds and limited space - can anyone provide me with some direction as to what tools are good, what I should be looking for, and perhaps most importantly what to avoid???

Are the benchtop bandsaws worthwhile? I'd be looking at cutting up to small size bowls (small enough to fit on my Jet Midi with it's 10" swing.

Thanks in advance!!

Rich
 
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Ultimately, it depends on how thick a piece of stock you want to cut. My Delta 9" cuts up to about 3" thick, which covers most bowl blanks you'll use on a midi. IMHO, if you're short on space and funds, a table-top Rikon or Delta is the way to go, especially with some Timberwolf blades. For those rare occasions when you need to cut something bigger, make friends with someone with a bigger saw, or see if a local lumber yard can cut it for you.
 
Rich,

Not sure where you are in the country. I am lucky to have a Grizzly store nearby. I have the Grizzly GO555, which will do anything I likely will ever demand of it. I started with a 9 inch Delta, but it just wasn't powerful enough.

My advice would be to save a bit and get a saw that will grow with your needs.
 
Rich,

A couple of quick thoughts. First off, a bench top band saw is going to require little less footprint that a full size and then you probably will be faced with moving it around a lot which is bad on the back. (I'm lazy and so is my back)

Secondly, I have all the respect in the world for the Griz G0555 and would love to have one, but could not justify the outlay at the time I bought my BS. I went by the way of the HF BS and bought some Temberwolf blades for it. As it turned out, I have been very happy with it and paid only around $200 when it was on sale. I have a HF store within driving distance, so freight did not enter the picture.

I believe Al (Doc Stram) posted a HF coupon a few weeks ago that may reward you with some savings on this tool. Check out the casual conversation forum for the coupon, I think that is where it was last time I looked.

Just to give you anolther option to the ones already posted and try to confuse you even further [}:)]
 
Check out the sears 12". It is awsome. Bearing guides (nice ones, not crap)with micro adjust, 7" resaw depth, handles up to 1/2" blades, 2 - 3/8 x 3/4 miter slots, 2 speeds (1450 and 3000), 2 1/2 and 4" dust ports, 3/4 horse motor, 20" x 15" table, and all for $250 - $300 depending on sale prices.
 
Rich,

I too have the Craftsman 12" and love it. Saved my pennies and got it on sale. One thing about it is you'll likely need to order blades online, my sears does not stock the 89 1/2" blades it uses. That's the only drawback I've found and that was only until I went online & bought a bunch of blades. I've cut some large pieces of Mesquite with out any problem; plenty of power. My next accessory will be a jig to hold the baldes so I can braze the blades I broke back together.

It was me making racing turns with too wide a blade [:p] not the saw that broke them.

I had one of the table top band saws before and it seemed like half of what I wanted to cut was 1/2 inch bigger than the saw.[:(] It was aggravating and led to doing silly things in order to make the cut.

Bottom line advice is save up and buy all the saw you can afford, you'll be glad you did!
 
Been where you are ..... I decided to go with the HF 14" BS with the riser block. It's on sale again at HF. Marked down from 289 to 259 ... plus that 20% off coupon will save you another $52. It's not pretty but the price is right.
http://www.harborfreight.com/cpi/ctaf/displayitem.taf?Itemnumber=32206

Note: The riser block was extra. Call the HF 800 number to order it.
 
A lot bepends on what you want to do with it. If the biggest piece of wood you envision sawing is a 3" thick, 9" x 9", then a benchtop will work fine.

If you think you want bigger, as Dario said, the entry level Grizzly is a nice saw. The HF saw also appears to be a diamond in the rough.

Don't overlook used. You might be able to find a nice saw at a good price.

jeff
 
I have the Grizzly G0555 and love it. In fact, in that class, it is the standard by which others are judged. Equivalent models by other brands can cost 2 to 2 1/2 X what the Griz does. I did not get the riser block because, IMHO, it could push the machine beyond it's design limits of a 6" cut. Others like it, however.
 
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