Buying a Bandsaw

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flyitfast said:
Jet has a contest going to give away a 14" saw through Popular Woodworking.
JET Bandsaw Sweepstakes - Popular Woodworking Magazine
Maybe you could win one!!!! :biggrin:
Check their website - I just got an email this morning about their contest.
Good Luck
gordon

This is a dumb post on my part. Now everyone will enter and I won't have a chance............:mad:
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:laugh::laugh:

Nice thought, appreciate it.


Harry
 
Bandsaw

I would look at the Laguna 14-12. It is a whole new saw targeted for the entry level market. 110 Volt with plenty of capacity. I have 2 Laguna's and love them.

Mike
 
I purchased the Power Matic 14" saw about a year ago and it is one of the best pieces of equipment I've put in my shop. I got it with a riser block and have since purchased a
Carter log saw attachment and Carter magnetic fence. You can not believe how smooth this saw will cut. I recommend it 100%. Before buying tho, you might look at the Power Matic 15" it is fairly new on the market and I don't know anything about it. If it is a step above the 14", it's a jewel.

Ben
 
I have the Rikon 14" pro saw and it has 14" of height adjustment and I have used all of it on several occasions! This saw is a good saw and I can imagine that the smaller Rikon saws are really good too.
 
Man, you guys make it tough to decide :rolleyes::bulgy-eyes::rolleyes::bulgy-eyes:

Still undecided though, but still looking at the grizzly's.
Was hoping for something good on the delta i found on craigslist.



Harry
 
stonepecker said:
Father's day is comming. Just a thought...............lol
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I think i might be wearing the "holiday" excuse thin :laugh::laugh::laugh:

Birthday
Fathers Day
Christmas
Thanksgiving
Just because you love me day
Easter
Anniversary
Haven't gotten anything for awhile day


Harry :biggrin:
 
Ok so to get to your specific question which no one seems to have done, I bought the lowes porter and cable and installed a riser block. Although the riser block was not exactly made for it, a couple hours of drilling and assembly and it did the trick. The saw is more than stiff enough to cut 12" bowl blanks as long as you have a nice sharp blade. I paid $399 minus a 10% coupon for what I cant remember and got the riser block for $40. I hace been very happy with the saw and it is nice and quiet unlike my old craftsman. It is not a powermatic, but you will have plenty of money left to buy good quality blades and take your significant other away for the weekend (win win)
 
Harry,

Have you decided on a bandsaw yet? I'll say that I've used my Craftsman a lot more now considering I've only had it a week and a half, and it has done me right. I don't have any large burls or bowl blanks laying around, so I have not yet tested the limits of the resaw capacity. The saw is very smooth, cuts well and was $389.xx out the door. Considering what you can get the PC or the Craftsman for, I'd throw the HF idea out of the window.
 
Been looking at this one also.
Craftsman 14-Inch Band Saw: Strength and Speed Team up at Sears

Clark, is this the same as yours?

Any reason why i shouldn't buy this one?

Other than replacing the blade, it has a bigger table, 8'' cutting capacity, ( i know i can't add a riser) 1 horse motor. I've read the reviews, 4 star from 42 reviews.



If i get this one and later decide i should of got the grizzly, you guys can always say..."i told ya so" :biggrin:


Harry
 
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That is the one I bought. If you have a sears nearby, check it out. They will also honor the online price in store (or they just order it online, then you drive around back and load it up).

Again, I don't really have intentions of cutting LARGE stock in the near future. Once I have an actual shop (next house), I'll upgrade :)
 
Cmiles1985 said:
That is the one I bought. If you have a sears nearby, check it out. They will also honor the online price in store (or they just order it online, then you drive around back and load it up).

Again, I don't really have intentions of cutting LARGE stock in the near future. Once I have an actual shop (next house), I'll upgrade :)
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Same here Clark. I'm not going to be resawing alot, maybe one or two here there but when i do i want to be able to cut thru it and not think about it.
I'm only working out of a 9x16.



Harry
 
It cuts pretty well. I just cut a bunch of mesquite blanks without it it hesitating a bit. I'll cut some thicker mesquite stock in the next night or two to see how it handles some good thick hard wood. Also, by saving so much I bought a nice Kreg fence and miter gauge that will be here tomorrow evening...or, I got what my company considers a bonus, so I chose Amazon as my gift card :)
 
As an update in the Craftsman: it does not include a fence. I bought a Kreg Precision fence. Now it's time to install, so I had to buy a T&D set, now a full set of drill bits. We are getting close to the cost of the Rikon Deluxe if I hadn't planned on upgrading the fence and miter gauge anyways. I guess, at least now I won't have the factory ones taking up space!
 
I have a MiniMax 16". It's a great saw, but I have not used it to it's multi-use capacity. I put a carbide tipped 1/2" blade on it and have just left it. I have done no scroll work with it since I have an RBI scroll saw. I mainly use my bandsaw for resawing with my Laguna carbide tipped blade. I used to have a 14" Delta but the Minmax is way better, IMO. I'm not pushing it as a brand though. I would just recommend that you, first, decide on what your main uses of the saw are going to be and then find a bandsaw that best fits your uses. I've cut logs on my Minmax, but I mainly bought it for resawing. I frequently use it to dimension pen blanks. Once I got the fence adjusted for drift, I haven't readjusted it for years since it stays right on.
 
I think i going to get the craftsman for no more than i will be doing.
Now, if anyone would like loan/give me some $$$ for a Rikon, Grizzly or one of those fancy ones, i'll gracefully except :biggrin:



Harry
 
looking for bandsaw

I've had the Rikon 14" deluxe for almost 2 years and use it a lot. This is a great bandsaw. There is a window on the end to see where your blade is tracking, there is a quick tension release, a miter guage, a good fence, a 4" dust collection port that works good. At $799 it is an excellent buy.

In the classified section of Woodcentral there are 2 new carbon steel blades and a carbide resaw blade for $100 ( carbide blades are usually $170+ alone). I started out with a 14" , added a riser block, bew guides, new tires, etec, etc and ended up with a hodge podge inferior saw while spending a lot more than buying the Rikon deluxe the first time.
 
dougturner1@cox.net said:
I've had the Rikon 14" deluxe for almost 2 years and use it a lot. This is a great bandsaw. There is a window on the end to see where your blade is tracking, there is a quick tension release, a miter guage, a good fence, a 4" dust collection port that works good. At $799 it is an excellent buy.

In the classified section of Woodcentral there are 2 new carbon steel blades and a carbide resaw blade for $100 ( carbide blades are usually $170+ alone). I started out with a 14" , added a riser block, bew guides, new tires, etec, etc and ended up with a hodge podge inferior saw while spending a lot more than buying the Rikon deluxe the first time.
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Sounds great Doug, will you spot me $400 :rolleyes::biggrin:

A rikon fence will fit the craftsman, besides, i'll make my own also.


Harry
 
For the first couple of uses I just clamped a straight piece of poplar to the table. I just used the fence for the first time, and it's nice.
 
My Rikon Pro has 14" and I have used all of it several times. Love this saw and not much slows it down. A band saw is an important purchase. I would rather wait and really get a good one than to hurry and wish I had waited. My band saw has paid for itself easily and was worth the price that I paid for it. I don't regret it one bit. Same with the lathe. The pens have paid for both several times over.
 
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