Rockwell Blade Runner??? Opinions???

Signed-In Members Don't See This Ad
toddlajoie

toddlajoie

Member
Joined
Feb 6, 2010
Messages
1,728
Location
Feeding Hills MA
So I was looking at this at Woodcraft the other day, and it seems like a neat little multi-function tool for someone who might not have the cash or space for the full size tools. It also seems like a nice all around cutter for pen sized stuff. Anyone have any experience or opinions to sway me away from this little $180 tool and back into looking at the lower end small band saws (looking at the Rikon 10" band saw in the $250 range and a more dedicated floorspace...)

I'm not really into ripping down much larger pieces of wood, I did wish it had a slightly larger capacity than 1.5 inches, as I have on occasion bought some cool 2" square stock and cut it down for pen blanks, but I may have to reserve that work for the table saw. I wish I could afford the $$ and floor space for a better band saw, but for a hobby, even the small $250 band saw is a tough sell on the wife...
 
Signed-In Members Don't See This Ad
Save you money and buy the bandsaw. I watched the video and thought it was a neat gimmick but that was about it. It is basically an upside down jigsaw with a table. As a matter of fact, it even takes regular t shank jigsaw blades according to their website. It might be handy for a couple of cuts but is NOT going to be any kind of work horse with a 5.5 amp motor. To give you some comparison on the motor:

A basic 3/8" Makita electric drill: 4.9 amps
A Makita 5/8" electric hammer drill: 6.0 amps
A Makita 7 1/4" electric circular saw: 15 amps
A Makita jigsaw: 6.3 amps

5.5 amps equals roughly .5 HP. It will cut but I am afraid it is going to be slow in anything but soft wood.
 
Gadgets come and go, but a bandsaw has been around with the basic form unchanged for a very long time for a good reason. It's a very efficient tool for it's job. The long blade is much more efficient than a short reciprocating blade in any but the softest or thinnest wood. That's why stock prep is so important for scrolling. If you want to cut wood instead of change blades and mess around with tool alignment, start looking for a used bandsaw, at least 10 inch, that can use a standard length 1/2 inch blade. That's realistically the minimum that you will be able to use long term. Anything less is, IMHO, just a waste of money that will delay you getting what you need.
 
Thanks for the unanimous opinions, I had a feeling (which is why I asked the question...) but the think looked so neat and shiny... Have to start working the phrase "if I had a bandsaw" into conversations with the wife to get her warmed up to the idea...
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top Bottom