Question about band saw for home use?

Question

I'm planning to buy a band saw for home use,like building things around the house.My top dollar amount is about 650$ or less.By checking on the internet there seem to be a lot of complains about buying saws made in China and that includes old brand names of USA and Canada.
Any suggestions.One does not want to buy a product and hate it from the first.Most complains are about sloppy workman ship.Are there any locally made band saws available.I was thinking also in terms of a two or three speed model.

Answer 1

"tom..." has summed up not only durable goods (spec. tools), but literally everything that's being imported from Asian countries...except silk dressing gowns, woks, and chopsticks.

Well said tom.



Do a bit of research and when you decide on a solid brand, you may want to look at buying from non-traditional sources, like pawn shops, yard sales, estate auctions, flea markets, farm auctions, and so on.

Often, old timers bought quality products back in the day, and they surface every now and then.

They may be a bit worn, but the beauty of older machinery is they used standard industrial grade bearings, bushings, fittings, etc. and those parts may still be available. So with a bit of inspection and elbow grease you can refit a relic, and bingo: you've got a superior machine tool that will do the correct job for years to come.

One source for these bearings, etc. is WW Grainger.

Check 'em: http://www.grainger.com/Grainger/static/products.html

They also carry quality blades, which can make a big difference in operational dependability.



Regarding speed settings: Usually this is accomplished by stepped pulleys: one on the motor & one on the drive. The more 'slot' positions, the greater the range of speeds. 4-5 for my needs (both wood and metal working) seem to be acceptable.

Happy hunting.

Answer 2

1

Answer 3

There is an old saying, "That price is forgotten, long after the quality is remembered."



There are a number of reasons why China has gotten such a bad rap for making tools. As a former engineering tool analyst for a major aerospace company let me share some of those reasons with you.



1) American companies chose China to manufacture their products because of the cheaper touch-labor costs. The people doing the manufacturing had slowly migrated to the cities from the farms and really had nothing more than a short crash course regarding technical production.



2) Working with manufacturing high grade quality steel components required that persons be trained in metallurgy. That's when concepts such as tensile strengths, ductility, coefficient of expansion and Rockwell hardness factors determine the quality of the details going into what is being produced. Today this is still a challenge to small independent Chinese producers. Those companies such as Kobalt, De Walt, Craftsman and several more have put key engineers and quality managers in place in Chinese factories to insure that these technical requirements are adhered to. They have learned that the companies who only let the Chinese control metal quality themselves are destined for either failure or their top American markets will only be the 99 cent stores.



3) Tools made outside of China in the countries of the U.S.A., U.K,and Germany have a long history of craftsmanship which is handed down over the centuries. China does not share that legacy of quality in the manufacturing world.



So to answer your question as to what band saw to buy. I would say Jet. A 14" capacity saw with a cast iron table which is standard will run about $679 and will be everything you will need. Jet tools are the best, but they are not cheap.

http://www.jetwilton.com/us/manufacturing/en/products.html?node=4521&category=7190

Answer 4

G0555P 14" 1 HP Band saww, Polar Bear Series from Grizzly tools. It is made in an ISO 9001 factory ( think it is Korean, not Chinese) It is $575 delivered to your door



Jet also makes a good 14"band saw but I think the cost exceeds your budget.



Good luck with your tool purchase.

Answer 5

Well I have found disgustingly poor quality on Chinese made tools. Your best bet would be to find a good quality used saw. They used to make them good here in USA.

Answer 6

check out

harbor freight.com

menard,s has one that's good