Thread: I need help to pick first bandsaw

Originally Posted by jxdubbs

I've looking forward and exited to what you have to say about these band saws.

Hi James,

With most of our members here being Australians, we are probably not the best people to ask about the small bandsaws available in the US.

Your small bandsaws would run on a different voltage which makes comparison difficult and many of your brands are not available here, though there are likely to be 240 volt versions of your local Grizzlys and Rikons here from the same asian factory but with a different badge on.

Also because you are in the Northern Hemisphere your bandsaw blades probably go around the other way too,

Having said that, one thing to look at would be availability and price of consumables and product support.

Cheers

Doug

I think you should be looking to save a bit more and get a larger bandsaw. Sure a 10'' is fine for cutting pen blanks and small stuff but you need a bit more grunt to cut out bowl blanks. I used to stall a 1HP 14'' saw trying to cut fairly modest blanks so 1/3 HP aint really gonna cut it. You can cut small stuff on a big saw but not big stuff on a small saw.
Regards
John

Another thing that many people seem to point out is that 10" bandsaws tend to break blades more often than the larger ones. I assume this is because the blade is getting bent around a tighter radius then straightening out again twice for every revolution.

I always found that the 10" saws were just a bit on the small side. The small wheels limited me for choice of blade for ripping thicker bits of timber. Having said all that, it could be that a small saw is what you want or have the room for. My preference is for motor power (more is better) and weight of the saw. Heavy saws tend to be more rigid because the steel is thicker. Roller bearing guides are good. How easy is it to adjust the table for square to the blade? The rip fence will probably drive you to distraction, mine was a failure from day one.
If all you want to do is cutting out patterns and curved shapes then a 10" saw is fine and a big saw would be a waste. If you want to rip down big lumps of wood you need a big saw. If you want to do both, well, perhaps you need two saws? A 14" for the big stuff and a 10" for the fiddly bits? Like having a sub-compact car to do the shopping and a truck to move heavy loads.

A smaller saw is all I have room for. I don't do big projects. Pens, vapeing drip tips, small to medium bowls, an cutting board. I don't know if this helps but I have a Nova Commet 2 10" bench lathe. Also I do alot of exotic woods, stabilized, hybrid, acrylic that type of thing.

Sent from my SM-G930V using Tapatalk

As the others have said don't buy anything under 14". Even second hand it will be a vastly better machine than the 10" or 12" anything. The smaller machines continuously break blades because of the tight radius problem already mentioned.

When I started looking at a bandsaw I originally thought of a small Ryboi 10 inch one. I was guided by the price and so when I looked at it in the flesh I was thinking that this is way too small. I was basically able to lift it with one hand I eventually went with a 14inch one that was twice the price at the time and the foot print with the stand was something that I could deal with.

If you are limited for space you can put this on wheels and move it when you need to use it. If height is a problem then not much you can do about that other then make your own stand.

Something that you might not have thought of and especially for me the most used machine in my garage is the bandsaw.

I had a little Ryobi 10" saw for doing some Intrasia stuff and doll's house furniture. It was good for that. It was OK for cutting pen blanks and bits for doll's houses but any bigger than that it was areal pain. You can get 12" saws with a small footprint that can be mounted on either legs or sat on a bench. Not really big enough (in my opinion) but better by far than the little Ryobi. More choice in blades and more horsepower. Find the heaviest one you can. Weight equals stability, both in cutting and not falling over if the lump of timber you are trying to cut misbehaves and wants to move the saw. Please don't ask me about how I know this, it's embarrassing!
Good luck and make certain that you finish the day with the same number of fingers and the same amount of blood you started with.

I was passing through a store and my eye was drawn to a dinky bandsaw so I looked more closely.
The table was pressed steel - not solid iron! What's the point? I can't see anything being accurate with that.
I'm no expert, but I've already noticed that most important is the quality of the wheels that the blade runs around. Heavy solid wheels are going to be much better and worth the investment.
I'm going to fit a wheel kit to my bandsaw so that it reduces the effective footprint because I will be able to roll it around in my never ending workshop tetris. Maybe that would help you too.

Yeah I'm looking at some used ones now. Also I like the 10" her. Seems to be more powerful handmade out steel and cast iron.

Sent from my SM-G930V using Tapatalk