Carbatec 8 inch benchtop bandsaw. Any good?

[harry wall]

Considering getting this as a gift for a newbie woodworker.
Carbatec 8" Benchtop Model Bandsaw | Carbatec (https://www.carbatec.com.au/carbatec-8-benchtop-model-bandsaw)

I cannot locate any online reviews or comments so can anyone here give an opinion re reliability, accuracy, etc?

[Treecycle]

Here are a couple of discussions about the bandsaw. Neither of them gives a definitive answer to your question though.
Model Ship World (https://modelshipworld.com/topic/16011-carbatec-10-bandsaw-any-good/)
Tradie (https://www.tradiemagazine.com.au/bs-b200h-carbatec-8-benchtop-bandsaw/)
I have a Record 9" Bandsaw which I use for cutting tight curves in thinner timber so I don't have to change the blade on my 14" unit as I have that set up for resawing. Some people say the smaller wheels cause the blades to break quicker because of the tighter radius but I haven't found that to be a problem yet. I am still on the blade that came with the machine which appears to be made from thin soft material with hard teeth. I got a couple of replacement blades made at McDiven saws and they call them a hobby blade I think so they are probably made from different stock to their normal blades. I always release the tension on the blade when I finish using it and tighten it again the next time I go to use it. Whether this helps in life expectancy, I don't know. With the Record you can't apply a lot of tension to the blade due to the design of the tensioner and if cutting thicker wood you can get a bit of bowing of the blade in the cut. The Carbatec unit appears to use the standard tensioning system so may be able to be tightened a fair bit tighter. It also appears to be a direct drive off the motor and if not balanced correctly or the tyres are slightly out of round it can cause vibration due to the higher blade speed. Mine has a belt drive from the motor to the drive wheel so it runs a bit slower and no vibration.